March 19 - 25, 2012

myanmartimes
Myanmars first international weekly Volume 31, No. 619 1200 Kyats

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Historic Yangon cityscape thrown a lifeline

By Thomas Kean SUPPORTERS of a campaign to preserve the hundreds of priceless colonial-era buildings that make up Yangons unique cityscape have been given until the middle of the year to come up with a viable private sector-led conservation plan. This window of opportunity approved by President U Thein Sein was negotiated by historian Dr Thant Myint-U during extremely encouraging discussions with Minister for Industry U Soe Thein, the chief minister of Yangon Region and Yangon Mayor earlier this year. To spearhead the effort, Dr Thant Myint-U, the grandson of U Thant and author of The River of Lost Footsteps, Read more h a s established on p10-11 a n o n government organisation, the Yangon Heritage Trust, with support from architects, members of the business community and non-government organisations. The trust plans to begin surveying the downtown area later this month and to assist in preparing a conservation strategy to present to the government a conference bringing together both local and foreign experts is planned for late April or May. In the meantime, a moratorium has reportedly been put in place in downtown Yangon on the demolition of buildings aged over 50 years, although The Myanmar Times could not confirm this. Dr Thant Myint-U told The Myanmar Times last week that the challenge would be to maintain Yangons distinctive character and merge it with the infrastructure and amenities of a modern city. The important thing is that any future strategy is based on as much consultation as possible with the people actually living in these neighbourhoods, as well as government, business, and others, he said. We need to marry a new set of government regulations that are in the public interest, with a business plan, with a conservation strategy. More page 4

Ministry files case against The Voice

By Sandar Lwin THE Union Ministry of Mines last week filed a lawsuit against The Voice Weekly over alleged misreporting in a recent report that accused of misappropriating funds. The Ministry has applied to the court to take action against The Voice Weekly today. The case filing number is 51, said the ministrys director general, asking not to be named. The ministry filed the application of the lawsuit to the township court in Dagon township where The Voice Weekly is based. The officer of the court refused to release details of the filing, including whether it was a civil or criminal application or under what section of the law potential charges could be laid. I have no comment on that. The one side [the ministry] just has applied to the court to take action against the other side. We will inform both sides according to our normal procedure, the officer said. The case stems from a March 12 report in The Voice Weekly that quoted unnamed members of parliament as saying that misappropriation of funds and graft had been uncovered by the Office of the Auditor General at six ministries, including the Ministry of Mines. Mention of misappropriation was not true. Mentions of fraud and graft were not true, the director general, who is also head of the ministrys information committee, told The Myanmar Times on March 14. We believe the report would lead to the misunderstanding between the ministry and the public. Thats why we arranged a response to it. U Kyaw Min Swe, chief editor of The Voice Weekly, said his organisation would defend itself against any charges but he believed the ministry had misunderstood the nature of the report. As the ministry has chosen legal action, then [our organisation] will have to defend itself by the law. However, we dont want it to reach that stage, he said. The things that the ministry is saying are wrong were not mentioned in our report at all. He said the second paragraph of the article in which the Ministry of Mines was mentioned just listed the ministries and the general interpretation of the issues included in the report of Union Auditor Generals Office. Then, we identified which ministry was related to what issues based on what our sources had said. Our report did not specifically say the Ministry of Mines is committing misappropriations of funds and fraud, he said According to the director general, it is still possible that the ministry will nullify the filing if The Voice Weekly provides a satisfactory explanation. More page 4

Workers erect bamboo scaffolding around the Department of Immigration and National Population building on Mahabandoola Street near city hall early last year. The site was once home to the Rowe & Co department store, which opened its doors more than a century ago. Pic: The Myanmar Times

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Outline of a fourstep roadmap to equitable growth

which puts it up there with China and Vietnam rather than down with India (74pc), Cambodia (76pc), or Bangladesh (56pc). Progressive fiscal transfers and rural development programs The government can play a direct role to promote equality by raising funds in rich areas and giving them to poor areas. China and Vietnam do that, firstly by budget transfers to poor provinces, and secondly by funding sub-national governments to implement specific poverty, education and health projects. Vietnam does this more than China, and it has been argued that this alone explains why Vietnams growth path has been more equitable than Chinas. In 2006, Vietnam spent 5.6pc of GDP on equalising transfers to provinces (China 2.2pc), and a further 8.8pc of GDP on provincial development investments (China 2.2pc). Ho Chi Minh City, for example, raised revenues of US$640 per person, but spent only $194 per person the balance paying for the large transfers. Household-friendly and procompetition industry policies Rapid growth is driven by urban area employment creation and the emergence of a high-saving middle class. Letting households and companies do business with clear regulations, transparent and fair taxation, legal protection, and working infrastructure are aspects of the package of policies and expenditures needed to make that happen. Policies that limit competition (including from imports) are harmful and are invitations to corruption. Broad-based business development is far more important than attracting a small number of large foreign investors. Income inequality harms societies and can lead to civil unrest even if the economy as a whole is growing rapidly. The above policies will help Myanmar achieve rapid growth with equity. (Dr Adam McCarty is an Australian economist who has been living and working in Vietnam since 1991 as a university lecturer and consultant, conducting policy research and project evaluations for donor agencies. In 2001, he established Mekong Economics Ltd, where he is chief economist, and his work a across the Mekong region has covered microfinance, state enterprise reform, rural development impact evaluations, trade policy, aid effectiveness, and the education sector. Dr McCarty first came to Myanmar in 2008 and has worked on microfinance and trade policy.)

By Adam McCarty IN 1955, development economist Simon Kuznets presented a theory of the relationship between income inequality in a country and the path to becoming a rich developed country. He argued that income inequality increased in the early decades, when countries were taking off at catch-up rates of GDP growth (6-10 percent a year). When countries became rich, income inequality decreased. This was subsequently known as the Kuznets Curve. This idea stuck, and thus income inequality came to be seen as a price to pay for rapid growth. The problem, however, was that it was wrong. Mr Kuznets had little data, which was really only collected from about 1962 for developing economies. Hans Rowlings has shown us that data since 1962 tells us to throw out many pre-conceived ideas (see www.ted.com), and one of them is the Kuznets Curve. Myanmar can and must have balanced and equitable growth, and it can do so while growing rapidly. Equitable growth is the foundation for sustained development with social stability, which is particularly important in ethnically diverse countries. Many East Asian countries have achieved these dual objectives in recent decades and Myanmar can look to them for basic policy lessons. Here I would highlight four. Land reform Rapid growth begins with some decades of people moving from farms to factories. That stage has finished in China, is about to finish in Vietnam, and is about to start in Myanmar. On the farm, as there are fewer people, labour productivity increases (particularly if combined with family planning campaigns). Rural households save more, and so living standards increase not as fast as urban households, but not too far behind either. This happy story only works if households own their land; otherwise they become contract or salaried farmers to landlords (or large foreign investors), who reap the profits as rural household incomes stagnate. Some Latin American countries (and the Philippines, and maybe soon Cambodia) have that problem. Universal education Basic primary education for the whole population is the foundation upon which to build an equitable society. Fortunately, Myanmar, has a literacy rate of over 90pc, according to 2010 survey data,

Hong Kong chief executive candidate Henry Tang poses for a picture with a supporter on the streets of Hong Kong on March 14. Pic: AFP

In Hong Kong, scandals aplenty ahead of election

THERE are few places in this hemisphere, aside from Australia, where citizens scorn their leaders with such fervour as they do in Hong Kong. The fact that the territorys 7.1 million people have one of the worlds most effective governments only makes their contempt all the more admirable. In normal times, they reserve their jaundiced views about local politicians for when they are taking a break from more important matters, like eating, drinking and making money. Not this year though. The heated public discourse about the three candidates in the March 25 election for a new Hong Kong chief executive is relentless and all-pervasive. It is hardly surprising, given that the sensational revelations about the contenders would be perfect fodder for a steamy Hong Kong movie full of influence peddling, illicit sex and other hanky panky. For starters, the territorys aggressive media has recently revealed that illegal construction work has taken place at the family home of the leading candidate, former chief secretary Henry Tang. The work involved expanding Tangs basement into a 200square-metre recreation area that includes fitness and changing rooms, a cinema and a wine-tasting lounge. Nothing outranks property issues in jam-packed Hong Kong, and Tangs extensive basement folly twice the size of more than 90 percent of the territorys homes provoked outrage. He later claimed it was his wifes idea and that while he knew the work was illegal, he kept quiet in order to maintain a semblance of marital harmony. To put it mildly, that is an area Tang, 59, needs to work on. Already, he has admitted to a couple of extramarital affairs and has reportedly fathered an illegitimate child. As a result, there have been widespread calls for him to withdraw from the race. But as the candidate favoured by Hong Kongs real masters in Beijing, and with the crucial support of local billionaires like Li Ka-shing and Lee Shau-kee, Tang has insisted he is not pulling out. His poll numbers, however, have suffered badly. At one time, he was running 30 percentage points ahead of his strongest opponent, Leung Chun-ying, a surveyor and former government adviser. As a policemans son, Leung has been able to reach out to plain folks who are upset at Hong Kongs yawning wealth gap, whereas the well-heeled Tang, a textile magnates son, has trouble connecting with the middle-class. And now, with his campaign mired in scandal, Tang has not only fallen behind Leung, but even Beijing has turned lukewarm on his candidature and has extended its approval to Leung. It was not unexpected since mainland leaders have always said the territorys next boss must be patriotic to both Beijing and Hong Kong, as well as able to govern and win public support. Tang has not given up, however, and recently he asserted that all his scandals were now out in the open and were personal matters that did not impede his work. In contrast, he said his rival lacked administrative experience and had committed more serious offences, such as a conflict of interest allegation when Leung helped choose a municipal arts centre 12 years ago. The charge is an old potato unlikely to sprout any gains for Tang, who now trails Leung by more than 33 percentage points and is barely ahead of the third contender, outsider Albert Ho. As the Democratic Partys candidate, Ho advocates greater openness and the early introduction of a one-man, onevote system. He has no chance under the current election process. Of course, it is a misnomer to call it an election, since the victor will be chosen by a 1200member committee (about 0.01pc of Hong Kongs population), comprising mostly businessmen and professionals. Beijing has, however, agreed to allow universal suffrage for the next election in 2017, and if that pledge is honoured, then Ho and co are likely to prevail over privileged elites like the tainted Tang.

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US voices concern over IDPs in Kachin

YANGON The United States is concerned about the plight of thousands of people displaced by fighting between troops and ethnic rebels in northern Myanmar, a US special envoy said last week We have seen progress in many ethnic minority areas over the last several months and weeks, Mr Derek Mitchell told reporters in Yangon, referring to a series of peace deals between the government and other guerrilla groups. But in the Kachin State the violence is sticking out as inconsistent with a trend toward dialogue and confidence building and national reconciliation that weve seen. Fierce fighting in Kachin State between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army since June last year has displaced tens of thousands of people. The immediate concern that we have is on the issue of internally displaced persons, who by any definition are innocent, caught in the crossfire of conflict. And were entering, as you all know better than I, rainy season, and that can create even more complications for their lives and wellbeing and security, Mr Mitchell said. He encouraged the government to do its utmost to guarantee international and local humanitarian groups access to refugee camps throughout the state. I understand the political and security complications involved but Id very much encourage serious consideration by the government in dialogue with the international community to find a way to enable provision of much-needed aid to these citizens. He announced the US would provide US$1.5 million in additional funding to the UN refugee agency to assist those displaced. Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since independence in 1948. An end to the conflicts and alleged rights abuses involving government troops is a key demand of Western nations which have imposed sanctions on the regime. AFP

People will decide if vote is credible: US

By Kyaw Hsu Mon THE Myanmar people will decide whether the April 1 by-elections are free and fair, United States envoy Mr Derek Mitchell said last week. Mr Mitchell said the by-elections would be a tangible moment on the road to reform and while he described his meetings with the Union Election Commission as encouraging. he received no commitment on allowing international poll monitors into the country to observe the vote. Its actually up to the people of the country in elections to decide whether this [election] was acceptable in terms of the representation of the popular will, whether it was conducted freely and that they were able without intimidation to exercise their right to vote, he said at a press conference in Yangon on March 15 during a five-day visit. The Union Solidarity and Development Party will contest all 48 seats in the April 1 by-elecitons, while the National League for Democracy will contest 47. Almost 20 parties are fielding a candidate in the vote, with parties registered since the November 2010 general election required to contest a minimum of three constituencies. But the US is not interested in who wins the vote so much as the manner in which it is conducted, Mr Mitchell said. The outcome of the election is up to the people of this country, thats not what our interest is. Our interest is the process; that it be free, that it be fair, that it be transparent, that it truly represent the will of the people of this country and we do see this ... as a critical moment and marker towards building trust and confidence on the road to democracy. He played down the recent controversy over voter lists, saying that there were concerns about voter rolls in many countries. But if there are concerns there should be a process as I believe there is. I talked with the Union Election Commission and I was encouraged that they are taking it seriously and providing an opportunity for parties to raise issues like voter rolls. There may also be questions about advanced voting and whether theres adequate oversight on that front. But its up to the parties and its up to the people of the country to provide the necessary oversight and final word on whether this does in fact represent their will and is acceptable. He said there had been no announcement to us about whether international poll monitors would be allowed into the country for the April 1 vote but said the US had encouraged the government to give

Quintana calls for sanctions rethink

GENEVA A UN expert called last week for a review of sanctions by some Western states against Myanmar. I am not saying that they must be lifted, but they must be analysed in detail, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, said on March 13. This is because they are a human rights issue, Mr Quintana said during a press conference after presenting his report on the situation in Myanmar to the UN Human Rights Council. I really believe that sanctions have to do with human rights, in different areas, particularly in economic, social and cultural rights. Because of that, we have the responsibility to address it publicly, openly, not just as a carrot for reforms, he added. The European Union, United States and other Western nations this year started easing sanctions on Myanmar in recognition of recent positive moves toward political reform after decades of direct military rule. Washingtons partial lifting now allows it to support assessment missions and limited technical assistance in Myanmar by bodies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund. However, it continues to ban all trade and investment with Myanmar and has imposed a range of other punitive measures. The 27-nation EU meanwhile lifted travel bans against the nations leaders as a first step in January, while pledging further action if there were continued change. At stake are embargos on arms deliveries, logging and mining, the resumption of aid, and unlocking assets of more than 900 firms and utilities. Mr Quintana, who visited Myanmar in February, noted that recent reforms have had a positive impact but that serious human rights concerns remain. The concerns cannot be ignored in the rush to reform and to move forward, said the UN rapporteur, pointing to the lack of an independent, impartial and effective judiciary to uphold the rule of law. Discrimination against ethnic minorities also persists, said Mr Quintana, stressing that guaranteeing respect for their rights was essential for national reconciliation and for longterm social and political stability. The credibility of April 1 byelections will not be determined solely on the day of the vote, but on the basis of the entire process leading up to and following election day, Mr Quintana said. AFP

US special envoy Mr Derek Mitchell talks to the media at a press conference at the US embassy in Yangon on March 15. Pic: AFP them the green light, pointing out that it would assist with the holding of future elections. There are organisations in Asia as well as elsewhere that are professionals that can assist in making recommendations after elections for how things could be done better and I think it would certainly be a point of reassurance to the international community that this was open for people to see how it went and that there were professional observers on the scene, he said. Regardless of whether observers are allowed in, Mr Mitchell said the US hoped that after the vote the Myanmar people feel it was acceptable, it was a marker, well do it better next time perhaps but it is acceptable and it will build trust. When asked whether free and fair by-elections would result in the US lifting some of its sanctions against Myanmar, Mr Mitchell said other issues, including the release of all prisoners of conscience and peace with ethnic groups, also had to be taken into consideration. But we continue to see trends in the right direction, we can see momentum moving in the right direction, so we will respond after the elections in appropriate fashion if we believe that they are held free, fair and transparently. However, he also hinted that lifting sanctions could take some time and the first to go would be those that potentially get in the way of that reform process. We spent a lot of time over the past 20 years putting sanctions on for various reasons but there wasnt a lot of thought as to how to unpeel them and work back. If theres reform occurring then we want to be working with the people here in that direction. Mr Mitchell said he had been impressed by President U Thein Seins March 1 speech, which he described as tremendously visionary. I think it echoes what the NLD has been saying but I think [President U Thein Sein] has put it in his own words and he seems committed towards that same path and that gives hope that that partnership not just with the NLD but the people throughout society and the government are moving in the same direction and thats important. Thats the work that were trying to assist ... and I have optimism but theres so many dangers and challenges ahead. We have no illusions about the complicated way forward but we hope that this country continues to be a real beacon of promise. The March 12-16 visit was Mr Mitchells sixth to Myanmar in seven months, and included meetings with UEC chairman U Tin Aye, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann and Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Aung Myint. Speaking to reporters after meeting Mr Mitchell in Yangon on March 14, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the by-elections had dominated their discussions. I have been going around the country quite a lot in the last several weeks and well, there is no doubt about it that our greatest asset is our people. There is so much spirit in them even though they are so poor and there is so much that needs to be done to help them to realise their full potential. So I would put people first. We want people-first politics in Burma, she said. Additional reporting by Shwe Yinn Mar Oo

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MYANMAR CONSOLIDATED MEDIA Ltd. Chief Executive Officer & Editor-in-Chief (MTM) Dr. Tin Tun Oo management@myanmartimes.com.mm drtto@myanmartimes.com.mm Editor-in-Chief (MTE) Ross Dunkley rsdunkley@gmail.com Chief Operating Officer U Wai Linn wailin@myanmartimes.com.mm Strategic Management Committee Dr. Tin Tun Oo (Chairman) Committee members Dr. Khin Moe Moe, Ross Dunkley, Bill Clough, U Min Sein, U Myint Maung, U Wai Linn, Thomas Kean (Editor-MTE) and U Zaw Myint (Editor-MTM) Senior Management Consultant U Myint Maung myintmaung@myanmartimes.com.mm oomyintmaung@gmail.com EDITORIAL newsroom@myanmartimes.com.mm Editor MTE Thomas Kean tdkean@myanmartimes.com.mm Editor MTM U Zaw Myint editormtm@myanmartimes.com.mm Editor Special Publications U Myo Lwin myolwin@myanmartimes.com.mm Business Editor MTE Stuart Deed stuart.deed@gmail.com World Editor MTE Geoffrey Goddard geoffrey@myanmartimes.com.mm Timeout Editor MTE Douglas Long editors@myanmartimes.com.mm Deputy Editor MTM U Win Nyunt Lwin winnyunt@myanmartimes.com.mm Business Editor MTM U Nyunt Win nyuntwin81@gmail.com Property Editor MTM Htar Htar Khin property@myanmartimes.com.mm Timeout Editor MTM Moh Moh Thaw Deputy News Editors Kyaw Hsu Mon, Yadana Htun Chief Political Reporter Shwe Yinn Mar Oo Contributing Editor Ma Thanegi mthanegi@mptmail.net.mm Head of Translation Dept U Ko Ko Head of Photographics Kaung Htet Photographers Aye Zaw Myo, Thet Htoo, Yadanar Manager Special Projects U Wai Linn wailin@myanmartimes.com.mm Book Publishing Consultant Editor Col Hla Moe (Retd) Editor: U Win Tun MCM Bureaus Mandalay Bureau Chief U Aung Shin koshumgtha@gmail.com Nay Pyi Taw Bureau Chief U Soe Than Lynn PRODUCTION production@myanmartimes.com.mm Head of Production & Press Scrutiny Liaison U Aung Kyaw Oo (1) Head of Graphic Design U Tin Zaw Htway MCM PRINTING printing@myanmartimes.com.mm Head of Department U Htay Maung Warehouse Manager U Ye Linn Htay Factory Administrator U Aung Kyaw Oo (3) Factory Foreman U Tin Win ADVERTISING advertising@myanmartimes.com.mm Sales & Marketing Manager Daw Linn Linn Soe Lwin linnlinn@myanmartimes.com.mm Account Director U Nyi Nyi Tun Classifieds Manager Daw Khin Mon Mon Yi classified@myanmartimes.com.mm Upper Myanmar Marketing Manager U Nay Myo Oo ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE Finance Manager Daw Mon Mon Tha Saing finance@myanmartimes.com.mm Assistant Admin Manager Daw Nang Maisy Publisher Dr Tin Tun Oo, Permit No: 04143 Systems Manager U Khin Maung Thaw webmaster@myanmartimes.com.mm DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION Manager Daw Thin Thin Thet Paing distmgr@myanmartimes.com.mm Deputy Manager U Ko Ko Aung circulation@myanmartimes.com.mm ALL ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES Telephone: (01) 253 642, 392 928 Facsimile: (01) 254 158 Email: management@myanmartimes.com.mm The Myanmar Times is owned by Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd and printed by MCM Commercial Printing (licence provided by Swesone Media (08102) with approval from MCM Ltd and by Shwe Zin Press (0368) with approval from MCM Ltd). The title The Myanmar Times, in either English or Myanmar languages, its associated logos or devices and the contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the Managing Director of Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

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Stability of the State, community peace and tranquillity, prevalence of law and order Strengthening of national solidarity Building and strengthening of disciplineflourishing democracy system Building of a new modern developed nation in accord with the Constitution

Four political objectives

Building of modern industrialized nation through the agricultural development, and all-round development of other sectors of the economy Proper evolution of the market-oriented economic system Development of the economy inviting participation in terms of technical know-how and investment from sources inside the country and abroad initiative to shape the national economy must be kept in the hands The of the State and the national peoples

Four economic objectives

Uplift of the morale and morality of the entire nation of national prestige and integrity and preservation Uplift and safeguarding of cultural heritage and national character Flourishing of Union Spirit, the true patriotism Uplift of health, fitness and education standards of the entire nation

Four social objectives

Mandalay chief minister promises MCDC shakeup

MANDALAY Regions chief minister has promised sweeping changes under new mayor U Aung Maung, including less corruption, more efficient services and better handling of public complaints. Chief Minister U Ye Myint said the people had expected better municipal management following the 2010 elections, which gave the regional government responsibility for overseeing Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC). However, he said complaints had continued to flow under long-serving former mayor U Phone Zaw Han. It was not clear, however, whether this was the reason for U Phone Zaw Hans promotion to regional minister for finance and revenue on February 27 as part of a reshuffle that brought U Aung Maung the former finance minister to the mayors office. U Ye Myint said city hall should not protect corrupt staff from public complaints, adding that he expected the committee to be more honest and lively They thought that processes and procedures of city hall would improve because it was undertaken and managed directly by the regional government, he said. However, complaints have kept flowing in. When The Myanmar Times asked Mandalay residents

Staff need to ... stop thinking about making money for their own benefit.
in its work under U Aung Maung. The city hoped for positive changes at city hall and they had more expectations when the government changed [in 2011], the chief minister said at a meeting with MCDC officials on March 5. about the reshuffle last week, most said it was too early to speculate on the impact of the new mayor. They said U Phone Zaw Han had built many roads, which had boosted property prices, and also focused on cleanliness and pollution.

U Ye Myint said fraud by some office workers had affected regional government revenue and he had instructed U Aung Maung to end what he called a culture of dishonesty at MCDC. Staff need to have goodwill to work for the people and stop thinking about making money for their own benefit. U Aung Maung said he was planning surprise visits to all departments to ensure they were carrying out their duties properly. Every staff member has to be honest, to do all their duties and to do them in the quickest way as much as possible, he said. I could visit any department at any time and I wont be notifying staff about my visit. Phyo Wai Kyaw and Sithu Lwin, translated by Zar Zar Soe

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Ministry files case

There is the possibility I say possibility to nullify the filing if the media [organisation] said they published the news without checking it because of time limitation, he said. The filing against The Voice Weekly is the third lawsuit submitted by a Union Government ministry against a private media company in the past three months, after the Ministry of Transportation filed a suit against Modern Weekly and the Ministry of Health against Eleven Media Group, publisher of Weekly Eleven. Veteran journalist Maung Wuntha said the legal issues between newsmakers and the news media highlighted the importance of the formation of an independent liaison body, such as a press council. The legal issues concerning news reporting highlight the importance and necessity of a press council in Myanmar. Then we can avoid the unnecessary legal issues, he said

Historic Yangon
The growing interest in Myanmar from foreign companies and tourists provides both an opportunity and a threat for conservation, he said. We have a major opportunity. Yangon is on the verge of rapid development but at the same time still has a lot of its architectural heritage intact. Theres every possibility that Yangon can become one of the most beautiful and most liveable cities in Asia. I strongly believe preserving its architectural heritage will be a

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big part of making that happen but we have to use this small window that we have. In a year or so it will be too late. The strategy could recommend the creation of heritage zones, with the lower end of Pansodan Street, crowded with the former offices of some of the worlds top banks, an obvious location. However, Dr Thant Myint-U said the campaign was not so much about preserving individual structures of historical or architectural significance, such as the State Secretariat, as maintaining the citys overall character and neighbourhoods. While keeping those 20 or 30 [major] buildings intact is a good thing, if we lose all the environment around them, we would have lost a great deal. We need to come up with a vision of what downtown Yangon should be, that will allow the thousands of families that have lived and worked there for generations to still live and work there. And we need to preserve its very special cosmopolitan heritage, he said. What we need to realise is that Yangon has a unique cityscape. Its a priceless asset. My great fear is that we will mindlessly destroy this asset in just a few years time, and only then regret what weve lost, forever. Further privatisation of state assets is likely to play a major role in any conservation strategy, as many of the buildings are state owned and underused as a result of the shift to Nay Pyi Taw. The plan would mostly likely require little or no public funding, and the few buildings that

remain operational and in state hands, such as Yangon General Hospital and the Post Office, could receive international support for restoration, Dr Thant Myint-U said. Privatising most of them is fine, but its has to be done in a way that regulated, to make sure that the buildings are then properly renovated and kept up, he said. The role of government will be to set the right regulations to grade the buildings and to determine the ways in which they should be protected. Some might be fully protected. For others, there could be a system of incentives for owners to [maintain] them. A different category entirely are the older residential buildings, which are being torn down it seems by the week. Here there will need to a be a hard look at what could or should be protected and what incentives or help could be given to current owners and keep them from being demolished. Importantly, the government appears to be behind the proposal. U Soe Thein told the Financial Times recently he believed it was important to make Yangon a more modern city, but we also need to embrace its heritage, including its old buildings. We want to avoid the mistakes other Asian cities have made, he said. We hope this will be good for tourism and also good for the people of Yangon. Mr Madhab Mathema, a senior advisor on UN-Habitats urban program, said cultural preservation was one of four or five major issues the government would have to

consider as part of a broader urbanisation strategy for Yangon. Preservation of historic monuments is very important because maybe in 20 or 30 years Yangon will be on par with any major city in Asia. What are the incentives for the international private sector to come in and stay in Yangon? Every city provides almost the same type of services these days. What makes you different is your culture, your artefacts, monuments and so on. In that sense, its important for Yangon to take care of its heritage, he told The Myanmar Times recently. One focus of an urbanisation strategy that would encourage preservation of historical sites would be to relieve pressure on the downtown area by encouraging growth and economic development in outlying areas. But encouraging growth outside the [downtown area] really only works if there are good transport networks. Improving the circle train line is relatively easy to do as a starting point. And I think that would encourage a lot of investment along the railway route, said Mr Michael Slingsby, an urban development and poverty specialist at UN-Habitat. Dr Thant Myint-U said a conservation strategy wouldnt make much sense unless it fitted into a broader urban planning process. We cant, for example, make recommendations on pedestrianising parts of downtown Yangon unless its part of a more general plan for traffic and transportation in the city.

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UN court lays to rest BangladeshMyanmar sea row

Firemen battle a blaze in South Okkalapa township in March 16. Pic: SUPPLIED/Fire Services Department

Qatar Airways to relaunch Yangon flights

By Zaw Win Than QATAR Airways will launch flights to Yangon later this year as part of an expansion of passenger routes, the airlines chief executive officer said last week at a leading travel trade fair. Mr Akbar Al Baker said on March 7, the opening day of the ITB Berlin travel trade show in Germany, that Qatar Airways would add flights to Myanmar, Iraq, Tanzania and Serbia during a six-month expansion plan beginning in May. He said the airline plans to begin services to Yangon by October this year, with three flights a week using an Airbus A-319 aircraft. Myanmar Marketing Committee secretary U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar welcomed the announcement and said direct flights were likely to boost tourist arrivals, particularly from Europe. It has always been our desire to have as many direct flights as possible to Yangon to increase the carrying capacity of tourists, said U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, who attended the ITB Berlin event. Let us now change our desire to have more hotel rooms instead. Qatar Airways launched DohaYangon-Doha flights in 2004 but suspended them in January 2008. The news of Qatar Airways likely return comes after budget carriers Silk Air, AirAsia and Jetstar also announced plans to expand operations in Myanmar.

South Okkalapa fire leaves 75 homeless

By Htoo Aung A FIRE that broke out in a private residence in South Okkalapa township on March 16 destroyed 12 houses on March 16, a Fire Services Department official said. He said an electrical fault at 493/A 1st Thu Ta Street, Ward 4, sparked the blaze just after 6pm, adding that the fire quickly spread to neighbouring houses. The fire was extinguished at about 7:20pm, with 351 firemen, 157 reserve firemen, 47 fire engines and five supported engines cooperating to bring it under control. He added that 75 have been made homeless by the fire, with the total cost estimated at more than K9.6 million. A relief centre has been opened at a nearby community hall to house and assist those affected by the blaze.

BERLIN A United Nations court on March 14 laid down a new sea border between Myanmar and Bangladesh, ruling on a complex dispute in a resource-rich area that has been a frequent flashpoint for the two nations. In a two-hour ruling at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the northern German city of Hamburg, presiding judge Jose Luis Jesus set out a new maritime line widely seen as a compromise between the two rival cases. He ruled that both countries should retain sovereignty over their respective continental shelves and, while ruling in favour of Myanmars method of measuring the border, handed more sea area to Bangladesh. The 23 judges from all over the world arrived at the decision unanimously although some offered dissenting opinions on some parts of the judgement. Both sides won something and lost something, said the German judge on the panel, Mr Ruediger Wolfrum, according to German agency DPA. Bangladeshs Foreign Minister Ms

Dipu Moni also acknowledged it was a victory for both sides, according to DPA, although she said Dhaka could now begin to exploit the area for gas and oil. The row, dating back decades, brought the two countries close to military conflict in 2008 when Bangladesh accused Myanmar of exploring for gas in disputed waters. Myanmar sent military vessels to support drilling for gas by South Korean company Daewoo some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Bangladeshs Saint Martin Island. Bangladesh responded by sending four warships of their own. Troops massed on the border before the tensions calmed. Myanmar has discovered huge reserves of natural gas in the Bay of Bengal and has made clear it intended to explore further in an area also claimed by Bangladesh. Dhaka hopes to resolve a similar maritime border dispute with India in 2014. Both sides have agreed to abide by the ruling and there is no possibility of appeal. AFP

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Experts call for further health spending boost

By Shwe Yee Saw Myint A RECENT policy conference on health and education has reignited debate on the countrys struggling public health system. While the proposed ninefold budget increase for the Ministry of Health in 2012-13 has been widely welcomed, experts say further increases are needed along with changes to the ministrys operating procedures. Speaking at the Conference on Development Policy Options in Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw on February 13, Myanmar Medical Association vice president Dr Khin Maung Aye said the cost-sharing policy for public healthcare placed too much financial burden on the public. He said the publics out of pocket expenses should not exceed 30 or 40 percent of overall health spending, well below the 2008 World Health Organisation estimate of 89pc. He said that while there were no detailed statistics on public health expenditure, it was clear the public was paying the majority of health expenses. Dr Nilar Tin, director of planning at the Department of Health, said government spending on health was just 10pc of total spending the lowest in the WHOs Southeast Asia region. She said lack of funding was one of many weaknesses of the countrys public health system, including lack of staff and infrastructure, poor monitoring and supervision of staff, lack of reporting and harmonisation of data, and geographical coverage gaps. Amyotha Hluttaw representative Dr Myat Nyarna Soe said last week that the governments proposal to increase its health budget from K40 billion to K367 billion, or from 1.1pc to 3pc of the total budget, in the 201213 financial year was a good first step. However, he said that it was not only the amount of money that needed to change but also the way in which it was spent. The Ministry of Health needs to change many systems, such as removing the rule that 50pc of earnings from the costsharing system go back into the overall government budget. The ministry also shouldnt have limitations placed on hiring staff and needs to make sure that all this money is spent on public needs, he said. Despite the cost-sharing system, treatment at staterun health facilities is still cheaper than at private hospitals and clinics. However, patients are forced to wait much longer to be seen by staff. In some urgent cases the long waiting times mean patients have little choice but to turn to the private health sector. Ma Thida, a 26-year-old accountant from Pabedan township, said her mothers heart condition would have cost K1.8 million to treat at Yangon General Hospital after waiting six months. At a private hospital, she can get the operation in time but we will have to spend between K2.5 million and K10 million and thats only for the operation, we also have to pay a lot of extra money. Right now I am trying to choose the hospital, Ma Thida said. Dr Myint Oo, a general practitioner at the privately run clinic Win in Ahlone township, said it was common for people to buy medicine from a pharmacy rather than seek professional medical advice because they couldnt afford it. Most patients are unlikely to come to the clinic to receive treatment for illnesses because they cannot afford to pay the fees, which are at least K2000, he said. They also try to save money on medicine, so if we tell them to take a three-day course of antibiotics they demand a treatment that can cure them in a single day.

India govt donates agriculture equipment

By Staff Writers THE Indian government will provide US$10 million in assistance for the agriculture sector, its embassy in Yangon said last week. Altogether 300 tractors, 150 combine harvesters, 288 power tillers and 775 implements have been provided, the embassy said in a statement. These are being distributed to farmers in various regions and states as per the priorities of the Myanmar government, it said. The statement said agriculture was a priority area of the Indian governments assistance program to Myanmar. Apart from the supply of this machinery and implements, support is being extended by way of education and training in the agricultural as well as livestock and fisheries sector. Setting up of 10 disaster-proof rice silos in the cyclone-prone delta region was also undertaken [with] Indian assistance of $2 million in 2011, it said. The equipment was handed over to the Myanmar government at a March 9 ceremony in Yangon attended by Indian Foreign Secretary Mr Ranjan Mathai, Minister for Industry U Soe Thein and other senior officials from both sides.

U Win Tin (left) hands money to the relative of a prisoner of conscience on March 12. Pic: Boothee

Foundation to support prisoners formed

By Aye Sapay Phyu A FOUNDATION named after journalist and politician Hantharwaddy U Win Tin was launched last week to assist prisoners of conscience and their families, as well as writers and journalists. Patron Hantharwaddy U Win Tin, a senior National League for Democracy member, said the organisation had been established with the encouragement and support of friends and colleagues. I used to share part of my money for prisoners of conscience and their families. My friends suggested that I expand these activities for the long term and this foundation was established with their support, he said at a launch ceremony at Royal Rose Restaurant in Bahan township on March 12. We have collected more than K10 million in funds and while it is not a large amount yet we hope that there will be more well-wishers who want to support our activities. The K10 million has come from the publishing rights and copyright of U Win Tins works as well as donations and fundraising activities. There are many people who need help in various areas of society. A lot of assistance is still needed I am glad that the Hantharwaddy U Win Tin Foundation can be established and become an organisation that gives the public a helping hand. Treasurer U Ohn Tun said that the foundation will assist both current and former prisoners of conscience and their families. It will also support the health and education needs of writers and journalists and their families and will consider other requests for support. Daw Mar Mar Oo, 47, a former prisoner of conscience who was released from prison in January under an amnesty said she wanted to support the foundation as much as possible. I was arrested three times: in 1989, 1997 and 2008. I saw many colleagues who share our beliefs and faced a hard life when they got out of prison. Their families were tired from facing many challenges, she said at the launch ceremony. I realised from this that, when we cant stand up straight we need some support from behind us now [U Win Tin] has organised to help prisoners of conscience and I am so glad. Based on our previous experiences, we understand that we need to unite to achieve our goal so I am ready to do my best if I am given a role in the foundation. Those interested in supporting the foundation can contact Hantharwaddy U Win Tin Foundation executive member U Ohn Tun (01)-578-027; Maung Wuntha (01) 373-210, 09-5040994; and U Kyaw Aung (Shwe Pyi Tan) (01) 200-276, 09-7312-4222.

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Daw Aung San Suu Kyis election rival fights on in Kawhmu

KAWHMU Unlike his charismatic opponent he does not get mobbed by adoring crowds, but the Union Solidarity and Development Party candidate running against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the April 1 by-elections has no time for talk of defeat. Former military doctor U Soe Min is travelling from village to village offering free treatment to spread his message and try to drum up support. He plays down the challenge of standing against a national hero like The Lady, who has drawn crowds of tens of thousands on the campaign trail as she stands for a seat in parliament for the first time. Aung San Suu Kyi, the people and us were like one family. We are family. The people are our father and mother. Aung San Suu Kyi is my sister, he said during a break from campaigning. I do not want to beat Daw Suu but I want to fulfil my duty given to me by my country, he added. Im not trying to beat her. Im just competing for myself. The bespectacled 49-year-old is a familiar sight at the local USDP charity clinic where he works, having left the military six years ago. Wearing the USDP uniform of a white shirt and green longyi, and with his stethoscope in hand, the doctor tours his dusty hometown delivering health talks and checkups beneath the partys lion logo. Sometimes he dons a traditional Kayin outfit to meet patients and would-be voters from the ethnic minority group. In stark contrast to the huge crowds that have lined the streets for a glimpse of the opposition leader, U Soe Min has the roads almost to himself as he travels around the rural constituency of Kawhmu near Yangon. His message to voters: a vote for the USDP is a vote to build a modern, democratic country, preserve Myanmars sovereignty and to maintain the unity of the conflict-riven nations various ethnic groups. With its top ranks filled with former generals, the USDP was the overwhelming victor in the 2010 general election, which the NLD boycotted. While the vote was widely criticised, the quasi-civilian government that took power in March 2011 after the end of almost half a century of outright military rule has surprised critics with a series of reforms. Observers believe that the government wants Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to win a seat in the April 1 by-elections to give its reform drive legitimacy and spur the West into easing sanctions against the country. Aung San Suu Kyi needs the government and the government needs Aung San Suu Kyi. Its as simple as that, said U Aung Naing Oo, a Thailand-based analyst for the Vahu Development Institute. Cooperation with Aung San Suu Kyi is very important for the

Former military doctor and Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) candidate for the April 1 by-elections U Soe Min checks a patient during a campaign trip in Kawhmu, Yangon Region, where he is running against NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Pic: AFP country to move forward, to take away the sanctions, to bring about reconciliation. Currently one-quarter of the seats in parliament are reserved for the army while the USDP holds about 80 percent of the remainder. While the 48 seats at stake in the by-elections are not enough to threaten the USDPs hold on power, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis entry into parliament would be hugely symbolic and give the opposition a role in the legislative process. It is also a sign of the times that some dare to pledge their support openly against the ruling party under the watchful eye of its local members. We will support our national leader Daw Suu. We trust her. We believe in her, said farmer U Aye Hlaing, standing in front of pictures in his home of the democracy leader and her late father, independence hero General Aung San. Others appeared more enthusiastic about the USDP, although it was unclear whether they genuinely backed its policies or were simply pretending due to entrenched fear of the authorities. Aung San Suu Kyi just came here but she doesnt really know much about what goes on here, said 58-year-old U Tin Tin, who collects firewood to sell. In the meantime U Soe Min campaigns on, hoping grateful patients will become supportive voters. I truly believe that, thanks to my efforts, our party will win this campaign, he said. AFP

Philippine mining Myanmar drafts new giant eyes Myanmar foreign investment rules investments
By Aung Hla Tun YANGON Foreigners will no longer need a local partner to set up businesses in Myanmar and may be granted a five-year tax holiday from the start of commercial operations, according to the draft of a new investment law obtained by Reuters. The long-awaited new investment regulations, along with plans to float its currency, the kyat, from April mark the boldest economic reforms since resource-rich Myanmar emerged from decades of dictatorship last year, its economy decimated by chronic mismanagement and tradecrippling sanctions. Its nominally civilian government has begun to court Western investors, who have swarmed into the commercial capital Yangon in recent months ahead of a possible end to US and European sanctions in Myanmar. The draft law adds to other signs of a remarkable economic liberalisation in the long-isolated country. Foreigners, it said, can now either own companies 100 percent or set up a joint venture with Myanmar citizens or government departments. Such joint ventures must involve at least 35pc foreign capital. Foreign investors can also lease land from the state or from private citizens who have permission to use land, the law says. The initial lease would be for up to 30 years, depending on the type and size of foreign investment, and could be extended twice, for up to 15 years on each occasion. Foreign firms will not be allowed to employ unskilled foreign workers, and citizens of Myanmar must make up at least 25pc of their skilled workforce after five years, with companies ensuring the necessary training to achieve that. The draft law goes some way to reassuring investors worried about a reversal of the reforms and the possible seizure of assets. The government gives a guarantee that permitted businesses will not be nationalised during the period allowed in the contract or extended in the contract other than by giving compensation based on current prices in the market, in the interest of the general public, it says, according to a Reuters translation. The law is likely to be approved by parliament during the current session, which is expected to end later in March. The president then has 14 days to either approve it or send it back to parliament, according to the constitution. The latest reforms will heighten debate over Myanmars economic potential. As big as France and Britain combined, the resource-rich country sits strategically between India, China and Southeast Asia with ports on the Indian Ocean and Andaman Sea, all of which have made it a coveted energy-security asset for Beijings western provinces. Some expect sanctions to begin to be lifted if by-elections on April 1, in which Nobel peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will run for parliament, are free and fair. A November 2010 general election was widely criticised as a sham. Reuters MANILA The Philippines largest gold miner said on March 14 it is keen to invest in Myanmar as the former military-ruled state makes tentative political reforms and tries to lure investors with tax breaks. Philex Mining Corp has sent representatives to Myanmar in recent weeks to look at opportunities and assess the investment climate, company senior vice-president Michael Toledo told AFP. Myanmar is opening up and a lot of businesses are really looking at that country. We do not want to be left behind, he said. He said Philex was eyeing metallic minerals and even natural gas in Myanmar, but did not disclose which local companies they were dealing with. We are looking at the regulatory framework, the political landscape, how business is run there, who are the people to talk to. This is the regular due diligence that companies do, Toledo said. The company, which posted a record net income of 5.8 billion pesos (US$136 million) in 2011, is also eyeing investments in gold and copper in Indonesia, Toledo said. He stressed the talks were exploratory and that no commitments had been made. Myanmar has embarked on a course of political reform, including the release of democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. It has also installed a quasi civilian government, and allowed Suu Kyi to run in parliamentary elections in April. As a reward and to encourage further opening up, the United States and Europe have began easing economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar for its rights abuses. The Philippines has called for the sanctions to be lifted entirely. Myanmar is rich in oil, gas, timber, minerals and gems, and investors are lining up to enter the country as it prepares to further liberalise, officials said. In January, Myanmar said it planned to offer eight-year tax exemptions to foreign investors to encourage them to enter the country. AFP

The draft law goes some way to reassuring

investors worried about a reversal of the reforms.

The percentage rises to at least 50pc after 10 years and 75pc after 15 years. It also dropped a requirement from previous legislation that products manufactured by foreign firms in Myanmar must be entirely for export. The aim is to provide more for the domestic market to reduce Myanmars reliance on imports, which are often too expensive for domestic consumers.

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Yangons historic buildings. Pics: Boothee, Yadanar

Experts back introduction of downtown heritage zones

By Htar Htar Khin YANGONS legion of longneglected colonial-era buildings were this week offered a lifeline with the formation of a nongovernment organisation that aims to preserve many of the sites for future generations. The Yangon Heritage Trust, established by historian Dr Thant Myint-U, has significant private, INGO/NGO and commercial backing. But there is still much work to do before a conservation strategy is drafted, let alone put into place, and several major issues to be resolved, including the scope of preservation activities, the extent and role of the private sector and the type of regulations that will need to be put in place. One of the Yangon Heritage Trusts members, Daw Chaw Kalyar from the Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA), said the plan was likely to propose the establishment of heritage zones. Yangons Pansodan Road area should be regarded as a heritage zone as the area is packed with heritage sites. What I want to suggest is that new developments should not be allowed in these special areas and that we preserve the aesthetic and architectural beauty of the antique buildings in those areas, said Daw Chaw Kalyar, who runs the Statement Architecture and Design firm. She said a survey would be conducted soon to guide preservation efforts, which were expected to focus initially on Pabedan and Kyauktada townships. Each colonial building is different in terms of architectural value and also its structure so conducting a survey to ascertain the variety of old buildings and conduct a proper assessment of each of them is needed, she said. Heritage buildings are a form of historical evidence and thats why we should conserve them in a proper way, so that they dont disappear completely. However, there are still questions over the role of the private sector in conservation and how the protected buildings could be put to commercial use. In October, a proposal to lease the Secretariat to a private company for use as a hotel or other commercial venture generated much controversy but Daw Chaw Kalyar said tourism-related businesses represented an obvious use for many old buildings. Old colonial blocks are the treasures of Yangon city and can attract tourists from all over the world. Theyre very characteristic of Yangon, she said. These are the unique structures and resources for our country that need to be not only maintained but also used in the right way. U Ko Ko Lay, a director of Three Friends Construction, agreed that historical landmarks should be saved to boost Yangons tourism potential, adding that preservation would be an investment in the citys future. Preservation in the long run can bring in much revenue each year. I think rather than selling the buildings off though it would be better to use a long-term lease system to put them in the hands of private entrepreneurs, he said. However, he said he did not believe every building should be preserved and that surveys to ascertain the historical value of different neighbourhoods should be conducted, with those offering the most potential for tourism preserved. We can find some buildings on Shwe Bon Thar Road in Pabedan township, for example, that are of a similar era to the Secretariat. However, they have little historical value and for that reason I believe that they have no future other than to be torn down, he said. What I want to suggest is that most of the areas in downtown, especially where there is a high proportion of colonial buildings, should be kept as an area for tourism. But I think it will take time and will depend on the countrys economic growth and foreign investment. Hopefully in five years we can lure more tourists based on these areas. More than 10 years ago Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) drew up a heritage list comprising 189 historical buildings in Yangon based on a survey conducted in 1996. Buildings on the list can only be renovated with permission from YCDC and renovation work must not change their original design and appearance. The list is limited, however, because it does not include any privately held sites. AMA patron U Than Tin Aung, 62, said historical buildings should be seen as more than crumbling edifices destined for the scrap heap. The distinctive feature of the historic buildings was not only in terms of their architectural merit but also the materials used to build them, he said. Buildings like the Secretariat Office and Yangon Post Office are the oldest government-owned heritage blocks in the city, he said. Theyre irreplaceable and we can never get back to the construction sense of that time. If possible, we should preserve them. U Than Tin Aung is a member of the Technical Committee for Maintaining Historic Buildings, comprising Yangon City Development Committee, the Ministry of Construction, Myanmar Engineering Society, AMA and other groups, that has begun renovating five historical buildings in downtown Yangon, including the State Secretariat. He agreed that heritage areas were a possible means of preserving the feel of areas with many colonialera buildings, but he said other restrictions, such as height limits, could be put in place more widely.

Tourism sector urges protecti

By Aye Sapay Phyu COLONIAL-ERA buildings are a valuable resource for the tourism sector and a major attraction for visitors to the city, tourism experts said last week. Many in the industry are supportive of the push for preservation but also point out the need for regulations that ensure renovation work on historical sites is tasteful. Freelance tour guide U Zaw Lynn said he believed that preserving neighbourhoods, rather than just individual buildings, was important and that any preservation strategy would have to fit into a viable city-wide development plan to be effective. Although colonial buildings have great architectural value, their appearance can be diminished by nearby buildings that do not reflect the historical value of the building, he said. Areas such as downtown, where there many historical building are existed, should be preserved as special tourist destination areas and left alone from modern development. It is the way, I think, to conserve our treasure effectively and develop a proper city plan. When we ride the boat to Dala on the opposite bank of Yangon and look back to the city, we can still see the magnificent view of Yangon that existed 100 years ago. It is a resource for the tourism sector, and we can get many benefits from preservation. That opportunity shouldnt be wasted as a result of unwise development decisions, he said. U Zaw Lynn said his clients often expressed sadness at the lack of maintenance of historic buildings and the frequency that these sites were being demolished. We should conserve colonial-era buildings because they say much about our countrys history, not only

Trade Mark CauTion

YANMAR CO., LTD., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Japan, of 1-9, Tsurunocho, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

Reg. No. 766/2007 in respect of Class 7: Marine engines. 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 YANMAR CO., LTD. P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 19th March, 2012

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Businessmen voice support for building preservation

By Stuart Deed MYANMARS business community has got the resources and skills to make heritage building conservation a reality but has it got the interest? If the comments of two leading businessmen are any indication, the business community is ready to put its resources behind the preservation strategy that experts expect to have drafted by the middle of the year. Speaking to The Myanmar Times recently, Mr Serge Pun said he was very excited and very willing to contribute whatever I can to the Yangon Heritage Trust, which was recently formed to develop a viable strategy for the preservation of the citys historic neighbourhoods. I think it would be a crime to destroy history. Whatever bit of history we can preserve would be good for generations to come, the chairman of Serge Pun and Associates said. There has been some tendency in Asia to deny or try to delete, or rub out, part of the history. I really think theres no need to do that: Preserving colonial buildings does not in any shape or form or degree represent a lingering sentiment to colonialism, nor does it show weakness, he said. The crucial element, he said, is devising a practical strategy that encourages private sector investment in historic buildings. And when you see say practical, theres a fine line between keeping historical buildings that are sustainable or not, he said. Many times the dreams of restoring and preserving are not sustainable or fall back into disrepair again because the usage is not the right usage and so forth. Singapore has actually given us some very good examples of how they have restored historical buildings and streets and made those vibrant pockets of activity. He said experts devising the preservation strategy had to be openminded about allowing commercial activity, citing the example of the State Secretariat. Now theres talk of just doing a museum and I can tell you that that will never be sustainable it will become a white elephant where either taxpayer money or donations [will be needed] to keep it up. But if you think carefully that could be a beautiful compound, growing in success if it had a combination of a five-star hotel, a nice shopping gallery, some recreational activities in the grounds, offices and a museum in one corner. You can have business bustling while at the same time preserve what was there. One businessman who has already gone through the process of renovating a colonial-era building is U Zaw Zaw, chairman of Max Myanmar Group of Companies. His company recently redeveloped a former hospital into its Yangon headquarters. My new office was the Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and then it became a military office. When the government put it up for auction, I decided to renovate it as my new office, U Zaw Zaw said, adding that he was happy with the final result. I dont think that we should remove local partner and is in a beautifully renovated building in the downtown area. Everyone has been very much impressed, saying it makes us look like a boutique firm. We have even been told this is the nicest office space they had visited in Yangon, he said last week. I believe you need developers to take the lead, renovate and provide all amenities to foreign clients so they can just move in. Foreign companies at this stage are not ready to invest a lot in creating their office space, they want somewhere where they can settle in fast and start working immediately, he said. My recommendation? A colonial-style serviced office. Mr Serge Pun said it was important to look at other places where preservation plans had been implemented relatively successfully, such as Singapore and London. London has certain preservation grades where some buildings youre not allowed to change anything. But other buildings youre allowed to just keep the faade [where] it doesnt make commercial sense to upgrade and renovate because the usage of space is so outdated that after preservation it has very little commercial value, he said. When you look from the street its as if it was 100 years ago but everything is modern, workable and functional. I dont think you can put a timeframe on something like this because its a combination of commitment, funding, as well as understanding and support by the government. Its also the understanding and support by the population. Ironically, a lot of people who live in beautiful old tenements are happy to see them pulled down because if you lived in one yourself youd know that nothing works on the inside. The pipes are 100 years old and outdated, the floors are about to give way and the beams are going to fall down, so youre actually living there under quite a serious risk to your life. So were looking at many balanced ways of preservation, not just preservation of isolated buildings. And I think there needs to be some understanding on that from the authorities and the population at large. Additional reporting by Han Oo Khin and Thomas Kean

business point From a renovating the of view, old buildings and putting them to good use can save time and money.

ion of colonial sites

about how we were colonised but also how we got back our independence. They tell us our history, he said. U Aung Tun Lin, a tourist guide from Orchestra Travel in Yangon, said his clients often expressed concern about the management of the buildings and some of the maintenance the had been carried out. They suggested that maintenance work on colonial buildings should not affect their historical value. Some buildings are renovated with bright paint and modern materials that are not in keeping with the original style. Some guests point out that good management is needed for these national treasures and to create opportunities to raise the countrys income, he said. Nevertheless, the citys heritage buildings are one of main points of interest in Yangon for his clients. Popular sites include St Marys Cathedral on Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Yangons Childrens Hospital in Dagon township and the State Secretariat at the corner of Bo Aung Kyaw and Mahabandoola streets. They usually like to walk and take photographs along Pansodan road and Sule Pagoda Road between Mahabandoola and Strand roads, where there are many colonial buildings. They like the High Court building, Inland Water Transport Offices on Strand Road, and buildings such as the Myawaddy Bank branch on the lower block of Sule Pagoda Road, he said. Some guests want to visit into the State Secretariat but it is not allowed. I think it should be renovated to something like museum so that it can be looked after and at the same time become a tourist destination. The building also has significant historical value because it is where Bogyoke Aung San and other independence leaders were assassinated. Key to a viable preservation strategy will be support from the private sector, and there are already a few examples where creative proprietors have been able to establish successful businesses in renovate colonial-era buildings, such as Strand Hotel, Gallery 65 and Monsoon restaurant. Monsoon owner Daw Phyu Phyu Tin said customers regularly commented favourably on her restaurants grand building, a renovated three-storey structure on Theinbyu Road. Tourists, especially from European countries, appreciate the colonial buildings. That is an advantage for our business. We have customers who visit again and again because they love the atmosphere, she said. She said that she wanted to see the very beautiful buildings along Strand Road protected for the benefit of future generations. If we dont maintain the colonial building with great architecture, especially in the area along Strand road, I think it will affect the essence of the city. In my opinion, about 25 percent of the attraction of Yangon is in its colonial buildings. Theres no other city in Southeast Asia that is as grand as Yangon, she said.

the old buildings because they have their own style and history, which we cant buy or destroy. Others may think that old buildings should be replaced with new modern buildings but I want to keep them as much as I can, he said. I am sure that we need very new buildings but we also have to keep the old valuable buildings as well. From a business point of view, renovating the old buildings and putting them to good use can save time and money. U Maung Maung Thet, administrative director for Max Myanmar, said that the extensive renovations took about one year. And its not just domestic firms that are likely to find colonialera buildings make an attractive office, particularly given the acute shortage of office towers and other modern-style spaces. The expatriate manager of a Southeast Asia-focused corporate advisory firm that recently established an office in Yangon said the colonial-era building the company chose made an excellent impression with foreign clients. The office belongs to the family of his

Engineering society preparing code for gasifier standards

By Juliet Shwe Gaung MYANMAR Engineering Society is working to establish an industr;y standard for the building and operating of gasifier electricity plants, a spokesperson said last week. U Thoung Win, chairman of the societys energy and renewable energy committee, said some gasifiers, which work by burning biomass typically rice husk, are creating environmental problems. We can see some weak points from the operation of gasifiers, he said. These include weaknesses in the designs and construction that typically leads to unclean exhaust gasses and water, which are polluting the land, water and air. Although weve heard of a number of specific problems in Rakhine State, we believe people in many areas face similar issues, U Thoung Win said. The committee discussed the matter with a number of industry experts in midFebruary and is drawing up a set of basic standards, he said. U Thoung Win added that the MES document would include waste management standards, as well as a template design for gasifiers. Weve heard that some people [living near gasifiers] have been diagnosed with cancer or are not living as long as they perhaps should as a result of the gasifiers, he said. And weve heard that some gasifiers have poisoned ponds, killed fish and rendered water undrinkable in some ponds that waste water has flowed into, he said. However, U Thoung Win said it would not be difficult to set basic standards because other countries have faced the same problem and MES could examine what solutions have worked elsewhere. The reason we use rice husk-powered gasifiers is because we grow so much paddy. But if the ash content [of the rice husk] is high, we

TiMESbusiness
need to work hard to reduce the tar content in the waste products, he said. He said he was trying to set up a non-government organisation to focus on renewable, sustainable and green technology. U Zaw Aye Maung, Minister for Rakhine Affairs under the Yangon Region government, said most power supplied in that state was generated by localised electricity generation groups. He said towns and villages used rice husk gasifiers with the help of experts from Yangon but added that environmental protection standards were low. The main reason is that because the local people are poor, they build gasifiers as cheaply as possible, he said. They dont use higher technology systems that limit the amount of waste products. All the waste water is discharged into streams and poisons them sometimes even snakes are killed. And water that is discharged onto paddy fields seriously reduces yields, U Zaw Aye Maung said. He added that gasifiers have been used widely in Rakhine State since 2004. Some people living near gasifiers have reported lung problems and while people know that its important to filter the waste products properly, this increases the cost, he said. U Phyo Minllian, a technical advisor to a Malaysian company that makes gasifiers, said associated industries also needed to be standardised. He gave an example of the companys experiences in Thailand, where it had provided sample gasifiers to the government but was unaware that there were standards it had to meet for the gasifiers heat exchanger as well. There are also certain standards in Thailand that must be met for accompanying products, such as heat exchangers, he said. He added that a standard code of practice and would better protect the environment and people.

March 19 - 25, 2012

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Kotra officials announce the Myanmar-Korea Economic Cooperation Forum at a press conference in Traders Hotel in Yangon on March 13. Pic: Boothee

SKorea to hold economic cooperation forum in NPT

By Aye Thidar Kyaw SOME of South Koreas top companies are preparing to make a concerted entry into Myanmar, beginning with a forum jointly organised by the Myanmar Investment Commission, a trade official said. The Korea TradeInvestment Promotion Agency (Kotra) announced at a press conference at Traders Hotel in Yangon on March 13 that the MyanmarKorea Economic Cooperation Forum will be held in Nay Pyi Taw on April 6. Dr Park Chulho, a Kotra commercial attach, said the forum would be led by South Koreas Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC), while at least 100 representatives from 85 private companies would also attend. The companies are active in sectors such as mining, agriculture, energy and electricity production, logistics, hotels and tourism, transport, media and communication, automotive manufacturing and spare parts, construction materials and clothing. Dr Park said the companies included small- and mediumsized enterprises but also heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics, Korea Gas Cooperation, Korea Express Way Cooperation, SK Telecoms and Hyundai. We have been trying to promote business cooperation because Myanmars government is reforming economically and politically and [South] Korean businessmen are getting ready to come here, he said. He added that Myanmar and South Korea had different strengths and could complement each other. He said that Myanmar has natural resources as gas, copper and nickel, while South Korea has technology, infrastructure and telecommunications. If the two countries worked together, they could compete with China, India and Thailand, he said. Dr Park said there was hope that the updated foreign investment law, which went before the lower house of parliament on March 16, would solve a number of uncertainties that were present in the previous law. Businessmen have to think about these problems first and South Korean businesspeople to take many risks under the old law. But weve heard that a number of procedures have been simplified and the exchange rate will soon be unified he said. Dr Park said automotive companies such as SKG had already met Kotra to begin surveying Myanmars market, adding that he expected the company to begin looking for a joint venture soon. Bilateral trade amounted to US$970 million in the 2011 calendar year, with imports mainly construction materials worth $660 million and exports valued at about $320 million, he said. MIC figures show that South Koreas investment in Myanmar is worth about $2.94 billion, with Daewoo International Cooperation, the operator of the Shwe gas project, the biggest contributor at about $2 billion.

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Eel association warns on overfishing risk

By Soe Sandar Oo THE countrys leading eel trading body is warning that several species are under threat from overfishing. U Ba Thaw, chairman of the Myanmar Eel Entrepreneurs Association, said at the weekly Myanmar Fisheries Federation meeting on March 13 that high prices and strong demand from China this year had spurred reckless overfishing of wild eel. Eel fishermen have taken advantage of rising prices and demand by catching as much as they can, which will threaten the stocks next year, he said. U Ba Thaw said prices had risen by up to 100 percent year-on-year, increasing to US$5030 a tonne in March 2012 from $2500-3000 at the same time last year. He added that more trucks were being sent to border trading zones as a result. Exports in the 2010-11 fiscal year earned about $23 million but in the 2011-12 year to March 6 that had increased to $37 million, Department of Fisheries statistics showed. I dont think eel stocks will last for even five more years if we keep fishing in this manner. There is absolutely no discipline at any stage in fishing, trading or exporting and were selling off even the smallest eel, he said. However, exporters said the high prices on offer were only available for larger eel those more than 3 feet long (1 metre) and weighing at least 160 grams and they did not sell specimens smaller than a foot long (30 centimetres) and weighing less than 80 grams. The general secretary of Myanmar Fisheries Federation, U Win Kyaing, said if fishermen and exporters continued to sell eel in such quantities, stocks could be wiped out within three or four years. He said the industry needed to put a higher price on conservation and tightly restrict the trading of small eel. Most eels are caught in Ayeyarwady and Bago regions, he said. Pic: Myanmar Times Archive/Aye Zaw Myo

Eel prices have doubled in the past year and the increased catch could be putting species at risk, officials warned last week.

Company formation: not for the faint hearted

By U Min Sein MANY foreign investors, as well as Myanmar citizens, are planning to invest in Myanmar at this time when it is developing and changes are occurring quickly. For the country to receive maximum benefit from this attention, it is absolutely necessary the government ensures smooth formation of a company, catches up with what other countries are offering and ensures the law is abided by. Foreigners read the laws before coming here and if there is a question we need to answer according to the law. They will not be pleased if the answer is that the law says this and what they will have to do is that. They ask: Dont you follow the law? When was the law amended? Can you show me? These questions are rather awkward. The first thing a person has to do in forming a company is to choose a name. Naming a company is clearly stated in section 11 of the Myanmar Company Act. It shall not have the same name as that of another company already registered. It shall not be a name that could be mistaken by people for that of another company. It shall not have words like state, central bank, union or president. It shall not have words that are intended to mean that it is supported by the government or any governmental department or has links with any regional organisation. That is all the law says. But now if a foreign name is used it is required to be translated into Myanmar, whether appropriate or not. It is a tiring job. I have never heard of this being a requirement in neighbouring countries that are more developed than us. There is an expression, CRD, that is circulating widely among companies. CRD is an abbreviation of Certificate of Registration of Documents. I would be very much obliged if someone would teach me about the authority of that word in the company law. If a director resigns or is appointed, or a company is liquidated or its name is changed or its address changes, resolutions to that effect are filed at the Company Registration Office and they say that unless a CRD is issued by the office, such acts are not valid. I could not find CRD anywhere in the law. According to the law, the Company Registration Office is not a company administration office or a department confirming internal affairs of a company. While in quest of the solution, a person supposed to be conversant in the law referred me to section 248(4) of the company law. It states: The President of the Union may direct a seal or seals to be prepared for the authentication of documents required for or connected with the registration of companies. Then I came across section 248(5) and I recalled an incident that happened about two years ago. A company from a neighbouring country asked us to make a Legal Due Diligence regarding a Myanmar company so a friend was sent to the Company Registration Office. I had applied under section 248(5) of the law in force for facts about the company and offered to pay the fee. But my friend was roundly scolded for two reasons. The first reason was that the letter was wrongly addressed to the registrar. They said it should be the director general. I maintain that the person who is responsible for the company registration should be addressed as registrar when we write a letter regarding the company registration. What is the correct way to address that person as the least understand section 248(5) of the company law. When a foreign company registered a joint venture company, documents from that country that were legalised by the Myanmar embassy in that country were submitted to the Company Registration Office for registration. Months later, when asked, they said that the documents were returned to the Myanmar embassy. I cannot understand why that was done. The Myanmar partner was investigated by the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and the police. I wont mention the other troubles he had to face. I as well as those who want to do business cannot understand why this happens. The same process is repeated for extension of registration. The directors are interrogated by the police, asked irrelevant that taxes have been paid, which does not concern the Company Registration Office, is required to accompany the renewal process. Everybody who has gone through this process knows how complicated and costly it is. They have to complete a lot of forms. A single trip to Nay Pyi Taw will not do it. The worst thing is that as it takes ages to extend the registration, the company registration cannot be produced when needed. A friend told me that a company that has been importing and exporting for years could no longer apply for an import and export licence because they did not have a CRD for the companys change of address. They had already filed the companys change of address at the Company Registration Office but had not been issued a CRD. So departments should also take cautious note of the influence of the CRD. I say in good faith that the application of matters not in the law should be reduced. It is time to consider helping foreign and local investors form companies effortlessly and swiftly. Public companies are going to be formed soon. Issues such as examination of prospectuses, minimum capital, statutory reports and statutory meetings will come up. It will be important to keep up with other countries in terms of regulations and matters like acquisitions, protection of minority rights, insider trading, rules on voting by proxy, speculation in shares and short selling to name but a few. To this end, it will be important that people who really understand and have the necessary knowledge to prepare the country to face these issues should be given the responsibility. Translated by Thit Lwin (U Min Sein is a Registered Accountant and Certified Public Accountant and has been practising law for more than 40 years. He was a commercial law lecturer for 20 years at the Auditor Generals Department training Grade II and III candidates.)

Briefs
Production sharing contracts signed for two blocks
MYANMA Oil and Gas Enterprise last week signed production sharing contracts for two recently auctioned onshore oil and gas blocks, a source close to the Ministry of Energy said. Hong Kongs EPI Holdings and Aye Myint Khine Co, which will jointly explore the RSF-10 block in Magwe Regions KammaNatlaung area, signed a PSC with MOGE in Nay Pyi Taw on March 9. Two days later, Swiss firm GeoPetrol International Holdings and domestic firm A1 Mining Co signed a similar agreement for block RSF-9 at Pyalo-Paukkaung, in Bago Region. The signing ceremonies were attended by Minister for Energy U Than Htay, MOGE and Myanmar Investment Commission officials, an representatives of the companies. The source said two production sharing contracts would be signed for the RSF-2 and -3 blocks in Tuyintaung and GwegyoNgashadaung, Magwe Region, both of which were auctioned to Malaysias Petronas and UNOG, a domestic firm. Juliet Shwe Gaung

fee for company In Myanmar, the is not only levied renewal which is not in the law exorbitantly but there is no tax exemption. It is said that renewal has been extended from two years to three years and we should apparently be grateful for that.

No connection to CRD there. However, if a company has no CRD, it causes controversy over the validity of a companys affairs. Some other directors say the director who has already resigned is still in service or they do not acknowledge the director who is appointed because no CRD is issued. I have never found this kind of issue either in the law or in our neighbouring developed countries. Section 149 of the Myanmar Company Act states: A document may be served on the Registrar by sending it to him by post, or delivering it to him, or by leaving for him at his office. According to section 150: A document or proceeding requiring authentication by a company may be signed by a director, secretary or other authorised officer of the company, and need not be under its common seal.

registrar or the directorgeneral? We should take into account the practice of other countries and international standards. The second reason was that the information requested by us was restricted to some particular departments so for an outsider to ask was considered an offence. When I reported the situation to the company from the neighbouring country, they asked how they could work with that company unless they were furnished with the due diligence which is instantly available in their country on the internet upon payment of the fee. I was at a loss as to how I should reply to them. In future, companies planning to invest in Myanmar will want to have a Due Diligence done. I dont think that problem can be solved with this system. The department concerned will have to at

questions and told to produce immaterial documents. There are tax havens in the world, such as British Virgin Islands and Bermuda. Tax havens are a state, country or territory that offers due process, good governance and low corruption and where taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all. As a result, these tax havens receive much income from fees for company validity extension. In Myanmar, the fee for company renewal which is not in the law is not only levied exorbitantly but there is no tax exemption. It is said that renewal has been extended from two years to three years and we should apparently be grateful for that. Going through formalities for renewal in Myanmar is somewhat different from tax havens where it can be done by just remitting the fee. In Myanmar, a certificate

Myanmar to open new border trade point with Thailand

YANGON Myanmar will open another border trading point with Thailand in an effort to boost trade with its neighbour, the weekly Global News journal reported last week. The Mawhtaung border trading point in southern Tanintharyi region will become the fifth with Thailand, the journal reported. Myanmar has a total of 12 border trading points, including four each with China and Thailand, two with India and two with Bangladesh. Staff Writers

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Oil, gas and power summit approaches

Press release MORE than 250 delegates from over 20 countries will attend the Myanmar Oil, Gas and Power Summit from March 27-29. Organised by the Centre for Management Technology and Myanmars Ministry of Energy, the MOGP Summit i s t h e o n l y co n fe re n ce providing first-hand information and answers that will prepare industry majors and investors as well as service and support companies for ventures into Myanmars energy sector. Supported by M & S Co Ltd, the MOGP Summit will represent the movers and shakers within the oil and gas industry. Dramatic changes afoot in Myanmar have drawn foreign investors eyeing a slice of the frontier market s rich and large economic potential. The summit, which is titled Gearing Up for the Emerging Oil and Gas Opportunities, will explore k e y i s s u e s i nv o l v e d i n securing upstream oil and gas exploration ventures, as well as the key challenges, drivers and new business opportunities in Myanmars oil and gas industry. The main highlight at the conference is the official opening address by the Minister for Energy, U Than Htay but other significant t a l k s w i l l b e d e l i ve re d by independent energy industry consultants; Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise officials; Total E&P Myanmar; DFDL Mekong Group; World LP Gas Association; Myanmar Petroleum Products Enterprise (MPPE); Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE); Global Risk Analysis, Co n t r o l R i s k s ; a n d t h e Ministry of Electric Power. Par ticipants at the MOGP Summit can look forward to interacting with key decision-makers from leading oil and gas and petrochemical companies, exploration firms, energy consultants, storage and logistics companies, EPC companies, legal counsellors, project financiers, trading firms, government officials and more. Besides the multi-speaker discussion sessions, there is also a separately bookable pre- conference workshop o n D e ve l o p i n g L a rg e Scale Oil/Gas Projects in Myanmar - Structures and Issues scheduled on March 27 that will be led by Mr Matthew Bubb and Mr John McClenahan of Ashurst. To access full agenda of MOGP Summit visit the events website http://www. cmtevents.com/aboutevent. aspx?ev=120316. For details o n re s e r vat i o n s p l e a s e contact Ms Huiyan at (+65) 6346 9113 or email huiyan@ cmtsp.com.sg

China trade expo to start March 30

By Aung Kyi AN exhibition aimed at boosting trade between Myanmar and Chinas Guangxi region will be held in Yangon from March 30 to April 2, the local organiser said last week. The exhibition is being organised by the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and the Myanmar Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry. A Myanmar Ministry of Commerce official in Nay Pyi Taw said the ministries of commerce from both nations were also assisting in organising the expo. It will be held at the Myanmar Convention Centre, a UMFCCI central committee member said last week. U Myo Thant, managing director of NMT Ltd and a UMFCCI central executive member, has been assigned to organise the exhibition, which will feature stands from more than 200 Chinese businesses. The Ministry of Commerce official said about 200 Chinese businesspeople are expected to arrive in Yangon on March

Guangxi Liugong heavy machinery on display at an Aung Gyi Group of Companies showroom at Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, in Hlaing Tharyar township, Yangon on March 15. Pic: Aung Kyi 20 ahead of the expo and further discussions will be made for the activities at the commodities fair, he said. The exhibition will include automobiles, machinery, electrical equipment, food and beverages and clothing. The trade exhibition will also be accompanied by the signing of some trade agreements between Guangxi and Myanmar entrepreneurs, he said. Chinese entrepreneurs are expected to arrive in Yangon on March 20 and further discussions will be made for the activities at the commodities fair, he said. Machinery and vehicles including passenger cars may also be sold at the fair if an agreement is reached between the two ministries but the buyers will have to pay for the taxes imposed by Myanmar, he said. A spokesperson from a sole local agent for Chenglong Motor and Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co said, Weve already got permission to import vehicles from China and we are planning to sell them at the fair. We have been acting as a sole authorised dealer for Myanmar for two companies Chenglong Motor and Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co since 2006, so we can sell vehicles at the expo, said U Myo Min Thant, information officer for Aung Gyi Group of Companies. The vehicles imported from Chenglong Motor and Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co are for construction, road or dam building, timber production and mining industries, said U Myo Min Thant. But due to the limited space at the fair, we will only be able to display some of our vehicles at the expo, although they will be available for viewing during or after the fair at our companys showrooms in Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Muse, he said.

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Job watch

Emerging economies slow, world economy shivers

By Francesco Fontemaggi PARIS World markets reaction to recent signs of a slowdown in emerging economies has highlighted the importance of these new engines of global growth to the financial system, say analysts. Markets were destabilised on March 12 by Chinese data showing that China, the worlds leading exporter, posted a huge trade deficit last month, largely because of slowdown in exports to advanced economies. Slowing emerging market growth is very consequential for global growth in general, UBS economist Bhanu Baweja noted. Some good news came from the OECD though, which said on March 12 that tentative signs of economic upturn had appeared in the eurozone even as business activity showed signs of flagging in China and Brazil. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the United States and Japan had the most improved growth prospects. Stronger, albeit tentative signals were evident in major economies and in the eurozone. But figures for China and Brazil were now below trend. China, the second-biggest economy in the world, has cut its 2012 growth target to 7.5 percent from a previous estimate of 8pc, as it swung into a trade deficit of US$31.48 billion in February. Brazilian growth slumped to 2.7pc last year from 7.5pc in 2010, while Indias economy expanded by 6.1pc in the last three months of 2011, the weakest pace in three years. They have been hit by several factors, including economic slumps in markets such as the United States and Europe, and the rising cost of energy. But even Russia, which relies on providing natural resources such as oil and gas for much of its economic growth, expects 3.7pc growth this year, down from 4.3pc in 2010. Moscows main market, the 17-nation eurozone, has been held back by a chronic debt crisis and is now in a mild recession according to European Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. However, the latest trend indicators for Russia, and for India, point to a possible upward turning point for growth. The latest forecast by the European Central Bank says that the eurozone economy will contract by 0.1pc this year, and then grow by 1.1pc in 2013. Italy, the third-biggest eurozone economy which has approved austerity measures to battle heavy debt, entered recession late last year with a fourthquarter contraction of 0.7pc, the state statistics office said on March 12. OPEC has trimmed its 2012 global oil demand growth forecast for the second time owing to the slowdown in major economies and higher crude oil prices. Indicators from developed economies have presented a fairly gloomy picture, with consumer confidence falling in Japan and France, and a eurozone purchasing managers index slipping back in February. Other data is a little more promising however, such as that for German and Indian industrial output which rebounded in January, and news from the United States which also give reason for hope. The US economy created 227,000 new jobs in February, and US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke says growth this year will stay close to or slightly above the 2.25pc pace of late 2011. A study by the consulting group Grant Thornton noted a growing dependence of BRIC economies, those of Brazil, Russia, India and China, on the rest of the planet. Three-fourths of business leaders from those countries said they were concerned about a possible global slump in the coming year. Those most worried were in India at 96pc, but all forecast stiff headwinds for exports. Baweja at UBS nonetheless felt the worst might have passed. The slowdown in emerging markets is not new, they have been slowing down since June of last year, he said, in part because of restrictive policies aimed at keeping those economies from overheating. Now the story may be the opposite, that emerging countries may be close to bottoming out, though he forecast a very, very modest rebound. Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has also estimated that the point of the sharpest slowdown in growth has passed, as the Reserve Bank of India was set to cut its key interest rates on March 14. Brazils central bank is expected to do the same. AFP

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Mitsubishi Corporation, Yangon Branch Business Staff (International Trading / Project Development) Mitsubishi Corporation, Yangon Branch is seeking applications from highly motivated and qualified personals. - Male or Female, age 20 to 30 - Bachelors Degree or higher - Proficient in English Communication and International

- Regular staff after (3) months probation period Interested people are requested to mail or fax your curriculum vitae with your recent photo to the following address not later than 10th April 2012

Goldman banker quits, hits out at culture of ripping off clients

By Paul Handley WASHINGTON Investment banking titan Goldman Sachs has become a toxic and destructive firm focused on milking clients for everything it can, a resigning executive director said on March 14 in the New York Times. Greg Smith said the Wall Street giant, which paid huge penalties for double-dealing with investors in mortgage securities during the financial crisis, had dumped its old culture of honestly helping its customers make money. Today, instead, customers are called muppets by top executives and staff talk about ripping their clients off, Smith wrote in an opinion piece. I can honestly say that the environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it. To put the problem in the simplest terms, the interests of the client continue to be sidelined in the way the firm operates and thinks about making money, he said in the article, published on his last day at work for Goldman. He blamed chief executive Lloyd Blankfein and president Gary Cohn for having lost hold of the firms culture on their watch. It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients off. Over the last 12 months I have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as muppets, sometimes over internal email. Smith said that when he joined Goldman, Wall Streets largest and most powerful dealthat it sold dodgy mortgagebacked securities to investors while simultaneously betting that they would fall in value. And last month a judge took Goldman to task for standing to profit handsomely on both sides of the deal as it advised gas pipeline operator El Paso Corp to accept a $21 billion takeover offer from rival Kinder Morgan. The judge pointed out, as did El Paso shareholders who said the offer was too low, that Goldman had two board seats and a 19 percent stake at Kinder, and its chief El Paso adviser owned $340,000 of Kinder shares. Smith was both lauded and assailed throughout the financial community and media for his stance. Some called him brave and honest, while others said he was hypocritical and even naive about how business is done in the investment banking world. But former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, speaking in Washington, said the article reflected a change of market mentality over the past 15-20 years. The shift came from a combination of investment banks shifting toward trading their own books, and of Goldmans conversion from a partnership to a public company. Goldman like other investment banks became a trading operation rather than a largely customer-oriented underwriting M&A [mergers and acquisitions] kind of operation. And that changed the mentality, and Im afraid its a business that leads to a lot of conflicts of interest. AFP

Mitsubishi Corporation
GPO Box 1529
#1902. 19 Floor, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Road. Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar Fax No. 01-95-255801
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Website:

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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

A policeman keeps watch at an entrance to Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York city on March 14. Pic: AFP maker, nearly 12 years ago, its culture was centred on integrity and always doing right by our clients. The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients trust for 143 years. Now the company is all about raking in the bucks from clients in any way possible, he said. Today, if you make enough money for the firm [and are not currently an axe murderer] you will be promoted into a position of influence. Goldman rebutted Smith, insisting it is focused on the client. We disagree with the views expressed, which we dont think reflect the way we run our business. In our view, we will only be successful if our clients are successful. This fundamental truth lies at the heart of how we conduct ourselves. Smith said that while at Goldman he had advised clients handling more than US$1 trillion. His last position was London-based executive director and head of Goldmans equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In an internal letter to staff released to the media, Blankfein and Cohn characterised Smith as simply one of nearly 12,000 employees holding the title vice president. They said there would always be people who could feel disgruntled in a company of 30,000 employees. But the opinion piece echoed the rising criticism of the firm as symbolic of investment bankers who allegedly rake in billions of dollars as they wreak havoc on US business and the economy. In 2010, Goldman paid a then-record $550 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges

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its own we would have no objections, but their policies currently are preventing that from happening and they go against the very rules that China agreed to follow, Obama said. The complaint argues Beijing places restrictions on the export of 17 rare elements as well as tungsten and molybdenum. Used to make a range of high tech products, including powerful magnets, batteries, and LED lights, they find their way into electric cars, iPods, lasers, wind turbines and missiles. Chinas restrictions on rare earths and other products violate international trade rules and must be removed, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said, adding Beijing had failed to make any changes after an early complaint. This leaves us no choice but to challenge Chinas export regime again to ensure fair access for our businesses to these materials, he added. The complaint formally requests dispute settlement consultations, the first step in any bid to settle WTO disputes. Beijing said it would abide by the WTOs procedures. But it argued its controls, which include export duties and quotas, are necessary to help conserve highly soughtafter natural resources, limit environmental damage from excessive mining and meet domestic demand. Based on environmental protection and in order to achieve sustainable development, China carries out management policies over the export of rare earths, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said. We believe such measures comply with WTO rules. A commentary from the state-run Xinhua news agency branded the filing rash and unfair and said it was likely to hurt bilateral trade ties and trigger a backlash from China instead of settling the rift. It is the newest complaint by industrial powers at the WTO over Chinese trade in raw materials. Earlier this year the Geneva-based body found China to have illegally restricted exports of raw materials like bauxite, zinc and magnesium. China continues to make its export restraints more restrictive, resulting in massive distortions and harmful disruptions in supply chains for these materials throughout the global marketplace, said US Trade Representative Ron Kirk. Because China is a top global producer for these key inputs, its harmful policies artificially increase prices for the inputs outside of China while lowering prices in China. We want our companies building those products right here in America, but to do that, American manufacturers need to have access to rare earth materials, which China supplies, Obama said on March 13. The White House last month set up a high-level interagency team under the USTR office to expedite trade complaints, with China the primary target. But the announcement came just as Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai was visiting Washington. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she did not know if US officials briefed Cui on the WTO action but said that Washingtons concerns on rare earths should come as no surprise. Our hope is that this can be resolved and can be resolved appropriately using WTO mechanisms, she said. We have ... obviously a lot of other business to do at the same time. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Obama slams China in WTO over rare earths

By Paul Handley WASHINGTON President Barack Obama last week hit out at China for limiting exports of rare earth elements used in high-tech goods, as the United States, European Union and Japan jointly accused Beijing of breaking trade rules. The three economic powers lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organisation saying C h i n a w h i c h produces 97 percent of the worlds supply of rare earths such as lutetium and scandium was unfairly benefiting its own industries by monopolising global supply. If China would simply let the market work on

Trade Mark CauTion

YanMar Co., LTd., a Corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Japan, of 1-9, Tsurunocho, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

reg. no. 11942/2011 in respect of Class 04 : Mineral oils and greases for industrial purposes [not for fuel]; non-mineral oils and greases for industrial purposes [not for fuel]; fuels; waxes [raw material]; solid lubricants; crude oil or refined oil, industrial oil, motor oil, lubricant, diesel fuel oil, light oil, oil for internal combustion engine, flammability oil. Class 07: Generators of electricity with waste heat utilization systems; agricultural implements other than hand-operated, agricultural machines, combine harvester, rice transplanter, binder, mobile thresher, rice huller, power tiller, bush cutter, vegetable transplanter; lawnmowers; motors and engines other than for land vehicles, parts and accessories for motors and engines of all kinds (other than for land vehicles), diesel engines, gasoline engines, engines for marine vehicles, Marine Compressors, piston pin bushing, piston, piston pin, piston ring, fuel filter; pump, pump machines, gas heat pump; generators of electricity, diesel generators, gasoline generators, gas engine generators; construction machines and apparatus; loading-unloading machines and apparatus; parts and fittings; construction machines, excavator, wheel loader, Power shovel, bulldozer, motorised all-terrain carriers, carrier; snow ploughs; submergible cleaner for fish farming nets. Class 11: Air-conditioning apparatus, GHP (Gas Heat Pump) air-conditioning systems, boilers, refrigerating appliances and installations, refrigerating containers, forage drying apparatus, heat exchangers, lighting tower. Class 12: Motors and engines for land vehicles, vessels and their parts and fittings, pleasure boat, fishing boat, tractor, tractor for agriculture. Class 16: Boxes of cardboard or paper, packing paper, bags (envelopes, pouches) of paper or plastics, for packaging. 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 YanMar Co., LTd. P. O. Box 60, Yangon. E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 19th March, 2012

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Outer Dagon township prices fall back to earth

By Noe Noe Aung PROPERTY prices in farflung Dagon townships have returned back to normal after spiking just before the New Year, real estate agents said last week. Theres no demand for land in East Dagon and Dagon Seikkan anymore, said U Soe Myint, the owner of a real estate agency in North Dagon township. I think land in those areas used to be undervalued but the increase a few months ago was incredible. What were seeing now is prices going back to normal, he said. Prices of land plots in the area shot up to K60 million before Christmas, from K2 or K3 million earlier, as a result of rumours that the government was considering building a new industrial zone nearby. There were so many rumours spreading that the government would build an industrial zone or foreign investors would start a private project, said U Soe Myint. Many Chinese businesspeople bought land, which pushed up the prices but now those buyers have vanished and nobody is willing to pay such high prices, U Soe Myint said. He added that prices had fallen by between 70 and 80 percent by March from earlier highs. Prices stopped increasing in November and began falling in December, and theyre back at their original level now. I cant see that prices will fall any further, he added. U Min Zaw Oo, the owner of Su Lyan Phyo real estate agency in Kyauktada township, said it was a buyers market in the Dagon townships. Although owners are trying to sell land plots urgently, no one is interested in buying anymore, he said. But a freelance agent from East Dagon township said land price falls in East Dagon and Dagon Seikkan had been spurred by the governments decision to requisition land from civil servants, many of whom had bought plots in the area 20 years ago. People are scared and they want to sell their land urgently, he said, adding that compensation paid on the acquisitions was as little as K12,000 the same price paid to buy the land originally. Only a few people are buying, even though prices have fallen considerably.

Families face eviction for backing loans to strangers

By Elodie Cuzin MADRID Fighting eviction for failing to pay the mortgage on his home in Spains capital, Nelson Castillo is now grappling not only with his own debts but also those of a family he does not know. The 39-year-old and his wife acted as guarantors of another Ecuadoran familys loan under a program run by an agency that negotiated loans for immigrants. In return, that family acted as the guarantor for Castillos loan. Now, both families are in arrears. And each of them is legally responsible for its own loan and for the loan it guaranteed. We were two families and we did not know each other. Ecuadorans are like that. We had to sign the papers and thats it. Goodbye, and each side went its own way, said Castillo. Dozens of anti-eviction activists had gathered outside his Madrid apartment building on March 13 to

Ecuadoran homeowner Kelly Herrera (left) closes her eyes as a psychologist speaks with police coming to evict Ms Herrera from her house in Madrid on March 13. Pic: AFP prevent court clerks and bank officials from ejecting Castillo a nd his family from their home. Inside the apartment a volunteer psychologist tried to comfort Castillos wife, 40-year-old Kelly Herrera, who sat in distress on the couch while the couple talked to police. The couple were given until March 30 to pay their debt of 222,000 euros (US$291,000) claimed by the bank. And they are still liable for the loan given to the other family. Today they are demanding my loan. But later on they will demand the second, said Castillo. The couples lawyer Rafael Mayoral had requested that the eviction be blocked for humanitarian reasons because their two children are minors and a knee injury prevents Herrera from working at the moment. But above all the lawyer argued that the couple are victims of a swindle. The couple and nine other families are suing an agency, Central Hipotecaria del Inmigrante, which ran a system of cross guarantors for loans among people that did not always know each other. It was a pyramid scheme of financial risk management, said Mayoral. Despite the investigation underway into the agency, the courts have refused to issue a moratorium on evictions. A fortnight ago the government approved a voluntary code of conduct for banks that aims to help poor homeowners settle their debts and reduce a wave of evictions brought on by Spains economic crisis. For families whose members are all out of work and have no other source of income, the code obliges signatory banks to restructure their mortgage debt by for example lengthening the term of the loan or reducing its interest rate. The goal is to reduce the number of evictions in Spain, which amount to about 300,000 since the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. But the new code will not help Castillo and his family. The bank did not give me any option, I wanted to give them the apartment in exchange for clearing my debt but they were not interested, he said. Castillo, a waiter, said with pride that he only spent a few months out of work since he moved to Spain in 1996. In 2006 he and his wife decided to buy an apartment while Spain was still in the midst of a property boom. The couple took out a mortgage with a variable rate that started out with a monthly payment of 900 euros ($1206). But as Euribor interest rates rose, their monthly mortgage payment shot up to 1420 euros ($1903). It became impossible to pay. I earned 1000 euros [$1340] a month and my wife also did not earn much. Things became complicated. I tried to reach an agreement with the bank but it was not possible. I stopped paying, said Castillo. Castillo said he did not know if the family which signed as the guarantor of his loan has suffered any consequences because he stopped making his mortgage payments. AFP

By-election, expected FDI boost property sales: agents

BUYERS have returned to the property market since mid-February, real estate agents said last week. U Than Oo, the managing director of Mundine real estate agency in Kyauktada township, said buyer interest was being spurred by the expectation of an increase in foreign investment. We are seeing strong sales interest in most high-end areas in Yangon. I think buyers are trying to get attractive properties now before foreign companies enter the marketplace, he said. Properties priced at between K300 million and more than K1 billion in Bahan, Kamaryut, Mayangone, Yankin, Thuwanna, Thingangyun and Hlaing townships are selling well, he said. It seems evident that many of the deals are for properties to be used as company offices or businesses, he said. U Sai Khung Noung, the managing director of Sai Khung Noung real estate agency in Tarmwe township, said the increased interest in real estate was being driven by the April 1 by-elections. We have seen demand rising sharply since mid-February for properties priced between K100 and K500 million. I think people are buying back into the real estate market again in the hope that prices will appreciate quickly in the near future, he said. I would say demand has risen by about 20 percent since early February, mainly due to the approaching by-election, said U Sai Khung Noung. He added that condominiums priced between K100 million and K300 million in Dagon, Bahan, Sanchaung and Mingalar Taung Nyunt townships are all receiving strong interest. I think some buyers are expecting foreign investment to arrive in the near future and are betting that more foreigners will want to stay in condominiums, he said. U Khin Maung Aye, owner of Shwe Kan Myay real estate agency in Tarmwe township, believes that the by-election is having a positive effect on the market. I feel that the upcoming by-election is having an influence on the market by building confidence in the governments reforms. And that is pushing demand for property in commercially attractive areas in Yangon. he said, adding that his agency has seen demand rise by 25pc since early February. Htar Htar Khin

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Britain launches scheme to boost flagging housing market

LONDON Britain launched a scheme on March 12 to help homebuyers borrow up to 95 percent of the value of a new property, to boost the flagging housing market and construction industry. The NewBuy Guarantee scheme, intended to help first-time buyers and existing homeowners, is supported by the banks Barclays, Nationwide and Royal Bank of Scotland unit Natwest. The government hopes the initiative will help up to 100,000 people to buy a newly built home with a deposit of 5pc or 10pc of the value of the property, rather than the 20pc which is usually required by banks. Under the plan, property developers will contribute 3.5pc of the purchase price and the government will put up 5.5pc. The scheme is available on apartments and houses up to a maximum value of 500,000 (US$781,666) in England only. In the event of repossession, lenders will be able to recover any losses from the borrowers deposit and the developers contribution, and will then be able to call on the state guarantee. We want to help everyone achieve their aspirations, and feel the pride of home ownership, housing minister Grant Shapps said in an official statement. So Im delighted that from today the NewBuy Guarantee will give thousands of prospective buyers the chance to buy a home with a fraction of the deposit normally required. The Conservative-Liberal government on March 12 also announced plans to relax restrictions on its Right to Buy scheme, under which social housing tenants can purchase their property at a discount. NewBuy meanwhile has been designed by private-sector organisations the Home Builders Federation and the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). However, some analysts expressed doubts about whether the scheme would help reboot the market. The property market will come back when it is ready to come back and schemes like this are mere tinkering around the edges, said Jonathan Samuels, chief executive of Dragonfly Property Finance. If the government thinks this scheme will kickstart the property market then it is in cloud cuckoo land. Many lenders suffered huge losses during the 2008 financial crisis, after offering mortgages that were actually worth more than the value of properties. AFP

Philippines squatters wage daily battle against eviction, relocation

By Cecil Morella MANILA The women and children of a shantytown in the Philippine capital huddled along an alleyway while the men battled riot police nearby in a last-ditch stand to save their homes. Many of the 600 residents had lived in the shantytown in the centre of Metro Manila all of their lives but, without any formal legal title to their homes, were being evicted to make way for a new town hall. They treated us like criminals, spat out Vicky Balabor, a 47-year-old mother of three, after the hour-long confrontation that saw riot police fire water cannons and tear gas at the men of the neighbourhood. The men resisted with petrol bombs, rocks and bottles, but numbering only a few dozen, were no match for the roughly 500 riot police who paved the way for demolition crews armed with crowbars to tear down the shantytown. Twenty-two people were slightly injured, including residents, police and demolition crew members, while 13 men defending their homes were arrested in Januarys skirmish, according to local city council spokeswoman Grace Cortes. The clearing of Pinaglabanan, an 8-hectare (19.8-acre) park, was just one of many battles that regularly erupt and pit Manilas giant informal settler community against authorities or property developers who want the land. More than two million people in Metro Manila or roughly one fifth of the sprawling citys population live in shanty towns as so-called informal settlers. The urban blight is worsening as the Philippines population continues to expand at one of the fastest rates in the world, and people from rural areas head to Manila and other cities in search of work. The phenomenon sees squatters take over parcels of vacant land and build shanties. With grinding poverty stripping away choices for the desperate squatters, almost any type of vacant land is considered an opportunity with some shantytowns built atop public cemeteries and many in floodprone areas. But while the squatters do not have formal rights to the land, Philippine law makes it hard for the owners whether they be the government or private interests to get it back. A 1992 law says demolitions and evictions will not be allowed unless the settlers occupy dangerous areas, when the site is needed for public infrastructure projects, or when there is a court order. Some politicians also encourage the settlers to stay so they can be used as

Informal settlers throwing stones at members of the demolition team, during a demolition operation to give way to the construction of a new city hall building in San Juan City, suburban Manila in mid-January. Pic: AFP reliable supporters in elections, while highprofile protests or battles such as the one seen in Pinaglabanan can buy extra time for squatters. In the Pinaglabanan case, the eviction occurred only after lengthy legal proceedings, with the local council winning court approval to demolish the slum 12 months earlier to make way for the town hall. In one incident showing the strength of informal settler communities, President Benigno Aquino suspended a 22-billionpeso (US$515 million) project to turn some government land in Manila into a business and shopping district in 2010 after squatters fought police to prevent the eviction of 6000 families. The government was also forced to fight all the way to the Supreme Court in 2007 for permission to evict 20,000 squatter families from the former army headquarters in Manila. After winning the legal challenge, the area was turned into an upscale business, residential and retail district called The Fort that has become one of the capitals most prestigious districts. About 3.5 million low-cost homes need to be built across the country to address the squatter problem, according to Antonio Bernardo, chief executive of the national governments Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. He said the national and local governments were implementing programmes to try and move squatters out of dangerous areas and into formal communities, giving them financial incentives to do so such as lowinterest loans. Bernardo also pointed to a law that said one out of every five homes built by Philippine developers must cost under 400,000 pesos ($9000). But Arturo Corpuz, vice president and urban planning chief for Ayala Land, the countrys largest property firm, said these low-cost homes were beyond the reach of many informal settlers. And many of the areas where informal settlers are asked to move are further away from parts of Manila where work can be found. Balabor and others in the group cleared from Pinaglabanan in January were going to be trucked off to live in low-cost homes at a mountainous site in Rodriguez, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) away. Under the local governments relocation scheme, they can live in the small concrete homes in Rodriquez for free for one year, but will then have to start paying the monthly mortgage of about $175. But Balabor, 47, earns just $220 a month working as a cleaner at a Manila call centre, while her carpenter husband is out of work. Even the bus ride from her planned new home to her workplace would cost a third of her salary every month. Balabor said her family had no choice but to move to Rodriquez for the moment, but she had no idea how they could meet the mortgage payments in a years time. We just dont know what were going to do, she said. AFP

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SAN FRANCISCO Climate change is coming to SimCity, the video game where players can build whole cities. A new version of the citybuilding computer game that factors in real-world consequences of energy choices has won endorsements from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and the director of the Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. We are updating SimCity with technology of today and introducing it to a new generation of gamers, Maxis studio senior vice president Lucy Bradshaw said at this years Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. It gets under your skin; exposes you to the idea of cause and effect and that choices you make have repercussions, she said. Millions of people have played SimCity since the computer game designed by Will Wright was first released in 1989. The original title won a broad, devoted following and led to a successful franchise of Sims strategy games in which players manipulate worlds and animated characters in simulations of real life. Sims 3 Showtime software,

chief Climate change hits SimCity DARPA for leaving

released on March 7 as an addition to the latest version of the game, lets players act out fantasies of becoming famous singers, acrobats, magicians or DJs. The US$40 expansion pack adds a host of features, including one allowing players to send their characters into other peoples games via the internet with a capability called SimPort. While the franchise has thrived, it has been nearly to affect neighbouring cities. In SimCity resources are finite, you struggle with decisions people are struggling with today in the real world and your decisions can have a global impact, Bradshaw said. Be a polluter and you are ultimately going to affect your friends cities ... Will you have the wealthiest, fittest, greenest city ever or the sludgiest, most yikes-worthy SimCity ever? Maxis collaborated on the When you play SimCity it is in your face; if you build a coal power plant you feel the consequences smog in the city, water table getting dirty, and your people getting angry. Twitter co-founder Stone is also among the early fans of the new SimCity, which he said was in tune with his new initiative to support systems that help make better humans, a smarter world and a healthier planet. Stone left his day-to-day role at Twitter last year to devote time to Obvious Corporation, which he established with fellow Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and Jason Goldman. While Im not a gamer I understand the learning power of play, Stone said. Learning the cause and effect and the impact you could have as an individual or a corporation is huge ... The SimCity overview puts us in that frame of mind. Bradshaw noted that SimCity has always blended realism and fantasy, so you never know when a giant lizard might trundle around a corner and blow your buildings down. AFP

Google job
SAN FRANCISCO Google on March 12 confirmed that Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency chief Regina Dugan is taking a yet-to-be-revealed role at the internet firm. Regina is a technical pioneer who brought the future of technology to the military during her time at DARPA, Google said in a released statement. She will be a real asset to Google and we are thrilled she is joining the team. Dugan was known for promoting entrepreneurial thinking in her three years running DARPA. At the prestigious TED conference in California two weeks ago Dugan touted DARPA inventions such as remote-controlled humming bird drones and hypersonic flight while urging innovators to shun fear of failure. There was a time in your life when you believed in impossible things and were fearless, she said, referring to idyllic childhood years. You were completely and utterly in touch with your inner superhero, she said. Scientists can change the world. Google is among the major sponsors of TEDs annual gathering in California. Dugan, who turns 49 this week, became DARPAs first woman director when she was promoted to the position in July of 2009. AFP

In SimCity resources are finite, you struggle with decisions people are struggling with today in the real world and your decisions can have a global impact.

a decade since the release of the last version of SimCity for desktop or laptop computers. A Maxis team will have a fresh SimCity title ready in 2013, according to Bradshaw. Along with rich 3D graphics, the game will have a new simulation engine that enhances its realism and extends ramifications of urban design decisions past borders

title with Games For Change, a group devoted to the creation of games that combine fun with learning about social issues. I love the game, said Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim, who played an early version with his son. Climate change is the biggest crisis of our time, but there is a disconnect because it is not in front of us, he added.

Chinese propaganda hero struggles in internet age

By Bill Savadove SHANGHAI A Chinese government publicity campaign to promote selflessness using the model of soldier Lei Feng, who died 50 years ago, is encountering resistance from an increasingly mediasavvy population. Ever since Chinas supreme leader Mao Zedong recognised Lei Feng for his humble heroism, said to include washing his comrades uniforms and giving his pay to the needy, authorities have encouraged citizens to do good every March. To mark five decades since his death, authorities have launched a huge public campaign through the official media, which have been awash with invocations for Chinese citizens to follow his example. But with the rise of the internet China now has the worlds largest online population with more than 500 million users the soldier has come under attack as people question his good deeds and relevance for modern times. Critics say the governments way of delivering the message is heavy-handed, and that the lessons Lei Feng has to offer have little to do with modern China and its increasingly wealthy people. If you are living in this day and age, becoming a billionaire is a must. Worshipping a pure individual really is not a must, posted one blogger on Chinese web giant Sinas popular weibo, or microblog. The campaign has been given added urgency by the August, 1962, at age 22 after a truck driven by a fellow soldier hit a utility pole, which fell on him. Retired factory worker Fang Guanlong, 63, worships Lei Feng and has filled his Shanghai home with more than 3000 objects ranging from badges to stamps bearing the iconic image of the young soldier. I hope the Lei Feng spirit will be handed down from generation to generation, carried forward to purify social morals, Fang told AFP. But many bloggers have questioned the Lei Feng story, challenging the authenticity of photographs of him reading by flashlight and showing an elderly lady home. Lei Feng joined the Peoples Liberation Army in 1960, when it still basked in the glory of winning the Chinese civil war just over a decade earlier. The government has responded to the challenge by giving Lei Feng a makeover designed to appeal to Chinese youth, saying he dressed stylishly, liked to dance and even entertained girlfriends. In a more direct way, the ruling Communist Party called for intensified media coverage of Lei Feng this year through online news portals and microblogs, state media said, as it sought to make use of new media. Questioning and besmirching heroes from previous decades is a phenomenon of the internet era, lawmaker Zhang Haidi told state media. There are people who specialise in finding flaws in heroes and launch massive attacks on them. AFP

nationwide soul-searching provoked by an incident in October when at least 18 people passed by a child who had been run down in the street as she lay fatally injured. In an editorial, the official China Daily newspaper said the death of the two-year-old girl, Yue Yue, showed Lei Feng was still relevant. Good Samaritans are always needed and the Lei Feng spirit is important for

the cohesion of any society, it said. But Hu Xingdou, professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology, said Lei Feng was out of date and the government should instead promote charity work and donations, on the basis of respect for others and equality in society. The starting point of learning from Lei Feng is good, since it aims to rescue society from moral decline.

But the method is out of date, using the old ways of spreading propaganda, the outspoken academic told AFP. The folk hero remains popular in some quarters, and pictures of him wearing his trademark army hat with ear flaps have become a pop icon emblazoned on everything from bags to cups. On March 12, a thousand students in 1960s dress

sang songs about generosity as they handed out leaflets at Shanghai metro stations extolling the spirit of Lei Feng, the Shanghai Daily reported. Trading houses gave out free advice to small investors, invoking Lei Fengs altruistic spirit. There is even a museum dedicated to him in northeastern China, where he once served with the army. Lei Feng died in

TiMESWORLD
BEIJING China could see a repeat of the Cultural Revolutions deadly chaos without urgent political reform, Wen Jiabao warned on March 14 at his final news conference as premier. Wen is widely considered the most progressive of Chinas leaders, but analysts said the comments, at the closing of the annual parliamentary session, were his strongest call yet for political reform in the one-party state. We must press ahead with both economic structural reform and political structural reform, in particular reform in the leadership system of our party and country, he told reporters, adding it was an urgent task. Without a successful political structural reform, it is impossible for us to fully institute economic structural reform and the gains we have made in this area may be lost, he said. Such historical tragedy as the Cultural Revolution may happen again. The 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution was a decade of brutal chaos launched by revolutionary leader Mao Zedong to bring down what he perceived as capitalist forces. Untold numbers died in the turmoil as students turned on teachers and officials were purged and that period still haunts the older Chinese generation. It is the last time Wen will speak at the parliaments closing news conference his successor will be appointed at the 2013 NPC and the premier was visibly emotional. The reference to the risk of a new Cultural Revolution is the strongest statement ever made by Wen Jiabao on the urgency of carrying out political reforms, said Nicholas Bequelin, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. By political reforms he doesnt mean democratisation but rather

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Chinese premier issues appeal for urgent reform

a series of reforms that go beyond technocratic tinkering establishing a real rule of law, enfranchising workers. Wen is the only leader to have repeatedly spoken of the need for political reform in China, although critics have accused him of paying lip service to the issue. Wen also hinted at the need to give people more of a say in the one-party state, saying villagers had the right to direct elections at the local-level. But Chinas ruling Communist Party which controls the army and the government maintains an iron grip on political power, and other leaders have in the past ruled out any shift to multi-party democracy. Analysts said Wens comments on the importance of reforming Chinas leadership may also be a thinly-veiled criticism of the partys huge power in the country. The subtext is that the party has too much power, the party is interfering in the work of the government, said Willy Lam, a leading China expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He wants to reiterate the importance of separation of power and government. AFP Related reports, P. 31.

Afghan leader orders US to leave villages

KABUL The Taliban broke off contacts over peace talks with Washington on March 15 and the Afghan president demanded US troops leave village outposts, days after an American soldier massacred 16 villagers. Hamid Karzai also called for a transition of the nations security from NATO control to the Afghan government in 2013 rather than the previous deadline of 2014, after meeting visiting US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta. The plan had been floated by Panetta ahead of a NATO meeting in Brussels last month, but the US-led coalition insists that it will only withdraw its combat troops by the end of 2014. The announcements from the Taliban and by Karzai, Washingtons key ally in Kabul, followed the March 11 shooting spree by a US soldier, who has been detained and flown out of the country. The fallout overshadowed Panettas two-day visit to Afghanistan, which was planned ahead of the shooting and aimed at calming relations already hurt by last months burning of Korans at a US base. The Taliban made no mention of the killings as it announced the suspension of contacts with US officials in Qatar over a prisoner swap talks that had built up hopes of a political solution before US troops leave. The Taliban said on its website that it was arms, renounce al-Qaeda and to abide by the Afghan constitution. Earlier, Karzais spokesman Aimal Faizi quoted the president as telling Panetta: Were ready to take over all security responsibilities now, adding: Wed prefer that the process be completed in 2013, not 2014. Karzai then told Panetta that US-led international forces should be withdrawn from villages and relocated in their bases, his office said in a statement, without specifying a timeline. US defence officials sought to play down Karzais calls on the outposts and said Kabul had not requested any change in an agreed timetable for a gradual troop drawdown. A US official accompanying Panetta, who arrived in Abu Dhabi after his visit to Afghanistan, told reporters on condition of anonymity that Kabul had agreed with NATO on a schedule for a security transition during 2014 and that had not changed. AFP Related reports, P. 27, 28.

Syrians fleeing the violence in their homeland arrive at the Turkish border on March 15. The number of refugees entering Turkey from Syria could reach 500,000 if the violence continues, the Turkish Red Crescent has warned. Pic: AFP

Wed prefer that the process

be completed in 2013, not 2014.

Rallies back Assad as toll tops 9000

DAMASCUS Syrians staged huge rallies in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus and four other cities on March 15 as the deadly revolt against his autocratic rule entered a second year. International peace envoy Kofi Annan, meanwhile, demanded answers from Assads regime before the UN Security Council considers another attempt to halting the violence, which monitors now say has cost more than 9100 lives. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the 9113 killed in the past year comprised 6645 civilians, 1997 members of Assads security forces and 471 rebels. After a mission to Damascus on March 10 and 11, UN-Arab League mediator Annan has urged Assad to speed up efforts to end the bloodletting in Syria. The former UN chief had received the presidents response to concrete proposals he submitted to the Syrian leader but had more questions and is seeking answers. Annan is still in contact with the Syrian authorities the dialogue continues, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said on March 15. In neighbouring Turkey, the foreign ministry said the same day that about 1000 Syrian refugees, including a defecting general, had crossed into the country in the past 24 hours. In another development, all six Arab Gulf states will close their embassies in Syria in protest at the year-long crackdown there, Gulf Cooperation Council head Abdullatif al-Zayani said early on March 16. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait took the step, he said, because the regimes massacring its people, choosing the military option and rejecting all initiatives aimed at finding a solution to the crisis. AFP Related report, P. 25.

suspending the talks because of the alternating and ever-changing position of the Americans. But the White House denied it had changed the terms of the reconciliation dialogue. The terms have been as Ive stated them on many occasions, said White House spokesman Jay Carney, citing a need for the Taliban to lay down its

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Briefs
Belgians mourns bus crash victims
BRUSSELS The first eight survivors of a bus crash that shocked Belgium returned from Switzerland to a national day of mourning on March 16. Grieving Belgians held an emotional vigil the previous evening as classmates and neighbours prayed for the dead in Lommel, a town of 33,000 from where many of the victims came. Forty-six children and four teachers from two Belgian schools were returning home from a Swiss skiing holiday on March 13 when their coach slammed into a wall in a motorway tunnel.

US issues warning to Tehran

WASHINGTON US President Barack Obama last week warned Iran that the window for diplomacy to solve a nuclear showdown was shrinking, stiffening his rhetoric ahead of new talks on the issue. Obama sent a public message to Iran as preparations went ahead for a new round of talks between global powers and the Islamic Republic, amid rising fears of a military confrontation, possibly triggered by Israel. In the past, there has been a tendency for Iran in these negotiations to delay, to stall, to do a lot of talking but not actually move the ball forward, Obama said at the White House on March 14. I think they should understand ... that the window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking. We will do everything we can to resolve this diplomatically but ultimately weve got to have somebody on the other side of the table who is taking this seriously and I hope that the Iranian regime understands that, he said. Obama also predicted at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron that a punishing new set of sanctions on Iran would begin to bite even harder this summer and would further hurt Tehrans economy. He also reiterated that his intention was not to contain Iran but to actively prevent it from getting nuclear weapons, signalling he would use military action if diplomacy failed. Obama reasons that an Iranian bomb is an unacceptable national security risk because it could trigger an arms race in the Middle East, raise the risk of proliferation and embolden terrorists under Iranian protection. Both Obama and Britain have signaled that they do not believe that the time is right for military action against Irans nuclear program, amid fierce speculation about the possibility of an Israeli strike in the coming months. In a letter to EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton earlier on March 14, Iran formally requested a date and venue for talks with the P5+1 group of world powers, comprising the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. It said it was interested in talks without preconditions and bent on manufacturing nuclear weapons. Obamas warning appeared to lend credibility to a report in Russias Kommersant daily on on March 14 which suggested that Washington had warned Iran the talks, expected next month, were a last chance to avoid military strikes. The daily said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to make the situation clear to the Iranian authorities when she met him in New York. Irans nuclear program was at the centre of a visit to Washington earlier this month by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told Obama that Israel must remain the master of its fate and reserved the right to use force. The Obama administration has indicated that it does not yet believe Iran has taken a choice to develop a nuclear weapon. Israel, which sees an Iranian nuclear weapon as a threat to its existence, however believes that Iran may be on the cusp of break out capacity the moment when it could quickly produce weaponsgrade uranium. Washington says it has up to a year to decide on how to respond should Iran decide to begin enriching uranium to weaponsgrade quality. Israel does not share that timetable. AFP

Norwegian police offer an apology

OSLO Norwegian police apologised on March 15 for failing to stop Anders Breivik sooner on his shooting rampage last July that left 77 people dead, admitting that lives were lost as a result. The apology was offered by national police commissioner Oeystein Maeland in a statement accompanying an report on the police response to the July 22 twin attacks. The massacre lasted 75 minutes before Breivik was arrested.

Cameron backs Obamas condemnation of loose talk over war with Iran, which has boiled over speculation on Israels intentions and been fanned by Republican

I think they should for solving this issueunderstand...that the window diplomatically is shrinking.
with the goal of having long-term cooperation. In the past, Iran has refused to discuss its nuclear program at the talks. Iran denies the program is designed to make weapons. presidential candidates. He praised Obamas tough, reasonable approach which he said had united the world to call for Iran to live up to international nuclear obligations and to prove it was not

Tensions continue over Falklands

LONDON Britain on March 15 accused Argentina of illegally intimidating Falkland Islands residents after its foreign minister Hector Timmerman told a news conference in Buenos Aires that legal action would taken against oil companies operating around the disputed territory. Tensions have been building over the South Atlantic islands ahead of next months 30th anniversary of a war the two countries fought over the Falklands. Argentine troops seized the islands on April 2, 1982, only to be routed by British forces 74 days later.

Ousted US governor begins prison term

CHICAGO Ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich reported to prison on March 15 to serve a 14-year sentence for trying to auction off President Barack Obamas vacated US Senate seat and other corruption charges. The Democratic governor was arrested in the midst of what prosecutors called a political corruption crime spree weeks after Obamas November 2008 election. Blagojevich, 55, was convicted of 17 corruption counts in June after his first trial resulted in a hung jury on all but one of the charges. AFP

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Water forum issues appeal British police arrest hacking suspect for for action at Rio Summit intimidating witness
MARSEILLE A hundred and thirty countries last week urged the forthcoming Rio Summit to speed action on providing the poor with access to clean water and sanitation and fix worsening problems of water scarcity and pollution. But their declaration was opposed by leftwing Bolivia as failing to enshrine the principles of social justice, the right to water and care for the environment, and activists derided the arena where it was issued as a trade fair. We commit to accelerate the full implementation of the human rights obligations relating to access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation by all appropriate means as a part of our efforts to overcome the water crisis at all levels, said a communique issued on March 13, a day after the event was opened by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon. The five-page statement, endorsed by 130 national representatives including 84 ministers, was issued at the World Water Forum, a six-day event gathering policymakers, businesses and water experts which is held every three years. It also sketched aims for tackling water stress through better management and investment and for improving environmental custodianship of the precious resource. It called for these aims to be widely disseminated in relevant fora, including the United Nations Conference on A UN report issued every three years to coincide with the forum said water problems in many parts of the world were chronic. Without a crackdown on waste shortages will worsen as demand for food rises and climate change intensifies, it said. Pressures on freshwater are rising, from the expanding needs of agriculture, food production and energy consumption to pollution and the weaknesses of water management, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in the report, released on March 11. Climate change is a real and growing threat. Without good planning and adaptation, hundreds of millions of people are at risk of hunger, disease, energy shortages and poverty. Demand for food will increase by some 70 percent by 2050, which will lead to a nearly 20pc increase in global agricultural water consumption, said the UN report. The report demanded an overhaul in the use of water, especially by curbing waste. Smarter irrigation, less thirsty crops and the use of grey, or used water, to flush toilets are among the options. Already, more than 2.5 billion people are in need of decent sanitation and nearly one in 10 has yet to gain access to improved drinking water, as defined under the UNs 2015 development goals. AFP LONDON British police investigating phone hacking at Rupert Murdochs News of the World arrested the former chief reporter of the tabloid on March 14 for allegedly intimidating a witness. Neville Thurlbeck was initially arrested on suspicion of the illegal interception of mobile phone voicemails in April last year and has been on police bail ever since. Scotland Yard said a 51year-old man was arrested by appointment on March 14 at a central London police station on suspicion of intimidation of a witness... and encouraging or assisting an offence. Thurlbeck was later released on bail until April pending further enquiries, police said. It confirmed he had originally been arrested on April 5, 2011 and identified him as Suspect A in Operation Weeting, the forces phone-hacking investigation. Thurlbeck was identified at the time as Suspect A. Thurlbeck earlier this month wrote a blog publishing the street address of Will Lewis, a senior executive at News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdochs US-based News Corporation empire. He later removed the address, saying he accepted that it was distressing to his family and that he would like to apologise to Mrs Lewis for any distress. The former reporter issued a statement late on March 14 in which he vigorously denied the allegations of any wrongdoing. Thurlbecks arrest came a day after police arrested former News International chief executive and former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie Brooks, a close friend of Prime Minister David Cameron,

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon at the opening of the World Water Forum in Marseille on March 12. Pic: AFP Sustainable Development, the formal name for the June 20-22 follow-up to the 1992 Rio Summit. The declaration was backed by a petition with 130,000 signatures organised by Solidarites Internationales, a French group, which demanded access to water for the poor. But the communique was contested by Bolivian Environment and Water Minister Felipe Quispe Quenta. Journalists who attended the ministerial plenary said his microphone was cut off, purportedly for time reasons, after he said the text did not include clear references to social justice and the right to water. We expressed our disagreement when the statement was being drafted and we were not heard. Bolivia does not go along with this ministerial declaration, the minister said to reporters after the session. Wenonah Hauter, executive director of a small US NGO, Food and Water Watch, said the forum was viewed with suspicion by many grassroots organisations on water, sustainable development and the environment. I think there is no interest (here) in having a debate or dialogue, she told AFP. We have a trade fair that is being promoted as a ministerial, but what we really need is the UN to take hold of the process. We cannot have the water industry dictate the issues.

on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Murdoch shut down the News of the World in July after evidence emerged of widespread phone hacking at the tabloid, but his British newspapers continue to be dogged by allegations they covered up the practice. Thurlbeck is at the centre of the scandal because of an email addressed to him that allegedly shows that phonehacking at the News of the World was more widespread than previously claimed by newspaper executives. James Murdoch, Rupert Murdochs younger son who stepped down on February 29 as executive chairman of News International, insisted on March 14 that he had not misled parliament when he testified on the scandal. I did not know about, nor did I try to hide, wrongdoing, he wrote in a letter to parliaments media committee, which is preparing a report on the hacking scandal. Whilst I accept my share of responsibility for not uncovering wrongdoing sooner, I did not mislead parliament and the evidence does not support any other conclusion. Clearly with the benefit of hindsight, I acknowledge that wrongdoing should have been uncovered earlier, he wrote. He also referred to the notorious For Neville email, saying that he had not been shown a copy of the mail in 2008 when it surfaced in the hands of a victim of phone-hacking, and therefore was not guilty of a cover-up. Until last year, the News of the World had maintained that hacking was limited to a single rogue reporter former royal editor Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire, who were both jailed in 2007. AFP

Trade Mark CauTion

Guangzhou Light industry & Trade Group Ltd. of 147, Yanjiangxi Road, Guangzhou, P.R China, is the assignee; Owner and Sole Proprietor of following Trade Mark:

Reg.No.IV/631/1999 Reg.No. IV/8756/2008 Reg.No.IV/10098/2011 Reg.No.IV/10099/2011 Reg.No.IV/1191/2012 in respect of Flashlight. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Mark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. khine khine u, advocate LL.B, d.B.L, LL.M (uk) For Guangzhou Light industry & Trade Group Ltd. #731, 7th Fl., Traders Hotel, Yangon. Dated. March 19, 2012

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ruling out any action without a green light from the UN. Unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington, the European Union and others are having an effect, experts said, but will not alone resolve the crisis. In Libya last year, Western and Arab nations were able to move forward with military action after two Security Council resolutions passed without opposition from Russia and China. The rebels fighting former strongman Moamer Kadhafi also benefited from the strong backing of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, who rallied the international community to action. So why the double standard on Syria? Analysts said the key difference is the complex web of regional interests at play and the ethnic and religious divisions in Syria that were not present in Libya. Assad retains the support of his key regional backers, Iran and Lebanons Hezbollah, which would raise the stakes in any foreign intervention. Turkey and many Arab nations, in particular Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are backing regime opponents but some in Syria are wary that their support is aimed at boosting the countrys majority Sunni Muslims over other groups. Syrias complicated makeup which includes large Shiite Muslim, Kurdish, Christian, Druze and Alawite minorities has pressure on Assad, with some arguing that indicting Assad would leave him no choice but to cling to power. As the bloodshed rises more than 8500 have died since the revolt erupted a year ago, monitors say pressure is growing for an international response. The opposition Syrian National Council called on March 12 for an urgent foreign intervention after reports that 47 women and children were killed in a massacre in the flashpoint city of Homs. We request urgent Arab and international military intervention, top SNC official Georges Sabra told a news conference in Istanbul, also calling for the creation of a no-fly zone over Syria and strikes against the Syrian armed forces. Annan, the former UN secretary general, left Damascus after talks on March 11 without managing to secure an accord to end the bloodletting. Experts said the best hope was to bring Moscow on board to back some form of international deal that puts real pressure on Assad. The net effect of this international cacophony has been to persuade Syrias leadership that it need not change a thing, the ICG said. If (Annan) can persuade Russia to back a transitional plan, the regime would be confronted with the choice of either agreeing to negotiate in good faith or facing neartotal isolation through loss of a key ally. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Why the double standard on Syria?

Analysis by Philippe Rater PARIS Unlike in Libya, the international community has been divided and rudderless in the face of Syrias unrest, unable to halt an increasingly bloody crisis after a year of half-hearted efforts. And though the appointment of UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan has offered a glimmer of hope, analysts say there are few signs that the tepid global response to the Syrian crisis is heating up. Faced with mounting casualties and a political deadlock, outside actors at best have been ineffectual, at worst have poured oil on fire in Syria, the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank said in a report this month. Many have chosen to view the crisis primarily through the prism of its regional strategic stakes... and have done nothing to advance prospects for a negotiated transition, it said. Efforts to tackle the unrest at the United Nations have failed, with Russia and China blocking Security Council resolutions against President Bashar al-Assads regime. Without a consensus at the UN, efforts to resolve the crisis are at a dead end, a high-ranking diplomat admitted. Western nations have acted before without an international consensus, such as in Kosovo in 1999 or Iraq in 2003, but in this case they have tied their hands by

also complicated efforts to unify the opposition around a single unit similar to Libyas National Transitional Council. Western countries clamour for the regime to

fall but are hesitant and uncertain about how to make that happen and... worried about what it might entail, the ICG wrote. By and large, they have taken refuge in a blend of

outrage and ever-tightening sanctions. Unlike with Kadhafi, the global community has also not turned to the International Criminal Court as a means to put

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories A Gazan child died on March 14 from wounds sustained in fourdays of Israeli-Palestinian violence, but a truce deal appeared to be holding, despite more rocket fire and two Israeli raids. Gaza emergency services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya said Baraka alMughrabi, 7, died from severe injuries sustained during an Israeli bombing raid on Gaza City on March 10. The boys death, which raised to 26 the number of Palestinians killed in four days of bloodshed, came 24 hours after Israel and militant groups in Gaza agreed to observe a ceasefire deal in a bid to end the confrontation, which saw more than 200 rockets fired at Israel. The truce came into effect early on March 13, and although there were no major incidents, it appeared less than watertight, with several instances of firing and two Israeli raids overnight. Throughout March 13, militant groups fired eight rockets and mortars across the border, one of which hit a residential area and lightly injured an Israeli, the army said. Several hours later, Israeli warplanes struck targets in northern Gaza. Palestinian security

Boy dies as Gaza truce holds Ahmadinejad defends record in speech before hostile MPs
TEHRAN Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave a defiant and at times mocking defence of his economic and political management on March 14 in an unprecedented interrogation by a largely hostile parliament. So far no major violation has been proved against my government.... If you rate us at less than 100 percent, it would be unfair and cowardice, Ahmadinejad told lawmakers at the end of a reply last nearly an hour that was broadcast on state radio. It was the first time an Iranian president was summoned before parliament to answer questions about his rule since the founding of the Islamic republic in 1979. Ahmadinejad rejected attempts to embarrass him with questions focusing on Irans economy, his perceived weakened loyalty to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his arguments to ease Islamic rules on dress for women and on gender relations. The fact the interrogation took place, however, highlighted Ahmadinejads slipping fortunes as he sees out the end of his second and Ahmadinejad often took a light-hearted tone. When the MP pronouncing the list of questions overran his allotted 15 minutes, the president said he, too, would extend his reply beyond his permitted time. Ahmadinejad at one point mocked a new rule requiring newly elected MPs to have a masters degree or equivalent, saying he thought the questions were drafted by those who got a masters degree by pushing a button. The questions were not so difficult, he scoffed, adding that he could have come up with better ones. The president rejected implications he mismanaged Irans economy, which suffers inflation of more than 30 percent, a currency weakened by Western sanctions, and stalled spending on big infrastructure projects such as Tehrans subway network. Economic growth was strong, he asserted, and higher prices had nothing to do with his 2010 decision to scrap subsidies for staples and fuel and replace them with a monthly US$35 cash handout to Iranians, he said. AFP

A Palestinian boy (left) collects belongings from his house in Gaza City on March 14 after it caught fire during an Israeli air strike. An Israeli woman suffering from shock (right) is comforted on March 12 after a rocket fired by militants in the Gaza Strip landed in the nearby city of Ashdod, damaging buildings and injuring an elderly woman. Pix: AFP sources confirmed only to hold their fire. But there was no indication one raid, saying it struck a woodyard in northern Gaza that either side saw the City, setting the structure rocket fire, or the subsequent alight but without causing raids, as putting an end to the Egyptian-brokered injuries. But a statement by the agreement. The fighting erupted Israeli army said it had targeted two terror activity on March 9 when Israel sites in the northern Gaza assassinated a militant Strip in response to rocket leader, prompting armed groups to launch a barrage fire. The targeting of these of rockets across the border, sites is in response to the injuring five people. In response, Israel staged rockets fired at Israel over multiple air strikes across the past day, it said. Under the terms of the Gaza, targeting weapons truce agreement, both storage and manufacturing Israel and militants from facilities, as well as small Islamic Jihad, who were groups of militants poised responsible for most of the to fire rockets over the rocket attacks, had agreed border. AFP

Pic: AFP Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses parliament last week. final mandate, which expires next year. Khamenei has over the past year curbed Ahmadinejad in his ambitions to expand power and influence, overruling him when he tried to sack his intelligence minister in 2011 and keeping him on a tight leash on policy decisions. The 290-member parliament, which already has a majority intent on curtailing the presidents authority, is to have an even smaller pro-Ahmadinejad minority when it is reconstituted at the end of May, after elections early this month. In the questioning,

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The EU and national sovereignty

By Javier Solana MADRID Despite the huge sums expended to write down Greeces foreign debt, there has been an outcry of censure against interference with the countrys national sovereignty. True, in exchange for considerable European aid, Greeces ability to manoeuvre independently will be limited. But are complaints that Greek sovereignty has been severely impaired justified? The idea of a nation-states sovereignty is rooted in the seventeenth-century Treaty of Westphalia, which embraced noninterference by external agents in states domestic affairs as the guiding principle of international relations. But, taken to its logical extreme, national sovereignty would require the complete physical and social isolation of states from one another. Indeed, an excessive emphasis on national sovereignty leads to serious problems: after all, any international agreement, whether political or economic, entails a certain transfer of sovereignty. Europes aid to Greece is an example of a cooperative agreement whereby the various parties negotiate with the others interests in mind. Greece asked its fellow European Union members for help, and they have obliged with an enormous amount of aid. In addition to 130 billion (about US$170 billion) in loans (more than 40 percent of Greek GDP, on top of the 110 billion loaned to Greece in 2010), a 50pc haircut has been imposed on Greeces private creditors, and the European Central Bank has waived expected returns on its holdings of Greek bonds. Regardless of whether this is technically and economically the best solution to Greeces problem, it is logical that the EU participated in designing it. Participating in the collective life of the international community of states implies bearing others in mind and, when necessary, giving up certain prerogatives of sovereignty. For example, when Spain decided to join the World Trade Organisation, it ceded sovereignty by accepting the WTOs rules and freedom, national sovereignty depends on how its components are defined. In his classic On Liberty, John Stuart Mill used the harm principle to express the view that a persons individual liberty could be limited only in order to protect others and avoid harm. The debate consists in how we define harm to others. In the same way, the debate about the meaning of national sovereignty consists in what we consider domestic matters. Depending on where we place the emphasis and how wide our focus is, we prioritise either a global (or at least federal) year, owing to sluggishness in the United States and the EU. Likewise, more countries (and more varied in their character and historical trajectory) are emerging strongly on the global scene: Brazils GDP recently surpassed that of the United Kingdom. Their emergence holds important implications for global governance at a time when the imbalance between existing problems/threats and the means available to states to guarantee their citizens safety increases. On a global scale, this complex and interdependent world needs an organisation of states and Union is accused of crimping national sovereignty. Citizens must have the feeling that the institutions that govern them account for their interests and make them part of the decision-making process, which implies a union based on rules rather than power. The fact that the EU does not instantly have all of the answers to a problem does not mean that it has no future. The EU is a new and marvellous experiment, which, as with all experiments, entails a degree of uncertainty. But that should not make us ignore the opportunity cost of a more national conception of sovereignty. Indeed, the dynamics of interdependence have become well established so much so that they cannot be reversed. To adhere to a narrow Westphalian concept of sovereignty in this world is an unwise anachronism at best, and a dangerous gamble at worst. The poet Jose Angel Valente might call this a desire to wait for history to wind the clocks and return us to the time in which we would wish everything could start. But, in the prosaic world of the here and now, the concept of sovereignty has already moved on. Project Syndicate (Javier Solana, a former Secretary-General of NATO and EU high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution and President of the ESADE Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics).

Indeed, the dynamics of interdependence have become well established so much so that they cannot be reversed.
regulations. It had to abandon commercially preferential treatment to some countries and treat all WTO members alike. Spain accepted this in exchange for being able to trade on equal terms with the rest of the world. British sociologist Anthony Giddens rightly describes such examples as cases of integration or union in exchange for global influence. States cooperate because it is advantageous for them to do so, but at the same time they lose control over certain internal matters. They shift from unilateral to cooperative decisionmaking. Whether this is a violation of sovereignty depends on our conception of sovereignty. As with the concept of individual dimension to sovereignty, or a national dimension. The EU seems to represent a halfway point between these two conceptions of sovereignty. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the difference between purely domestic matters and those that require international collective action. Globalisation has made frontiers more porous. We see how one countrys policies, whether pertaining to work, the environment, public health, taxation, or myriad other issues, can have a direct impact on others. And we see such interdependence even more clearly in their economic performance: Chinas annual GDP growth rate, for example, will slow by two percentage points this structures of governance oriented towards responsible dialogue, the aim being to mitigate abuses of power and defend global public assets. Without such structures, the world risks a competitive and disorderly race to the bottom among states as often occurs with taxation together with a protectionist backlash. History has shown that such developments often lead to disastrous conflicts. On the European level, legitimacy is essential and lets be realistic wont be achieved unless and until Europeans overcome certain antiquated ideas about sovereignty. Paradoxically, when the crisis struck, the EU was criticised for its lack of integration. Now that it seeks to advance in that direction, the

Trade Mark CauTion

Merck kGaa, of Darmstadt, Germany, is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

ICC convicts African militia leader

THE HAGUE The International Criminal Court on March 14 convicted a Congolese militia leader of using child soldiers in a brutal conflict, its first verdict since starting work almost a decade ago. Thomas Lubanga, 51, was found guilty, six years after his arrest, of abducting children as young as 11 and forcing them to fight and commit atrocities in a bloody war in a gold-rich region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The judgment of the court, set up to try war crimes and crimes against humanity, was hailed by the UN and world powers. It is an historic moment and an important step in providing justice and accountability to the Congolese people, United States State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. Rights groups also praised the decision, saying it sent a strong message to those who force young children to kill. UN leader Ban Ki-moon called the ICC verdict an important step forward in making sure that perpetrators of crimes against children in situations of armed conflict are brought to justice. In Geneva, UN rights chief Navi Pillay called it a major milestone in the fight against impunity. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the ruling resonates far beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the trial of Mr Lubanga has raised awareness about the plight of child soldiers and the fact that recruiting and using children under 15 in combat is a war crime. The warlord, who has denied the charges against him, will be sentenced at a date yet to be fixed. He faces 30 years in jail or, if judges decide the crimes are exceptionally no visible scars on their body keep the scars that will remain within. Lubanga thought to be the founder of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), and chief commander of its military wing was sent to The Hague in 2006 and put on trial in early 2009. Todays verdict will give pause to those around the world who commit the horrific crime of using and abusing children, both on and off the battlefield, said Amnesty Internationals Michael Bochenek. Alpha Sesay, international legal officer at the Open Societys Justice Initiative, said the ruling would send a strong message to others who used child soldiers, including fugitive Ugandan rebel leader, Joseph Kony. Kony, leader of the rebel Lords Resistance Army, has been the subject of an intense online campaign this month to bring him to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity. During the trial, Lubangas lawyers accused the prosecution of fabricating evidence and claimed that witnesses were paid to give false testimony. Judge Fulford criticised the prosecution team, saying it had failed in some instances to verify testimony. During 204 days of hearings, prosecutors called 36 witnesses, the defence 24, and three people testified for Lubangas victims. The ICC has issued four arrest warrants for crimes in the DRC and is investigating seven cases, all in Africa. Two militia leaders, Germain Katanga, 33, and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, 41, who fought against Lubanga, are facing trial before the ICC on similar charges. Former UPC chief Bosco Ntaganda, a Lubanga ally, has yet to be arrested to face the court on war crimes charges. AFP

reg. no. 1907/2012

Thomas Lubanga listens to the verdict, the first to be handed down by the ICC. Pic: AFP grave, even life in prison. The DRC urged the court to impose an exemplary sentence to deter all of those who have chosen war and murder, so that all these people know that genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity will always be tried. Presiding Judge Adrian Fulford read the verdict finding Lubanga guilty of conscription and enlisting children under the age of 15 and used them to participate in hostilities in fighting that lasted from 1998 to 2003. Prosecutors have told the court that militia under Lubangas control had abducted children from their homes, schools and football fields to serve as soldiers and that young girls were used as sex slaves. In closing arguments last year, ICC deputy prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said child soldiers were used to rape and pillage, adding: Those who have

reg. no. 1908/2012 in respect of Class 05: Pharmaceutical Preparations. 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 Merck kGaa P. O. Box 60, Yangon. Email: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 19th March, 2012

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conference in the White House Rose Garden. Obama promised a robust coalition presence in Afghanistan during this years fighting season to stop the Taliban regaining momentum. The pace of the drawdown, and plans to transfer more responsibilities to Afghan authorities next year and what that will mean for future troop numbers will dominate a NATO summit in Chicago in May. Obama took issue with commentary that the US Afghan war plan was unravelling and along with it hopes of leaving a functioning Afghanistan able to take care of its own security. If we maintain a steady, responsible transition process, which is what weve designed, then I am confident that we can put Afghans in a position where they can deal with their own security, said Obama. We have made progress. Cameron said while Afghanistan was very difficult the country was in a better state than it was a few years ago. I think what were trying to do an eye on political conditions as he seeks reelection in November, he said he understood public weariness over the war. But he argued that people on both sides of the Atlantic understood that the war was launched over a decade ago to wipe out al-Qaeda, which masterminded the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and was now weakened. On March 13, Obama sought to publicly calm outrage over the massacre, mostly of women and children, assuring Afghans he had demanded a full investigation and that the culprit would face the full force of the law. Obama promised that the culprit who killed 16 civilians, mostly women and children in a methodical house-to-house killing spree, would face the full force of US law wherever the investigation led. Obama said he had assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the United States takes this as seriously as if it was our own citizens and our own children who were murdered. AFP Analysis, P. 28.

MyanMar tiMes

Obama stands by Afghan timetable

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama said on March 14 there would be no sudden changes to the pace of troop draw downs in Afghanistan, and told a weary US public the war was making real progress. Obama, after talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron, said for the first time that NATO would go through with an agreed transition to a support role in Afghanistan next year before a full withdrawal by the end of 2014. A string of recent incidents, including a massacre of Afghan civilians by a US soldier on March 11, and deep public fatigue with the war, have prompted speculation that the pace of troop withdrawals could be speeded up. But he said that his existing plan to bring home an extra 23,000 troops this summer still stood, and that future decisions would await the end of this years operations against the Taliban. I dont anticipate at this stage that were going to be making any sudden additional changes to the plan that we currently have, Obama said at a news

US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron at their news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House on March 14. Pic: AFP by the end of 2014 is achievable and doable, he said. We will not give up on this mission, because Afghanistan must never again be a safe haven for al-Qaeda to launch attacks against us. Obama added: Were going to complete this mission and were going to do it responsibly, but with

Era ends as Britannica halts print publication

CHICAGO The Encyclopaedia Britannica will end print publication after 244 years and go completely digital, the Chicago-based company said on March 13. The end of the print set is something weve foreseen for some time, Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopaedia Britannica, said in a statement. Its the latest step in our evolution from the print publisher we were, to the creator of digital learning products we are today. The coolly authoritative referenc e b o o k s w e re coveted as a goalpost for an aspirational middle class who often paid for the multivolume sets in installments in the 1950s and 1960s, the New York Times wrote in glowing tribute to the end of era. Sales peaked in 1990 when 120,000 sets were sold in the United States and dropped off precipitously as the internet became the reference of choice for most Americans. Only 8000 of the 12,000 collections printed for the 2010 edition were sold. Britannica offered its first digital edition in 1981 for LexisNexis users, published the first multimedia CD in 1989 and the first encyclopedia on the internet in 1994. The online version which offers some services for free and charges an annual fee for enhanced content attracts an audience of 100 million people worldwide, Britannica said. AFP

Santorum savours stunning victories in the Deep South

consolation wins in the BIRMINGHAM, Alabama island state of Hawaii Republican presidential Obamas birthplace and hopeful Rick Santorum in American Samoa, said scored a startling double media reports. win in the Deep South Romney had earlier issued on March 13, boosting a statement congratulating his claim to be the true Santorum on his double conservative alternative to victory, but insisted he frontrunner Mitt Romney. remained best placed to win Santorums dramatic the nomination. come-from-behind victories I am pleased that we will in Alabama and Mississippi be increasing our delegate gave his bid for the count in a very substantial nomination to stand against way after tonight, said President Barack Obama in Romney, who has about November elections a huge boost and were a stinging Rick SantorumWe did it 40pc of the 1144 needed to become the partys rebuke for Romney. again! Pic: AFP presidential nominee. The results were also bad With the delegates won defeats for former House best chance to win this s p e a k e r a n d s o u t h e r n election is to nominate tonight, we are even closer native Newt Gingrich, as a conservative to go up to the nomination, he added. the two states were seen as against Barack Obama. But experts said We will compete must-wins for his flagging everywhere, he said, as Santorums win showed campaign. S a n t o r u m s s w e e p of h e r i d i c u l e d R o m n e y s that he might yet prevail Alabama and Mississippi inability to win over voters in the race to be the White highlighted how Romney, in several states despite House nominee. Rick Santorums twin months into the race and massively outspending despite more money and his rivals on campaign w i n s i n A l a b a m a a n d better organisation, has advertising, much of it Mississippi make him the f a i l e d t o c o n v i n c e U S spent in negative attack- clear alternative to Mitt Romney, Charles Franklin, voters he is the strongest ads on his opponents. W i t h 9 9 p e r c e n t o f co-founder of pollster.com candidate to face Democrat and a professor Obama. at Marquette Santorum Law trumpeted his We will compete everywhere. University AFP. School, told conservative The March 13 credentials after the victories, in a pointed p r e c i n c t s r e p o r t i n g , results also leave Gingrich jibe at Romney, who has not Santorum, a former US with big problems. He has won in the south and whom senator, was ahead in only two wins out of the critics in the Republican Alabama with 35pc of the dozens of contests held so Party label a moderate, vote, with Gingrich and far. Gingrichs failure to liberal former governor of Romney tied for second place on 29pc, showed CNN win either Southern state Massachusetts. weakens his rationale for W e d i d i t a g a i n ! figures. In neighboring Mississippi remaining in the race, Santorum, a devout Roman Catholic and opponent of the race came down to the Franklin said. Gingrich, who faces abortion and gay marriage, wire, with Santorum on told ecstatic supporters 33pc, Gingrich at 31 and calls to quit and allow in Lafayette, Louisiana, Romney at 30, with 99pc of conservatives to coalesce around Santorum, where he had travelled after votes counted. Libertarian congressman congratulated his rival on campaigning heavily in Ron Paul of Texas finished a great double win but Alabama and Mississippi. The time is now to make a distant fourth in both said he would fight all the way to the Republican sure, to make sure that we states. Hours after the double c o n v e n t i o n i n T a m p a , have the best chance to win this election and the defeat Romney secured Florida in August. AFP

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The killings and the US campaign

ON March 3, three days before the Republican presidential primary in Ohio, Mitt Romney was campaigning in Dayton when a woman stood up to ask a question that pointed to one of the most important missing debates of Campaign 2012, and to a widening division in the GOP over a critical foreign policy issue. Vicki Chura said her daughter was on her second tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. She said her daughter was increasingly frustrated by the lack of clarity of the US mission there and desperately wanted to come home. What would Romney do as president to expedite the withdrawal of US forces? The economy is and probably will continue to be the dominant issue in the campaign, but the shooting rampage on March 11 by American soldier that killed 16 Afghan civilians could push the Afghan war into the political debate. The killings may or may not be a shock to the political system. At a minimum, they are likely to raise uncomfortable questions, particularly for President Barack Obama, the architect of the current policy, but also for the Republican candidates. Even for those out of power, Afghanistan provides no easy answers. Romneys response to Churas question underscored why. He began by criticising the president. He said that Obama has not clearly defined the US mission to the American people and that a president should report regularly on the goals and progress of any such mission. Romney described the US objective as one of building an Afghan security force capable of protecting the countrys sovereignty which is not that different from

Analysis
by Dan Balz
Obamas stance. Hoping to show empathy with his questioner, he said he wants US troops to come home as soon as humanly possible. But he offered a big, broad caveat: They can withdraw, he said, as soon as that mission is complete. Churas question underscored the growing public weariness at home about the war. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on March 11 showed that more than half the country wants US forces withdrawn even before they can train the Afghan army to handle security on its own. The conflict has not become another Iraq war in terms of public division and emotion, but beneath the surface is a clearly growing pessimism. Republicans face a debate within the party over what to do about a conflict whose objectives are so difficult to define and whose costs have been enormous. Republican dissent over staying the course in Afghanistan is not pervasive, but there is hardly unanimity. On March 11, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich the mission may not be doable

An Afghan mourns over the bodies of some of the civilians shot by a rogue US soldier at Alkozai village in southern Kandahar province on March 11. Pic: AFP speedy end to the conflict and said the resources being spent on it should be used to rebuild the US economy. Former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour raised doubts about the war when he was considering standing as a candidate for the presidency. What is our mission? he asked last fight against terrorism. During his first year in office, he approved a major increase in troop strength. With that troop surge, he took possession of a conflict started by President George W. Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001. But Obama was also always mindful of the opposition clear to the military and, he hoped, to the public, that the United States would not stay indefinitely. Afghanistan will not be among the achievements Obama highlights during his re-election campaign. His supporters will cite the killing of Osama bin Laden as a bold decision that shows

Obama was also always mindful of the opposition to escalation within his own party, as well as concerns from some advisers that Afghanistan could become a quagmire like Vietnam
and suggested that military force may not be able to accomplish the goals set by two administrations. Among other candidates, Ron Paul, an opponent of the US intervention, has long called for winding down the war. Before quitting the race, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman called for a March. He said the United States should not try to turn Afghanistan into an Ireland or an Italy or some other Western democracy. These are questions first for the president, because the Afghan war is his now. As a candidate in 2008, he described Afghanistan as the central front in the to escalation within his own party, as well as to concerns from some of his advisers that Afghanistan could become another quagmire like Vietnam. So he sought to set limits on the mission in terms of time and resources, establishing deadlines for starting to bring troops home. He made his toughness as commander in chief. He will point to the end of the Iraq war as a promise kept from his 2008 campaign. Given the situation in Afghanistan, the war there could be one issue that leaves him vulnerable. But will Republicans have a consistent and coherent line of criticism

of the presidents Afghan policy? The coming weeks may answer that question. Former Sen. Rick Santorum highlighted one view on March 11 while campaigning in Mississippi by saying that the president is making it very, very difficult to win the war because he had indicated when US forces would leave. Santorum said US policy is unravelling because Obama has given the enemy hope that American troops will be out sooner rather than later. He said the United States should reassess and either make a full commitment to the war something he said Obama has not done or speed up the NATOestablished timetable that calls for the handover to Afghans to be completed in 2014. Romney has tried to calm those who want US forces out quickly, saying he does, too. But he has criticised Obamas timetable for withdrawing the surge troops that were sent in startof the year and has vowed that he would listen to his military commanders, saying the president has not done that. He has said that Obama has not clearly articulated the goals of the mission, but Romney has not done so with any particular clarity himself. Until now, the Republican candidates have been free to criticise the president when given the opportunity, but they otherwise keep Afghanistan in the background. The March 11 killings, which come at a time of deteriorating relations between the United States and Afghanistan, could force Obama and those who want to replace him to give the public a fuller explanation of what constitutes success and the costs of achieving it. The Washington Post

Negotiations offer the only way out, say experts

By Mathieu Rabechault WASHINGTON The Taliban are set on vengeance after a US soldier killed 16 Afghan civilians, but the only viable exit from Americas longest war is through negotiation, experts said on March 12. The attack ignited fresh public anger at the US presence, plunging USAfghan relations to their lowest point since the 2001 invasion after Americans burnt Korans last month and an earlier video showing US Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban militants. Washington has insisted the mounting difficulties are simply isolated incidents. The White House and Pentagon, while deploring the latest tragic event, are vowing to adhere to the roadmap defined by the NATO transatlantic military alliance. You cant necessarily take an isolated incident or two or three and draw a trend line on progress in Afghanistan and whether or not theres a shift in our goals, said Pentagon spokesman George Little. But the Taliban wasted no time in trying to capitalise on the atrocity, which saw a US Army sergeant open fire on sleeping villagers outside a US base in the southern province of Kandahar. Most of his victims were women and children. The militants, whose government was toppled by US forces over a decade ago, threatened to take revenge against sick-minded American savages. NATOs strategy aims to have Afghan security forces take control of security by the end of 2014 so that coalition troops can pull out their 130,000 soldiers. Until then, the United States hopes progress against the Taliban will convince the militants to come to the once foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014. Any deal would address the legal status of any US soldiers who stay behind to help prevent the country falling back into the hands of the Taliban, who were toppled in 2001 for sheltering al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Yusuf stressed that Afghan reconciliation and continued negotiations with the Americans as appear to be taking place in Qatar, where the Taliban have opened an office are the only way out. Despite the stalemate on the ground, he called reconciliation the only available option right now. The Taliban may be vowing vengeance but they have an interest in the talks as well by gaining political legitimacy, Yusuf said. The shooting doesnt change the wars strategic calculus, agreed Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations. He said ensuring a proper security transition by late 2014 is no longer viable because the Taliban is still mounting significant attacks. What we will be handing off will be a stalemate at best, said Biddle, a US national security and defence policy expert. At best, the Afghan National Security Forces will be able to hold what weve taken. As for reconciliation, it is not at the heart of the strategy, said Biddle. He said the Taliban, targeted by continued military operations and eager to see foreign troops leave Afghanistan, are still willing to discuss, meaning there may yet be an exit out of Afghanistan. But that can only happen once real negotiation takes place, where both sides make concessions and they will wait it out, Biddle added. AFP

US soldiers keep watch at the entrance to the military base in Afghanistans Kandahar province on March 11 after the shootings in nearby Alkozai village. Pic: AFP negotiating table. Yet growing Afghan outrage at the repeated missteps could spell trouble for the coalitions strategy, warned Moeed Yusuf of the US Institute of Peace. If this continues, I dont see how one can hold on to the strategy, which is in large part dependent on having the goodwill of the average Afghan, he told AFP. The military strategy has dominated this where the political strategy should have dominated. The political hand has always been weak and thats the problem. The March 11 massacre poses a difficult test for the US-Afghan alliance, as the two countries pursue complex negotiations on a strategic pact to govern their longterm security relationship

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Singaporeans campaign to save a lush, green retreat

By Simon Wang SINGAPORE The air is crisp and sunlight filters softly through foliage punctuated by pink and yellow flowers as birds and crickets supply the soundtrack for joggers, cyclists and nature lovers. Its hard to believe youre in one of the worlds most densely populated countries when youre standing in the middle of former railroad land in the heart of Singapore. A winding stretch of lush greenery runs from the shadows of skyscrapers in the financial district to the border with Malaysia, all thats left of an old railway taken over by Singapore from its neighbour in mid-2011. Popularly known as the Green Corridor, the 25kilometre (16-mile) zone is the focus of a citizens campaign to create a sanctuary for nature and a retreat for developmentweary Singaporeans. But whether the government can resist the urge to develop parts of the swathe of land is another matter. Liew Kai Khiun, an academic involved in heritage work, said the future of the railway land has become an important issue for many Singaporeans. Other than merely nostalgia, these concerns actually reflect the undercurrent desires by more Singaporeans for more stability, ownership and continuity in a country that they would like to call home instead of an exploitable asset, he said. wild vegetation and informal community gardening by the residents, which is very pleasant, Leong said of the old rail line. Together with allies such as architects and cycling groups, Leong proposed the preservation of the corridor to the government in October 2010 when the handover of the railway land was already a certainty. Leong likened it to New Yorks High Line project, saying the movement to preserve the Green Corridor in Singapore was a bottomup approach launched by citizens. The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattans West Side. It is owned by the City of New York but maintained and operated by the community. Singapore is noted for its tree-lined, manicured coastal highway from the airport to the city but Liew said military land and golf courses are counted as part of green spaces on the island. The government tends to emphasise manicured and sculptured green spaces rather than natural vegetation, Liew said. Despite citizens calls to preserve the Green Corridor, the government refuses to rule out future development. We will study the proposal of maintaining a continuous green link along the rail corridor while balancing the need to safeguard the development potential of the lands, the Urban Redevelopment Authority told AFP. AFP A file photo of a Giant Mekong Catfish, weighing 292 kilograms, caught by fishermen at Chiang Khong in northern Thailand in 2005. Wildlife organisation WWF warned in 2010 that the Giant Mekong Catfish, one of the worlds biggest freshwater fish, was among the fauna threatened by plans to build dams on the Mekong. A new study warns that plans to build dams on tributaries of the Mekong also pose a serious threat to fish productivity and biodiversity. Pic: AFP/WWF

Singaporeans enjoy a stroll along a section of the Green Corridor, the focus of a bottom-up preservation movement launched by citizens. Pic: AFP The railway land passes old shrines, graffiti-decorated bridges, community gardens and neighbourhoods where about a fifth of Singapores five million people live, said Leong Kwok Peng, 55, vice president of the Nature Society of Singapore. Malaysia and Singapore separated in 1965 but the railroad, built earlier in the century during British colonial rule, remained in Malaysian hands for 46 years as the two countries sorted out a number of issues. This shielded the railroad zone from development until it came under Singapores control last year. The former main terminal in downtown Singapore, an art deco structure built in the 1930s, is to be preserved as a national monument. Train services from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur now run from a modern terminal at the border. Nature and heritage groups are calling for the rest of the railway land in Singapore to be converted into recreational spaces and nature reserves instead of shopping malls, apartments and industrial zones. This area is very rich in terms of flora and fauna, especially bird life, there are easily about a hundred species, said Leong. Property analysts said it would be difficult to put a commercial value on the railway land until official policy is made clear. All but two kilometres of the former railway is open to the public, a preserved rural zone welcomed by city dwellers. Singapore is one of the worlds most densely populated countries, with 7257 people a square kilometre (18,796 a square mile). It becomes a countryside, a backyard to all these residents. There is a mix of

Dams on tributaries a catastrophic risk, says Mekong study

WASHINGTON Plans to reached, even though they build hydropower dams along will undoubtedly affect small tributaries of Southeast fishing populations in Asias longest river could neighboring countries. The overall impact of have a devastating impact on millions of people who those is greater than some of rely on the worlds largest the mainstream dams which inland fishery, scientists got all of the international attention so far, Ziv said. have warned The beneficiary of the Much attention has already has focused on plans production would be Laos, to develop 11 big dams along producing energy mostly for the main waterway of the export into Thailand and 4600 kilometre (2850 mile) Vietnam, while the impact Mekong River which rises would be felt by Cambodia in China and flows through and partly by Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, losing a big percentage of their fish catch. Cambodia and Vietnam. More than one million In December, ministers from Cambodia, Thailand, tons of freshwater fish are Vietnam and Laos postponed caught each year in the a decision on the first of Cambodian and Vietnamese those efforts the US$3.8 floodplains alone, and the billion Xayaburi dam entire Mekong River Basin saying more research was is home to 65 million people, needed to assuage concerns about two-thirds of whom rely on fishing to survive, the from conservationists. But an international study authors said. In all, the researchers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of identified 877 fish species in Sciences on March 5 warned the Mekong River Basin, 103 of the impact of dams on of which would be potentially blocked from dozens of the making their tributaries. upstream We find A total of 78 migrations by that the completion of dams are planned hydropower development. 78 dams on Specifically, tributaries, on tributaries of four planned which have the Mekong. dams were not previously found to been subject create the to strategic a n a l y s i s , w o u l d h a v e largest fish biomass losses, catastrophic impacts on including the Lower Se San f i s h p r o d u c t i v i t y a n d 2 in Cambodia, causing a 9.3 biodiversity, said the percent drop in fish biomass basin-wide, which Ziv said study. Since the area is home to really looks like a very bad many species of migratory option. Three others in Laos also fish, the analysis found that several dam projects posed particular concerns could block more than 100 for the amount of biomass kinds of fish from swimming they were projected to cut: upstream, causing massive Se Kong 3d (2.3pc), Se Kong losses to diversity and fish 3u (0.9pc), and Se Kong 4 (0.75 pc). Although those supply. Tens of millions of rural, percentages may seem poor residents in the region small, Ziv said they would depend on subsistence fishing add up fast in communities for their main source of that depend on fish for protein, said scientists from survival, noting that the Cambodias Inland Fisheries disappearance of one percent Research and Development of fish in the basin would be Institute and Stanford and equal to losing 10,000 tons of food. Princeton University. Tributary dams fall Lead author Guy Ziv of Stanford University said under national laws and do researchers focused on 27 not require international of the 78 planned tributary agreements, even though dams, because those 27 are building these dams could scheduled for construction have potentially significant from 2015 to 2030 and their transboundary impacts on fish in other countries future remains uncertain. Also, they require no waters, said the study. AFP international accord to be

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Politburo in 2007, had sown the seeds of his downfall long before the latest scandal. He annoyed a lot of powerful people with his anti-corruption campaign, while his red songs set him against all the liberals, so all in all, he made a lot of enemies, said one Western diplomat who asked not to be named. Academic Guo Yingjie said the move against Bo may indicate a power struggle between the conservative faction of the Communist Party and the liberals, represented by Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. Hu, Wen and five other leaders are due to relinquish their positions on the Standing Committee Chinas top decision-making body this autumn, before resigning their government positions in March 2013. Vice president Xi Jinping, who is tipped to replace Hu next year, and Vice Premier Li Keqiang are expected to Bo Xilai pictured on March 14 during the closing ceremony of the National Peoples be the only current members Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Pic: AFP of the standing committee who will stay on and it to favour his long-time Standing Committee quite comments seen as a public remains unclear who will political rival Wang Yang, easily as a result of this, rebuke of Bo. Wen also warned of a the reformist party leader he said. get the other posts. O n M a r c h 1 4 , W e n , repeat of the disastrous I think Hu Jintao and Wen of the southern province Jiabao are sending a signal of Guangdong and a front- delivering his final news Cultural Revolution if China failed to Xi Jinping so to implement he doesnt steer towards the left Hes very open, very confident, very charismatic and urgentspolitical reform his too much, said Guo, associate thats not the way most Chinese leaders behave... strongest call yet for change in the professor of one-party state. Chinese Studies Some analysts saw the a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f runner for a place on the conference before he bows out as premier, said officials reference to the Cultural Standing Committee. Technology in Sydney. My guess is that Wang must learn lessons from Revolution a decade of Guo said the move to dismiss Bo appeared Yang will get into the the Wang Lijun incident, chaos launched by Mao Zedong to bring down what he perceived as capitalist forces as a criticism of Bos campaign to revive Maoist ideology. Bos father Bo Yibo was a revolutionary who fell from grace and was imprisoned and tortured during the turbulent 1966-1976 period. Bo Xilai himself spent time in a labour camp and his mother was beaten to death. When Mao died and reformist leader Deng Xiaoping took over, Bo Yibo was rehabilitated and became one of the most powerful men in China, bestowing on his son an impeccable family pedigree that had protected him until March 15. However Patrick Chovanec, a professor at Beijings Tsinghua University, said Bos open ambition and charismatic style had made a big chunk of the leadership very uncomfortable. They found his whole style of campaigning for a Standing Committee position to be offensive, he told AFP. Hes very open, very confident, very charismatic and thats not the way most Chinese leaders behave and that is not the way they feel comfortable with their peers behaving. Bo has been replaced as Chongqing party secretary by vice-premier Zhang Dejiang, said a brief statement posted on a government website that gave no reason for his dismissal. AFP

MyanMar tiMes

Beijing sacks senior party leader

BEIJING Chinas ruling Communist Party on March 15 fired Bo Xilai, a charismatic leader famed for pushing a red revival, in a move that exposes ideological rifts during a generational power handover. His removal from his post as leader of the metropolis of Chongqing was announced by the state-run newsagency, Xinhua. The 62-year-old former commerce minister had been seen as one of the leading contenders to join the Communist Partys Politburo Standing Committee the apex of political power in China later this year. But analysts said that Bo had alienated liberals in the party with his hardline crackdown on corruption in Chongqing, a southwestern city of more than 30 million people. A populist Maoist revival campaign, which included sending officials to work in the countryside, red singsongs at state-run firms and patriotic television shows, also raised hackles. Bos political future was plunged into doubt last month when Wang Lijun, the former Chongqing police chief who ran the corruption crackdown, visited a US consulate and reportedly asked for asylum. Wang has been placed under investigation. But experts said Bo, the ambitious son of a Communist revolutionary who joined the 25-member

NPC backs detention law changes

BEIJING Chinese lawmakers on March 14 passed into law controversial changes that give the police powers to detain some suspects for up to six months in secret locations known as black jails. Detentions in unofficial locations such as hotels or guesthouses in China are well-documented. Last year many people from renowned artist Ai Weiwei to rights lawyers and petitioners were illegally held in locations away from formal detention areas, sometimes for months. But critics say the amendments to Chinas Criminal Procedure Law would legalise the practice for people considered a threat to the Communist Party such as political dissidents, dozens of whom were detained last year. The bill was passed at the final session of the National Peoples Congress, with 2639 delegates voting in favour of the amendments. Only 160 lawmakers opposed the bill and 57 abstained from the vote. The proposed amendments caused a storm of protest from rights groups and judicial reformers when details first emerged in 2011 and have since been watered down. A new clause in the latest draft would oblige police to inform relatives of those held outside formal detention centres within 24 hours of their detention, although it is not clear whether the location would be disclosed. Liu Xiaoyuan, a lawyer and friend of Ai Weiwei, said in his blog that the modification from the original draft was obvious progress. But when all is said and done, the law is only written on paper, and the crux is whether law enforcement agencies strictly respect it, he said. China uses three methods of locking up suspects formal arrest, formal detention and residential surveillance, which can be at home or in other locations, usually hotels or guesthouses. In the first two cases, suspects are held in formal areas of detention such as police stations or prisons. The controversy focuses mainly on the latter, where there is little accountability and where critics say police may feel freer to use torture. The amended law for the first time includes a clause to allow police to hold some people under residential surveillance away from home for up to six months. This form of detention is limited to people suspected of terrorism, endangering national security or serious bribery, where holding them under surveillance at their homes would impede investigations. But activists say that the charge of endangering national security is not clearly defined and is regularly used to silence government critics. Rights groups and legal scholars however say other amendments to the criminal law are positive. Human Rights Watch while strongly critical about the secret detention clause said it welcomed provisions that could strengthen procedural protections and due process for ordinary criminal suspects. The group said this included stricter time limits for detentions, better guarantees for access to a lawyer, and greater protection for juvenile and mentally ill defendants. AFP

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(reg: nos. iV/124/2007 & iV/12229/2011) the above two trademarks are in respect of:sewing machines; parts and accessories thereof; sewing apparatus and equipment including fabric edge guide devices, fabric handling devices, cloth pickup devices, fabric conveying devices, cloth stacking devices, cloth detectors, sewing tables, label inserting devices, cloth cutting devices, tape feeding devices, chaining thread cutting devices, chaining thread sewin devices and thread cutting devices Class: 7 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 Pegasus Mishin Seizo kabushiki kaisha (also trading as Pegasus Sewing Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd) P.O Box No. 26, Yangon Phone: 372416 Dated: 19th March, 2012

VN to re-establish temples on disputed islands

HANOI Vietnam will send six Buddhist monks to the disputed Spratly islands, a senior monk said on March 13. The monks will reestablish three temples which were abandoned by Vietnam in 1975 but have been recently renovated as part of the communist countrys drive to assert its territorial claims over the potentially oil-rich islands. Our plan to go to Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands was approved earlier this month by Khanh Hoa province officials and we will depart as soon as the navy can take us there, Venerable Thich Giac Nghia told AFP. The six monks, who all volunteered for the posting, intend to stay for up to a year on one of the larger islands following a request from its Vietnamese community mostly military staff and small-scale farmers and fishermen, he said. The announcement came the day before the 24th anniversary of a March 14, 1988 Chinese attack on Gac Ma Island another of the larger Spratly Islands under Vietnamese military control which killed 64 Vietnamese soldiers. AFP

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5000 royal insult web pages blocked: Thai police

BANGKOK Thai authorities have blocked thousands of web pages deemed insulting to the monarchy in the past three months, police said on March 14, amid growing debate about the kingdoms lese majeste law. More than 5000 pages with content deemed to be critical of the royal family were taken down between December and March, Thailands national police spokesman Piya Utayo told reporters. We found that the number of inappropriate or insulting posts was less and less, he said, without explaining the cause of the reduction. Lese majeste, or article 112 of the Thai criminal code, is designed to protect senior royals from insult, but academics say it has been politicised in recent years. The royal family is an extremely sensitive subject in Thailand, with 84-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej revered as a demi-god by many. Social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter are providing a platform for both critics of the law and ultra-monarchists, who have encouraged Internet users to report posts that are regarded as insulting the royals. On March 12, media rights group Reporters Without Borders said in a report that the Thai government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had presided over a worsening of internet censorship. If Thailand continues down the slope of content filtering and jailing netizens on lese majeste charges, it could soon join the club of the worlds most repressive countries as regards the internet, the report said. Under Thailands strict lese majeste rules, insulting the monarchy or a member of the royal family can result in jail terms of up to 15 years. Anyone can file a lese majeste complaint and police are duty-bound to investigate it. Under Thailands computer crime law, introduced in 2007, acts of defamation and posting false rumours online are punishable by five years in jail. Recent cases have sparked fierce debates, including over a 61-year-old man who was jailed in November for 20 years for sending text messages deemed insulting to the monarchy. A Thai political activist was sentenced in February to seven and a half years in prison for insulting the monarchy. AFP

Briefs
Ferry disaster toll reaches 138
DHAKA Rescue workers on March 15 found another 26 bodies in the Meghna river near the scene of a ferry accident, taking the death toll from the disaster to 138, police said. The Shariatpur 1, carrying about 200 passengers, sank rapidly early on March 13 after a collision with an oil barge in the dark about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of the capital, Dhaka. The accident was Bangladeshs worst ferry disaster since February 2005 when 149 people died after a ferry sank in a river on Dhakas outskirts.

Sri Lankan Pakistani PM defiant in army film showdown with court to counter ISLAMABAD Pakistans Gilani said. to face six Its better embattled Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on months imprisonment than sentence. war crimes Marchjail thanwould arather face the deathtop court on 15 he Pakistans go to obey court Gilani to ask allegations order andgraft Switzerland to March 8 ordered to reopen re-open cases against ask Switzerland
COLOMBO Sri Lankas military is preparing its own documentary on the final battle with Tamil rebels as a response to allegations of war crimes, the countrys army chief said last week. In a speech to troops on March 12, a copy of which was released the next day, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said the documentary would include testimony from frontline troops and clarify events leading to the death of rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. We have nothing to fear. We also want to tell the story of how Prabhakaran was killed, Jayasuriya said. In June last year, Britains Channel 4 aired a documentary containing footage which it said amounted to evidence of war crimes committed by Sri Lankan soldiers during their final offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009. Jayasuriyas speech came ahead of the broadcast on March 14 of a follow-up Channel 4 documentary Sri Lankas Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished which its producers said contained damning new evidence of abuses against civilians. The Channel 4 sequel also alleges that Prabhakarans 12-year-old son was executed at close range. We will face these allegations, said Jayasuriya, who did not give a time for completing the militarys documentary. Conflicting accounts of how Prabhakaran was killed in May 2009 suggest he was either gunned down in a shootout or shot while trying to escape advancing Sri Lankan troops in an ambulance. The entire top military leadership of his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was wiped out in the final battle, ending a nearly four-decade civil war. Rights groups have estimated that up to 40,000 civilians were killed in the final offensive, many as the result of military shelling. The government has denied its troops were responsible for any noncombatant deaths. AFP the president. Gilanis remarks revive speculation that he would rather risk losing his job than capitulate in a twoyear showdown with the judiciary that culminated last month with him being charged with contempt by the Supreme Court. He has always insisted that President Asif Ali Zardari is immune from prosecution as president and says the cases against him are politically motivated. If I write a letter it will be a violation of the constitution, which is treason and which carries the death sentence, Gilani told PhD students in central Punjab province, with a few in the audience shouting do not write, do not write. If I dont write, I will be convicted for contempt, the punishment for which is six months imprisonment,

Singapore metro breaks down again

SINGAPORE A busy section of Singapores metro system broke down for almost 11 hours on March 15, triggering outrage among commuters already hit by a series of disruptions. About 90,000 commuters were affected by the breakdown which was caused by a power supply problem, metro operator SBS Transit said as it promised a thorough investigation. The disruption came three months after 127,000 commuters were affected by Singapores worst metro breakdown in 24 years.

corruption cases against Zardari by March 21. It was the first time the court asked Gilani personally to write to the Swiss. It previously addressed repeated demands to the government since revoking in 2009 an amnesty freezing legal proceedings against key politicians. Zardari and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, were suspected of using Swiss accounts to launder about US$12 million in alleged bribes paid by companies seeking customs inspection contracts in the 1990s. Zardari is so tainted by corruption allegations that he is nicknamed Mr 10 Percent. He has already spent 11 years in jail in Pakistan on charges ranging from corruption to murder although he has never been convicted. AFP

Caribbean flamingos extend their necks during a courtship ritual at the Saitama Childrens Zoo, in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, on March 14. Pic: AFP

NKorea to launch long-range rocket

SEOUL North Korea said on March 16 it would launch a long-range rocket next month to put a satellite into orbit, a move that would breach a United Nations ban imposed after previous launches. The rocket would be launched between April 12 and 16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding leader Kim IlSung, the communist states official news agency said. The Norths last longrange rocket launch on April 5, 2009, purportedly of a satellite, brought UN Security Council condemnation and a tightening of sanctions.

Indonesia backs US plan to deploy troops in Australia

CANBERRA Indonesia said last week it had no problem with US plans to station Marines in northern Australia. The plan to deploy some 2500 Marines to Darwin by 2016-17 initially raised some questions when it was unveiled by US President Barack Obama in Australia last November, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told a joint news conference at Parliament House in Canberra on March 15. But those questions have been provided answers and it was now recognised as a valuable opportunity to boost humanitarian and disaster response, Natelegawa said after bilateral defence and diplomacy talks. I think there is a general wish on the part of both countries to ensure that our region, namely the AsiaPacific, continues to remain benign and peaceful and stable and that we not revert Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr at the joint news conference on March 15. Pic: AFP Yusgiantoro said Jakarta did not have a problem at all with the plan and had discussed humanitarian and disaster relief drills with Australian counterparts Stephen Smith and Bob Carr on March 15. I dont think there would be a problem in respect of the government to government (relations), Yusgiantoro said. Smith added that they had also spoken, in passing, about possible four-way military drills between Australia, the United States, Indonesia and countries including and in particular China. We dont discount that down the track, Smith said of bringing China in. Carr, sworn in as Australias new foreign minister last week, denied they had discussed containing China, instead emphasising the success of regional diplomacy on sensitive issues such as the South China Sea. AFP

More phones than toilets in India

NEW DELHI Indian census data has revealed that more homes in the country of 1.2 billion people have a telephone than a toilet. Data collected during the 2011 census and released on March 13 showed that 47 percent of the countrys 330 million households have toilets, but that 63pc of homes have telephone connections mostly mobiles. The census also said that 30pc of homes have no electricity and 36pc have no water connection. AFP

to any conditions that would jeopardise that already very positive kind of outlook, he told reporters. The move to station Marines in Australia has been seen by some as a clear statement by Washington that it intends to stand up for its interests in the region amid concern about Chinas growing assertiveness. Natelegawa said that

Indonesia believed peace and stability in the region would be best served if there was to be a dynamic equilibrium where there is an absence of preponderant power. (And) by the promotion of ideas of common security, common prosperity, security within rather than security against. Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo

Time out
By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe THE first official Myanmar National News Awards were announced at a ceremony at the National Theatre in Yangon on March 18, organised by retired journalists under the direction of the government. Prizes, for stories and photographs published in 2011, were given in five categories: Best News Story, Best News Article, Best News Photo, Most Significant National News Photo and Best News Cartoon. A category for Best Editorial or Opinion Article had also been announced, but no award was given. The Best News Story award was given to Nan Lwin, Hnin Yadanar Zaw, Aye Thiri Win and Wint Wati from Kumudra journal for Naing Ngan A Nar Get A Twet A Sa Pyo Chin (The Beginning of the Future for the Country). The prize for Best News Article was won by Ma Nyein Nyein Naing from 7Day News journal for Lat Nat Kaing A Yay Sa Pwe Wine Pol Youk Pi Lar (Is the Armed Struggle to Be Discussed at the Table?). The Best News Photo award went to A Nyein Sarr Myar (The Retired) by photographer Aung Naing Soe from Popular News Week journal, while Maung Maung Than (Kawhmu) from the state-run Myanmar Ahlin daily newspaper nabbed the Most Significant National News Photo award. Thiha (Sakhan Thit) from True News journal won the Best News Cartoon award with Pone Pyin Htae Ka Lo Dot (Not Like the Old Story). U Win Nyein, secretary of the main organising committee for the National News Awards, said that last year there had been an attempt to give Myanmar Press Awards. We thought such awards should be given by the government, not by a private organisation, he said. This years awards were arranged by the government, with the main organising committee made up of former journalists, cartoonists and photographers. There was another committee of judges, made up of skilled professionals from each category in which awards were given, he said. U Win Nyein said that in early 2011 the main organising committee called on journalists to submit stories and photographs for consideration for the awards, along with recommendation letters from their respective journals, editors and readers. H o w e v e r, o n l y a f e w journals responded, so committee members decided to take on the task of reading all published journals and choosing the best entries for themselves. We were worried that we might miss some stories, so we asked the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division to give us CDs of all the stories that had passed censorship, and we copied and marked the stories from those CDs, he said. U Win Nyein said the judging

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First news award winners named

purpose was to improve the role of news and journalism in society. In the future the young journalists will take a leading role. U Win Nyein added that this year they had little funding for the awards and have asked for support for the future from local businesses such as Air Kanbawza, the Tun Foundation and others. U M y i n t T h e i n Pe , a member of the judging board for photography and chairman of Myanmar Motion Picture Organisation , said choosing the award for Best News Photo was difficult. A good news photo must be able to catch the eye of the public and convey the news directly. We chose A Nyein Sar, which showed retired men applying for their pension payments with hopeful faces, he said. Whenever there are changes in government or a salary increase for public servants, no one thinks of the pensioners, so we thought the image was significant. He said the photos were evaluated using a point system applied by all judges, to prevent the prize from being one persons choice. Im satisfied with the Best News Photo award, as well as with the Most Significant National News Photo, which expresses the changes in our nation. It shows Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who fought hard for democracy for many years, and our president U Thein Sein calmly standing under a photo of General Aung San hanging on the wall of the presidents office, U Myint Thein Pe said. He admitted that nearly identical photos appeared in all the local journals, but the committee decided to give the award to the one that was published first, giving a distinct advantage to photographer Maung Maung Than (Kawhmu), who works for the state-run daily newspaper Myanmar Ahlin. Best News Article award winner Ma Nyein Nyein Naing told The Myanmar Times that she did not submit her news story for the prize but she was happy to win. Last year I heard there would be prizes for news stories, so all the journalists were happy, including me. But then I heard that we needed to submit our stories to the judging committee, and I decided not to apply, she said. She said she wrote the winning story Lat Nat Kaing A Yay Sa Pwe Wine Pol Youk Pi Lar three times because the first two versions were rejected by the censors. Everyone knows armed conflict is an international issue that can also affect local people. The problems cannot be solved by fighting each other, so we need to put the issue on the table and negotiate, she said. I wrote the story from the viewpoint of the public and with all my heart, but I never hoped for any prizes. It was just about what I was feeling. But the feedback was so pleasant, and so many readers liked it because they had the same feeling, she said.

Maung Maung Than (Kawhmu)s image from Myanmar Ahlin nabbed the Most Significant National News Photo award. committee picked five nominees in each category and sent them to the main organising committee, which picked the winners. This was the first time we held the awards and we were in a rush. We read everything in four or five months, he said. Some people might not agree with our choices, but the main

Ye Lay reveals fave foods in new book

By Nuam Bawi HIP-HOP singer Ye Lay is planning to release his autobiography titled Yu Thut ChinPin Lae (Mad Sea) on March 25. Ye Lay said there were several reasons behind his decision to publish an autobiography. I know a singer whose house burnt down, and he told me how terrible he felt about losing all the irreplaceable documents and photographs from when he was young. He told me to make sure I preserved all my personal records, and at that time I got the idea to write an autobiography, he said. I would also like to tell the young generation how Ye Lay, a young singer, became successful and had the support of his audience. Ye Lay said he thought the autobiography would also help smooth the process of getting visas for overseas trips. When we want to go overseas we have to provide personal information and documents to embassy officials, which is very complicated. So now I can just give them this book, which I believe will make it easier for both sides, keep in touch with my fans, he said. Ye Lay had his breakthrough at a rock and rap concert in 2005 when he performed a song dedicated to his mother. Since then he has released four solo albums, most recently Tatiya Kar Yan (Third Rhythm) in 2010. The 212-page book Yu Thut ChinPin Lae contains a wide range of material, including an autobiographical section, as well as chapters such as A Clown covering Ye Lays activities as a comedian; My Own Feelings featuring his poems; and My Favourite Foods. Also included are photographs of trips he has taken, as well as photos of himself with his friends. The book was designed by Ko Htee, with photos supplied by Peter, Wanna Khuar Nee, Ko Naing (R 2), Aye Zaw Moe (Set Muh), Aung Kyaw Moe (New Image), Nay Thu Rain (Excellent), Ko Linn (Studio K) and Tun Linn (Picture Man). The book is available for K7500, which Ye Lay pointed out was not enough to cover basic production costs. I wanted to release the book at a price that people could afford without spending their entire monthly income, he said.

Events Flash
with ...

Traditional music
A Myanmar traditional music concert will be held at Myawsin Kyun in Kandawgyi Park on March 18, from 5pm to 11pm. Performers will include the Alinka Wutyi band and singers Hintada Tun Yin, Yazar Win Tint, Banyar Han, Htar and Cho Pyone. Tickets are available for K5000 and K10,000 at Nobody, Manthiri, Fashion Star and Conqueror.

Nuam Bawi

Rainbow art show

A group exhibition titled North Okkalapa Township Rainbow Colour and featuring the work of Khin Maung Yin, U Lwin Maung (Sculpture), U That Aung and other artists will be held from March 15 to 20 at the Myanmar Traditional Artists and Artisans Organisation (Central), No187-192 East Wing, Bogyoke Aung San Market.

Indian Filmfest
The Indian Film Festival will be held at Myoma Cinema in Mandalay from March 19 to 23 and Cherry Lwin Cinema in Pyin Oo Lwin from March 25 to 29. Films will include 3 Idiots, Krrish, Pokkiri, Om Shanti Om, Aladin and AnjaanaAnjaani.

Ngwe Aung show

Artist Ngwe Aung will hold his first solo exhibition from March 17 to 21 at Gallery 65, No 65 Yawmingyi Road, Dagon township.

Dawn Art Festival

More than 100 artists will participate in the Dawn Art Festival, a fundraising event for the National League for Democracy that will be held from March 16 to 21 at Dagaung Art Gallery, No 7 , Mahasi Sasana Yeaktha Street, Bahan township.

IC concert
Iron Cross will perform at Myawsin Kyun in Kandawgyi Park on March 22, starting at 6:30pm. Tickets cost K10,000 and are available at City Mart, United Living Mall, Ko Ko Beauty Saloon, Manthiri and Sun Music Production.

Ye Lay. Pic: Supplied he said. He said he has been planning to release the book for about two years but has only recently been able to finish the project. Before, I placed priority on releasing my solo albums, so I couldnt concentrate on the autobiography, but now theres a gap before the release of my next album so its a good time to publish the book. Its a good way to

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Transsexual air hostesses: the real deal?

By Amelie BottollierDepois WITH her crisp uniform, immaculate makeup and hair swept up, Mew looks like any other air hostess, but shes one of a handful of Thai transsexuals blazing a trail in the skies. Fledgling Thailand-based carrier PC Air has hired four transgender cabin crew in a highly publicised recruitment drive that has divided opinion over whether the move is in the spirit of equality or exploitation. I like a job where I can show my ability and I love to wear beautiful suits, said Phuntakarn Sringern, better known by her nickname Mew, embarking on March 9 on the airlines first commercial flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong. This is just like my dream come true, and maybe this is a first step for transladies, transgenders, to have a good job in the future, the 25year-old said. In their neat black uniform and fiery orange scarves, Mew and her colleagues ushered passengers to their seats, demonstrated safety features and filled coffee cups offering little indication that they were any different from the other air hostesses on the flight. Some passengers, perhaps having seen PC Airs advertising, asked the transsexual cabin crew to pose for pictures with them, but many seemed unaware there was anything unusual about the flight attendants. towards a group of nearly 180,000 people, he said. With few avenues for employment, growing numbers of Thai transsexuals are moving into sex work as a way to make money and for a rare chance to affirm their identity as women, said Winter. Despite their sex change operation, the law does not recognise Mew or her transsexual colleagues as women a situation that forces PC Air to contact the destination country in advance, to avoid trouble at immigration gates. PC Air currently has three planes and will operate charter flights from Bangkok to Hong Kong and other Asian destinations. The companys boss Peter Chan, who lent his initials to the airline, is proud of being a pioneer. He denies any intention to use the transsexual crews as a marketing ploy and highlights reasons of the heart and human rights to justify the policy. It was never about m o n e y, t h e e c c e n t r i c 48-year-old said, before embarking on a rendition of My Way by Frank Sinatra as if to prove his point. The slogan is also painted on the companys aircraft: I believe its my way. Mew, who had sex change surgery two years ago, is now hoping that others will follow in the companys footsteps, in the air and elsewhere. Maybe in the future, all transladies, all transgenders could get a job like a flight a t t e n d a n t or b e p r i m e minister, she said. AFP

Transsexual fight attendant Phuntakarn Sringern (right) works onboard a Thai PC Air flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong on March 9. Pic: AFP Oh, I did not hear before about it, said Bay, a Thai passenger. They look really beautiful, and they are really nice its pretty cool. Thailand has a culture of tolerance on issues of sexual orientation and gender, and katoeys, as transsexuals are known in the kingdom, are considered a third sex in their own right. In spite of this, more conservative elements of society find it hard to accept, with some families sending their children to monasteries to be re-educated and transsexuals struggling to find work in many areas. In my heart, I always want to be a flight attendant but I was waiting for an opportunity, said air hostess Chayathisa Nakmai, aged 24. But until now every airline is open only for men and women, transgender is not accepted. P C A i rs i n i t i a t i v e i s being welcomed by some activists, who applaud its efforts to offer a chance of ordinary work to transgender people. The company helps promote a positive image of Thai transsexuals, beyond certain stereotypes, said transgender advocate Prempreeda Pramoj Na Ayutthaya. But others are sceptical about the motives of the company, which has actively sought to publicise its recruitment drive. T h e y u s e t h e z a n y, outrageous, bizarre side of transsexuals, said Yollada Krerkkong Suanyot, president of Thailands TransFemale Association of Thailand. This emphasises the way that society has regarded these people as if they were strange, special, bizarre. Come see them, these are stewardesses! Buddhist Thailand is spared from the weight of the Judeo-Christian sexual repression, but had in the past been influenced by some Western ideas that presented transsexuals as mentally disordered, said Sam Winter, a psychologist and gender specialist at the University of Hong Kong. The result is a practical and bureaucratic intolerance

S Koreas Shin wins top literary award

By Judy Ngao HONG KONG South Korean author Kyung-sook Shin won Asias most prestigious prize for literature on March 15 for her novel about a familys guilty soul-searching after the disappearance of their elderly mother. Judges of the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize described Shins novel Please Look After Mom, which has already sold almost two million copies in South Korea, as the clear stand-out in a strong field dominated by South Asians. Judging panel chairwoman Razia Iqbal said it was a beautiful, poignantly told tale with a compelling structure that set it apart from the others. Its a very intimate portrait of a familys search for their mother, but its also a portrait of Korea, post the Korean War, she said as the award was announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong. Looking at how, through the microcosm of the family, how the country is coming to terms with moving into modernity, leaving behind its traditional, rural ways of life. And through this, as it transpires, a dysfunctional family, we learn a lot about the family but also about the country. Shin is the first woman to win the award and the first South Korean to be shortlisted. As a Korean writing in Korea in the Korean language, to be winning this prize feels like a new start in more ways than one, and that makes me happy, she said after accepting the US$30,000 prize. Please Look After Mom examines the often painful self-analysis that follows the death or loss of a loved one. The journey to find the mother in the book is the journey to regain what weve lost in the progress of modernity. And that was the theme I wanted to explore as a mother, Shin said. I feel like to think about mother is to think about oneself, a reflection of oneself. Shins work was chosen from an expanded shortlist of seven novels instead of the usual five because of the strength of fiction coming out of Asia last year, the judges said. South Asian writers dominated the shortlist. Jamil Ahmad from Pakistan was nominated for The Wandering Falcon, and India was represented by three writers Jahnavi Barua (Rebirth), Rahul Bhattacharya (The Sly Company of People Who Care) and Amitav Ghosh (River of Smoke). From East Asia, Chinas Yan Lianke was shortlisted for Dream of Ding Village and Japans Banana Yoshimoto for The Lake. The four South Asian novels were originally written in English, while those from China, Japan and South Korea were judged in translation. Please Look After Mom is Shins first book to appear in English, although she is one of Koreas most acclaimed writers. She lives in Seoul and is a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York. S h i n s p r o s e , i n t i m a t e a n d hauntingly spare in this translation by Chi-Young Kim, moves from first to second and third person, and powerfully conveys griefs bewildering immediacy, The New York Times reviewer wrote last year. The annual Man literary award began in 2007 and is given to the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English, and published in the previous calendar year. This years judges included Changrae Lee, Pulitzer-prize finalist and author of The Surrendered, and Vikas Swarup, author of Q&A, the book that was made into Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. AFP

Dawn Art Festival raises funds for NLD

By Nyein Ei Ei Htwe AN art festival featuring the work of more than 100 artists is being held at Dagaung Art Gallery in Yangon from March 16 to 21, with the aim of raising money for the National League for Democracy. The Dawn Art Festival has attracted the participation of 135 artists working in various media, each of whom will donate at least 70 percent of the proceeds from sales of their work to the NLD. Most artists plan to donate 100pc of their earnings from sales to the NLD, said artist San Oo, who organised the festival. I was eager to support the NLD through the efforts of artists so I decided to organise the festival, but I never expected that so many artists would respond. San Oo contributed two paintings to the show, portraits of Bogyoke Aung San and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi done in acrylic and mixed media that were each painted in two days. I have won prizes for portraits I painted of Bogyoke Aung San in the past, and the sales of those paintings have helped support my family. So I feel I owe him a debt, and this is my chance to give back, he said. Artist Myo Myat Min from Mandalay said he felt proud to take part in the festival although it was not the first time that he has lent his paintings to raise money for good causes. Ive contributed to fundraisers for Cyclone Nargis and other natural disasters, but this is the first time Ive contributed to the NLD. Im proud to live the life of an artist, and if I had the chance to take another job I wouldnt do it. Im very satisfied now, he said. Artist Thein Htut contributed eight paintings, depicting Thingyan water festival, birds and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. One painting is rendered in black and white, representing the right and wrong positions in human affairs. All of the public, including myself, wants to donate to leaders who can really support the development of the country. They are trying to hard for our country, and we, the public, need to focus more on how they are working than on who they are, Thein Htut said. Artworks at the exhibition are for sale at prices ranging from K15,000 to K4 million. Dagaung Art Gallery is located at No 7 Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha Street, Bahan township.

South Korean author Kyung-sook Shin holds her book, Please Look After Mom, at the Man Asian Literary Prize ceremony in Hong Kong on March 15. Pic: AFP

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East German propaganda art gathering dust

By Yannick Pasquet BEESKOW, Germany Piledup, forgotten and gathering dust, 23,000 artworks from the former East Germany fill a vast warehouse southeast of Berlin, testimony to an oppressive past. From busts of Karl Marx to paintings glorifying the Heroes of Socialist Labour, the communist art in a rundown building formerly used to store animal feed arouses little interest in todays Germany. One enormous picture among the many catches the eye it shows Mikhail G o r b a c h e v, t h e S o v i e t Unions last leader, posing with long-term leader Erich Honecker on East Germanys 40th anniversary. Several weeks after the meeting, the Berlin Wall would fall and communism be swept away in eastern and central Europe. Ve r y p o o r q u a l i t y, comments Kristina Geisler of the Beeskow art archives in charge of the collection, amid the 1500 paintings and myriad propaganda objects crammed, floor to ceiling, over three floors. Dismissive of socialist kitsch, the art historian chooses to focus instead on the East German artists who managed to find a creative space somewhere between artistic freedom and the constraints of dictatorship. We also have here works of great artistic quality, said Ilona Weser, who heads the archive. To illustrate her point, she opens one of the drawers holding 13,000 graphic paintings by Bernhard Heisig, a major artist from the communist era renowned both in the former East and West Germany. Works by many other figures of socialist realism are also stored in Beeskow, a quiet town southwest of the German capital. Some are covered in bubble wrap while others just lie on the linoleum floor. Nearly 2000 drawings, 1300 photos, 4000 medals and 300 busts lie in the space filled with the din of a dilapidated air-conditioning system. Artworks such as Celebration of Miners, Industrial Landscape and Album on the History of the Soviet Army once adorned the walls of Houses of Culture and offices of the National Peoples Army or the ruling Socialist Unity Party. When these vestiges of the partys 1949-1989 grip on power vanished with the fall of the Wall, East Germanys last culture minister managed to save some of the artworks shortly before national reunification in 1990. Anchored in a political ideology now consigned to the history books of Europe, they were stored in Beeskow and quickly forgotten. Art played a particular role in the GDR [German Democratic Republic], said Geisler. It was not just about decorating the walls. The art reflected the evolution of society and is today a historical source. Juergen Danyel, deputy director of the ZZF institute of historical research of Potsdam, has been trying for three years to draw up an inventory of the East German artworks with the help of other cultural bodies. Art acts like a seismograph and makes visible the erosion of communist power in the 1980s, for example, he said. However, nobody seems especially interested in this heritage. At the end of last year, the European Union turned down a request for funding to renovate and modify the warehouse. Thus, at the end of her workday, Geisler takes one of the big keys she carries and closes up the building, leaving a large gold-framed painting of Lenin, a gift to the GDR from Czechoslovakia, to gather dust in the stairwell. AFP

Art sleuths believe lost Da Vinci found in Italy

By Dario Thuburn FLORENCE, Italy Art sleuths said last week they believe they have found traces of a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece on a hidden wall in a palace in Florence that has not been seen in over four centuries. The traces were collected using tiny probes introduced into a wall covering the original surface in a lavish hall in the Palazzo Vecchio and contained a black pigment also used in the Mona Lisa, historians and officials said. The research is the result of a decades-long quest using cutting-edge technology by University of California San Diego professor Maurizio Seracini, who was featured in Dan Browns bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. The composition of manganese and iron found in the black pigment has been identified exclusively on Leonardos paintings, Seracini, whose methods have sometimes stirred art world controversy, told reporters in the Italian city. Seracini also said that Leonardo had painted the Mona Lisa at around the same time as the long-lost Battle of Anghiari in the 16th century but said more research was needed to unlock one of art historys greatest mysteries. The probes also discovered red lacquer and brown pigment on the hidden wall, which researchers said indicated the wall had had a fresco painted on it. The experts pointed to documentary evidence from the period showing that only Leonardo could have been the author of any work on the older wall. The probes found an air gap of around 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) in some places between the old wall and the new wall built in front of it. D a Vi n c i ( 1 4 5 2 - 1 5 1 9 ) began his painting of the 1440 battle between Milanese and Florentine forces in a vast hall in Florences traditional seat of government in 1505 but

A fresco restorer (left) discusses the work on the Leonardo project with Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi (centre), as scientist Maurizio Seracini looks on at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Pic: AFP never finished it because the colours began to run. The fresco was nevertheless praised by Da Vincis contemporaries for what art historian and fellow painter Giorgio Vasari called its graceful beauty and Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens drew a famous copy of it. Re n a i s s a n c e m a s t e r Benvenuto Cellini said it was the school of the world. The Rubens sketch shows a bloody scene of horsemen battling with swords drawn and trampling over infantry men their faces contorted with rage and their muscled horses entwined with eyes bulging out with fear. Da Vinci was a Renaissance polymath and the author of what has become the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa. But very few of his works survive and there are frequent attempts to find traces of his documented work. Some historians believe Vasari built a wall in front of the fresco so as to preserve Da Vincis efforts out of respect for the renowned master and then painted his own work, The Battle of Marciano, on the new wall in 1563. S e r a c i n i s a i d Va s a r i himself left a tantalising clue on his painting about the hidden Leonardo with an inscription on a banner held up by one of the soldiers in the battle that reads Cerca Trova (Seek and You Shall Find). The research has been partly funded by National Geographic and the US groups vice president Terry Garcia said: I am convinced that it is there. Florence mayor Matteo Renzi said: This is very exciting, very emotional and very important for the future of our city. This is not a crusade by some crazy guy in love with some mystery but a crucial issue for cultural policy in our country. Renzi said he had also asked the Italian government for permission to carry out further probes through the Vasari painting in over a dozen areas where the original paint no longer exists and has been touched up over the centuries. Asked whether public funding would be needed for further research, he said: Were talking about Leonardo here. The money will come from around the world. The research in Florence has been controversial however and has been even investigated by art police because the researchers had to bore six small holes into Vasaris work out of the 14 they had requested to reach the hidden wall. International art scholars and the Italian heritage group Italia Nostra last year signed a petition complaining that the search was nothing more than a Dan-Brown style publicity stunt that risked damaging Vasaris fresco. A r t h i s t o r i a n To m a s o Montanari, who teaches at the University of Naples, said in his blog that the search for the Battle of Anghiari was tragi-comic adding: It will not be found but what counts is the mediatic effect. Seracini said the criticism had slowed down and damaged the project. AFP

No Rolling Stones tour for 50th anniversary

NEW YORK The Rolling Stones are staying put this year, Rolling Stone magazine reported last week, leaving fans to look forward instead to a major documentary marking the rock bands 50th anniversary. Basically, were just not ready for a fresh concert tour, guitarist Keith Richards told the pop culture magazine, adding that 2013 was the groups more realistic target for hitting the road. Quoting other, unidentified sources, Rolling Stone cited worries about Richards health in the wake of a head injury he sustained in Fiji in 2006 as one reason for the band to stay close to home. They dont want to do a full tour, a concert industry source told the biweekly magazine. They dont want to travel, and there are concerns about Keiths health. On their website, the Stones announced on March 14 the upcoming release of a groundbreaking and eye-opening documentary, directed by Brett Morgen, covering the history of the band from its founding in London in 1962 to today. The film will be showcased in September as part of the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary celebrations, said the website, without elaboration. Rolling Stone said the Stones reassembled in a London studio in December to play together for the first time since their Bigger Bang tour ended in 2007 with bassist Bill Wyman sitting in for the first time since he quit in 1992. We played a lot of blues and outtakes of Some Girls and things like that, it quoted lead singer Mick Jagger as saying. It went very well. Whether Wyman would join them on the road in 2013 was still not resolved. I think hes up for it, Richards said. We talked about it. AFP

A painting featuring Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is seen in the storage facility of the Beeskow Art Archive in Beeskow, Germany, on January 30. Pic: AFP

entertainment news
March 19 - 25, 2012
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Forever Gems Branch Opening

Hoffman TV show canceled over horse deaths

LOS ANGELES A hit US television series starring Dustin Hoffman has been canceled after three horses died during filming, the channel that makes the show announced last week. Luck, about thoroughbred racing and also starring Nick Nolte, launched in January and had already been picked up for a second season, with production mostly at a horse track east of Los Angeles. But a first horse died on the set in 2010 and another died last year. Then a third animal had to be put down on March 13 after falling backwards and striking its head, despite new safety rules put in place. Safety is always of paramount concern, said Home Box Office, which aired the show. We maintained the highest safety standards higher in fact than any protocols existing in horse racing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they wont in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision, it said. AFP

Abbidamma U Han and guests

Forever Gems staff

Ma Nwe

Indias Slumdog child star bags role with Hopkins

NEW DELHI An Indian girl who was plucked from poverty to act in the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire is to star in a new film with Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins, her manager said last week. Rubina Ali, now 13, will feature in Lord Owens Lady, a love story about a young Welsh nobleman and an Indian woman, with filming due to start in September this year in Britain and India. Rubina had signed the project one and a half years back. The producers have now informed us that she will shoot for about three weeks in Shimla [northern India], Wales and London, manager Dubey said. Rubina, who was picked from the Mumbai slums to play the role of young Latika in the 2008 hit Slumdog Millionaire by director Danny Boyle, will be paid more than 20,000 pounds (US$31,000) for her second international project. She was just eight when she appeared in the rags-toriches blockbuster, which won eight Academy Awards in 2009. Her journey from a Mumbai slum to Hollywood red carpet made her famous around the world. The teenager has since had her share of problems, following ugly family fights over her income and a fire in her congested Mumbai slum that destroyed her familys tinroofed shack. Rubina has since moved to a new flat in the upmarket Bandra area of the city. AFP

Models

Dr Aung Kyaw Win

Sony Showroom Opening

Guests

Ma Wai Thit Lwin

U Wai Lwin

Geo-Myanmar 2012 Conference

Bardot-themed art trove to be sold

LONDON The art collection of the late German-born playboy Gunter Sachs, featuring works celebrating his obsession with his former wife Brigitte Bardot, is to be auctioned in London on May 22 and 23. The star lot to go under the hammer at Sothebys is an Andy Warhol portrait of Bardot that Sachs commissioned in 1974, five years after the couple divorced, which is estimated to fetch up to 4 million pounds (US$6.3 million), the auction house said last week. Sachs wooed Bardot by having a helicopter fly over her villa on the French Riviera and shower her with hundreds of red roses. The couple married a few weeks later on July 14, 1966, in Las Vegas. A 1959 photograph of the French bombshell by Richard Avedon, shot a few years after she had risen to international stardom, is also up for sale with an estimate of 40,000 to 60,000 pounds. The focus of the collection is a group of Pop Art masterpieces by Warhol, Tom Wesselmann and Roy Lichtenstein that Sachs acquired in the late 1960s and 1970s. Sachs, who committed suicide last year aged 78, commissioned many of the pieces himself or purchased them directly from the artists for his apartment in the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz. AFP

U Aye Lwin, U Kyaw Sein and U Ye Myat Soe

U Aung Kyaw Htoo

Daw Yee Yee Khin

Dr Win Swe, U Soe Myint and Dr Win Naing

Pro Soy New Product Launch

One year after quake, Cyndi Lauper calls on world not to forget Japan
TOKYO US pop legend Cyndi Lauper last week called on the world not to forget Japans northern region, a day after the first anniversary of the countrys quaketsunami disaster. I just want to say to the world, please dont forget about Japan, its very traumatic, Lauper told the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Tokyo on March 12. Lauper, best known for 1980s hit songs including Time after Time and Girls Just Want to Have Fun, was in Japan for a concert tour and to visit areas affected by last years natural disasters, which triggered the worlds worst nuclear accident in a generation. The 58-year-old entertainer said a woman in disaster-ravaged northern Japan gave her a piece of candy, promising it was not contaminated by radiation. And Im thinking ,Oh my God and this is the thing, nobody goes up north at all, Lauper said. Those people cant be isolated and cut off. They could have radiation issues but I dont think you can catch radiation by shaking somebodys hands and giving them a hug. The only way to get back up again is to include them. AFP

U Thein Soe

Ma Ei Ei Han, Ma Ahtu and Ma Swe

Daw Soe Soe Yu

Chan Chan

Awn Seng

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soCialite
March 19 - 25, 2012
SOCIALITE started the week on March 7 by rushing to the Doke Vita cosmetic launch at Inya 1 Restaurant, followed by 7Day journals 10th anniversary party at Traders Hotel and the MBA party at MCC Hall. The next couple days were quiet ones for Socialite, but the floodgates opened on March 10, when she had to dash hither, thither and yon to make it to all the events, which included the opening ceremony for the Sony showroom on Bo Aung Kyaw Road, a new products launch for Revlon cosmetics at Junction Centre Maw Tin, a Face Shop cosmetics press conference at Sakura Tower, and a Pro Soy new products launch at Traders Hotel. Whew! But the next day Socialite had but one engagement in her appointment book, the Forever Gems new branch opening at Junction Square Centre.

MyanMar tiMes
Doke Vita Cosmetic Product Launch

Ko Zeyar and team Ma Thandar and Ms Vonce Hui

Hello Sushi and Maki Shop Opening

Ms Jane Soon and guests

The Face Shop Cosmetics Press Conference

7 Day Journal 10th Anniversary

Ko Pyait

Ko Kyaw Myint, Dr Ye Aung and Dr Kay Sandy Kyaw Ko Latt, Ma Khine Zar, Ma Wai Wai and Ma Thiri

U Tun Lwin, U Aw Pe Kyal, U Ko Ko Gyi, U Thaung Su Nyein and 7 Day journalists

Ma Moe, Ko Bay Bay and Ma Wai

Ma Ei Cho, Ma Khine Zar, Ma Zu Zu, Ma Thandar and Ma Thae Su

Ko Htin Aung Kyaw

Ma Su Nyein Aye

Ko Zaw Win Shane

MBA Get-together Party

U Kyaw Kyaw Oo, Ma Than Than Sein, Daw Sanda Oo, U Thein Oo and Ma Pyone Pyone Han

Daw Khin San Yee and Daw Tin Hla Kyi

Daw Hla Myint

MBA graduates

Revlon Product Launch

Daw Thida Thant

Pwint Nadi Maung

Guests

Annie

travel
March 19 - 25, 2012
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Japan tourism still suffering after tsunami

By Kate Millar BERLIN Japans tourism industry is still hurting a year after the tsunami and nuclear disaster, international industry officials said, warning business was only likely to get fully back on track next year. Japan saw a 28 percent fall in the number of visitors arriving in the country in 2011 compared with a year earlier, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said, predicting a full recovery by mid-2012. But, amid posters stating Japan, Rising Again. Thank you for Your Support, Japanese travel industry representatives at this months ITB Berlin tourism fair, one of the top industry gatherings, were more cautious. Hiromi Waldenberger, a Tokyo city tourism representative for the German market, said hopes were now pinned on next spring for the number of visitors to the city returning to pre-March 2011 levels. We hope for the next cherry blossom season, so March-April 2013. I think thats realistic, she said. But we have to work for it. The image of Japan is still quite damaged, she said at the fair where she first heard news last year of the devastating quake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. From April until next March, the Japan Tourism Agency is spending about five billion yen (US$60 million) to promote the country, said Takuo Nagano, marketing specialist for Europe, Americas and Oceania at the Japan National Tourism Organisation. While about half is destined to help get the tourism infrastructure in the quake-damaged Tohoku region back on its feet, the rest will help promote Japan in its 13 biggest markets, he said. Tourism representatives who spoke to AFP said visitors largely shunned Japan immediately after last years earthquake set off a tsunami that left more than 19,000 people dead in the countrys worst postWorld War II disaster. It was very slow after the tsunami, almost all the tourists cancelled, said Kazu Iizuka, a sales manager for the Nippon Travel Agency. Business recovered slightly from October but despite hopes it would have caught up by next month to about half its 2010 level, it was still only at about 30pc, he said. Kyoto, meanwhile, used to receive about 2.3 million visitors annually before the accident, 70pc of whom came from Europe, America, Australia or New Zealand, said Rie Doi, of the citys tourism promotion division. Although she did not have figures for the economic loss due to the drop in foreign visitors, she said they used to spend on average between 50,000 and 60,000 yen per stay. She said tourism to Kyoto would return to normal hopefully next year, although signs of a recovery had already begun in late 2011. In Tokyo, on the other hand, German tourists began to return last July after a more than 60pc drop immediately after the accident, Waldenberger said. Its getting better but has not at all reached the prior level. We actually hoped that mid-2012 the situation would be, maybe not fully, but mostly, recovered again. But it doesnt look like it. It takes a bit more time. AFP

AIRLINE OFFICES
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Air Asia (FD) 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Ground Flr, Parkroyal Hotel, Yangon. Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

Air China (CA)

Building (2), corner of Pyay Rd and Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Hotel Yangon, 8 miles, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 666112, 655882.

Bangkok Airways (PG)

Yangon. Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

#0305, 3rd Fl, Sakura Tower, 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Kyauktada Tsp,

Air India

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

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Costumed dancers from India pose at the ITB (Internationale Tourismus Boerse) travel trade show in Berlin on March 7. Around 12,000 exhibitors presented their products, which ran from March 7 to 11. The official partner country of this years fair was Egypt. Pic: AFP

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

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

Australian tourism targets China

SYDNEY Australia last week said it plans to tap into Chinas fast-growing second tier cities to boost tourism revenue after research found Chinese travellers increasingly favour Down Under as a destination. China, also a key trade partner, is already Australias fastest growing and most valuable international tourism market, worth more than A$3.8 billion (US$4 billion) in 2011, up 15 percent on the previous calendar year. And tourism chiefs see huge potential to build on the 558,600 Chinese who visited Australia in the 12 months to January 31, 2012. Currently their focus is the big three centres of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but growing middle and upper classes outside these places sparked research into the tourism behaviour of consumers living in secondary cities. It found the place many people wanted to visit was Australia. We plan to use these findings to help prioritise our marketing activities in China, said Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy. The research covered Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan and Xiamen many of which boost bigger populations than global cities such as New York. McEvoy said longterm success in a highly competitive China depended on a greater understanding of the many millions of customers who live outside of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and what drives their travel decisions. The findings showed Australia was seen as an aspirational, highly regarded destination among many of the more wealthy Chinese. Respondents indicated a strong desire to see the countrys most famous attractions, with the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, kangaroos and koalas all high on the list. Conducted in late 2011, the findings were based on a targeted sample of almost 2800 Chinese leisure travellers aged between 30 and 49 years of age with an above average annual household income of more than US$25,000. AFP

335/357, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124 339, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, 2nd Floor, Sakura Tower, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 255 287~9 , Fax: 255 290

Silk Air(MI)

Thai Airways (TG)

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

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

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

Domestic Airlines
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.

Tourism Myanmar Update

Jazz nights at the Ritz The Ritz Exclusive Lounge at Chatrium Hotel is hosting jazz music nights, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in March, from 8:30pm to 11:30pm. The hotel also runs daily happy hours from 7pm to 9pm, with buy one get one free and special offers on select items, plus complimentary tidbits. The Ritz Exclusive Lounge opens daily from 7pm to 1:30am on the ground floor of the Chatrium Hotel, 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon. For more information contact 01544-500, ext 6243~4; fb@ chatriumygn.net.mm, www. chatrium.com/chatrium_ hotel_yangon. Salads and sandwiches The Peacock Lounge at Traders. Hotel has opened a salad and sandwich station, which is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Food is available for takeaway or for eating in the lounge. For more information contact 01242-828, ext 6456 or 6434.

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

56, Shwe Taung Gyar Street, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

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

Air Mandalay (6T)

146, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon Tel : 501520, 525488 (Head Office) 720309, 652753, 652754 (Airport Office), Fax: 525 937

The Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC), the marketing arm of Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board, aims to market and promote Myanmar as a destination to develop the Myanmar tourism industry. For more information please visit our websites www.tourism-myanmar.com or www.tourismmyanmar.org or contact Winnie at Traders Hotel, Level 3, Business Center, No 223 Sule Pagoda Road, GPO Box 888, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +951 242 828 Fax: +951 242 800 Email: mmc-pr@tradersyangon.com.mm

Asian Wings (AW)

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

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travel
March 19 - 25, 2012

MyanMar tiMes

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
FRI FRI MON

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SCHEDULES

DAYS
SUN

Flight
K7 244 K7 245

Dep Arr
13:00 15:50 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 07:30 08:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 14:30 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 08:00 11:00 11:00 12:00 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:45 08:30 11:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 15:00 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 15:00 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 10:30 10:30 11:30 12:00 15:00 16:15 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 08:00 11:00 11:00 12:00 15:00 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:55 10:50 14:10 16:30 16:35 17:20 17:50 08:30 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:55 09:25 09:25 11:15 13:25 13:30 13:35 16:20 16:35 17:20 17:20 15:30 16:50 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 08:30 09:55 12:55 12:55 13:25 15:55 17:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 09:25 12:40 12:55 13:25 17:00 08:20 08:20 07:50 08:35 08:05 09:55 12:10 13:10 12:55 13:25 07:55 16:25 17:10 17:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:20 08:35 08:35 08:55 08:25 13:30 12:55 13:25 13:55 17:00 17:10 08:20 08:20 07:55 08:35 08:50 08:25 12:25 12:25 12:55 14:25 17:00 17:10 07:25 07:40 07:55 08:20 07:50 08:35 12:35 13:30 12:55 13:25 17:00 08:20 08:30 08:20 08:20 08:35 08:55 09:25 12:25 12:25 13:25 17:00 10:00 10:30 10:40 10:55 12:15 15:10 17:55 18:00 19:25 19:15 09:30 10:00 10:30 10:40 10:55 10:50 11:10 12:40 14:50 14:45 15:00 17:45 18:40 18:45 19:25

DAYS
WED

Flight
W9 009 AW 892 6T 402 6T 332 W9 021 AW 792 YH 738 AW 752 K7 825 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 406 6T 332 AW 902 6T 402 YH 812 W9 021 K7 229 AW 202 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 AW 892 6T 406 6T 332 YH 918 6T 402 W9 251 AW 212 YH 731 6T 502 W9 232 YH 728 6T 404 AW 892 6T 402 W9 011 W9 262 YH 812 6T 802 AW 602 K7 623 YH 730 6T 502 W9 009 YH 910 AW 892 6T 406 6T 402 W9 011 W9 256 YH 812 6T 802 AW 212 K7 623 YH 738 6T 502

Dep Arr
08:30 08:35 08:55 09:10 14:10 16:40 17:10 17:50 17:50 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:50 08:55 13:10 14:10 15:45 16:00 17:15 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:50 08:55 13:35 16:30 17:10 17:20 17:35 17:45 08:00 08:35 08:55 09:25 10:50 13:10 16:00 16:40 16:55 17:15 17:20 08:30 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:55 09:25 11:20 13:10 13:30 16:00 16:55 17:10 17:20 09:30 10:30 10:55 10:35 15:10 18:45 18:35 19:15 19:15 19:25 09:30 10:30 10:40 10:10 10:15 10:55 14:35 15:10 17:10 17:25 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:30 10:40 10:10 10:45 10:55 15:00 17:55 19:25 19:25 19:00 19:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:10 12:15 14:35 17:25 18:05 18:20 18:45 19:25 09:30 10:00 10:30 10:40 10:55 11:10 12:45 14:35 14:55 17:25 18:20 18:35 19:25

DAYS
SUN

Flight
W9 143 6T 405 AW 891 YH 909 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 AW 792 K7 223 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 AW 762 W9 109 AW 792 6T 502 YH 732 K7 223 W9 109 AW 792 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 6T 404 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502 K7 223 YH 910 W9 109 YH 732 6T 502

Dep Arr
06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 17:50 08:10 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 17:20 17:25 17:25 18:05 18:10 08:10 17:25 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 08:45 17:25 17:55 18:05 08:10 08:40 17:25 17:55 18:05 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:25 07:50 07:50 08:05 19:10 11:15 18:20 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 18:40 18:20 18:45 19:25 19:30 11:15 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 18:20 19:15 19:25 11:15 18:20 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 10:05 18:20 19:15 19:25 11:15 10:00 18:20 19:15 19:25

Flight
AW SPL AW 751 W9 115 YH 811 K7 826 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 YH 737 W9 143 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 AW 792 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 K7 823 W9 116 W9 143 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 W9 143 AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 AW 911 W9 143 AW 892 YH 918 6T 402 K7 223 K7 823 AW 752 AW SPL AW 892 6T 406 YH 918 W9 011 6T 402 K7 223 6T 452 AW 752 W9 116 YH 738 6T 607 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 607 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 611 W9 309 6T 608 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 608 W9 310 6T 612 W9 310 6T 612 6T 707 AW 301 6T 707 K7 317 K7 317 AW 301 AW 301 6T 707 K7 317 AW 301 6T 708 6T 708 K7 318 AW 302 AW 302 K7 318 6T 708 K7 318 AW 302

Dep Arr
07:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 15:00 11:00 09:05 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:40 09:45 10:00 16:55 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:40 09:45 10:00 15:15 16:45 09:05 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:45 10:00 09:05 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:45 10:00 09:05 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:45 10:00 08:55 09:05 09:20 09:35 09:45 10:00 15:15 17:15 08:55 09:20 09:30 09:35 09:40 09:45 10:00 14:55 16:45 16:45 17:20 11:00 13:00 11:15 13:00 11:00 13:00 11:15 13:00 12:15 13:00 11:15 13:00 11:15 13:00 13:15 15:00 12:55 15:00 13:15 15:00 12:55 15:00 13:55 15:00 12:55 15:00 12:55 07:30 07:00 11:15 12:30 12:30 12:45 07:00 11:15 12:30 12:45 11:55 15:40 16:40 17:15 11:30 16:40 15:40 16:40 17:15 08:40 11:40 12:10 12:25 13:45 15:15 16:10 16:25 12:25 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 19:10 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 16:30 17:55 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:55 11:15 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:55 11:15 11:05 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 16:30 18:25 10:05 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:35 10:55 11:15 17:05 17:55 17:55 18:35 13:00 14:45 12:40 14:45 13:00 14:45 12:40 14:45 13:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 12:40 14:45 14:40 16:45 14:20 16:45 14:40 16:45 14:20 16:45 15:55 16:45 14:20 16:45 14:20 09:30 09:05 13:15 14:00 14:00 14:50 09:05 13:15 14:00 14:50 13:55 17:40 18:10 19:20 13:35 18:10 17:40 18:10 19:20

Flight
MON FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 TUE FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 WED FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 THUR FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 FRI FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SAT FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306 SUN FD 3771 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 8M 331 PG 704 FD 3773 TG 306

Dep

Arr

Flight
SAT 8M 231 MI 511 8M 6232 MI 517 SUN 8M 231 MI 511

Dep

Arr

Flight
MON 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 TUE 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 WED 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 THUR 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 FRI 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 FD 3772 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 SAT 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332 SUN 8M 336 FD 3770 TG 303 PG 701 PG 703 FD 3772 TG 305 8M 332

Dep

Arr

Flight
SAT MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520 SUN MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

Dep

Arr

YANGON TO NAYPYITAW NAYPYITAW TO YANGON YANGON TO MANDALAY

AW 891 6T 405 AW 911 6T 401 W9 011 6T 801 AW 761 6T 351 K7 824 AW 791 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 6T 405 AW 891 AW 901 W9 251 6T 401 6T 801 YH 729 AW 761 K7 622 6T 501 6T 405 AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 6T 331 6T 801 AW 751 YH 737 6T 351 K7 824 W9 261 AW 791 YH 731 6T 501 K7 228 YH 909 AW 891 6T 405 AW 901 6T 401 W9 255 6T 331 YH 729 AW 201 K7 622 K7 226 6T 501 YH 731 AW 891 6T 405 W9 251 6T 401 YH 917 6T 331 AW 751 K7 824 AW 211 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 W9 271 6T 403 YH 909 AW 891 AW 911 6T 401 6T 801 YH 729 AW 601 K7 622 6T 501 AW 891 YH 909 AW 891 6T 405 6T 401 W9 255 6T 801 AW 211 AW 751 K7 622 6T 501 YH 634 AW 892 6T 406 6T 402 W9 262 W9 021 YH 728 AW 762 6T 502 K7 825 W9 009 AW 902 AW 892 6T 406 6T 402 YH 910 W9 011 K7 229 YH 812 6T 802 W9 251 W9 150 AW 762 YH 730 6T 502

YANGON TO BANGKOK
08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40 08:30 10:15 08:50 10:35 09:50 11:45 10:55 12:50 16:30 18:15 16:40 18:35 17:40 19:25 19:45 21:40

08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

BANGKOK TO YANGON
07:10 07:55 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:55 07:10 07:55 07:55 08:50 09:15 10:05 15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

07:55 09:20 09:10 10:35 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40 07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40

NYAUNG U TO YANGON
MON

HEHO TO YANGON
MON

THUR

8M 233
MI 517

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15

TUE

YANGON TO SIEM REAP

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

8M 234
MON MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 TUE MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 WED MH 740 AK 850 THU MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 FRI MH 740 8M 502 AK 850 SAT MH 740 AK 850 SUN MH 740 8M 502 AK 850

19:40 21:05
10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 15:40 16:45 10:05 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:40 16:45

TUE

TUE

KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON

WED

YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

MON 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 TUE 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 WED MH 741 AK 851 THU 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 FRI 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 SAT SUN MH 741 AK 851 8M 501 MH 741 AK 851 WED CZ 3056 THUR 8M 711 SAT CZ 3056 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 09:00 13:00 12:15 16:30 17:15 21:30 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15 11:20 15:50 08:45 13:15

FRI

THUR

WED

WED

FRI

THUR

SAT

SAT

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

FRI

THUR

SUN

SAT

SUN

YANGON TO MYITKYINA
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN W9 255 W9 251 AW 201 W9 255 W9 251 AW 211 W9 255 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:30 09:25 09:25 09:20 09:25 09:25 08:50 09:25 SUN

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

FRI

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON
WED CZ 3055 THUR 8M 712 SAT CZ 3055 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45 08:50 10:30 14:15 15:45

YANGON TO GUANGZHOU

MYITKYINA TO YANGON
MON TUE THUR FRI SUN MON W9 256 W9 252 AW 202 W9 256 W9 252 W9 256 W9 119 AW 761 YH 727 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 K7 822 6T 801 W9 115 AW 761 YH 811 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 AW 911 W9 119 YH 737 K7 224 AW 791 6T 501 YH 731 AW 761 AW 201 YH 811 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731 AW 211 K7 224 W9 109 6T 501 YH 731 K7 822 AW 751 W9 119 YH 811 K7 224 6T 501 YH 731 09:45 12:05 09:35 09:45 12:05 09:45 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 15:00 08:00 08:00 11:00 11:00 11:15 14:00 15:00 15:00 06:30 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:00 11:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:00 08:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 15:00 12:40 15:00 12:25 12:40 15:00 12:40 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:10 16:25 09:15 10:20 12:10 12:10 12:40 15:15 16:10 16:25 08:40 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:40 16:10 16:25 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25 12:10 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:25 09:15 12:10 12:10 12:25 15:15 16:10 16:25

YANGON TO NYAUNG U
MON W9 143 AW 891 6T 405 YH 633 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 AW 901 6T 405 AW 891 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 W9 143 AW 891 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 6T 331 K7 242 AW 781 AW 891 6T 405 W9 009 AW 901 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 AW 891 6T 405 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 K7 242 AW 891 6T 403 W9 009 6T 401 K7 222 YH 917 6T 801 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:15 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:45 07:00 15:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 07:00 06:15 06:15 06:30 06:30 06:30 06:30 10:30 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:35 07:35 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:20 07:35 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:05 08:20 17:10 07:35 07:35 07:25 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:05 07:35 07:35 07:25 07:50 07:50 08:05 08:20 07:35 08:30 07:25 07:50 07:50 08:05 11:50

16:25 17:10 15:00 15:50 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

YANGON TO SITTWE
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

SUN 8M 711

SUN 8M 712

SAT

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

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

YANGON TO HEHO

TUE

YANGON TO KUNMING
TUE CA 906 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 14:15 17:35 WED CA 906 THUR CA 906 SAT SUN CA 906 CA 906

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 07:10 07:10 07:55 09:15 07:55 07:55 08:50 10:05

KUNMING TO YANGON
TUE CA 905 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 12:35 13:15 WED CA 905 THUR CA 905 SAT SUN CA 905 CA 905

SUN

TUE

WED

SITTWE TO YANGON
MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN MON TUE

WED

MANDALAY TO YANGON
MON

15:00 15:50 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:45 19:25 20:10 Mon FRI

THUR

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

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

THUR

FRI

YANGON TO SINGAPORE
MON 8M 231 MI 511 08:40 13:05 10:10 14:45

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI

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

SINGAPORE TO YANGON
MON MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45

CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

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

TUE

FRI

YANGON TO MYEIK
TUE

8M 233
MI 517 8M 231 MI 511

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

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

8M 234
TUE MI 512 8M 232 MI 518

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45

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

SAT

SAT

THUR FRI SAT

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

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45

8M 234
WED MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 THUR MI 512 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45

Domestic
6T = Air Mandalay W9 = Air Bagan AW = Asian Wings K7 = AIR KBZ YH = Yangon Airways FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways

International
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

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH

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

HO CHI MINH TO YANGON

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

SUN MON TUE

MYEIK TO YANGON

THUR FRI SAT SUN

YANGON TO PHNOM PENH

WED 8M 401 SAT 8M 401 08:50 12:50 08:50 12:50

07:55 09:20 14:10 15:35 14:20 15:45 15:20 16:40

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON

WED 8M 402 SAT 8M 402 13:50 15:15 13:50 15:15

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

14:15 18:40
16:40 21:15 08:00 12:25 10:10 14:45 11:25 15:50 16:40 21:15

8M 234
FRI MI 512 8M 6231 8M 232 MI 518 MI 520

19:40 21:05
07:55 09:10 14:10 14:20 15:20 09:20 10:35 15:35 15:45 16:40

YANGON TO GAYA
WED 8M 601 SAT 8M 601 09:00 10:30 09:00 10:30

GAYA TO YANGON
WED 8M 602 SAT 8M 602 11:30 15:00 11:30 15:00

Subject to change without notice

tea Break
March 19 - 25, 2012
the

40
MyanMar tiMes

Myanmar chefs learn ingredients for success

YOUR STARS
By Astrologer Aung Myin Kyaw
Aquarius
Your enjoyment of worldly objects is sure to lead to delusion. Make up your mind to set limits on such enjoyments, and curb your constant thinking about your material desires. Knowing what you dont want in life is important because it makes it easier to identify the things you want to eliminate from your life.

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Pisces

Focus on striving for positive changes in society and within yourself. If you find that you are incompatible with others, look inside yourself to discover the reason instead of blaming everyone else first. Communication is the key to maintaining harmony in social relationships. Lack of mutual understanding between you and your partner will be a cause of friction.

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Aries

Put energy into developing the friendships you would like to have, but dont beat yourself up if someone is ultimately not as interested as you are in exploring that relationship. You cant be great at work until you feel great about yourself. You cant be a source of positive energy if you have no energy. Walking through the doorway to success requires looking outward rather than inward.

March 21 - April 19

Taurus

If you see no reason to change for the sake of change, consider whether you might be clinging too tightly to a dogmatic mindset. What is holding you back is yourself and your self-indulgent nature. Create domestic harmony by familiarising yourself with the special needs of your family members. Rather than indulging in a protracted battle of the wills with your partner, strike a compromise as quickly as possible.

April 20 - May 20

Gemini

Positive change requires a constructive attitude. Your ideas for implementation must be positive and optimistic. Friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. Incompatibility in social communication gains nothing but enmity.

May 21 - June 20

Cancer

Jeoffrey Offer (second left), the French head chef at the Shwe Sa Bwe cookery school, teaches Myanmar trainees at the school in Yangon on March 9. Pic: AFP By Rachel OBrien YANGON As Myanmar opens up to the world, one cooking school is giving wannabe chefs a chance to shine in the bustling kitchens of Yangon as the city prepares for an influx of foreign visitors. Trainees at the Shwe Sa Bwe (Golden Table) cookery school are learning how to whip up a gazpacho soup, flip crepes and perfectly grill juicy chunks of chicken all on the menu du jour for paying guests. The centre, in a quiet upmarket area just north of Yangons Inya Lake, offers free courses to underprivileged young Myanmar, giving them the chance to learn Frenchbased cuisine or restaurant hospitality. Francois Stoupan, the Frenchman behind the project, says his aim is for the trainees to be part of the economy and the growth of the country after their nine months of training. Before I only knew about Myanmars food but now Im learning about European food, which is very different, said 26-year-old Win Mu. Its a little bit difficult, especially making the sauces. It takes time. Set up in November and now with 14 students, the project has come at an apposite time for Myanmars underdeveloped commercial hub, which is struggling to accommodate a visitor boom. After decades of outright military rule, dramatic changes over the past year have encouraged foreign tourists, diplomats and business people to pile into the citys hotels, where Shwe Sa Bwes students hope to eventually work. Its corresponding to a moment in Myanmars history and a period of opening up, said Mr Stoupan. Tou rist a rrivals hit a record high for a second year running in 2011, rising more than 20 percent, The Myanmar Times weekly said in January quoting figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. The trend is set to continue as it becomes ever easier to obtain an entry visa, and with Myanmar ranked become more adventurous in their tastes. Sharkys, a delicatessen and restaurant business, initially targeted wealthy expatriates but is seeing its clientele diversify because of the changing situation, the economy, everything, said operations director Thaw Tar. We want to be like Bangkok or more than Bangkok. This is our dream, but who knows if it can happen? said Thaw Tar, whose eatery sells foods grown, farmed and prepared in Myanmar, from air-dried meats and artisan cheeses to gourmet burgers and icecream. Traditional dishes, which to excite the taste buds. Everybody knows Thai dishes, so we think we should come out more so the world knows Myanmars food, said Phyu Phyu Tin, owner of Monsoon, one of a handful of restaurants in the city that combine a chic dining experience with Myanmar dishes such as wet tha acho chet, a sweet and rich pork curry. The restaurants manager, Aung Moe Winn, said that Myanmar has historically lost many of its energetic young workers to overseas cities with booming service sectors a trend he hopes will now change. We want them to use their qualities and skills to develop our country, he said. At Shwe Sa Bwe, the students were chosen partly for their willingness to stay in Myanmar, and already they are devising ambitious plans to develop their countrys cuisine. After a stint in a Yangon hotel, Win Mu hopes to set up a fusion restaurant near her family home in northeastern Shan State, serving a blend of European and Myanmar dishes. It is perhaps the ideal recipe to match Myanmars growing interaction with the outside world even if Gallic cuisine sometimes baffles the Myanmar. Myanmar people eat their beef well-done but the French eat it raw. Thats how foreigners like it! For me, thats really strange, said Win Mu. AFP

Polish your disposition using knowledge, and correct your attitude by using mental faculties that can be developed through meditation. You should be fearless but cautious in giving tongue to your thoughts, and know that a word uttered thoughtlessly and without due consideration might lead to chaos. Be brave about your love.

June 22 - July 22

Leo

Do you know that the entire visible world that we see all around us is the creation of our own minds? You need to development a proper mental attitude regarding your relationship with material objects and activities. Pay more attention to seeing beyond appearances, and never stop developing your social communication skills. Dont start an unnecessary war that will destabilise your calm relationship.

July 23 - Aug 22

Virgo

Nothing remains the same even for a single moment. Keep your mind clear to understand the art of living, as well as to determine what actions will best fulfil your needs. Once you perceive the everchanging nature of the world, it will be easier to let go of unwanted baggage. Be courageous and set your mind on the path to positive change.

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Libra

knows Thai we Everybodyshould come dishes, soso think we out more the world knows Myanmars food.
as a top travel destination for 2012 by publications including the New York Times and Conde Nast Traveller. Such attention is highlighting the culinary potential of Yangon, where foreign chefs are enthusiastic about local produce. There are fresh ingredients very fresh local ingredients. If you go to the market early at six in the morning, the fish are still alive, still moving, said Jeoffrey Offer, the French head chef at Shwe Sa Bwe. Experiments with locally sourced produce are already thriving in the former colonial capital, as wealthy Burmese have long languished in the shadows of neighbouring Thailand and Indias worldrenowned flavours, are also getting their time in the sun. The unofficial national dish, mohinga, featured highly in a new Lonely Planet guide to the worlds best street food. This comforting noodle soup exemplifies the earthy flavours of the countrys cuisine, it said of the dish typically made with banana tree stems, ginger, tumeric, lemongrass and other spices in a fish soup. All in all, say local restaurateurs, there is plenty

It is very important to develop a sense of self-respect. Never be afraid to speak up for the cause that you feel is right. Listen carefully, but dont take everything youre told at face value. Develop your own acid-test for doing the right thing and for judging situations for yourself. Fear of the unknown should not deter you from embracing the love that you want.

Sept 23 - Oct 22

Scorpio

Be ready to seize an unexpected opportunity to try something different, but at the same time strive for a sense of perspective. Turning disappointments into appointments requires proper decisions at the proper times. The practice of positive self-talk is one of the most important keys to the enhancement of self-respect.

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Sagittarius

Empty your mind of all negative and failure-oriented thoughts. Convince yourself that you are a competent person with a lot of the right stuff within you. Rather than indulging in self-pity, fill yourself full of enthusiasm. The only way to conquer any fault is to think persistently of the opposite virtue.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Capricorn

Stretch your mind and get stimulated. Your actions and deeds should speak louder than words. Turn your barriers into constructive bridges. Set your goals on a daily basis as well as on a long-term basis. Bring renewed optimism to your quest for love, and understand that strong romantic relations are built over a lifetime. The beauty of love lies in the emotional consistency that can develop between two people. 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
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& Rhymes, Excursion. Time Duration ; School Hour:9:00-15:00 (Close only Sat & Sun). English, Chinese Language, Computer Course : Sat & Sun. No.17, Kamarkyi Rd, Thuwunna .Email : preschoolabc@gmail. com SUMMEr and regular English Classes: Four skills and grammar will be taught by an experienced teacher with international exposure: An ideal home tutor & will guide your children with special care and attention: Teacher Maw Maw:ph 09-431-97513 maw. san@gmail.com

Online : Are you looking to buy, rent, sell or rent out your property? Please visit us at: www.eainsearch.com or call: 09 732 493 78

leveling! Calls Teacher Min Thant Ph: 0973173175. Email: khinmin@gmail. com

For Rent
CAr rENTAL : If you want to rent the car (Yangon area or Outside Yangon Area), Mark II Saloon, Reasonable price, with air condition, Skillful Driver. Call : Mr Ohn Htay. Ph: 0949285142 CAr: Model : 90 Mark II Car No: 7A, Color: Dark Gray, Car Condition: Fine, Price : 5.5 lakhs per 1 month (Negoti-able), Contact Person : Mr. Win Lwin Thant, Contact Ph : 09-430-39613 HAVE YOUr OffICE at the prestigious central towers for only 39000 kyats a month. Pls call 09-492-47013, 01-377151. For more details about the facilities and services offered.

Language
HOME TUTION japanese language regular course (basic, inter) jpn going course, myanmar language for japanese. Ph: 09-7303-2296 ENgLISH language at your home. Interested persons kindly contact ph : 09-430-57719, 09730-21435. MYANMAr for foreigners. Ph: 09-731-61269. gUIdE (For Embassy family and others) When you stay in Myanmar,do you want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language ? Call-09-732-23668 (ko soe thi aung) fOr fOrEIgNErS Interested in learning Myanmar Speaking easily & effectively in a short time with Myanmar English Teacher. Save your time & money. Contact : 09-517 9125. KEEN Intl Language Centre - Progressive Myanmar Language Private Classes for Foreigners who live in Myanmar. Effective Program for new sections are available. For more information, pls contact : keencentre @gmail. com TEACHEr Daw Khin Thawda Aung, English Grammar & Speaking in 60 hrs. IELTS, TOEFL, GCE & SAT in 120 hrs. Tel: 556571, 09-5089368. MYANMAr LANgUAgE Guide (For Embassy family and others) When you stay in Myanmar, do You want to ask to your children to learn Myanmar language? Call: 09-514-6505, 09730-75265. 501846 Ext:191 (Christine) LEArN ENgLISH! In a quiet atmosphere and fun with an experienced teacher Certified in TEFL patient, friendly, organized Enjoys English language: daily conversations, business issues, preparation for examinations. Develop your skills: reading, writing, listening comprehension,conversation, grammar and vocabulary. Mode of work: textbooks, novels, magazines, newspapers, audio, video, etc. To all levels & ages individual classes or groups reviews of

2 Headphone Apple Superdrive New cmda 800mhz + c8500 handset with no internet Ph: 09730-48374 iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch , PSP Services :Jailbreak , game install, Version Upgrade, iPhone4 / 4S sim card cutting, PSP modify + Games Service, Create iTunes account (ygn / mdy), Create Gmail account (ygn / mdy), Ph: 09-73903193 (mandalay only)

Public Notice
PHOTOgrAPHY Especially food and interior photography for Hotels & Restaurant Contact ; Sam (Ph : 09731-74404) MYANMAr COOK Book A unique Myanmar Cook Book with recipes for practical usage, written in English by Daw Ena WinB.FastMo hinga,Ohn no Khauk swear, Shwe taung Khauk swear, etc . . .Rice & CurryChicken Curry, Duck Curry,Prawn Curry etc, Myanmar Style. Available in Yangon (1). Innwa Book Store, Pansodan St. Ph: 389838, 374234. (2). Myanmar Book Centre, Ph: 221271 (3). Bishop store, Old Yaydarshay Rd, Bahan (4).Tab Book Center, Taw win Plaza, Ph: 8600042, 8600043 (Daw Ena Win & Associates)

Expert Service
WE provide:(1) Buying vehicle One Stop Service for Scrapped-earowners and tax-payers. (2)Courier Service for documents and goods to Singapore. (3) Applying Licence in Nay Pyi Taw. (4) Arranging Bank Documents. (5) Arranging Shipping Documents & Transportation. (6) Distribution Services. (7) Finding Oversea Customers. (8) Air Cargo and Sea Cargo Services. (9) Services for Trading, Banking and Shipping to any country via Singapore. Winner Ocean Trading Co., Ltd :75/B, 15 St, Middle Block, Lanmadaw. Ph: 01-03450030, 01212985, 09-430-88422, 09-516-1716. TrANSLATION: Those who are looking for a competent translator; I provide English to Myanmar and Myanmar to English. Specialize in Novel, business and ngos materialsetc: Pls Contact Daw Maw Maw San ph: 09-431-97513 mail: maw.san @ gmail. com rEAL PrOPErTY Service If you want to buy, sell or rent Land, Condominium, apartment, house Office and need advice regarding with property, contact 0973135900,01-569448. dOWNLOAdINgService :We offer services for downloading large file with fair price. Just contact us. info. futuretech. mm@ gmail. com Ph: 09-5160225,09-515-0720 COMPUTEr TUTOr :Basic, DTP, Video, editing, Graphic, Zaua. Ph:09-730-227 43 zauatahan @ gmail. com No. 7, 7A, 89th St, Kandawlay, Yangon SEArCH PrOPErTY

For Sale
rAzEr Starcraft 2 Headphone , Apple Superdrive New, HTC sensation XE Beat, Dual Core 1.5mhz, Memory 768mb, 8MP Camera with beat earphone Used Price - 380000. Ph: 09730-48374 CANON dIgITAL Camera EOS:50D (Body only) + 1extra battery and battery grid (BG E2N) In original package and Camera Guide Magazine. @ 600,000Kyats (Fixed price) ph:09-492-43310. 2 TEA-CUPS Yorkshires Free To Re-Homing Contact: xtionbert@ gmail.com (1) CdMA 800 MHz (09730xxxxx) and used Genuine Samsung Coby SCH-F339 Touchscreen Handset with three colored back cover : 650,000 Ks. (2) USED Geniune Sony-Ericsson W595 GSM handset with 2GB Memory card : 70,000 Ks. Contact - Ko Sai : 510770 iPhone 4S - 16G Black Brand new. ph:09- 43184138. TV 21" Toshiba 218*8m + VCD : 80000 SONY 21": 80000/- Sansung oneset 21": 30000/ 1G, ph; 09501-0830 Hd gAME, app (install) iPhone, iPod 6000ks, iPad 8000ks, iTunes : account open (free game,app download) , iOS 5 all iDevices full untethered: jailbreak (power off) iPhone 4s, iPad 2 available. contact :09-514-7480 rAzEr STArCrAfT

Training
.NET Programming : Home (1) C#.Net, (2) Asp.Net, (3) Sql Server, (4) Other Programming Concept With Project Contact me:Thanda 09731-63643 MAKEUP Artist from Bangkok is in Yangon for 2 months and avaliable to give private makeup classes in both English and Burmese in request. Availiable subjects are Basic Makeup Application, Products Information & Usageof Knowledge, Highlighting & Contouring, Film/TV makeup, Photography makeup, Events makeup, Bridal makeup, Male grooming and so on for both Pro and Begginer level. My works can be seen on www. facebook. com/Makeup.Flora and you can contact me directly at 01 80 10 912. Flora (Thet Thet ) gUITAr gUIdE To Home Ph:09-731-94925

To 15 , 2012 ( 3N/4D ) Ngapali Beach Fully Package Tours. Including Air Ticket (Round Trip ) 3 star Hotel (3 Night) Meal (Breakfast 3 times , Lunch 4 times , Dinner 3 times) Thandwe Airport to Ngapali Beach car transpor-tation Tour price 490000 Ks / pax Contact person Ms. OUNG [ Ms. Mya Mya Oung, (Tour Manager of Oake Khaung Travels & Tours) Ph: 09-73242224 Oake Khaung Travels & Tours Co.,Ltd: W-1, West Aung San Stadium, Mingalar Taung Nyunt , Tel (off): 01252953, 383968, 707093, 725-858, 706305, 721212, 4413319, 09-730-42266, 09-73042277. Fax: 01-383968 E-mail : oktouroperator @ gmail. com, Website: www. okmyanmar travels.com ELEgANT MYANMAr Tours Company Ltd ! Special Promotion in April 2012 to welcome Myanmar New Year!! Trip to the Virgin Islands in Mergui Archipelago by cruise 6 Days 5 Nights (5 April 2012 to 10 April 2012) 550000 Ks Now (Local) & 720 USD Now (Foreigner) Special promotion trip for launching a new Mergui Princess Boat ! 5 Days 4 Nights (11 April 2012 to 15 April 2012) & (18 April 2012 to 22 April 2012) Kawthaung, 115 Island, Nyaung Wee Island, Myauk Ni Island, Ranong for shopping 660 USD per pax (Foreigner) + 430000 Ks (Local) Book now with us! Email: mergui princess @gmail. com, Ph: 01-401261, +95-9-43064296

PROPERTY
HousingforRent
BAHAN, Apartment along New University Ave Rd, Good electricity & water essential. Fully furnished with 2-3 rooms with attached toilet. Rent Rate - USD500 to USD700 per month. (6 month advance rental). Rental period 1 to 3 years. Pls contact : 09512-8095 - Ma Thinzar Oo BAHAN: Golden Valley, Two Story Building, Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 2MB, 2SB, Ph,A/C,GoodNeighborhood, 20 Lakhs, Foreigners welcome. Call - 09-432-00669 BAHAN, Takathoyeik mon condo, 7F, 1500 Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1PH, 6 Lakhs, Ph : 09-73135900 THINgANgYUN, 40 x 60 3RC ThuMinGaLar Rd, Good location for car show room and business. ph: 09-430-80638. BAHAN, Golden Valley, 0.35 acre Land, big garden, 2 storey, ph line, semi-furnished, 4 MBR, US$ 3000 per month, Ph: 09-5020969 CHINA TOWN apartment, lift, 17x 59', Ph line, 2AC, 2MBR, Jacuzzi, Funished Room, water heater, US$ 1000/ 8 Lakhs per month, Ph: 09-502-0969 MAYANgONE, Pyay Rd, 0.5acre land, 2RC Storey new house, 5 master bed rooms, ph, Fully furnished, big garden, US$ 3500 Per month, Ph: 09-503-4954 KAMAYUT , Inya Rd 0.3acre land, 2.2RC Storey, 2MBR, 7BR, garden, ph line, US$ 3200 per month, Pls call 09-503-4954 BAHAN, : Shwe Gondaing, Condo, 7F, 1500 Sqf , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR ,1Ph, 750 USD, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), near down town, near golden Vally Call-01-569448, 09-731-35900 BAHAN : New University Avenue Lane, Condo, 7F, 1500Sqft , Fully Furnished, Fully Furniture, 3 A/C, 1 MBR, 2 SBR, 1Ph, (Suitable to Rent for Foreigner), 800USD. Call-01569448, 09-731-35900 CHANTHA gONYAUNg Executive Codominiums - Penthouse/ Rooms. - 4 rooms, 5 rooms. - Fully Furnished. - Amazing serenity and satisfactory facilities, club restaurant. - 24 hours electricity internet, cable TV. -Brookers welcome. -Interested parties pls call 430078 to 87 (Ext : 0,303), 09-43085887, 09-430-85889, BAHAN, Kanbawza Rd, Golden Valley, Bahan, Yangon. 30x30 ft, 2 new stories building with 30x110 ft land. Backyard lawn and greenery. Very quiet place.1 master bed room and 2 bed rooms. Fully furnished. Best electricity in town. YCDC water. US$ 1200/mt.Can provide phone/internet depend on price. Ph: 09-732-06783 ,09-5010816. SUPErB location for TRUCKS parking in downtown area. 5 minutes drive from Hle Dan Junction. 15 minutes drive to Hlaing Thar Yar, airport. Dhama Thukha Kyaung Rd, Hlaing. 0.8 acres compound: (a) land only (b) 2 x 3-phase industrial power meter (c) 1 x phone landline pls contact 09 5012920

Housing for Sale

MANdALAY, La La - 63, Industrial Zone (40' x 60') 2 Blocks (Can contact directly to Owner, Ph: 01 565751) MANdALAY : 26(B) Rd, between (86/87) Aungmyaytharsan Township. (22 feet X 75 feet ) Ph: 09-504-8704, 02-21915. SOUTH OKKALA, 20' x 60' house, Anawmar 2nd St , Block 13, Ph: 572607, 09-861-8286. BAHAN, Locate at Golden Valley 2, Inya Myaing Rd, Total Sqft 14950 (Nearly 15000) Price - 250000 per Sqft. Ph: 513160.

Want To Buy
USEd LAPTOP, Notebook, Netbook, MacbookPro, Samsung Galaxy Tablet, Digital Camera, External Hardisk, Used Phone Nokia Blackberry HTC Sony Ericsson Samsung Galaxy S2 Galaxy Note, Huawei Apple Ipod Touch 4G Iphone 3gs iphone 4, 4s handset Ipad Ipad2 ) Ph: 09-517-8391

Rent / Sale
TAMWAE : Lovely Banglow, 2 Story, 1 MB, 2SB, 50x100' Yard, Fully Furnished, 1Ph, 9 Lakhs, Foreigners welcome. Call - 01-569448, 09731-35900

Education
SPArE just a few hours every week. With steady pace you can achieve, See for yourself at ease! (Home tuition available) Teacher Moe (Retired Lecturer) Ph: 09-5600747. ABC PrESCHOOL, Subjects : English (4) Skills, Science, Basis Mathematics,Concepts, Myanmar, Hand Work, Drawing & Colouring, Performing Art, Social Studies, Poems , Songs

Want To Hire
A MNC that is planning to open an office in Yangon is seeking the following for short term and long term lease; Land Crusier, Pajero, and Toyota Hiace, aircon, and must be clean, to include driver. Pls quote on a daily, weekly & monthly lease terms.

Want to hire
TO HIrE Suitable building to run an office (or) to take relax two bed rooms with bathroom attached About 7 miles from Pathein bridge road side of Pathein Ngwe Saung run way Contact: 09-520-1910, 534580

Travel
THINgYAN Promotion Beach Tour SALE Ngapali April 12

Employment
UN Positions
THE United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is seeking for: Advocacy and Policy Advisory Service (Individual Consultant): Duty Station: Yangon. Masters Degree or equivalent in political or social sciences or related field and demonstrated work experience in HIV/ AIDS and harm reduction, preferable but not essential. Interested individial Consultant must submit the following documents/ information to demon-strate their qualificat-ions: (1) Proposal: (i) Explaining why the consultants is the most suitable for the work. (ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). (2) Financial proposal. (3) Personal CV including past experience in similar assignments carried out for other organizations and at least 3 references. Proposal should be submitted to: UNODC, 11A, Maylikha Rd, Ward-7, Mayangone, Yangon, Myanmar. (or) C/O UNDP, POBox (650), Yangon, or by email to fo.mm@undp. org not later than 23 March 2012. Applications can be submitted from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm till March 21st, 2012. Yangon OR by email to hr.helpagemyanmar@ gmail.com no later than 5.00 p.m., 23rd March 2012. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. CArE Myanmar organization is seeking the following positions . (1) Senior Program Officer (Partnership) - Mindat, Southern Chin State - 1 post, Closing date: 22nd March 2012 (2) Senior Program Officer (Gender) - Yangon - 1 post, Closing date: 27th March 2012 (3) Emergency Coordinator (Re-announcement) - Yangon - 1 post, Closing date: 28th March2012 (Wednes-day) Qualify women are strongly encourage to apply . Pls request the detailed Terms of Reference at the CARE Myanmar office during office hours (8:30 to 5:00) between Monday to Friday or can obtain by email: recruitment@ care.org.mm 17A, Pyi Htaung Su St, Sayarsan Rd, Sayarsan NorthWest Ward, Bahan, Tel: 401419, 401420. BUrNET Institute Myanmar is an Int'l Non Government Organization which seeks dedicated people for the following position. (1)Receptionist -1 Post Closing date is March 26, 2012(Monday), 5:00 PM. Detailed information could be seen at the notice board of our Burnet office. Interested & qualified applications are required to submit an Application letter and CV to Human Resource Officer at Burnet Institute Office: 226, 2nd Flr, Wizaya Plaza, U Wisara Rd, Bahan, or by email to burnet. myanmar@ gmail. com no later than March 26, 2012 (Monday) . SOLIdArITES Int'l (SI) is seeking Human Resource Officer (HR Offier) : Humanitarian values & strong motivation to gain experience with Int'l Humanitarian Organization. Last years of University Degree (preferably in Int'l relations, Public relations, Diplomatic career, Public Administration, Business administration,accountancy or related area) or related experience in similar area. Fluent in English & Myanmar. Good writing & com-munication skills. Flexible, reactive, trustful and calm under pressure. Knowledge of MS office. Pls submit application (CV, cover letter,references)byemail on the following e-mail : ygn.adm. coordo@ solidarites-international. org, hr. solidarites.mm@ gmail. com Important: the position you want to apply for has to be specified in the subject of your e-mail, other-wise the application will not be considered as valid. Closing date: 31.3.12. For Resident - Admin/ Computer 1 Post (Male), Store Incharge 2 Posts, Accountant 1 Post, For Others - Driver 1 Post. Apply to Human Resources DepartmentNo.199, 34th st, Upper Block, Kyauktada Tsp. SAVOY HOTEL is urgently looking for (1) Chief Engineer - 1 post 5 years experience . (2) HR/Payroll Assistant - 1 post : 2 years experience. (3) reservation Assistant - 1 post (4) Waiter/Waitress - 3 posts. For Position 3 & 4 1 year experience in hotel fields. Applicat-ion letter by email to operations @ savoyhotel-yangon. com or 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Yangon. Tel: 526298, 526289. INCEPTA Pharmaceutical Ltd is looking for Medical Promotion Officer (MPO) - 4 posts :Preferably science graduate with 1-2 year experience. Interested candidates are requested for a walk-in-interview in the following address with updated CV in between 10-12 am and 3-5 pm everyday from 14th March to 10th April 2012. Incepta Pharmaceuti-cal Ltd. No.92/94, Rm #3B, 52nd St, Pazun-daung. Ph: 294859, 09-519-0127. grEAT Foundation Industries Co., Ltd is seeking (1)Public Relation Officer - M/F 1 post : Any graduate (more prefer MPA), Age above 35, 4 years experience, (2) Computer Care Officer - M/F 1 post : Any graduate, Age 30 ~ 40, 3 years experience in sales & marketing field, (3)Marketing Manager M/F 1 post :Any graduate, Age 35 & above, 3 years experience. (4)Asst: Factory Manager - M 2 posts : Any graduate, Age 40 years & above, 3 years experience (4) Sales Supervisor - M/F 6 posts : Any graduate, Age 30 ~ 40, 3 years experience (6)Office staff - F 7 posts : Any graduate, Age 25 ~ 30, (7)Sales & Marketing M 4 posts : 10th Standard or Any graduate, 2 years experience (8) Sales & driving - M 4 posts : Age 20 ~ 25, 2 years experience. Pls submit CV, passport photo, with necessary documents to 113, Bayintnaung Rd, Cor of Kanaung Min Thar Gyi Rd, Zone 4, Shwe Pyi Thar. Ph: 618290, 618291. Clos-ing date 23.3.2012. THE MISSION of RV! Centre Yangon is Developing People & Business Internationally. If you are seeking a career with an organization that will help you to grow, come and join us. (1) Trainers to teach: a.A level Economic. b.IGCSE Accounting. c.Business Studies (Principles of Marketing, Principles of Management e.g.) The trainers must be able to teach the subjects in English. (2) Sales Staff with proficient English and computer skills. (3) Graphic Designers - Good design ideas and creative thinking. Proficient in using design tools like Adobe Master Collection CS5 (Photoshop, Flash Professional & Illustrator). General IT knowledge. (4) driver. detailed personal and career history, a recent photograph to Centre and Training Manager RV! Centre Yangon : 44, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan . hr.rvcentre@gmail. com within 7 days. Pls indicate the position applied for together with your expected salary in application. WE are urgently seeking (1) general Manager M 1 Post : Any Graduate or Higher Degree (MBA is preferable). Age 3545. 7 years experience. knowledge in English. (2) Hr Manager - M/F 1 Post : Any graduate, more preferable MBA degree or DMA diploma holder. Age 30 ~ 45. 5 years experience. Demonstrable experience in Microsoft Office, especially Access & Excel. Effective spoken & written English. (3) Business development Manager - M/F 1 Post : Any Graduate or higher degree (MBA is preferable). Age 35-45. 5 years experiences . Good command of English, Computer literate. (4) Dy Manager/ Asst: Manager - M/F 1 Post: Any Graduate (MBA is preferable). Age 35 ~ 45. 3 years experience. Ability to communicat-ion with English. Computer literate. (5) Senior Executive (Commercial) - M/F 2 Posts : Working experience in commercial Fields (Export, Import docu-mentation). Age under 35. 3 years experience. Good command of English/ Chinese is preferable. Computer literate. For 5 & 6 : Must be staying in Northern Shan State alternative-ly. (6) Senior Account-ant - M/F 2 Posts : B.Com, B.Act, CPA or Higher Degree. Age 30-45. 5 years experience. Must be staying in Northern Shan State alternatively & meal are arranged during in Shan (Nam Kham). Good command of English/ Chinese is preferable. (7) Business development Executive - M/F 2 Posts : Any Graduate. Age under 35. 1 ~ 2 years experiences in Business development & Tender field. Good command of English. Computer literate.(8) Manager for Executive Office - M/F 1 Post : Any Graduate (MBA is preferable). Age 35-45. 5 years experience in Cooperative multiple tasks with all concerning department. Good command in English . Computer literate. Pls submit an application letter, with full CV detailing experience, knowledge and skills. Pls include the names and contact details of referees to the HR Department by email to hrd1@ pristinemyanmar. com or PO Box 428 or No.B/7, Taw Win Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangone, within 2 weeks. TrAVEL Company is seeking (1) Inbound Sales & Marketing Executive. (2) Outbound Marketing. Remark: Only who has experiences in Tourism Industry. Ph: 371722, 700894, 09-731-93410, 09-731-93420. (1) dESIgNEr & Architect - Furniture Design / Interior - AutoCAD , Photo shop, Illustrator (2) Programmer - IT, Computer Engineering, Able to create database, Programming with 2 years experience (3) Sales & Marketing Executives :5 years experience in Interior Design Material/ Furniture.All posts must have 3 to 5 years experience and good command of English & computer skills. Able to drive will be of advantage. Ph: 505345, 707942 email: tps.ygn @ gmail.com TPS Wooden Industries Sdn Bhd. 135 - A1, Than Lwin Rd, Kamayut. JAPANESE Newly Investment Company at Yangon EnBiz Myanmar Ltd. (pre-established) Employ-ment condition and qualification: all the following fields required & age 22-50 years, M/F. Salary is negotiable. English or Japanese communicat-ion skill, minimum computer skill like MS office, internet skill is needed. Managing position: MBA or Equivalent experience. Legal Advisor (commercial): labor law, commercial law etc. Accounting Advisor (commercial): business accounting Japanese Translator: business level Japanese language skill. All position Japanese or English language business level skill prefers. Pls send CV to : maymkyi @gmail. com & Kawabata@ nantsu. jp WE ArE looking for highly motivated, creative & energetic individual for Myanmar International Trading Position: Senior Admi-nistrative Assistant: Bachelor Degree preferably in Law. 3 years experience. Spoken/written Myanmar / English. Computer literate. Able to work independently with minimum supervision. Good communication skills. Duties & responsibilities. Handle the operations & administrative funct-ions & accounts. Able to multi task. Deal with all levels of the staff effectively. Handle important incoming calls. Pls send applicat-ions with updated C.V. educational certificates & references to Myanmar Intl. Trading Co., Ltd. #92 First Flr, The Strand Hotel, Strand Rd, Kyauktada . Tel:09-73090408/254270 MYANMAr Women EntrepreneursAssociation (MWEA) is the nonprofit organization in Myanmar is looking Project Manager - 1 post (Yangon) : University Degree /Master Degree in political science, business management with related field. 3 years of relevant experience in the area of project management of gender related projects. Application must include a cover letter, current CV, copies of relevant academic qualification certificate and a recent passport sized photograph. Application should be address to mwea2008 @gmail.com (or) No. 288/290, MWEA Tower, Shwedagon Pagoda Rd, Dagon Tsp. Closing Date: March 31, 2012 BLUE OCEAN Travels & Tours Co., Ltd is seeking (1) Tour Operation Manager/Assistant Manager - M/F (2) Post (2) Sales & Marketing Manager - M/F (2) Posts : 4 years above experience. Able to handle group & individual Tour Pack-age, highly motivated & resourceful. All applicants must be University Graduate, fluent in spoken & written English, must have excellent interper-sonal skill and good computer knowledge. Pls apply CV with one recent photo, other certificates, NRC copy, Labour registration card, police recommendation letter to Email : snow whitemay 56 @ gmail. com Closing Date : within two weeks fOUr rIVErS Travels & Tours Co., Ltd is seeking skillfull for tourism management 2 posts. Closing date within 2 weeks. Ph: 508110, 095064410, 09-5042669. Email: 4 rivers.2012@ gmail.com SMArT Group of Companies is looking for: (1) Secretary to President - F 1 Post : Bachelor Degree or Master Degree Holder (preferred English Major or Abroad Education). Computer Literate. Proficiency in English & Myanmar. 2 years experience in Foreign or JV Company (Abroad working experience preferred). Attractive salary. (2) Junior Accoutant - M/F 1 Post : Bachelor Degree in accouting or finance. Good in English. 1-3 years experience. Attractive salary. (3) Asst: Civil Engineer - M 1 Post : At least graduate in AGTI (Civil). Age 25 ~ 35. Good computer skill (Microsoft office & AutoCAD). Fluent in English. 2 years experience. (4) Sales Engineer - M 2 Posts : Graduate in AGTI or B.Tech or BE (Electrical Power). Computer Literate. Fluent in English. Able to travel Naypyitaw & other related area. 1 or 2 years experience in Engineering field. (5) Sales & Marketing Executive - M 1 Post : Bachelor Degree in Physics or Any graduate. Computer Literate in Microsoft Office. 1 year experien-ce . (6) driver - M 2 Posts : Must have driving license (black or red). 1 or 2 years experience. Pls send CV, 2 passport photos, copy of NRC card, academic transcripts (copy) and testimonial documents to City Bank Bldg, 4th Flr, Banyadala Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt within two weeks. A WELL established medical equipment company is looking for highly motivated engineer to fill in the service engineer post. The candidate must: Possess Bachelor degree in engineering (electronics). Have good command of both written & spoken English. Be willing to travel within Myanmar and abroad. Be self-motivated and have good interpersonal skill. Be under 30 years of age. Pls submit C.V along with recent photograph & contact number to Shwe Padauk Condominium #2C, No.99/A, Myay Nu St, Sanchaung. Ph: 532225, 532226 Ext: 835, (Within 10 days). HOrIzON Int'l Education Center is looking for qualified & energetic personnel for the following position. All candidates should be good in communi-cation & interpersonal skills. (1). driver - M 8 posts: Age 25 to 50, Can speak English is preferable,Able to drive any car , Driving license should be valid, Friendly, enthusiastic, patient & punctual, Can work long hours, Must be fit in physically and mentally Interested candidates. can come for the Walk-In interview between the office hours. Pls bring CV along with a copy of credentials to 25(A), Po Sein Rd, Bahan , Ph: 551795, 551796, Closing date: March 23rd, 2012.

INGO Position
A CONSOrTIUM of international and national organizations comprising HelpAge International, Leprosy Mission International, Network Activity Group, Myanmar YMCA and Golden Plain is seeking qualified and experience Myanmar national for the following position: Job Title: Procurement and Logistics Officer (1 post) Location: Yangon with travel to Ayartaw and Mahlaing. Qualifications and competencies: University degree preferably in Economics (BBA). Minimum three years experience in logistics and supply chain management with INGOs or UN. Proven track records in planning procurement of project items with concerned staff and delivering items to village on time. At least three years experience in procurement, storage, quality control with NGOs. Experience in working as part of multidisciplinary teams. A good team player with flexibility and adoptability , willingness to learn and ability to work to high professional manner. Good management , strong facilitation and reporting skills. Strong ability in prioritising world load, to meet the deadlines in a certain timeframe and able to work under stressful condition. Ability to work in a multicultural team. Fluency in English and Myanmar languages both written and oral. Good understanding basic computing. Interested & qualified candidates are requested to send a Cover Letter and Curriculum Vitae to the Human Resources Unit of HelpAge Internatio-nal Myanmar Country Office, No : 10 Kanbawza Avenue, Shwetaungaya Ward No. 1, Bahan Township,

Local Position
INTEr CONSULTINg Group is an int'l management consulting company. Aiming to provide a complete solution to its corporate and individual clients from starting to managing their business and services until to the growth stage. With wide range of expertise in industrial, commercial & operational knowledge, Inter Consulting deliver success in term of efficiency, innovat-ion & higher-performance to our clients business. Now we are looking for suitable candidates for the vacancies in our company. Office Helper - F (1) : At least High school level, Age 20 ~ 25, Good interpersonal & communication skill. Pls send detailed resume together with a recent passport size photo, NRC card copy & Police recommendat-ion letter, Labour card and expected salary to: Inter Consulting Group : 30 (B) Thanlwin Rd, Bahan, Ph: 09-731-05340, 09-73105353. Closing Date: 26th March, 2012. WE ArE looking for highly motivated, creative & energetic individual for Blue Oasis Restaurant & Bar: restaurant Manager: 1 Post (Male), Assistant Restaurant Manager : 1 Post (Male), For F & B Service Assistant Manager 1 Post (Male/ Female), Supervisor 2 Posts (Male/Female), Head Waiter/Waitress 4 Posts (Male/Female), Waiter 8 Posts, Waitress 8 Posts , Cashier 2 Posts (Male/Female), For Kitchen Thai Chef 2 Posts, Assistant Thai Chef 2 Posts, Butcher 3 Posts (Male/Female), Commis I & II 2 Posts, Cook Helper 2 Posts, Sanitation Workers 2 Posts (Male/Female),

Embassy
WE ArE looking for a qualified and energetic personnel for the Turkish Embassy in Yangon. (1). Office Secretary - F (1) post : Age must be under 40 years , Bachelors Degree in any field or Diploma in the relevant field, Sufficient work experience in the related field, Good command of English & Myanmar, Computer literate (Myanmar & English typing), Knowledge of Turkish Language would be preferable, Pleasant and helpful personality, Good communication skills is a must, Should have knowledge in filing system. Interested Candidate can contact Ph: 09-732-49226.

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: hankuk@ kore mby.net.mm Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. tel: 220248, 220249, 220251, 220230, fax: 221840, email: mwkyangon@mptmail. net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Road, Yangon. tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) fax: 221147, email: pakistan@ myanmar. com.mm Philippines 50, Sayasan Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 558149-151, fax: 558154, email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Road, Yangon. tel: 241955, 254161, fax: 241953, email: rusinmyan@mptmail .net.mm Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Road, P.O.Box No. 943Yangon. tel: 515282, 515283, fax: 504274, email: serbemb@ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. tel: 559001, fax: 559002, 559922, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. tel: 222812, fax: 221509, email: slembassy. yangon@gmail.com, info@slembyangon.org, www.slembyangon.org Thailand 94 Pyay Road, Dagon Township, Yangon. tel: 226721, 226728, 226824, fax: 221713 United Kingdom 80 Kanna Road, Yangon. tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, 370863, 370864, 370865, fax: 370866 United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Yangon. tel: 536509, 535756, 538038, fax: 650306 Vietnam Building No. 72, Thanlwin Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. tel: 511305, fax: 514897, email: vnemb myr@ cybertech.net.mm Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung Tsp. tel : 01-536153, 516952, fax : 01-516951 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison Officer Rm (M1212~1220), 12 Fl-A, Traders Hotel. 223, tel: 242 393, 242811. fax: 242594. IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS Rm: (1223~1231), 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. tel: 252361, 252362, 252498. fax: 252364. UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. tel: 666903, 664539. fax: 651334. UNDP 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tel: 542910-19. fax: 292739. UNFPA 6, Natmauk Rd, Bahan tsp. tel: 546029. UNHCR 287, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung tsp. tel: 524022, 524024. fax 524031. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel.tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., BHN tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, KTDA. tel: 375527~32, fax: 375552 email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, MYGN. tel: 666903, 660556, 660538, 660398, 664539, fax: 651334. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org www. unodc.org./myanmar/ UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd floor, 37, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 951657281~7. Fax: 657279. UNRC 6, Natmauk Rd, P.O. Box 650, TMWE tel: 542911~19, 292637 (Resident Coordinator), fax: 292739, 544531. WFP 3rd-flr, Inya Lake Hotel, 37, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 657011~6 (6-lines) Ext: 2000. WHO 12A Fl, Traders Hotel. tel:250583. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Township. Ph: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

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

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

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

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

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872 Golden Aye Yeik Mon Hotel 4, Padauk Lane, 4th Word, Aye Yeik Mon Housing, Hlaing. tel: 681706. Hotel Yangon No. 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Mayangone. tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. Orchid Hotel 91, Anawrahta street, Pazundaung Township, Yangon, . Tel: 399930, 704740, 293261. 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) 502016-8, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi TawTel: 067-420778, E-mail freshaircon@gkmyanmar. com.mm. URL: http:// www.freshaircon.com General 83-91, G-F, Bo Aung Kyaw St, Kyauktada Tsp, tel : 706223, 371906

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

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

Tel: 95-67-422088, 422099

ACCOMMODATION LONG TERM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

mt QuiCk guide
March 19 - 25, 2012
BEAUTY & MASSAGE
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
the

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CONSTRUCTION ENTERTAINMENT GAS COOKER & COOKER HOODS
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

A Little Dayspa No. 475 C, Pyi Road, (Between Sweety Home & Shwe Kant Kaw Silk) Kamayut, Yangon. Tel: 09-431-28831.

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, Bld(A), Rm (G-02), Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 52717, 09 51 70528

CAFS

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

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

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.

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

La Brasserie (International) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel : 250388. Qi Foot Spa At Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: +951-662866, 662857 Ext: 1725 Cafe de Angel Always Pure & Fresh No.24, Baho Rd, Ahlone Tsp. tel : 703449 Opening Hour: 9 am to 11 pm

DUTY FREE

GENERATORS
Heavy Equipments & Genset

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

SR 22/1, Next to the Pearl Shopping Centre, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: 544 297, 549 527, 700 777 , fax: 558 044. email: eros@ mptmail.net.mm. www.erosspa.com

We are moving to: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon.

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

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

Zen Wellness Care No.62 (A), Room-3, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951-252939.

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

EDUCATION CENTRE
MHR Business & Management Institute 905, 9th floor, Modern Iron Market(Thanzay Condo) Lanmadaw St. tel: 707822. NELC (Nelson English Language Centre Young Learner & Adults No 53, Dhamayon Street, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Tsp. tel: 534287 NLEC 82 Anawrahta Rd, Corner of 39 St, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 250225. RV! Centre Yangon Tel: 535433, 541886, 242410, 250388 Ext: 333. email: ask@rvcenre.com.sg The British Council 92, Strand Rd, Kyauktada Tsp. tel: 254658.

HOME FURNISHING

BATTERY
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.

CHOCOLATE
ISO 9001:2008 (QMS)

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

22, Pyay Rd, 9 mile, Mayangone Tsp. tel: 660769, 664363. Home Plus Trading Co., Ltd. No. 457, Aung San Stadium, Mingalartungnyunt Tsp. tel: 394888. Fax: 393008.

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
Shimmering Gold Services Co., Ltd.
VICTOrY fOr LIfE

BANGKOK, THAILAND

HEALTH SERVICES

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

FLORAL SERVICES

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

VEJTHANI MYANMAR REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE No.125(C), West Shwe Gon Dine Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar. 01-3449977. Hot Line: 09-507-1111, 01-555448, 555998. vejthani@myanmar.com.mm www.vejthani.com

Inya Day Spa

BOOK STORES

COLD STORAGE

ELECTRICAL

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

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

Room - 4021, 3rd Floor, Taw Win Centre. Ph: 8600111 (Ext:4021), 09-803-2581.

Innwa Book Store No. 246, Rm.201/301, GF, Pansodan Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 389838, 243216, 374324, 514387

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

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

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

Agent Office, 5th Floor, Junction Centre (Maw Tin), Lanmadaw Township, Yangon. Myanmar. Ph: 09-731-56770, 09-5117584, Fax: 01-516313, myanmarmeditour@gmail. com Bumrungrad Intl Rm 238, Summit Parkview Hotel, Dagon Tsp. tel: 723999, 211888. Ext: 8238.

MARINE COMMUNICATION & NAVIGATION

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.

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

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

No. 365/367, Bo Aung Kyaw st (Upper), IHBC, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel: 392484 , 389824, 09803-0166. Fax: 392590. Email: radiant.aesthetics @gmail.com. Web: www. kembanganradiant.com

MARKET RESEARCH

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.

FOAM SPRAY INSULATION

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) Miba Gon Yee Business Group, No.506, 5th-fl, Yuzana Twin Tower, (No.8, Pangyan Tower) Cor of Dhama Zedi & Bargayar Rd, SCHG Tsp. Tel: 500600, 500800, 500900. Fax: 539799. hotline: +9595018777. piyavate@ myanmar.com.mm www.piyavate.com PHIH-Specialist Clinic FMI Centre (4th Floor) #380, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Tsp. tel: 243 010, 243 012, 243 013

Media & Advertising

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

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

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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mt QuiCk guide
March 19 - 25, 2012
Signature Near U Htaung Bo Round, about Bahan Tsp. tel: 546488, 543387.

MyanMar tiMes
SCHOOLS
Kangaroo Child Care 55, Aung Min Gaung 1st Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 501 568, 09 504 7732. Streamline Education 24, Myasabai Rd, Parami, Myangone Tsp. tel: 662304, 09-500-6916. No.35(b), Tatkatho Yeik Mon Housing, New University Avenue, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 951-549451, 557219, 540730. www.yangon-academy.org

OFFICE FURNITURE
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.

Centure Office Furniture Monday to Saturday (9am to 6pm) No. 797, MAC Tower II, Room -4, Ground Floor, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lamadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: (951) 212944 Ext: 303 sales.centuremyanmar@ gmail.com www.centure.in.th

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

PLEASURE CRUISES

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

Bldg No. 12, Yangon Intl Compound, Ahlone Road. Tel: 09-431-85008, 09-731-60662. sales@corrianderleaf.com

ASIA Language & Business Academy (All classes are taught by native English-speaking teachers), No-66, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel:+95-1376236, 376314, 384055. http://www.alba-edu.com

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-512-7795 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com The Ritz Exclusive Lounge Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Ground Floor, Tel: 544500 Ext 6243, 6244 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.

SOLAR SYSTEM

RESTAURANTS

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

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

22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon 40, Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp, Lobby Level, Tel: 544500 Ext 6253 Traders Gourmet Corner Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel : 242828 ext : 6503 Traders Gallery Bar Level 2, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6433 Traders Lobby Lounge Level 1, Traders Hotel, #223 Sule Pagoda Road. tel: 242 828. ext: 6456

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

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

City Mart (78th Brahch-Mandalay) tel: 02-71467~9. (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) IKON Mart IKON Trading Co., Ltd. No.332, Pyay Rd, San Chaung P.O (11111), Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 95-1-535783, 527705, 501429. Fax: 95-1-527705. Email: salesikon@myanmar.com.mm 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, Ph: 545871~73 Super 1 (Shwe Bonthar) 397, Bogyoke Aung San St, Pabedan. Ph: 250268~29 Victoria Shwe Pone Nyet Yeik Mon, Bayint Naung Rd, Kamaryut Tsp. tel : 515136.

Lunch/Dinner/Catering 555539, 536174 Road to Mandalay Myanmar Hotels & Cruises Ltd. Governors Residence 39C, Taw Win Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. tel: (951) 229860 fax: (951) 217361. email: RTMYGN@mptmail.net.mm www.orient-express.com Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine 330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 0980 21691, 395052. email: blackcanyon@ yangon. net.mm.

No.5, U Htun Nyein St, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 656611, 09-431-35406. Email: info@ mesamisyangon.com Monsoon Restaurant & Bar 85/87, Thein Byu Road, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 295224, 09-501 5653.

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.

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

TRAVEL AGENTS

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)

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.

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

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

REMOVALISTS

Crown Worldwide Movers Ltd 790, Rm 702, 7th Floor Danathiha Centre, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Lanmadaw Township. tel: 223288, 210 670, 227650. ext: 702. fax: 229212. email: crown worldwide@mptmail.net.mm

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

No. 105/107, Kha-Yae-Bin Road. between Pyi Daung Su Yeik Tha (Halpin) and Manawhari Road/Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp. Tel/Fax: 538895, Tel: 09730-29973, 09-540-9469.
padonmar.restaurant@ gmail.com. www.myanmarrestaurantpadonmar.com

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

WATER HEATERS

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

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

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

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)

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

Phoenix Court (Chinese) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

Kandawgyi (Royal Lake) Park, Yangon. (opposite of Eye Hospital) Ph: 556837, 556838. Fax: 556875. E-mail: whitericeyangon@gmail.com www.whiterice-myanmar. com

LANGUAGE
Bilingual Language Centre Teaching Myanmar to Non-Myanmar No.7 (Gournd Floor), Thu-Kha-Main Street, Myaynigone, San Chaung. Tel: 09-500-6431, nyalinphyu@gmail.com

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

Shiki-Tel (Japanese) PARKROYAL Yangon. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388.

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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March 19 - 25, 2012
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MyanMar tiMes

Polish ice-box is Wales open secret Odd preps prime Asian

By Jonathan Fowler SPALA, Poland Wales are gunning for the Six Nations Grand Slam next weekend against France, but a core part of their success lies far across Europe in a sub-zero medical unit in Poland. The cryotherapy division of the Olympic Sports Centre in Spala, 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of the capital Warsaw, has become legendary since Wales came here in June 2011 and four months later powered into the World Cup semifinals in New Zealand. The Spartan-sounding location has infused rugby lore with tales of Welsh cryotherapy neophytes banging on the door to be let out. But now it seems they cant get enough of what flanker Sam Warburton dubs the evil sauna. Stints at as low as -160 Celsius are only part of a fitness programme that has helped Warren Gatlands young squad shine like Waless golden generation of the 1970s. Cryotherapys not magic, said Adam Beard, Wales head of physical performance. A lot of people are asking, Why are you letting the cat out of the bag? Isnt it your trade secret? Well I dont think it is, he told AFP by telephone. We use it around a training program weve adapted for the last four or five years. But Beard is still clear about its benefits. Cryotherapy reduces inflammation. It dampens the nervous system, so it gives you that painless feel, and it allows day course of two sessions a day, the centre draws around 500 people a year, two-thirds of them from the sports world. Theyre from a host of disciplines, though rugby put us in the limelight, said staffer Agnieszka Zakrzewska-Iskierka. Its a mixture of nervous firsttimers, and others whove been here a lot and know what to expect. Since experience beats speculation, AFP took the plunge alongside a group of Polish sportsmen. Stripped to the waist, and decked in a bizarre outfit of shorts, kneesocks, gloves, ear-protection and a surgical mask, the men stood in line, joking to while away a seemingly interminable wait for another group to finish. In fact, the sessions last only three minutes. A weighty door swung open and a group of women in sky-blue tops and shorts emerged amid a cloud of ice-vapour. If you dont feel OK, wave through the window, physiotherapist Pawel Binczyk told AFP as he ushered the five-man group into a -60C cooldown room. After 30 seconds, it was time to move into the 3-square-metre (10square-foot) cryotherapy chamber. The cold bit was hard but far from unpleasant. The group circled and did deep knee-bends to get the benefit of the iciest air. After what seemed like less than a minute, Binczyk opened the door and called, Times up! The sensation was one of wellbeing and the participants hit the gym. AFP

golf stars
PHNOM PENH Meditation, sports psychology and even an odd gadget made from plumbing equipment are helping some of Asias top golfers as the increasingly competitive circuit headed to Cambodia this week. Some 30 winners and six of the Asian Tours 10 top earners this year teed off at Siem Reaps Angkor Golf Resort on March 14, in the fifth event of a busy season that includes nearly 30 stops. Asias decade-plus golfing boom has lifted standards to unprecedented levels, at the same time raising pressure on the regions professionals to perform. Ahead of the US$300,000 Cambodian Classic, Indias Shiv Kapur took to meditating in the dark, walking round with his eyes shut and doing breathing exercises to the extent that he has not practised for the past week. Big Thai Prom Meesawat has returned to his coach from junior days and has started seeing a specialist psychologist as he aims for his first victory in six years. And Australian Scott Barr has built his own putting aide from bits he found in a plumbing shop. Kapur, whose lone Asian Tour victory was in 2005, recently attended a five-day meditation course as he searches for an innovative route back to winning ways. The whole concept of doing that [meditation] was to get out of my own way and let things happen rather than forcing them to happen. Ive not played golf in the past week or so but my mind is in a good place right now, he said. Prom will be one of the favourites this week after reaching a play-off at the SAIL-SBI Open and finishing tied sixth at the Avantha Masters, both in India. He also holds the lowest stroke average of 69.75 on tour. Two good weeks in India have made my game a lot easier for the rest of the year. The work that Ive put in with my sports psychologist has helped a lot. Mentally, Ive got stronger, said the 26-year-old. I also started working again with my old coach from my junior days. He has not changed anything but is just refining my game. And Barr, who finished one shot shy of the SAIL-SBI Open play-off, has also taken matters into his own hands by inventing his very own putt-improver. I found something in the plumbing store and put this thing together. Its just a rail which gets my stroke going back and forward pretty square, he said. It seems to be all right and Im trying to ease up on my grip pressure as well. Its been good. Im holing a few more although Im not holing as much as half the guys here though! AFP

Participants wait to enter the cryotherapy room at the Olympic Sports Centre in Spala, Poland on March 7. Pic: AFP you to flush toxins away from the working muscles pretty quickly, because obviously youre in extreme temperatures and the blood wants to move away from the limbs to regulate the core temperature, he explained. Once you get out, theres a feeling of freshness. Thats the endorphins rushing through your system. Wales like it so much that they bought a portable unit, though Beard said he prefers the real thing, and they returned to Poland to prepare for the Six Nations. To be quite honest, the boys would far rather do that than an ice bath, he joked. While the concept of deploying cold for medical purposes has been around for over a century think cold compresses for headaches or ice-packs on sprains the idea of a deep-freeze unit was perfected by Polish scientists in the 1990s. This is all about exploiting the impact of low temperatures on the human organism, said Doctor Tadeusz Kilian, head of Spalas medical arm. Besides helping athletes regeneration, it has a general role in speeding recovery, from rheumatism or spinal injury, for example, he said. The unit opened in May 2000, adding to facilities such as a hydrotherapy wing, running tracks and gyms. At 320 zloty (US$103) for a five-

Vettel aims to join triple champions as season starts

By Tim Collings LONDON After two stunning seasons, in which he has established himself as leader of the pack, Sebastian Vettel will face intense pressure this year as he bids to join F1s most exclusive club as a triple world champion. The 24-year-old German knows he will be under attack on all sides from his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, the McLaren pair of former champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, and Ferraris two-time champion Fernando Alonso. But, as an intense spell of winter testing ended last weekend at Barcelonas Circuit de Catalunya, it was equally clear that the rapidly-maturing wunderkind remains the man to beat as the lights went out at Albert Park, Melbourne on March 18. He is getting stronger all the time and we havent seen the best of him yet, not by a long way, said his Red Bull team chief Christian Horner. Of course, the rest will be strong and very challenging rivals, but I feel, I suspect, that Sebastian knows what to expect and is ready to lift himself to a new level. Vettel stands at the threshold of true greatness. Only two men have won three consecutive drivers titles the great Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio from 1954 to 1957 and fellow-German Michael Schumacher from 2000 to 2005. Both established an era of individual domination that stamped their reputation and authority across the history of the sport. It is a massive challenge to Vettel, especially in a season when there will be six champions on the grid for a season of 20 races from March to November. And he knows, only too well, how many of the other triple world champions delivered memorable and record statistics, but without scoring a hat-trick in straight seasons great men like Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Mika Hakkinen and Alonso both delivered doubles in modern times, but without keeping their crowns for a third year. For Vettel it will not be easy. After winning the title in 2010, he has changed from a hunter to become the hunted and knows, on the evidence of the last year, the pack is drawing closer. It will be tight. It is great for F1 to have so many world champions, said Mercedes team chief Ross Brawn. The quality of the field and the fact the cars look as if theyre going to be a bit closer I think were going to have a really exciting season. It could be one of the best for a number of years. In 2011, Vettel and Red Bull were supreme from the start, but after establishing a massive lead and dominating, they were to feel the pressure in the second half of the season. Vettel won six of the opening nine events, but only five of the final 10 a sure sign that if he is not as fast, from the start of next weekends season-opening Australian Grand Prix, he may be drawn into a close scrap for glory. The team most likely to upset Red Bull is McLaren. Last year, Button collected three wins and finished as runner-up behind Vettel, while Hamilton struggled for consistency. The team has admitted to certain weaknesses and recruited former Williams technical director Sam Michael to solve the problems. The drivers were encouraged by winter testing, notably a revived Hamilton. He said: From what Ive seen, our new car seems a lot better than last year so I am hoping we hit the ground running. We want to go quick immediately and stay at the top. The Red Bulls, basically, are evolutions of the aerodynamic concepts they introduced in 2009. By midway in 2011, they were phenomenal, at the highest level, and they almost never broke down. When we had the same reliability, we did not have their performance, but we caught up and this is a new season isnt it? Lets see what happens. Horner, relishing his Red Bull teams shot at more sustained success, said: We will be ready. We adapt well, but we dont underestimate McLaren and Ferrari. Nor does Sebastian ... He is now the one the other drivers are shooting at. Its a different type of pressure, but, at just 24, he is still evolving and I think the best is yet to come. AFP

tImESsPORt
Manchester misery as United, City crash out
PARIS Manchester United and Manchester City crashed out of the Europa League on March 15, as the English Premier League was muscled into the shadows by Spain, which boasts three teams in the quarterfinals. United were beaten 2-1 by Athletic Bilbao who currently lie seventh in La Liga, with the Spanish side reaching their first European quarter-final for 35 years after a 5-3 aggregate victory. City, meanwhile, battled back from 2-0 down on the night, and 3-0 in arrears on aggregate, to Sporting Lisbon to win their last 16 second-leg match 3-2, but the Portuguese side went through on the away goals rule. Valencia and Atletico Madrid, the 2010 winners, joined Bilbao in the quarter-finals after wins against PSV Eindhoven and Besiktas respectively. Sir Alex Fergusons United, 3-2 down from the first leg at Old Trafford, fell to a stunning volley from Fernando Llorente and a secondhalf strike by Oscar de Marcos in Bilbao. United replied with a fine goal from Wayne Rooney in the 80th minute, but the visitors could not find the two goals they needed to take the game to extra time. We cant complain, said Ferguson. In the first half we let in a very soft goal, which was the last thing we wanted. I cant believe we lost a goal like that. There are lessons to learn in every match. Its disappointment, more than anything, that we didnt play our best in the Champions League and now were out of the Europa League. Spanish international, Llorente, said it was a wonderful moment for Bilbao. I dont know if its my greatest moment with the club. But its the first time that weve gone past the last 16 in the Europa League, and thats incredible. At Eastlands, City came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 on the night, with the last16 tie ending 3-3 on aggregate, but went out on away goals. City had lost the first leg 1-0 in Portugal and Sporting went 2-0 ahead on the night with Matias Fernandez and Ricky van Wolfswinkel both on target before the interval. Roberto Mancinis side roared back in the second half as Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli, from the penalty spot, gave hope of completing a dramatic recovery. But they were unable to find another goal as Sporting held on. We left them too much space on the counter-attack, didnt play as a team. We expected the counter-attack and didnt do a good job in the first half, said Mancini. I might have made mistakes, Im sorry for the supporters. AFP

March 19 - 25, 2012

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic scores the fourth goal during their UEFA Champions League match against Napoli at Stamford Bridge, London, on March 14. AFP

Chelsea fightback sinks Napoli

By Rob Woollard LONDON Branislav Ivanovic scored a dramatic extra-time winner as Chelsea completed a remarkable comeback to beat Napoli 4-1 and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League here on March 14. Serbian international Ivanovic swept home emphatically in the 105th minute to give Chelsea beaten 3-1 by the Italians in last months first leg in Naples a 5-4 aggregate victory at Stamford Bridge. It was only the fourth time in the modern history of the Champions League that a team has successfully overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit. The match had gone to extra time after a pulsating period of 90 minutes that saw Chelsea battle to a 3-1 lead that left the tie locked at 4-4 overall. Chelsea had taken a 2-0 lead on the night through headers from Didier Drogba and John Terry to put the Blues ahead on away goals. But Gokhan Inler restored Napolis crucial advantage with a 55th-minute strike before a Frank Lampard penalty 15 minutes from time hauled Chelsea back into the tie to electrify a crowd of 37,784. It was a fantastic game with two great teams. We made history because we were in such a difficult position before the game, said Chelseas interim manager Roberto di Matteo. We knew what we had to do to get through. It was an outstanding performance. Terry said it was one of the clubs greatest nights. We showed what Chelsea are all about. We were solid and resilient and fought until the very end. Weve proved were a team. Players came in and we stuck together when it really mattered, he said. Lampard was delighted with the victory and believes it can be a platform for greater things. Its an absolutely huge win for us. It was crucial that whatever the result, we produced a performance to stay in the competition. We can really build on this now and hopefully move onwards and upwards, he said. Chelsea had carved out the first chance of a frenetic opening period when Drogba held off his marker to chest a long throw into the path of Daniel Sturridge, whose first-time volley was well saved by Morgan De Sanctis. But thereafter Chelsea were rocked onto the back foot as Napolis fleet-footed attack, with Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani to the fore, repeatedly pierced the home defence almost at will. Hamsik was the first to test Petr Cech on 10 minutes, the Chelsea goalkeeper just managing to block the Slovakian internationals low shot with his legs. Napoli were soon on the attack once again, Christian Maggio bursting down the right flank to centre for Cavani, who just diverted into the side netting. A superb ball forward from Inler sent Lavezzi racing clear and the strikers low shot forced Cech to save smartly once again after only 15 minutes. But having weathered the early storm Chelsea then grabbed the goal their fans had been craving. Ramires swung in a perfectly flighted cross from the left and Drogba timed his run to perfection before heading powerfully past De Sanctis to trigger bedlam at the Bridge. The goal signalled the start of Chelseas best period of the half, with Sturridge flashing a shot across the face of goal that Hugo Campagnaro turned behind nervily. Chelsea started the second half as they had finished the first, and within two minutes had surged into a 2-0 lead to leave them ahead on the away goals rule. Lampard swung a corner in from the right and Terry got in front of his man to glance a looping header up and over De Sanctis. Yet just as it seemed as if Chelsea were ready to take an unassailable grip on the tie, Napoli clawed their way back into the contest with a moment of brilliance from Inler. A headed clearance from Terry found the Swiss international on the edge of the area and the midfielder controlled the ball on his chest before driving home a thunderous shot from the edge of the area. The goal silenced Chelsea but slowly the Londoners regained their momentum, with Ivanovic and Drogba both threatening. On 74 minutes the Napoli defence cracked when substitute Andrea Dossena handled Ivanovics header for a certain penalty. Lampard stepped up to drive in the spot-kick and Chelsea were back level at 4-4 on aggregate to set up extra time and Ivanovics winner. AFP

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Insert
MyanMar tiMes March 19 - 25, 2012
Asked about his perceptions of the reform process since his first visit as US special envoy seven months ago, Mr Mitchell said: Simply as a matter of time and continued progress I feel much more encouraged. The verdict is still out about where this is all going but as time continues we continue to see momentum and more openness in the media and the release of political prisoners; I think you have to be encouraged. We will take our cues from the people of the country, who seem much more encouraged and feel a sense of promise and hope, at least at the centre. Within the ethnic areas there is a sense that nothing has really changed and the sceptism is probably deeper but even within some of the ethnic groups you see some sense of promise. Mr Mitchell said that on each of his six visits since his appointment there had been progress and a greater sense of optimism that the change is real. But there are still questions about the extent of the change and the sustainability of the change and where this is all leading to; I think everybody still has questions. On the possibility of a further easing of sanctions, Mr Mitchell said the US would be watching what happens in the by-elections on April 1 and will continue to figure out ways we can be a partners in the reform process as appropriate. The special envoy welcomed the very good progress in discussions aimed at resuming a program in Myanmar to recover the remains of American military personnel listed as missing in action since World War II. He said that as well as helping to build confidence between the armed forces of the two countries, a resumption of the program would be welcomed in the US by the relatives of those listed as missing in action.

US envoy offers praise to hluttaws

By Geoffrey Goddard THE performance of the national hluttaws since they first convened just over a year ago has been extraordinary, the US special envoy to Myanmar, Mr Derek Mitchell, said last week. No one expected them to be much more than a rubber stamp, Mr Mitchell said in an interview in Yangon on March 17. The terms of debate and openness and transparency when it started were so limited that the idea of checks and balances and the balance of power seemed almost laughable, he said Mr Mitchell said that there was clearly a need to build the capacity of the parliament but the fact that they even recognise they need to build the institution and [are] reaching out to the United States and others for examples, for technical assistance and such, is very encouraging. The role of the Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, Thura U Shwe Mann, in encouraging members of the hluttaws to be as effective as possible in meeting their responsibilities in playing a role in governance and in representing their constituents was also extremely encouraging, he said. Along with President U Thein Sein, Mr Mitchell said Thura U Shwe Mann is another one who has done some remarkable things. Mr Mitchell said the feedback from members of parliament was that Thura U Shwe Mann has been fairly fair in his relationships with the other parties and the different factions, different elements. The United States had every reason to support as much as we can, as is appropriate, the continuing development of the parliament, he said. There was a real interest by the US in considering providing assistance to help build the

The verdict is still out about where this is all going but as time continues ... I think you have to be encouraged.

US special envoy to Myanmar, Mr Derek Mitchell, says that on each of his visits he has felt a greater sense of optimism that the changes underway in the country are real, but there are still questions about the extent of the reform process and whether it is sustainable. Pic: AFP capacity of members of the hluttaws after the by-elections, assuming that they were free and fair. Regarding the government, Mr Mitchell acknowledged that there was scepticism after it came to power. It could have been old wine in new bottles, he said, adding that there had been openings and a sense of promise in the past which had ended in disappointment. I think anybody who has followed whats going on would be sceptical about the same people being in control, just taking off their uniforms and doing things the same way, he said. But, our approach has been, my approach has been, since I started to test it and they started to say the right things from day one with the speech by the President [U Thein Sein]. In his inauguration [speech], you got a sense of a difference in tone, difference in style, difference in vision. You are not going to get change unless you give it a chance and encourage it and I think thats what we are trying to do, along with others.

United States considers Water supply disrupted for three days Myanmar a friend, says government official
By Noe Noe Aung By Soe Than Lynn UNITED States special envoy Mr Derek Mitchell told Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann his country considers Myanmar a friend as a result of reforms over the past 12 months, an official present at the meeting told The Myanmar Times last week. Mr Mitchell made the comment during a meeting with Thura U Shwe Mann in Nay Pyi Taw on March 13, said U Toe Naing Mann, the speakers son and a member of the Legal and Special Affairs Assessment Commission. It suggests that the efforts and development of the hluttaw have been recognised. The United States recognised that Myanmar had made its reform activities dynamic and active in such a short period of time that they were surprised. He said that was why they had decided to [upgrade relations], U Toe Naing Mann said. The 70-minute meeting was the third between the two men since Mr Mitchell was appointed special envoy in 2011. The envoy was also present during the speakers meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December. Mr Mitchell also asked the Pyithu Hluttaw speaker about the budget and in response Thura U Shwe Mann referred to his speech to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on February 7, at which he called for a pay rise for civil servants. Mr Mitchell told the speaker that it might be hard to bring about change and great caution was needed, said U Toe Naing Mann. The Pyithu Hluttaw speaker told Mr Derek Mitchell that although [Myanmar] doesnt want to turn back, it was hard to move forward because of big obstacles, especially sanctions. Thura U Shwe Mann told Mr Derek Mitchell to push the US President and Congress to discontinue sanctions imposed against the former government, U Toe Naing Mann said. Translated by Thit Lwin YANGON residents have criticised Yangon City Development Committee over its failure to inform the public of a break in a water pipeline that left many townships without water for three days last week. While the outage caused little more than inconvenience, with Yangon residents having become accustomed to unpredictable water supply in hot season, the committees failure to explain the reason for the shortage left some perplexed. The shortage of water supply started from Monday. I think it happened on Monday evening. But we got water back late at night on Wednesday, said Tarmwe resident Daw San San Myint. My family has only three members and Ive installed two water tanks at home so we didnt get into much trouble but afterwards I really thought that YCDC should inform people when something like this happens, she said. But an official from the committees Water and Sanitation Department defended the way it handled the matter, saying the outage was the result of a sudden pipe breakage near Shwe Pyi Thar township on March 12. The 66-inch diameter pipe that connects [the city] to Hlawga reservoir broke near Shwe Pyi Thar at about 2pm on March 12 so we had to stop the water supply without notice. The connected townships suffered water shortages, the official confirmed last week. We normally inform residents when we do repairs on water pipes but in this case the outage was unexpected so we could not inform the public, he said. This concrete water-supply pipe was more than 20 years old ... We repaired this pipe as quickly as possible and it took about two days, he said. We were able to re-supply water starting from the morning of March 15. We are planning to do maintenance on other pipes now. The outage affected much of the city, including Shwe Pyi Thar, Insein, Mayangone, Hlaing, Kamayut, Hlaing Tharyar, Yankin, Tarmwe, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Pazundaung,

Botahtaung, Kyauktada and Latha townships. Ma Ei Zar Hlaing, 35, from Kyauktada township, said she was left with no water for three days from March 12. On the first day morning, I got a little water but it was muddy. After that there was no water at all. I bought and used some purified water both for drinking and other uses. But fortunately water came back on March 15 early morning. Other apartments also got into some trouble because nobody knew the water shortage would happen, she said. Daw Aye Shin from Kamaryut township said the water supply in her area came back one day after other townships. Water shortage took for four days to return in Kamaryut township. I got clear water on the morning of Friday March 16, said Daw Aye Shin said, adding that residents received no information on the supply problem. Fortunately we have an artesian well at home so we didnt get into much trouble. But our neighbours had problems because no one knew that there would be a water shortage, she said.

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Pedestrians nabbed in jaywalking blitz

By Htoo Aung YANGON traffic police last w e e k s t e p p e d u p a campaign against jaywalkers at the citys major intersections, apprehending and fining pedestrians who failed to use zebra crossings. An education program was initiated on January 1 but from February 1 traffic police combined forces with teams of volunteers mostly retired military officers to apprehend jaywalkers at the Sule Pagoda Road, Myaynyigone, Hledan and Shwegondaing junctions, as well as other busy locations. We will only stop this program when people realise that they have to use zebra crossings. We gave education in January and now we are fining disobedient pedestrians K2200. From January until March 11, we have taken action against 6592 pedestrians, an official from Traffic Rules Enforcement Supervisory Committee said. Three groups of traffic police and volunteers are patrolling the city, with offenders forced to wait in a van to be taken to the nearest police station where they are fined and shown an education movie, Green, Yellow and Red, although not all of those caught said they were made to watch it. We have been volunteering [to catch jaywalkers] since February 1. Our group includes eight people, who are all retired from the military. We need to watch to make sure pedestrians are using the zebra crossing, volunteer group leader U Myint Swe told The Myanmar Times last week as he cast an eye over Myaynyigone Junction. We have to help traffic wardens catch disobedient pedestrians who didnt cross at the zebra crossings. We got a K60,000 salary from Yangon City Development Committees Appraisals Department, he said. Pedestrians nabbed under the crackdown expressed little remorse and said they had ignored the zebra crossing because they were in a rush. I was caught at Sule Pagoda Road and had to pay a K2200 fine. We had to go to the court to pay it but at least we didnt have to watch any educational films. On the fine notice they only wrote K2000 so I dont know why I had to pay the extra K200, said U Kyi Lwin, a 64-year-old A traffic policemen stops vehicles for pedestrians to cross the road near Bogyoke casual worker. Aung San Market last week. Pic: Ko Taik

Media development conference in Yangon

By Aung Kyi A MEDIA Development Conference bringing together journalists and other media professionals from Myanmar and abroad will be held in Yangon this week. The March 19-20 conference is being organised by the Ministry of Inf ormation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in partnership with International Media Support (IMS) and Canal France International, a senior UNESCO official said last week. About 100 participants are expected to attend the conference, including government officials, embassy representatives and donors, said Mr Sardar Umar Alam, program manager for UNESCO Myanmar. Representatives of local and international media organisations and the Myanmar authorities will meet at the two-day conference at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon to discuss media development in Myanmar, said Mr Alam. [The] Myanmar government has already embarked on series of key initiatives in establishing democratic systems and institutions since April 2011. In this context the two-day conference in Yangon is planned to organise mainly as a forum to share international best practices with local media practitioners, policy makers and civil society in Myanmar, he said. Ministry of Information officials have previously indicated that suggestions and ideas from the conference could also be included in a new printing and publishing law that the ministry is preparing to submit to the parliament for approval. Minister of Information U Kyaw Hsan, the director of the Global Forum for Media Development and the deputy director of UNESCOs Asia Pacific office will deliver keynote addresses at the opening session, Mr Alam said. About 20 renowned journalists and media practitioners globally, regionally and nationally are invited to speak in the twoday sessions, he added. Six main sessions will address topics such as media laws and ethics, media empowering communities, role of media in peace building and national reconciliation, sustainable business models for media and professionalisation of journalists. The conference is viewed as a symbol of the more open environment in Myanmar following the transfer of power to U Thein Seins government and sets the foundation for new partnerships that will work to create an enabling environment for media in Myanmar, UNESCO said in a March 15 statement.

East Dagon residents left homeless by land annulment

into account inflation or land price increases in the intervening years. Lay residents were similarly dismayed at the notice and surprised that the land would be used for an agriculture project. Based on what Ive seen, this land is not good for agriculture. the lands that had been annulled so they could buy elsewhere. There are a total of 8097 blocks of 2400 square feet across the 11 quarters. Of these, quarters 123, 126 and 128 have the largest population, according to residents.

By Noe Noe Aung AT first glance, East Dagons quarter 123 is not different from other outer suburban areas, with many small bamboo homes and grocery stores occupying the parched ground. Children play on the street, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are soon going to lose their homes. Quarter 123 is one of 11 in East Dagon along with quarters 121, 122, 126-129, 157-160 that the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development (DHSHD) has reacquired for a large-scale agriculture project, dubbing it an agriculture zone. The land was originally sold to civil servants about two decades ago for K12,000 as a reward for their long service. The department has now generously offered to refund owners that sum, refusing to take

reward from the former This land was amy long-term service and government for I have lived here since 2002
Thats why there are only a few farmers out of the 300 homes in 123 and 126 quarters, a resident of 126 quarter told The Myanmar Times last week. Residents said they hoped the government would create another area for them to live, or pay them a reasonable amount of money for On March 14, state-run newspaper Kyemon (The Mirror) published a report stating that although the government had given land in the quarters to long-serving government employees since 1966, most of those employees did not build a house or live on the land. Therefore, the authorities decided to change the

land to a project that is needed for the country. Land owners must come to DHSHD office on Bogyoke Aung San Road between 10am to 4pm by March 31 with their original land permits, original land-rent contracts from government and their National Registration Cards to collect the K12,000 refund. Owners who entrust the land permit or rental contract to the department will be paid K12,000. Those who do not will have their title automatically annulled after March 31. But residents had more important problems to worry about than collecting their K12,000. This land was a reward from the former government for my longterm service and I have lived here since 2002, said U Toe, 60, a retired employee from Ministry of Industry 1. I cant move anywhere as I dont have another place to go.

Tay Zas son wins challenge on EU sanctions

YANGON The son of a tycoon with reputed close links to the former military government has successfully challenged an EU freeze on his assets, arguing that he should not be punished because of his father. The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg said in a statement released on Tuesday that it had annulled a 2008 regulation freezing the funds of Ko Pye Phyo Tay Za, whose father U Tay Za is the target of EU sanctions. Sanctions adopted by the council in relation to a third country cannot be applied to natural persons solely on the ground of their family connection with persons associated with the leaders of that country, it said. Ko Pye Phyo Tay Za, 25, lodged a complaint with the court in 2008 after he was put on a list of people who benefit from the Myanmar governments economic policies. While he won his case on appeal March 13, the ruling concerns only the 2008 regulation and not subsequent extensions, leaving it up to the EU Council of Ministers to decide whether to take him off the list, according to the court. U Tay Za owns a string of luxury hotels, airline Air Bagan and the football club Yangon United and is subject to an EU visa ban and asset freeze. AFP