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ISSUE 710 | DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Govt, NLD at odds on health

A plan to bring in universal health coverage could become a hot issue in the 2015 election, after the NLD announced it would introduce the measure within 10 years half of the 20-year timeframe proposed by the government. NEWS 3

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Pressure builds for UN human rights office

Human rights commission and hluttaw committee say UN rights presence is needed, while EU ambassador insists Myanmar should not fear the opening of this office.
NEWS 9

Army whistleblowers in line for amnesty

Committee recommends 12 former Tatmadaw members including several jailed for leaking details of a secret North Korea visit be considered political prisoners and freed.
BUSINESS 20-21

SPA misses Landmark lease deadline

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PHOTO: BOOTHEE

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YCDC dog culling prompts community anger

Animal rights activists have labelled a municipal program to poison stray dogs as inhumane and called for reform, as a YCDC official revealed that workers who cull the dogs face regular abuse and even physical attacks from angry residents.

Singapore-listed Yoma gives Serge Pun & Associates six more months to secure lease extension for downtown site slated for US$400 development.
THE PULSE 34

Skate or die

CONSTITUTION REFORM LOBBY HITS THE ROAD

SPECIAL REPORT 14

SKYS THE LIMIT FOR YANGON REAL ESTATE

SPECIAL REPORT 24

Skate parks in Mandalay are popping up in record numbers, attracting rsttime boarders, bladers and BMX riders. But without a local stable of experts to coach the new generation, the scene could fold before it hits its stride.

2 THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Page 2
Rope Wizard makes merit

online editor Kayleigh Long | kayleighelong@gmail.com

THE INSIDER: The local lowdown & best of the web

Kyaikhtiyos famed pagoda may nd it has some new competition, with recent media reports pointing to a unique attraction at the Kyaukhtatkyi Pagoda just several kilometres north of the Golden Rock. Eleven Media last week reported on Min Min, the ying Rope Wizard, who risks life and limb by balancing and sliding along a cane rope on his stomach in order to gild the pagoda on behalf of pilgrims. He wears a heavy-duty cloth reinforced shirt, in order to avoid chang. Min Mins father Aye Lwin, now 72, began the practice in 1989. He retired some four years ago, leaving his son to take over. Min Min revealed the secrets of his gravity-defying act to Eleven: I only eat vegetables. I always pray to the Nine Attributes of the Buddha. When I was young, I learned how to climb the rope by watching my father. I still havent faced any difculties yet. The main reason I risk my life is for Kyaukhtatkyi Pagoda to look sublime with gold leaves and for the people to have merit.

In Myanmar even people do not have enough rights yet If I tried to discuss animal rights now other MPs would make fun of me.
Yangon Region representative Daw Nyo Nyo Thin responds to public outcry over YCDCs dog eradication campaign, explaining why she doesnt intend to raise the issue in the hluttaw just yet. MORE ON NEWS 15

Surgeon leaves his mark

When Myanmar was Burma...

Archival material provided by Pansodan Gallery

A British surgeon has been suspended over allegations that he branded his initials onto a patients liver, UK media reported last week. Simon Bramhall faces an investigation after a colleague discovered the initials SB on the organ during a followup operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, newspapers said. The hospitals managing trust said in a statement, Following an allegation of misconduct, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has suspended a surgeon while an internal investigation is completed. The Daily Mail newspaper said Bramhall used non-toxic argon gas to sear his initials onto the liver. AFP

Swarm of piranha relatives leaves scores injured

A swarm of biting sh injured more than 70 people who were bathing at a popular beach in Argentina on Christmas, say medical ofcials. A seven-year-old girl had her nger partially amputated and dozens more suffered bite wounds on their extremities from the sh, a relative of the piranha called palometas, said Federico Cornier, the director of emergency services in the city of Rosario. This is not normal, Cornier said on television. Its normal for there to be an isolated bite or injury, but the magnitude in this case was great ... This is an exceptional event. Reuters

An advertisement for cigarettes and typewriters from British publication Burma To-day, 1944.

Seng Lu for NOW! magazine. Photo: Htet Aung Kyaw (Studio HAK)
An actor plays Mao Zedong in Chinas central province of Hunan, to mark the former leaders 120th birthday. Photo: AFP

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NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

News 3

TRADE MARK CAUTION

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Govt, NLD at odds over health coverage upgrade

NLD says it will implement universal health coverage within 10 years if elected, while government assisted by the World Bank and the WHO has set a 20-year timeframe
A male patient sits with a relative at Bogale township hospital in Ayeyarwady Region. Photo: Kaung Htet

BUICK
Reg. No. 1188/1979

in respect of Motor driven vehicles of all kinds, motor cars, automobiles, motor trucks, motor lorries and parts thereof and automobile accessories of all kinds . 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 GENERAL MOTORS LLC P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30 December 2013

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT

BRIDGET DI CERTO

UNIVERSAL health coverage appears set to become a political issue in the 2015 election, with the government and the National League for Democracy in agreement on the need to introduce affordable coverage for all but at odds on how and over what period to do it. The World Bank, which is assisting the government with its plans, describes universal coverage as ensuring all people obtain the health services they need without suffering nancial hardship when paying for them. U Htay Win, director general of the Health Planning Department, said the Ministry of Health expects it will take 20 years and a massive injection of state and private funding to replace the decades-old cost-sharing system with universal health coverage. Universal health coverage is a very complicated project and we need to balance the organisation of health insurance, welfare health organisations and the public, he told The Myanmar Times in a recent interview. After decades of underinvestment in health, the challenges for introducing universal health coverage are enormous. Many remote populations are entirely cut off from health services; rates of tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal and child mortality are among the highest in Asia. The high and varied burden, combined with a 20-year decline in social-sector spending, presents formidable health policy challenges, particularly for extending services to hard-to-reach populations, analysts say. But providing healthcare coverage for Southeast Asias largest country will require more than just careful planning. It will require money - and tough decisions about where this money should come from, said Dr Hnin Hnin Pyne from the World Bank. It is a social and political decision, Dr Hnin Hnin Pyne said of deciding on how to implement universal coverage. In contrast to the government, NLD health policy adviser Dr Kyaw Zaw said

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BENECOL
Reg. No. 4/14610/2012
the opposition party would make universal coverage a priority and introduce it within 10 years if elected, while over the same period increasing total health expenditure more than seven-fold. We want to implement the project within a short time by increasing the government budget for public health, Dr Kyaw Zaw said. In Myanmar most people are unable to access acceptable health services from the government and they cant afford to pay for treatment. If the NLD wins the election, they have a plan to increase the government budget [so that] health expenditure is 15 percent of [gross domestic product], he said, adding that this would be paid for through taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. Total health expenditure the amount expended by both the government and individuals currently represents 2pc of GDP, U Htay Win said. The government is aiming to incrementally increase this to 5pc a gure suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) by raising state spending, which in 2012-13 was K386.66 billion, around 0.76pc of GDP and 3.14pc of the total budget. Spending increased more than 29pc in 2013-14, to K499.31 billion. However, there are limits as to how fast both state and private health expenditure can be scaled up, U Htay Win said. We are a developing [country] so we cannot support free treatment for all people and people cannot afford to spend a lot of money for health treatment. The funding shortfall would be made up by levying private health insurance premiums on high-income earners, he said. But developing this form of private health insurance so that it covers the entire country could take at least 20 years, he added. Working with the support of the World Bank and the WHO, which are providing technical assistance, the government has earmarked maternal and neo-natal services as the priority services to be delivered rst under the universal coverage program. Choosing priority services requires an honest assessment of what is needed and what can be delivered rst through the existing public and private healthcare establishments, taking into account their human resources and infrastructure, Dr Hnin Hnin Pyne said. While neighbouring Thailand introduced a relatively large universal care package of services over about 10 years from 1992, Dr Hnin Hnin Pyne said it did so from much higher level of initial spending. Its total national expenditure on health was estimated at 4.3pc of GDP in 2009 and today Thailand spends about US$174 per capita on health, compared to $2 in Myanmar, she said. In Myanmar, patients end up paying more than 65pc of their healthcare bills out of their own pocket a payment system that leaves healthcare seekers highly vulnerable to impoverishment or ruin. This can lead people to forgo treatment an unhealthy statistic almost impossible to capture. A functioning universal health care program provides affordable treatment at a cost that is not impoverishing or ruinous, said Dr Sundarajan S Goplan, health adviser to the World Health Organization in Myanmar, said. This means that if [someone] is on the poverty borderline, they do not fall into poverty due to health expenditure, Dr Goplan said, and that if someone is already impoverished they do not incur catastrophic spending on health that is [economically] ruinous.

Increase in the state health budget in 2013-14, to K499.31 billion

29%

Reg. No. 4/14611/2012 Reg. No. 4/14612/2012 in respect of:- Class 5: Nutritional supplements; dietetic substances adapted for medical use, namely, cholesterol-lowering capsules, powders, tablets or chewables containing plant stanol ester, food for babies. Class 29: Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams, compotes; eggs, milk and milk products, except ice cream, ice milk, and frozen yogurt; edible oils and fats. Class 30: Coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, tapioca, sago, artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from cereals, namely, cereal-based snack foods and drinks, ready-to-eat cereal derived food bars, breakfast cereals, wheat flakes, corn flakes, maize flakes, oat flakes, crisped rice cereals; bread, pastry and confectionery, namely, caramel chew product, ices; honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt, mustard; vinegar, sauces; spices; ice. Class 32: Beers; Mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic beverages, namely, soya-based drinks not being milk substitutes, oatbased beverages not being milk substitutes, beverages containing plant stanol ester, fruit-based beverages, oat-based beverages with fruit juice and milk not for food purposes; fruit beverages and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages namely, fruit beverages, soya beverages not being milk substitutes, oat based beverages with fruit juice and milk not for food purposes. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division P.O. Box No. 952, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, Email: info@untlaw.com For Ravintoraisio Oy Dated: 30 December, 2013.

4 News
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Why Myanmars peace process needs more women

TAYLOR LANDIS
newsroom@mmtimes.com

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THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JAUNARY 5, 2014

NEGOTIATIONS between the government and representatives from 18 armed ethnic groups give a glimpse of the potential for positive changes to come for Myanmars embattled ethnic states. However, these talks also cast a spotlight on the dismal state of gender discrimination in the country: All of the chief negotiators are men. Days before the peace talks in Myitkyina in early November, the United Nations Security Council and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, known as the CEDAW Committee, each adopted new instruments addressing the rights and role of women in situations of armed conict and peacebuilding. Both honed in on long-ignored aspects of the gendered realities of war and peace. The CEDAW Committee oversees compliance with the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) a treaty to which Myanmar, like most states, is a party. On October 18, the Committee adopted General Comment 30, clarifying that the responsibilities in the convention apply with full force to state parties, even in the upheaval of armed conict and peacebuilding. The comment goes a step further and urges non-state actors to date considered safely beyond the legal reach of CEDAW to behave in line with the Convention. It backs this request by placing an explicit legal burden on states and the international community to punish violations perpetrated by these groups. The comment tackles these issues and others that no previous international instrument dared touch, and it nally spells out the brutal truth that women around the world have been saying for decades: For most women in post-conict environments, it says,

A female Kachin Independence Army soldier walks through Laiza on November 2. Photo: Boothee

the violence does not stop with the official ceasere or the signing of the peace agreement and often increases in the post-conict setting. This message is essential for Myanmar at its current crossroads. There is enormous pressure on all parties to the civil wars to seize this unprecedented opportunity for peace but the continued exclusion of women risks jeopardising that opportunity. The government and ethnic armies must work together to construct the true peace envisioned by CEDAW, one in

which both men and women are free from violence. The UN Security Council has offered a roadmap for how to reach such a peace. In 2000, the seminal Resolution 1325 rst called for women to have an equal say in all levels of peace negotiations, demanded that violence against women be met with something more than impunity in post-conict societies, and made the unprecedented acknowledgment that no country can move beyond conict if half its population remains embattled. In October,

the Security Councils Resolution 2122 furthered its agenda on women, peace and security launched 13 years ago, affirming that Resolution 1325, and women, still matter. When these texts were promulgated, I was in Chin State the poorest and most remote of Myanmars ethnic states speaking with community leaders about womens rights and the peace process. Unsurprisingly, more than 100 ethnic Chin community leaders I met had never heard of CEDAW (to which Myanmar acceded in 1997) or the Security Councils agenda on women, peace and security (kicked off in 2000), but their interest was piqued. It sparked positive discussions on ways to address Myanmars endemic gender discrimination and the need for women to join the peace process. Our organisation, Fortify Rights, plans to support their efforts. Is new insight into a text Myanmar has ignored for over 10 years incentive enough to spark changes in the peace process? Probably not. But luckily these new UN instruments do not exist in a vacuum. Myanmars people especially its women are weary of decades of violence and there is a newfound commitment to peace. This set of innovative tools for transition could join those forces to fuel change. General Comment 30 and Resolution 2122 could spur great change in Myanmar, not because of their legal weight, which regrettably is not all it should be, but because the timing is right. If Myanmar is committed to moving from conict to lasting peace, the government and ethnic armed groups must afford women an equal voice in the peace process. Failure to do so will create a society bound together by a peace that perpetuates abject discrimination against half of Myanmars population. That wont be real peace, and it wont support a strong, democratic Myanmar.
Taylor Landis is a researcher with the human rights organisation Fortify Rights. Follow her on Twitter @TaylorMLandis.

Full steam ahead on the African Queen

ROGER MIttON
roger.mitton@gmail.com

Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd. www.mmtimes.com Head Office: 379/383 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Telephone: (01) 253 642, 392 928 Facsimile: (01) 392 706 Mandalay Bureau: Bld Sa/1, Man Mandalar Housing, 35th Street, between 70th and 71st streets, Yan Myo Lone Quarter, Chan Aye Thar San Township. Tel: (02) 65391, 74585. Fax: (02) 24460 Email: mdybranch@myanmartimes.com.mm Nay Pyi Taw Bureau: No. 10/72 Bo Tauk Htein St, Yan Aung (1) Quarter, Nay Pyi Taw-Pyinmana. Tel: (067) 23064, 23065 Email: capitalbureau@myanmartimes.com.mm

LIFE is a short, sharp endurance test and then you die. But solace can come by recollecting past pleasures when, for a brief interlude, the senses are vitalised and the daily quotidian becomes tolerable. The French writer Marcel Proust wrote a seven-volume novel, In Search of Lost Time, based on such past joys, which were famously stimulated by the taste of a madeleine cake dipped in warm tea. Freshly brewed coffee with a little cream does the job for me, as it did last week when a rare news item about Brunei popped up and my mind took off. To paraphrase Proust, the vicissitudes of life became indifferent, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory; for I was no longer at my desk, I was on the African Queen. Or more precisely, Bruneis African

Queen, which putters down the cafau-lait Limbang River from the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, to Limbang town in Malaysias Sarawak State. And oddly, it was a rather dull report about the opening of a new bridge from Limbang to Bruneis eastern enclave of Temburong that sparked this reverie. Temburong, while largely empty it hosts only 2 percent of Bruneis 380,000 population is geographically big and makes up a quarter of the sultanates land mass. It also plays host to the Singapore Armed Forces, whose troops train there and act as a deterrent against any potentially hostile action by Malaysia. Now, thanks to the new bridge, which closes an infamous gap in the Pan Borneo Highway, Temburong assumes even greater importance. Previously, it was possible to drive from Sarawaks capital Kuching to Limbang via Miri and Bandar, but then the road abruptly ended at the Pandaruan River. There, drivers had to wait, often for hours, for a creaky old ferry to take across them to Temburong; now they

can drive straight over in minutes and continue on to Sabahs capital, Kota Kinabalu, and even to Tawau. It is a big deal, which is why the December 8 bridge opening was attended by the Sultan of Brunei, the Malaysian Prime Minister and the chief ministers of both Sabah and Sarawak. With the completion of this bridge, we move closer to realising the ASEAN Community in 2015 because this was the last point along the Pan Borneo Highway that had to be linked, Malaysias PM Najib Razak said at the ceremony. The bridge not only closes the missing link in the 2000-kilometre (about 1250-mile) highway but it also marks the symbolic closure of a long-festering territorial dispute between the two countries over the district of Limbang. The trouble began back in 1890, when Britains colonial ruler, Charles Brooke, the so-called second Rajah of Sarawak, took Limbang from Brunei and made it part of Sarawak, thereby splitting Brunei in two. The move infuriated the tiny sultanate, which became even more anxious about its borders with

Malaysia, especially after huge oil and gas reserves were discovered off its coastline. Not unnaturally, fearing more loss of sovereignty, Brunei declined to follow Sabah and Sarawak in joining the Malaysian Federation in 1963. Instead, the sultanate went its own way, while continuing to complain about the unfair Limbang annexation and other alleged border encroachments by Malaysia. But time and reality assuage such disputes and now the Friendship Bridge has brought both sides together and obviated the need for the Temburong ferry crossing. Those like myself, however, who fondly recall Bruneis African Queen, can still live out their madeleine-like reverie by taking the half-hour trip between Limbang and Bandar. Just clamber aboard and sit among the beer cases and the sequined good-time girls, for they are among its abiding joys as it transports you between dry, staid Bandar and decadent, frolicsome Limbang. Id love to go back. Just to see the new bridge, you understand.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Aspen Global Incorporated a company organized under the laws of Mauritius and having its registered office at c/o Kross Border Trust Services Limited, ST Louis Business Centre, Cnr Desroches & St Louis Streets, Port Louis is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

(Reg: Nos. IV/7316/1975 & IV/13650/2013) in respect of : - International Class - 5 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates For Aspen Global Incorporated P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

TRANDATE

Pressure to allow
European Union ambassad
THOMAs KEAN NAN TIN HtWE

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that ATHLETA S.A. a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 1-4-10 Higashikomagata, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

Demonstrators take part in a peace march in September 2012. Photo: Kaung Htet

Student union vows to ignore protest law

THAN NAING SOE thennaingsoe@gmail.com A STUDENT activist group says it will ignore a law regulating public protests and demonstrations and push to get it struck off the statute books. The All Burma Federation of Students Unions (ABFSU) is targeting section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, which was passed by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in December 2011. Weve adopted a policy that the ABFSU wont apply for permission. We will also join with other groups in the hluttaw in a legislative push to have section 18 revoked, said Ko Aung Hmaing San, a Mandalay-based federation official. When his organisation plans a demonstration it will inform the authorities but will not ask for permission, he said. We will communicate to the authorities the reasons for our peaceful assembly in order to ensure that they can take steps to avoid any inconvenience to the public, he said. Since the restoration of civilian government, about 200 people have been charged under section 18 of the peaceful assembly and peaceful procession law, or section 505(b) of the criminal law, for illegal demonstrations, according to Ko Tawki of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Some have been charged under both sections, he said. Those convicted under section 18 face up to one year in prison, although in some cases judges have imposed only a K10,000 ne instead. Ko Aung Hmaing San said the courts had discriminated against defendants accused of breaching the law, notably in the case of protests against the Letpadaung copper mine and land grabs. In Monywa township, three members of the ABFSU and [activist] U Myint Aung were charged under section 18. Their cases were all the same. But the ABFSU members were ned K10,000 each, while U Myint Aung was sentenced to a years imprisonment. He is a member of an anti-Letpadaung committee so the sentence against him was the result of malice, I think, said Ko Aung Hmaing San. Ko Tun Naing Win, a human rights activist in Myitthar township, said the four organisers had applied for permission to demonstrate under the peaceful assembly and peaceful procession law. We have to ask are the authorities afraid of the truth? The federation and eight other groups released a statement on November 22 demanding the immediate release of all activists detained under these sections and for the revocation of the oppressive laws. In November, Union Solidarity and Development Party Pyithu Hluttaw representative Thura U Aung Ko submitted proposed amendments to the law that would remove section 18 and only require that organisers inform authorities before a demonstration. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

(Reg: No. IV/12303/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/12304/2013) (Reg: No. IV/12305/2013) The above three trademarks are in respect of :Handbags; bags [envelopes, pouches] of leather, for packaging; wallets; sports bags; leisure bags; traveling bags; backpacks [rucksacks]; carry bags; briefcases; shopping bags; school bags; ball-shaped bags of leather; beach bags; valises; vanity cases [not fitted]; purses; pocket wallets; key cases [leatherware]; card cases of leather; umbrellas and their parts. Class: 18 Clothing; coats; sweaters; trousers; shirts; tee-shirts; sweat shirts; jackets [clothing]; blazers; pyjamas; underwear [underclothing]; swimsuits; short pants; socks and stockings; fur stoles; shawls; scarves [scarfs]; gloves and mittens [clothing]; neckties; mufflers; ear muffs [clothing]; headgear for wear; track suits; sock suspenders; suspenders [braces]; belts of leather [clothing]; headbands [clothing]; bandanas [neckerchiefs]; footwear; sandals; sports shirts; uniforms for football; anoraks; sports overuniforms; wind-jackets; stockings; wristbands; soccer shoes; clothes for sports; boots for sports. Class: 25 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 ATHLETA S.A. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Dated: 30th December, 2013

THE international communitys efforts to prod the government into allowing the United Nations to open a human rights office considered a key test of its sincerity to improve human rights appear to be making inroads, the European Unions ambassador says. The government has so far been reluctant to give approval for the office to open, despite repeated requests, including in EU-sponsored UN resolutions, for it to do so. However, members of the parliaments human rights committee, as well as the human rights commission, have told The Myanmar Times the office is needed to improve Myanmars human rights situation. Speaking just after the EU Foreign Affairs Council called in its annual Conclusions on Myanmar/Burma for the establishment of a country office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, ambassador Roland Kobia said he believed Myanmar is looking at the proposal positively. My impression is that Myanmar understands that it might be in its own interests ... [and] that it is moving forward with opening the office, he told The Myanmar Times on December 18. At the end of the day it could be very useful for this transition and it could be an asset for Myanmar to say, Weve got this office, were moving on human rights ... and we are working together to try and improve human rights. So I think theres a win-win there. Myanmar should not fear the opening of this human rights office. I think its a little bit like when the International Labour Organization opened an office here and started questioning the labour laws ... Finally it turned out to be a success story ... I could very much see the same thing happening for this human rights office. Presidential spokesperson U Ye Htut did not respond to requests for comment on the issue last week. But U Tin Maung Win, secretary of the parliaments Committee of Fundamental Rights, Democratic Rights and Human Rights of Citizens, said the opening of a UN human rights office would help to

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News 7

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NOTICE is hereby given that Hormel Foods Corporation a company organized under the laws of U.S.A. and having its principal office at 1 Hormel Place, Austin, Minnesota, U.S.A. is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

e builds on government UN human rights office

or says office could be a win-win, as human rights commission calls for its opening
build on the human rights gains made so far. Its better if they are here, he said. They can help us in many ways. However he said that government would need to set certain rules and regulations for the offices operations, and its success would depend on mutual trust. Its normal that they cant run an ofce instantly, he said. U Sitt Myaing, secretary of the Myanmar Human Rights Commission, said an OHCHR presence would be benecial for the commission. He said he was condent the two bodies could cooperate but warned that the human rights office would need to be balanced to avoid the criticisms levelled at some rights organisations, particularly for their perceived bias in regards to Rakhine State. We will know what they are like only when we work closely with them. Human rights means standing for the truth, he said. But I really dont know whether [the opening of the office] has been delayed or is proceeding as normal. The failure to allow a human rights office to open along with the conict in Rakhine State was one of the major reasons that Myanmar was again the subject of a UN General Assembly resolution this year. Human rights groups have also called on President U Thein Sein to follow through on his promise to allow the office to open. When the president visited Europe in March, Human Rights Watch said in a statement that he should be urged to honour his pledges to permit an office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights with a full country reserves the right to choose the mandate of the office. The Myanmar government had previously insisted that the resolution was not needed because of the progress it had made on human rights, including the release of political prisoners, legal reforms and the establishment of a human rights commission. The government also said it had been told that the 2012 resolution, which it helped the EU draft, would be the last on its human rights situation. However, after some prodding by the United States, the EU again drafted a resolution and received Myanmars assistance. Mr Kobia said that despite its belief no resolution was needed Myanmar has shown a very positive spirit in this process. Of course, no country likes to have a country-specic resolution; thats normal. No country likes to be put to the fore and get a bit of criticism. [But] whats happening in Rakhine is of great concern for Europe, its of great concern for many other countries around the world, and we made it known. Now if next year the problem is solved there wont be a resolution. If not, I dont know I dont have a crystal ball. Lets see.

(Reg: Nos. IV/50571995, IV/130/2006, IV/2154/2009 & IV/12317/2013) in respect of:- canned meats and especially spiced ham International Class 29 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Hormel Foods Corporation P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

SPAM

Myanmar should not fear the opening of this human rights office.
Roland Kobia EU ambassador to Myanmar

TRADE MARK CAUTION

PFIZER ENTERPRISES S.A.R.L, of Rond Point du Kirchberg, 51 Avenue JF Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

Reg. No. 749/1998 in respect of Pharmaceutical preparation.

DALACIN C

rights protection, promotion, and technical assistance mandate and allow full and unimpeded access of humanitarian organizations to areas where civilians are in need. But during the discussion on the UN resolution, Myanmars permanent representative to the UN, U Kyaw Tin, said his

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247 Email: info@untlaw.com For PFIZER ENTERPRISES S.A.R.L Dated: 30 December, 2013.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Pfizer Products Inc, of Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut, 06340, U.S.A., is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:Reg. Nos. 4/4809/1998, 4/2427/2001, 4/104/2005 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical for the treatment of neurological and kidney complications due to diabetes and all goods in this class. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division P.O. Box No. 952, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: info@untlaw.com For Pfizer Products Inc Dated: 30 December, 2013.

ALOND

Demonstrators hold signs accusing the UN of bias in Rakhine State during a protest in Yangon in August 2012. Photo: Staff

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Exxon Mobil Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey, U.S.A., of 5959 Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75039-2298, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:Reg. No. 8832/2013 in respect of Class 1: All goods in the class. Class 4: All goods in the class. Class 16: Advertising materials; brochures, printed matter. Class 35: Corporate advertisements. Class 41: All services in Class 41, including: corporate advertisements and public interest statements relating to the petroleum and chemical industries. 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 Exxon Mobil Corporation P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30 December 2013

8 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

ENERGY LIVES HERE

JICA, govt to sign railway loan deal in early 2014

Upgrade will take two to three years and cut travel time in half, from around 15 hours

AYE NYEIN WIN

ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Marriott Worldwide Corporation, a Maryland (USA) Corporation, of 10400, Fernwood Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, U.S.A., is the Owner of the following Trade Marks:-

COURTYARD
Reg. No. 7618/2013

JAPAN will loan Myanmar US$200 million of the $500 million required to upgrade the Yangon-Mandalay Railway early next year, a Japan International Cooperation Agency ofcial said last week. While JICA has not publicly committed to nancing the remaining $300 million, chief representative Tanaka Masahiko said the $200 million was the rst batch of several loans the agency would provide for the upgrade, which will cut travel time in half from 15 hours. The two governments are preparing to sign the agreement and we hope to sign it this scal year, maybe in March, Mr Tanaka said. After signing the agreement we will transfer $200 million as a rst batch and also transfer the second batch during next year. We

Onlookers stand beside the Yangon-Mandalay Railway. Photo: Douglas Long

Reg. No. 7619/2013

Estimated cost of upgrading the Yangon-Mandalay Railway

500

MILLION US$

Reg. No. 7620/2013 in respect of International Class 43: Hotel services; restaurant, catering, bar and lounge services; resort and lodging services; provision of general purpose facilities for meetings, conferences and exhibitions; provision of banquet and social function facilities for special occasions; and reservation services for hotel accommodations. 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 Marriott Worldwide Corporation P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30 December 2013

[estimate] the upgrading period will take between two and three years and will reduce by half the [ journey] time. The loans will incur almost no interest and be paid back over 14 years, he added. Mr Tanaka said Myanmar will be responsible for conducting an international tender for the upgrade. We will help with technology and the Myanmar government will [conduct an] international tender for xing the railway, [establishing

the] control system and [supplying the] locomotives. I think the Myanmar government should assign a consultant for tendering, he said. Myanma Railways has applied for $500 million to upgrade the railway and is hopeful of getting it in early 2014, general manager U Htun Aung said in October. The 595-kilometre (370-mile) journey between Yangon and Mandalay once took 12 hours but deterioration of the track means it now takes about 15 hours.

US$34 million allocated for ASEAN meetings

NYAN LYNN AUNG 29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com MYANMAR will spend more than K30 billion on the 300-500 international meetings it expects to host over the coming year as the chair of ASEAN, the government says. U Aung Htoo, deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ASEAN Affairs Department, said the rst would be the ministerial retreat, scheduled for January 15-18 at Bagan. That meeting of ASEAN ministers will discuss the follow-up to the results of the Brunei summit, he said. Other meetings will include the ASEAN summit, and gatherings at the ministerial and deputy ministerial levels, and working group sessions at Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Bagan, Pyin Oo Lwin and Chaungtha. The K33.4 billion (US$34.1 million) budget will also cover the preparation of the necessary guesthouse and meeting rooms, he added. Myanmar will host the 47th ASEAN foreign affairs meeting and three major summits, including working group meetings on Timor-Leste and the six-party talks on the North Korean peace process.

www.mmtimes.com

News 9
A Myanmar Brewery Limited employee donates to the Mandalay Blood Bank on December 24.

Amnesty push for army whistleblowers

Committee recommends release of three jailed for leaking details of North Korea visit
Affairs has been unhelpful, with its Special Branch body refusing to release lists of prisoners and their biographical details. One of the most controversial cases may be that of U Win Naing Kyaw, a former army major turned businessman, who was arrested in 2009 on charges related to the leaking of information about Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Thura Shwe Manns trip to North Korea in 2008 to exile media. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, U Win Naing Kyaw was sentenced to death and his two co-defendants to 20 years in prison under a range of laws, including the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and the 2004 Electronic Transactions Act. The three were also accused of leaking details of Myanmars tunnelling program and its relationship with Russia. On January 4, President U Thein Sein announced the commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment. U Sai Nyunt Lwin said U Win Naing Kyaw should be regarded as a political prisoner and had been included on the committees list of remaining political prisoners. He was sentenced under a law concerning political matters, and information he revealed about the plans of the military regime [became] known to the world, agreed U Ye Aung, a former political prisoner and committee member. The jailed trio also have international support. In July, the Asian Human Rights Commission said the three were among ve jailed whistleblowers who should be considered political prisoners and released by the government. Despite the committees recommendation, the release of the 12 former military political prisoners could still be scuppered by the Tatmadaw. Committee chairman U Soe Thein said at the meeting that the president would make a decision on their cases after consulting with the military. U Thet Oo, of the organisation Former Political Prisoners, said he anticipated a government amnesty on January 4 to mark Independence Day.

WA LONE
walone14@gmail.com

PRESIDENT U Thein Seins pledge to release all political prisoners by the end of the year 2013 has been largely redeemed but some highly complicated individual cases remain, particularly those involving former military officials. As The Myanmar Times reported last week, a dispute has arisen over the status of prisoners still behind bars who were charged with criminal as well as political offences. Some of those detained were members of the now disbanded Military Intelligence, who have themselves been accused of locking up dissidents. The Remaining Political Prisoners Scrutiny Committee (RPPSC) lists nearly 50 political prisoners still in jail, including 12 who are formerly from the Tatmadaw. It met on December 21 and nalised its list of political detainees, which was then submitted to the Presidents Office for consideration. RPPSC member U Sai Nyont Lwin said the process had been made harder because the Ministry of Home

Former Tatmadaw soldiers considered political prisoners by the RPPSC

12

IN PICTURES

PHOTO: SI THU LWIN

As many people were preparing for the Christmas public holiday, staff from Myanmar Brewery Limited in Mandalay ended the year by donating to the citys blood bank. Since it launched its donation program in 2006 the companys staff have donated almost 10,000 bottles. Si Thu Lwin

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Starbucks Corporation d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Washington, USA and having its principal office at 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98134, United States of America is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(Reg. No: IV/13000/2013) In respect of;- Class 03: Decalcifying and descaling preparations for cleaning domestic and/or commercial brewing machines; cleaning preparations for domestic and/or commercial brewing machines; cleaner for use on domestic and/or commercial brewing machines. Class 07: Electric coffee grinders for domestic or commercial use. Class 09: Loyalty cards, incentive cards, reward cards, gift cards, and club cards that may be used towards the purchase of coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, house wares, kitchenware, books, musical recordings, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, ornaments; Computer application software for mobile devices and mobile phones, namely, software for consumers to access, monitor and manage their loyalty program profile and funds in associated stored value accounts, pay for purchases via mobile pay functionality, access menu data and store location information; Computer software for use in authoring, downloading, transmitting, receiving, editing, extracting, encoding, decoding, playing, storing and organizing audio data; audio recordings featuring classical, jazz, contemporary, pop, seasonal, Rhythm and Blues, soul, world, and rock music; digital audio players; downloadable music via a global computer network and wireless devices; covers and cases for cell phones and personal electronic devices; straps for cellphones; decorative ornaments for cell phones; holders for magnetically encoded gift cards; magnetic coded gift cards; mouse pads; vending machines. Class 11: Electrical appliances, namely, espresso makers and coffee makers for domestic and/or commercial use; water filters; water filtration and purification units and replacement cartridges and filters therefor. Class 16: Publications and printed materials, namely, newsletters and magazines featuring information about coffee and coffee drinkers, paper filters for coffee makers, photo albums, art paper, drawing pencils, artists brushes, pens, pencils, ball point pens, bookmarks, pencil boxes, stationery boxes, pen cases, pencil cases, stationery, posters, paper napkins, paper coasters, paper bags, paper cup sleeves; boxes and paper packaging; instructional booklets. Class 21: Hand operated coffee grinders and coffee mills, insulated coffee and beverage cups, paper cups, non-paper reusable coffee filters, non-paper coasters, insulated vacuum bottles, coffee cups, tea cups and mugs, glassware, dishes, plates and bowls, trivets, storage canisters, non-electric drip coffee makers, nonelectric plunger-style coffee makers, decorative storage containers for food, non-electric tea kettles, tea infusers, tea pots, tea strainers, candle holder (not of precious metal), candlesticks not of precious metal, ceramic figurines, porcelain figurines. Class 29: Milk, flavored milk, milkshakes and milk based beverages; soy milk; fruit jams; compote, jellies, bread spreads as far as not included in other classes; preserved fruit and vegetables, prepared meals or frozen meals as far as not included in other classes consisting of meat, soy, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, tofu, and/or cheese also including pasta, rice, or grains; yogurt, yogurt-based beverages; whipping cream; prepared nuts, seasoned nuts, roasted nuts; nut milk and nut juice; edible oils and fats. Class 32: Fruit juices; fruit and juice based beverages; fruit drinks and soft drinks containing fruit juices; frozen fruit beverages and frozen fruit-based beverages; fruit concentrates and purees used as ingredients of beverages; beverage concentrates and syrups for making

frozen blended beverages; sparkling fruit and juice based beverages and soda beverages; vegetable-fruit juices; vegetable-based beverages; beverages containing vegetable juices; liquid and powdered beverage mixes; flavoring syrups for making tea and herbal tea-based beverages; water, mineral water, sparkling water, drinking water with vitamins, and other non-alcoholic drinks; soft drinks; soda pop beverages; flavoring syrups for making beverages; flavored and unflavored bottled waters; energy drinks; soy-based beverages not being milk substitutes; soy drinks and soy-based beverages; nut milk and nut juice. Class 38: Communication services, namely, transmitting streamed and downloadable audio and video entertainment programming via computer, satellite and communications networks; audio entertainment broadcasting and transmission; subscription audio and video entertainment broadcasting and transmission via computer, satellite and communications networks; electronic and digital transmission of voice, data, information, images, signals and messages; providing on-line chat rooms, bulletin boards and community forums for the transmission of messages among computer users concerning entertainment, music, concerts, videos, radio, television, film, news, sports, games and cultural events; delivery of messages by electronic transmission; provision of connectivity services and access to electronic communications networks, for transmission or reception of audio, video or multimedia content; Providing multiple user dedicated access to the Internet; Broadcasting and downloading service that allows users to playback, sample, download, store, create playlists and stream music, videos, movies, games and entertainment related programming over computers, wireless devices, PDAs, telephones, and digital listening and playback devices; transmission of electronic gift cards and greeting cards. (Reg. No: IV/13001/2013) In respect of:- Class 03: Decalcifying and descaling preparations for cleaning domestic and/or commercial brewing machines; cleaning preparations for domestic and/or commercial brewing machines; cleaner for use on domestic and/or commercial brewing machines. Class 07: Electric coffee grinders for domestic or commercial use. Class 09: Loyalty cards, incentive cards, reward cards, gift cards, and club cards that may be used towards the purchase of coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, house wares, kitchenware, books, musical recordings, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, ornaments; Computer application software for mobile devices and mobile phones, namely, software for consumers to access, monitor and manage their loyalty program profile and funds in associated stored value accounts, pay for purchases via mobile pay functionality, access menu data and store location information; Computer software for use in authoring, downloading, transmitting, receiving, editing, extracting, encoding, decoding, playing, storing and organizing audio data; audio recordings featuring classical, jazz, contemporary, pop, seasonal, Rhythm and Blues, soul, world, and rock music; digital audio players; downloadable music via a global computer network and wireless devices; covers and cases for cell phones and personal electronic devices; straps for cellphones; decorative ornaments for cell phones; holders for magnetically encoded gift cards; magnetic coded gift cards; mouse pads; vending machines. Class 11: Electrical appliances, namely, espresso makers and coffee makers for domestic and/or commercial use; water filters; water filtration and purification units and replacement cartridges and filters therefor. Class 14: Clocks, alarm clocks, watches and wristwatches, kitchen timers, stop watches; jewelry. Class 16: Publications and printed materials, namely, newsletters and magazines featuring information about coffee and coffee drinkers, paper filters for coffee makers, photo albums, art paper, drawing pencils, artists brushes, pens, pencils, ball point pens, bookmarks, pencil boxes, stationery boxes, pen cases, pencil cases, stationery, posters, paper napkins, paper coasters, paper bags, paper cup sleeves; boxes and paper packaging; instructional booklets. Class 18: Wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases,

STARBUCKS

book bags, briefcase-type portfolios, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather. Class 21: Hand operated coffee grinders and coffee mills, insulated coffee and beverage cups, paper cups, non-paper reusable coffee filters, non-paper coasters, insulated vacuum bottles, coffee cups, tea cups and mugs, glassware, dishes, plates and bowls, trivets, storage canisters, non-electric drip coffee makers, nonelectric plunger-style coffee makers, decorative storage containers for food, non-electric tea kettles, tea infusers, tea pots, tea strainers, candle holder (not of precious metal), candlesticks not of precious metal, ceramic figurines, porcelain figurines. Class 25: T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, caps, hats, jackets, shorts, aprons and neckties. Class 28: Toys, namely, teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments, yo-yos, playing cards. Class 29: Milk, flavored milk, milkshakes and milk based beverages; soy milk; fruit jams; compote, jellies, bread spreads as far as not included in other classes; preserved fruit and vegetables, prepared meals or frozen meals as far as not included in other classes consisting of meat, soy, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, tofu, and/or cheese also including pasta, rice, or grains; yogurt, yogurt-based beverages; whipping cream; prepared nuts, seasoned nuts, roasted nuts; nut milk and nut juice; edible oils and fats. Class 33: Alcoholic beverages. Class 38: Communication services, namely, transmitting streamed and downloadable audio and video entertainment programming via computer, satellite and communications networks; audio entertainment broadcasting and transmission; subscription audio and video entertainment broadcasting and transmission via computer, satellite and communications networks; electronic and digital transmission of voice, data, information, images, signals and messages; providing on line chat rooms, bulletin boards and community forums for the transmission of messages among computer users concerning entertainment, music, concerts, videos, radio, television, film, news, sports, games and cultural events; delivery of messages by electronic transmission; provision of connectivity services and access to electronic communications networks, for transmission or reception of audio, video or multimedia content; Providing multiple user dedicated access to the Internet; Broadcasting and downloading service that allows users to playback, sample, download, store, create playlists and stream music, videos, movies, games and entertainment related programming over computers, wireless devices, PDAs, telephones, and digital listening and playback devices; transmission of electronic gift cards and greeting cards. Class 41: Entertainment services, namely, the provision and/or organization of entertainment, educational, recreational and/or musical events; organization, production, hosting, and/or presentation of shows, live performances, concerts, and other events and activities; arranging and conducting of personal appearances for entertainment purposes; Publishing and production of musical and sound recordings; Providing access to an interactive computer database featuring a comprehensive digest of musical recordings; providing databases and directories in the fields of music, video, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events, entertainment, and arts and leisure via communications networks; providing information, audio, video, graphics, text and other multimedia content in the fields of music, video, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events, entertainment, and arts and leisure via communications networks; music publishing services; publishing of text, graphic, audio and video works via communications networks; Providing in store and on-line facilities to enable users to program audio, video, text and other multimedia content, including music, concerts, videos, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events and entertainment-related programs; production and distribution of radio programs; music production services; entertainment services, namely providing reviews of music and commentary and articles about music. Continued to page 11

Continued from page 10

(Reg. No: IV/13002/2013) In respect of:- Class 43: Restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, coffee bar and coffee house, carry out restaurant, and take out restaurant services; catering services; coffee supply services for offices; contract food services; food preparation; preparation and sale of carry out foods and beverages.

STARBUCKS COFFEE
(Reg. No: IV/13003/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13005/2013) The above two trademarks are in respect of :Class 35: Business administration; business management; franchising, namely providing technical assistance in the establishment and/or operation of restaurants, cafes, coffee houses and snack bars; retail services in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; wholesale distributorships, wholesale stores and wholesale ordering services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; mail order services and mail order catalog services, computerized on-line ordering services, computerized on-line retail services, on-line ordering services and on-line retail store services all in the field of: coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, housewares, kitchenware, clocks, watches, kitchen timers, stop watches, jewelry, books, musical recordings, mouse pads, wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather, clothing, caps and hats, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments; computerized on-line gift registry and ordering service. Class 43: Restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, coffee bar and coffee house, carry out restaurant, and take out restaurant services; catering services; coffee supply services for offices; contract food services; food preparation; preparation and sale of carry out foods and beverages.

(Reg. No: IV/13004/2013) In respect of :- Class 07: Electric coffee grinders for domestic or commercial use. Class 09: Loyalty cards, incentive cards, reward cards, gift cards, and club cards that may be used towards the purchase of coffee, tea, cocoa, packaged and prepared foods, electric appliances, non-electric appliances, house wares, kitchenware, books, musical recordings, toys, including teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, ornaments; Computer application software for mobile devices and mobile phones, namely, software for consumers to access, monitor and manage their loyalty program profile and funds in associated stored value accounts, pay for purchases via mobile pay functionality, access menu data and store location information; Computer software for use in authoring, downloading, transmitting, receiving, editing, extracting, encoding, decoding, playing, storing and

organizing audio data; audio recordings featuring classical, jazz, contemporary, pop, seasonal, Rhythm and Blues, soul, world, and rock music; digital audio players; downloadable music via a global computer network and wireless devices; covers and cases for cell phones and personal electronic devices; straps for cellphones; decorative ornaments for cell phones; holders for magnetically encoded gift cards; magnetic coded gift cards; mouse pads; vending machines. Class 11: Electrical appliances, namely, espresso makers and coffee makers for domestic and/or commercial use; water filters; water filtration and purification units and replacement cartridges and filters therefor. Class 14: Clocks, alarm clocks, watches and wristwatches, kitchen timers, stop watches; jewelry. Class 16: Publications and printed materials, namely, newsletters and magazines featuring information about coffee and coffee drinkers, paper filters for coffee makers, photo albums, art paper, drawing pencils, artists brushes, pens, pencils, ball point pens, bookmarks, pencil boxes, stationery boxes, pen cases, pencil cases, stationery, posters, paper napkins, paper coasters, paper bags, paper cup sleeves; boxes and paper packaging; instructional booklets. Class 18: Wallets, billfolds, tote bags, purses, briefcases, book bags, briefcase-type portfolios, valises and umbrellas, all made of cloth, plastic or leather, key fobs of leather. Class 21: Hand operated coffee grinders and coffee mills, insulated coffee and beverage cups, paper cups, nonpaper reusable coffee filters, non-paper coasters, insulated vacuum bottles, coffee cups, tea cups and mugs, glassware, dishes, plates and bowls, trivets, storage canisters, nonelectric drip coffee makers, non-electric plunger-style coffee makers, decorative storage containers for food, non-electric tea kettles, tea infusers, tea pots, tea strainers, candle holder (not of precious metal), candlesticks not of precious metal, ceramic figurines, porcelain figurines. Class 25: T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, caps, hats, jackets, shorts, aprons and neckties. Class 28: Toys, namely, teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments, yo-yos, playing cards. Class 29: Milk, flavored milk, milkshakes and milk based beverages; soy milk; fruit jams; compote, jellies, bread spreads as far as not included in other classes; preserved fruit and vegetables, prepared meals or frozen meals as far as not included in other classes consisting of meat, soy, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, tofu, and/or cheese also including pasta, rice, or grains; yogurt, yogurt-based beverages; whipping cream; prepared nuts, seasoned nuts, roasted nuts; nut milk and nut juice; edible oils and fats. Class 33: Alcoholic beverages. Class 36: Financial services, namely, debit, credit and stored-value card services; charitable fund raising services. Class 41: Entertainment services, namely, the provision and/ or organization of entertainment, educational, recreational and/or musical events; organization, production, hosting, and/or presentation of shows, live performances, concerts, and other events and activities; arranging and conducting of personal appearances for entertainment purposes; Publishing and production of musical and sound recordings; Providing access to an interactive computer database featuring a comprehensive digest of musical recordings; providing databases and directories in the fields of music, video, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events, entertainment, and arts and leisure via communications networks; providing information, audio, video, graphics, text and other multimedia content in the fields of music, video, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events, entertainment, and arts and leisure via communications networks; music publishing services; publishing of text, graphic, audio and video works via communications networks; Providing in store and on-line facilities to enable users to program audio, video, text and other multimedia content, including music, concerts, videos, radio, television, news, sports, games, cultural events and entertainment-related programs; production and distribution of radio programs; music production services; entertainment services, namely providing reviews of music and commentary and articles about music.

CAFFE VERONA
(Reg. No: IV/13007/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13008/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13009/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13010/2013)

CASI CIELO

GAZEBO BLEND GOLD COAST BLEND

KOMODO DRAGON BLEND
(Reg. No: IV/13011/2013)

LIGHTNOTE BLEND STARBUCKS BLONDE

STARBUCKS VERANDA BLEND STARBUCKS WILLOW BLEND
(Reg. No: IV/13016/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13017/2013) The above ten trademarks are in respect of :Class 30: Beverages made of coffee; coffee; coffee beans; ground coffee beans. (Reg. No: IV/13013/2013) In respect of :- Class 30: Coffee; coffee beans; ground coffee; instant coffee; coffee extracts and essences; coffee-based preparations and beverages; espresso-based preparations and beverages; iced coffee; artificial coffee; extracts and essences of, and preparations and beverages based on, artificial coffee. (Reg. No: IV/13018/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13015/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13014/2013) (Reg. No: IV/13012/2013)

YUKON BLEND

PIKE PLACE

VERISMO

(Reg. No: IV/13006/2013) In respect of :- Class 43: Restaurant, cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, coffee bar and coffee house services.

FRAPPUCCINO

(Reg. No: IV/13019/2013) The above two trademarks are in respect of :Class 07: Electric coffee grinders for domestic or commercial use; electric milk frothers. Class 11: Electrical appliances, namely, espresso makers and coffee makers for domestic and/or commercial use; water filters; water filtration and purification units and replacement cartridges and filters therefor. Class 16: Paper filters for coffee makers; paper napkins; paper cups; paper coasters; paper bags; paper cup sleeves; boxes and paper packaging; instructional booklets. Class 21: Hand operated coffee grinders and coffee mills, insulated coffee and beverage cups, paper cups, non-paper reusable coffee filters, non-paper coasters, insulated vacuum bottles, coffee cups, tea cups and mugs, glassware, dishes, plates and bowls, trivets, storage canisters, non-electric drip coffee makers, non-electric plunger-style coffee makers, decorative storage containers for food, non-electric tea kettles, tea infusers, tea pots, tea strainers, candle holder (not of precious metal), candlesticks not of precious metal, ceramic figurines, porcelain figurines; non-electric milk frothers; scoops. Class 29: Dried milk powder; powdered milk; milk, flavored milk, milkshakes and milk based beverages; fruit jams, fruit sauces, jellies, spreads, curds and preserves. Class 30: Coffee; ground and whole bean coffee; cocoa; tea and herbal tea; coffee, tea, cocoa and espresso beverages; beverages made with a base of coffee; beverages made with a base of espresso; beverages made with a base of tea; powdered chocolate and vanilla; sauces to add to beverages; chocolate syrup; chocolate sauce; fruit sauces excluding cranberry sauce and applesauce; baked goods, namely, muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, pastries and breads, sandwiches, granola; ready-to-drink coffee; ready-to-drink tea; ice cream and frozen confections; chocolate, candy, spice and candy confections, in the nature of beverage topping sprinkles. Continued to page 12

TRADE MARK CAUTION

MEDI plus TEC Medizinisch-technische Handelsgesellschaft mbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany, and having its principal place of business at Baerler Strasse 100, 47441, Moers, Germany, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:Reg. Nos. IV/7201/2004, IV/9323/2009, IV/2579/2013 Reg. Nos. IV/7202/2004, IV/9324/2009, IV/2580/2013 Reg. Nos. IV/801/2005, IV/9325/2009, IV/2581/2013 in respect of Class 34: Tobacco goods, in particular cigarettes and filter-tip cigarettes; smokers articles; matches. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division P.O. Box No. 952, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: info@untlaw.com For MEDI plus TEC Medizinisch-technische Handelsgesellschaft mbH Dated: 30 December, 2013.

12 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

GOLD SEAL CAPITAL EMPIRE

Men walk on the bank of the Ayeyarwady River in front of a temple at Bagan. Photo: Staff

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Millennium & Copthorne International Limited a company organized under the laws of Singapore and having its principal office at 36 Robinson Road #0401 City House, Singapore 068877 is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:(Reg: No. IV/9228/2012) in respect of: Business management of hotels and resorts/motels and other temporary accommodation including serviced apartments and apartment hotels; public relations services in relation to temporary accommodation, including hotels and motels, serviced apartments and apartment hotels; marketing of temporary accommodation including hotels and motels, serviced apartments and apartment hotels including the advertising of the aforementioned services via the Internet and other global computer networks. - Class: 35 Temporary accommodation services, accommodation (rental of temporary), catering (food and drink), rental of meeting rooms, restaurants, cafs, reservations of temporary accommodation; providing temporary housing accommodation; providing serviced apartments; hotel services. Class: 43 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Millennium & Copthorne International Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013 Continued from page 11 Class 32: Fruit drinks and soft drinks containing fruit juices; fruit juices; sparkling fruit and juice based beverages and soda beverages; frozen fruit beverages and frozen fruitbased beverages; liquid and powdered beverage mixes; flavoring syrups for beverages. (Reg. No: IV/13020/2013) In respect of :- Class 29: Ready-to-drink milk based beverages, excluding milkshakes, and non-carbonated milk-based soft drinks. Class 30: Coffee, espresso, tea, and chocolate beverages, and beverages made with a base of coffee and/or espresso and/or chocolate and/or tea. Class 32: Non-alcoholic drinks, soft drinks. (Reg. No: IV/13021/2013) In respect of: Class 28: Toys, namely, teddy bears, stuffed toys, plush toys, dolls and accessories therefor, Christmas ornaments, yo-yos, playing cards.

Riverside communities face challenging future

AYE SAPAY PHYU
ayephyu2006@gmail.com

COPTHORNE

DISASTROUS changes in the behaviour of the Ayeyarwady river have wreaked havoc among the villagers who depend on it for their livelihood, a meeting of experts heard earlier this month. Environmental degradation accelerated by human activities is putting their way of life at risk, local community representatives said at a workshop in Yangon on December 17. Residents of Yenangyaung, Htee Gying and Mawlamyinegyun townships, along with representatives from the Sein Yaung So, Renewable Energy Association Myanmar, and Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together groups, presented the challenges that communities have faced over the past decade because of changing watersheds, bank erosion, resource depletion and pollution. U Myint Tin, a community researcher with Sein Yaung So, said deforestation in the upstream areas of the Ayeyarwady River had led to more

deposition, shifting waterways and bank erosion. Mass timber production persists along the Ayeyarwady river in the townships of Katha [in Sagaing Region and] Shwegu and Bhamo [in Kachin State]. Watershed areas are damaged because of deforestation. The consequences include bank erosion, the formation of sandbanks and changing waterways, he said. U Thaung Tin Oo, a resident of Yenangyaung in Magwe Region, said residents of Nyaung Pin Thar village in the township had suffered from erosion that had worsened since 2005. Nyaung Pin Thar, 3 miles [5 kilometres] south of Yenangyaung on the

About 400 acres of farmland were lost last year because of erosion, and we are still losing our land.
U Khin Win Bu Kyun village, Yenangyaung

eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady, has existed for more than 300 years, with a population of 700, he said. The impact of bank erosion started in 2005 because of changing waterways. About 1000 acres of farmland have been lost to erosion, and villagers face losing their livelihood, he said. U Khin Win, of Bu Kyun village in Yenangyaung, said four out of ve villages in his village tract had been affected by erosion. The behaviour of the Ayeyarwady has been changing since 2007. The water level used to rise and fall gradually, maintaining the fertility of the arable land. But since 2007, the water has not risen [as much as before] and this has caused erosion. About 400 acres of farmland were lost last year because of erosion, and we are still losing our land because of this disaster, he said. U Thin Aye, a former director of the forestry department, said riverside conservation or development projects should take into account the effects on the whole river basin. Environmental degradation upstream can have wide social and economic impacts downstream, he said. Development on the river should be implemented based on an assessment that includes the whole river basin.

In respect of: Class 30: Coffee and non-alcoholic coffeebased beverages. (Reg. No: IV/13023/2013) In respect of:- Class 30: Ground and whole bean coffee, cocoa, tea (herbal and non-herbal), coffee, tea, cocoa and espresso beverages, and beverages made with a base of coffee and/or espresso, beverages made with a base of tea, powdered chocolate and vanilla; sauces to add to beverages; chocolate syrup, flavoring syrups to add to beverages, baked goods including muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, pastries and breads, sandwiches, granola, ready-to-drink coffee, ready-to-drink tea, ice cream and frozen confections; chocolate, candy and confections. (Reg. No: IV/13024/2013) In respect of :- Class 30: Tea and herbal tea; tea and herbal tea-based beverages; tea and herbal tea-based beverages and concentrates, with fruit flavoring; frozen confections with tea, herbal tea and/or fruit flavoring; ground and whole bean coffee, cocoa, herbal and non-herbal tea; coffee, tea, cocoa and espresso beverages, and beverages made with a base of coffee and/or espresso; beverages made with

STARBUCKS VIA

DISCOVERIES

BEARISTA

TAZO

a base of tea, powdered chocolate and vanilla; sauces to add to beverages; chocolate syrup, flavoring syrups to add to beverages; baked goods, namely, muffins, scones, biscuits, cookies, pastries and breads, sandwiches, readyto-drink coffee; ready-to-drink tea; chocolate, candy and confections; processed cereal-derived food product to be used as a breakfast cereal, snack food, or ingredient for making food, ready-to-eat cereal; rolled oats, oatmeal, grain-based snack foods; ready-to-eat oat-based snack food, crackers; frozen entrees consisting primarily of rice or pasta with such entrees also including vegetables or fruit; frozen, prepared or packaged entrees consisting primarily of meat, seafood, poultry and/or vegetables, fruit, rice, pasta and/or grains; frozen novelties, ice cream, ice milk, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches; frozen yogurt. 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 Starbucks Corporation d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

READY BREW
(Reg. No: IV/13022/2013)

www.mmtimes.com

News 13

Bomb fugitive in KNU No 5 Brigade area, leaders say

TOE WAI AUNG newsroom@mmtimes.com THE Karen National Union leadership has ordered its No 5 Brigade to detain and question the man accused of orchestrating a series of bombings in October that left at least two people dead. KNU Central Executive Committee member Phado Mann Nyein Maung said he asked the brigades leadership to question Saw Shwe Htoo, also known as U Nay Toe, who police allege was responsible for the bombings in Bago, Sagaing and Yangon regions. Phado Mann Nyein Maung said Saw Shwe Htoo is a lower-ranking member of the KNU with some responsibilities related to the groups nances. Saw Shwe Htoo is in [the] No 5 Brigade [area] Currently, he is suspended from the KNU, he said. Saw Shwe Htoo has been charged under section 3 of the Explosive Substance Act and section 512 of Code of Criminal Procedure for his alleged role in the bomb attacks, one of which injured an American citizen staying at Traders Hotel. The case was transferred to Yangons western district court on December 9 and the judge declared him a fugitive. Three other men have also been charged under the Explosive Substance Act for their alleged role. Phado Mann Nyein Maung said the KNU is cooperating with the government to bring all the perpetrators to justice. Colonel Saw Roger Khin and his members from our Defence Department have met the other people arrested by police, he said. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Currently [Saw Shwe Htoo] is suspended from the KNU.

Phado Mann Nyein Maung Karen National Union CEC member

IN PICTURES

PHOTO: SI THU LWIN

The custodians of Inn Gyin Taw monastery at the foot of Mandalay Hill are seeking donors to help gild the monasterys 97-metre (324foot) reclining Buddha image. U Thumana from Inn Gyin Taw said that while it is not known when the image was built, it was once renovated by the renowned hermit U Khanti, who established and repaired many religious buildings before his death in 1949, aged 80. The unique monastery also features 81 rooms, each measuring exactly 13.4 square metres (144 square feet). Si Thu Lwin

14 News
INVESTIGATION

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Inhumane and divisive, but dog culling policy remains

International experts say culling is ineffective unless combined with mass rabies immunisation programs that YCDC argues it cannot afford to implement

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT

poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com

YANGON City Development Committees dog culling policy is putting its workers at risk of attack from angry residents who oppose the poisoning of street dogs, an official acknowledges. Animal rights activists, meanwhile, say a more humane way of controlling the spread of rabies needs to be adopted, pointing to international research that shows culling is ineffective unless coupled with a serious rabies immunisation program for dogs. The longstanding policy, which sees around 3000 dogs killed each month in Yangon, was put in place to protect residents from rabies, said U Thet Wai, a spokesperson for the committees Veterinary and Slaughterhouses Department. But it often provokes confrontations with residents, he said, as it violates Buddhist teachings that forbid the taking of life. Some residents also regularly feed the street dogs and develop attachments to them.

Average number of stray dogs poisoned by YCDC each month

3000

We dont want to kill dogs, U Thet Wai said. Most of the staff in our department are also Buddhist. But we do it because it is our duty to clean the dogs and prevent the spread of rabies. The departments teams, which are separated into four districts, go street to street poisoning stray dogs, working every day except Saturdays and fullmoon days. They also act on specic

complaints from the public. To avoid conict with residents, the poisoning is normally done in the evening, he said. However, this is not always the case. At least three dogs were killed on Bo Aung Kyaw Street on December 23 during daylight hours in front of stunned bystanders. As YCDC officials looked on and took photos, residents managed to save at least one dog by giving it food to counteract the poison. The officials, who received a barrage of abuse from bystanders, said they were responding to an urgent request from a VIP to clean the street of all stray dogs. Municipal records show that between 2500 and 3000 stray dogs are killed each month. In Mandalay, where culling is the responsibility of the Cleaning Department, the municipal authorities destroyed 3900 stray dogs in 2012-13. Ma Myat Thet Mon, who in July established a shelter for strays in Yangon Regions Kyauktan township that is now home to 200 dogs, said most people acknowledge the need to control the number of street dogs. What makes them angry, she said, is the slow, painful death that results from poisoning. I cant stand it when I see poisoned dog because I know they feel a lot of pain before they die. We need to nd a more humane way, a way in which they are killed instantly and without suffering, she said. The effectiveness of culling is also questionable, according to international health and animal welfare organisations. The World Society for the Protection of Animals says underresourced communities in developing countries frequently resort to randomly culling strays, by poisoning, electrocuting or shooting dogs, but these methods are inhumane, causing the animals great pain and suffering. They are also ineffective in the long term as they do not address the cause of the problem, WSPA says. This is backed up by research from the World Health Organization, which says that killing stray dogs does little to stop the spread of rabies

Poisoned dogs lie on the pavement on Bo Aung Kyaw Street on December 23. Photo: Boothee

unless combined with vaccination campaigns. There is no evidence that removal of dogs alone has ever had a signicant impact on dog population densities or the spread of rabies, it says. In addition, dog removal may be unacceptable to local communities. However, the targeted and humane removal of unvaccinated, ownerless dogs may be effective when used as a supplementary measure to mass vaccination. Mass canine vaccination campaigns have been the most effective measure for controlling canine rabies. However, U Thet Wai said the department lacks the funding to immunise stray dogs. Municipal authorities may also be overstepping the law by randomly culling dogs. Under Myanmars municipal act, workers are only allowed to kill dogs if they receive a complaint from the public. However, until now there has been little public effort to ensure this act is followed correctly or amend or abolish the law, which dates to the colonial era. In other countries, culling has proved

more controversial and politicians have even moved to remove the procedure or ensure it is done humanely, said Dr Kyaw Naing Oo, a veterinary epidemiologist in the disease control division of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. Thailand changed its dog culling system after the issue was discussed in the parliament and a new law enacted, Dr Kyaw Naing Oo said. No one has tried to do that here. He agreed that a more humane approach should be taken in line with international standards. [A] humane culling methodology should be applied and conducted only at night-time to avoid the public seeing awful scenes. It would be better to follow the more humane method in our country not only for the disease control but also for dog population control in both urban and rural areas, he said. Legal change could still be some way off given the busy parliamentary schedule, however. Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a representative in the Yangon Region Hluttaw, said she had no plan

to raise the issue of animal rights because in Myanmar even people do not have enough rights yet. If I tried to discuss animal rights now other MPs would make fun of me, she said last week. For now, the ght has been left to a handful of animal rights activists like Ma Myat Thet Mon. In Mandalay, where dogs not only face the threat of poisoning but also abduction to be sold as meat in China, the Stray Dogs Rescue Group has asked the regional government for permission to reopen a dog sanctuary on 66th Street, northeast of Mandalay Hill. But Ma Myat Thet Mon said YCDC has so far been reluctant to engage with animal rights activists to reform culling methods. I want to give shelter to stray dogs [rather than have them killed], and also try to control diseases and the dog population, she said. I cannot afford to do this work on my own so I asked the municipal authorities to help me but so far they havent even replied.

Air Bagan crash investigation report finds pilot error: DCA

ZAW WIN THAN zawwinthan@gmail.com THE Department of Civil Aviation last week submitted its draft nal investigation report into the fatal Christmas Day crash at Heho in 2012 to the Ministry of Transport, the head of the investigation team said last week. DCA deputy director general U Win Swe Tun, the head of the four-member Myanmar Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) tasked with investigating the Air Bagan crash which resulted in two deaths and 11 people sustaining injuries, said the results indicated pilot error. The MAIB was formed one day after the accident, on December 26, 2012. It submitted its report on December 22, 2013. The accident occurred due to the incorrect judgment of the pilot. It doesnt mean that the pilot disobeyed the rules though, U Win Swe Tun told The Myanmar Times last week. When we checked the ight data recorder, it showed that the rest of the journey was ne and the accident happened only due to his misjudgement while landing. The pilots licence has been suspended since the beginning of the investigation. Air Bagan was formed in June 2004 and launched its rst ights in November that year. It is a subsidiary of Htoo Group of Companies, owned by tycoon U Tay Za. U Win Swe Tun said that despite the nding the report is not designed to recommend sanctions against individuals or companies. The focus is to learn from the accident and take measures to avoid crashes in future. This accident was closely watched by the media and the public to see whether legal action would be taken or compensation given. But the investigation report was prepared according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 [The report] only focuses on the cause of the accident and suggests how to avoid it happening again in the future. The review [of the draft] is ongoing and we will publish the report through our website soon. It will also be sent to the ICAO. Air Bagan spokesperson Ma Grace conrmed that the pilot had been suspended since the investigation was launched. She said the company is waiting the results of the investigation and will follow all of the reports recommendations. The aircraft was carrying 71 people when it crashed and caught re on landing at Heho on December 25. The deceased included a tour guide, Ma Nwe Lin Shein, who was aboard the ageing Fokker-100, and U Pyar, who was riding a motorcycle hit by the plane when it slammed into a road near Heho Airport. The 11 people injured in the crash included four foreigners, the two pilots and a cyclist. The crash occurred at about 8:51am as the plane was making a landing approach at the airport on a ight from Mandalay International Airport. The MAIB received assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in the recovery and download of data from the aircrafts Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder units.

www.mmtimes.com
FOCUS

News 15

Reform advocates take to the road

JEFFREY JOWELL NAINA PATEL newsroom@mmtimes.com EARLIER this month a bus carrying 25 Myanmar lawyers trundled up the road to Mandalay. The lawyers had with them copies of the 2008 Myanmar constitution, drafted by the military government in power at that time. They also carried a Manual of Constitutional Awareness drafted by London-based NGO the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and translated into Myanmar. The manual describes what a constitution is, what the salient features of the Myanmar constitution are and what changes might be sought. Mandalay was the fourth stop on a 10-day bus tour. Five days earlier in Yangon, the lawyers had boarded in darkness, leaving just as the sun rose behind the magnicent Shwedagon Pagoda. Together, they set off on a whirlwind tour around the country to speak to lawyers, politicians and members of civil society in eight states and regions about the constitution. By the time they reached Mandalay, they had already visited Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Bago and Nay Pyi Taw. Taunggyi, Meiktila and Yangon were yet to come. The trigger for this expedition was the launch of a constitutional review process by Myanmars parliament earlier this year. In July, a 109-member review committee was established to review the 2008 constitution. On October 3 the committee invited submissions from political parties, organisations and individuals around the country. Submissions must be in by December 31, and the committee will report to parliament by January 31, 2014. This is a historic opportunity to create a connection and sense of ownership between the people of Myanmar and their government, as well as to produce meaningful changes to Myanmars legal and political landscape. In response, two Yangon-based legal organisations the newly formed Myanmars Lawyers Association and starched white shirt and black jacket queried the absence of any constitutional prohibition on torture, given his long connement for anti-government activities. Myanmar now has a massive opportunity to develop its rich but largely unexploited natural, mineral and energy resources. The introduction of the rule of law could provide a stable infrastructure for such development, both encouraging and protecting investment and trade. Increasing the representativeness of parliament could improve the quality of Myanmars laws and the equitable distribution of resources. Broadening the criteria for president would enable high-quality candidates such as Daw Suu Kyi to stand for election. Strengthening the independence of the judiciary could improve the climate for enforcing contracts, protecting property rights and tackling corruption. This is particularly important given that Transparency Internationals assessment of global perceptions of public sector corruption in 2011 rates Myanmars reputation below every country in the world except North Korea and Somalia. The end product of the tour was the completion of more than 200 submissions to the committee, many delivered by hand to the parliament building in Nay Pyi Taw. Whether these representations will be taken seriously is of course another matter, given that more than 75pc of the members of parliament need to consent to change under a constitution that is one of the most difficult in the world to amend. Whatever the ultimate result, the bus tour showed that the people of Myanmar see constitutional reform as a road to huge potential development under enhanced respect for human rights.
Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC is director of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law in London. Naina Patel is director of education and training at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law.

the Myanmar Legal Aid Network volunteered to join the Bingham Centres project to raise awareness of the constitution and the reform process, as well as to provide assistance and support to those who wished to make submissions to the committee. The constitution of Myanmar has changed three times since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947 under a multiparty parliamentary system. In 1962, that constitution was suspended with the overthrow of elected

This is a historic opportunity to create a connection and sense of ownership between the people and their government.

civilian government by the militarys Revolutionary Council. In 1974, a second constitution established a socialist one-party state with no real separation of powers. In 1988 it was again suspended, this time by the military-based State Law and Order Restoration Council. The country remained without a constitution until 2008 when Myanmars third and current constitution was passed by a referendum. Although heavily criticised for its non-inclusive drafting process and the decision to hold the referendum in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, it does establish a presidential system of government with universal franchise, a bicameral legislature and 14 regional governments and assemblies. Despite its dubious origins, the constitution was an important step toward multi-party democracy and even recognises a number of fundamental human rights. Nevertheless, criticisms of the 2008 constitution, from within Myanmar and the wider international community, remain well-founded. They include the reservation of

25 percent of parliamentary seats for members of the military; the appointment of some key cabinet seats by the military; the involvement of the executive in the appointment of key members of the judiciary; and the very high threshold of agreement needed for constitutional amendment (more than 75pc of parliament together with, in certain circumstances, the majority of the population in a referendum). In addition, Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi cannot at present stand for the office of president or vice president, because the constitution disqualies anyone whose children are citizens of a foreign country. These concerns were echoed in the workshops hosted around the country by members of the bus tour, led by two UK barristers, Naina Patel and Alex Goodman of the Bingham Centre. The dusty room in Mandalay was lled with the voices of the 100-odd people, all clamouring to get a word in despite the novelty of the discussion about a rights-based democracy. In one corner, a young monk pondered the limits of the right to vote; in another, an elderly man dressed in a

Talks begin on minimum wage rate

THE Ministry of Labour has met Mandalay employers and workers to solicit advice on the setting of a minimum wage in the region. Speaking at the meeting at Kanaung Hall in Mandalay Industrial Zone on December 24, director general U Myo Aung said the ministry wanted the minimum wage to be fair for both employers and workers. If the minimum wage rate is so low, the workforce wont be satised, and if the minimum wage is too high, employers cant afford to pay staff and may even have to close their businesses. We are now surveying their opinion and taking their advice to set the right rate, U Myo Aung said. He added that the ministry will also seek input from international and local non-government groups, such as the International Labour Organization and the Myanmar Development Resource Institute. Discussions focused on challenges that could arise from setting a minimum wage and ways to solve these problems, the type of jobs that need a minimum wage most, and the pros and cons of setting wages based on different job types. Than Naing Soe, translation by Thiri Min Htun

Marks to decide university hostel spots

Ministry of Education plans to build hostels at three universities that currently have no accommodation for students
PYAE THET PHYO pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com OUT-OF-TOWN students, and those with the highest marks in the matriculation exams, are the most likely to get places in university hostels, the Department of Higher Education has decided. During the coming academic year, priority will go to rst-year students from outside the city in which they are studying, the departments director general, U Thein Win, said on December 22. If the number of students is higher than the hostels capacity, well decide who to accept based on their marks, he said. At Yangon University, Yangon Institute of Education and Sagaing Institute of Education, students from rst to nal year can stay in the hostel. And we are now preparing hostels for students at other levels in other colleges and universities, said deputy director general U Zaw Myint. But he said more hostels for female students are needed at Yangon University. Some hostels that were previously used for male students have been allocated to women because of the shortage. Weve implemented a temporary plan to be able to use existing buildings effectively. Later, all students can be accommodated when the government builds more hostels, he said. At Myitkyina University, the government is constructing four buildings with a capacity of 160 students for 2013-14. Students will be able to stay there from second semester for K5000 a month. Another four buildings that can take up to 160 students will be completed after the second semester for use next June, said U Thein Win. Another three buildings, for 160 students, are also planned for three universities which currently have no hostels. They should be ready by the second half of the 2014-15 academic year, he said.

5000
Monthly fee for a student to stay at Myiktyina Universitys hostel when it opens in 2014

KYAT

Department of Higher Education director general U Thein Win explains the Ministry of Educations policy on university hostel places. Photo: Pyae Thet Phyo

At universities which dont have hostels, students can temporarily use vacant buildings for university faculty and staff. At universities with insufficient space, they can

stay in vacant rooms in nearby universities. This will save living costs and create a good educational environment, he added. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

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News 17
LETTER
Dear editor, The opening ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games on December 11 gave a sense of just where that US$33 billion in Chinese funding is going: elaborate costumes, synchronised dancing and enough reworks to create a haze of smog over Wunna Theikdi stadium as thick as a Beijing evening. The spectacle itself was something of a victory lap for the Chinese, whose own opening and closing ceremonies during the 2008 Olympic Games were said to be unbeatable in scale. But the light show also called up memories of another event which happened earlier that year: Cyclone Nargis. Mid-ceremony, stadium spectators and audiences watching from home or crowded around TVs in teashops across the country were unexpectedly treated to the illusion of imsy four-walled huts being blasted apart and carried off by torrents of digital waves, all before an apocalyptic bigscreen background of re and ood. Of course, in the aftermath of the countrys worst-ever natural disaster that severely affected 1.5 million and killed upward of 180,000, families in the delta didnt actually emerge whole and dry from their huts. Nor did they immediately begin planting trees, singing songs and dancing with giant smiling animals. But that seems to be the way Nay Pyi Taw prefers to remember it. One wonders what the visiting athletes from the Philippines thought of the charade. Clearly the sequence was planned long before the strongest tropical storm ever recorded at landfall ripped through their country last month - and should have been promptly and quietly shelved as soon as it did. Digital Nargis 2.0 did contain one similarity to the tragedy of Nargis 2008, however: Just like in real life, representatives from other nations werent allowed onto the eld until some time afterward. Regards, Wade Guyitt

Killer stalks Sagaing villagers

Vicious stabbings in a previously peaceful community have left residents scared they will be next

THAN NAING SOE

thennaingsoe@gmail.com

AS sunlight spreads pale across the winter sky, Daw Aye Mya is starting to nish up her work out in the eld. Its only 3pm but the shorter days this time of year arent the only reason shes keen to be back home well before darkness falls. Everyone in her village now works together in small groups nobody works alone, not lately and as the afternoon begins to slide into evening, people start getting anxious to go home. The reason is fear, or as Daw Aye Mya puts it, What if I meet the murderer who is on the loose as Im going back to my home? Once, Ngartayaw village in Sagaing township was a place of peace and stability. The village boasted more than 500 houses, three monasteries and a middle school. The residents kept busy growing crops in turn on farmland and the sandbanks of the river. But the placid demeanour of this peaceful community was shattered last month by a tragic incident. November 17, the full moon day of Tazaungmone, is a signicant day for Buddhists. On that day most of the villagers were attending a festival at nearby Kaunghmudaw Pagoda, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) away. Those celebrating, however, did not realise what was going on at home. The head of their village, U Kyaw Khine, was murdered, stabbed by a knife-wielding attacker, as he walked along the road at around 10am. An 86-year-old senior monk, U Bhaddanta Zawana, was also attacked. The sayadaw survived thanks to the help of two villagers. But he suffered cuts to his head and arms, and his right ring nger was cut off entirely. His two helpers also suffered cuts to their hands. While the attacks happened in two separate incidents, police have led charges against one individual,

Ko Win Lwin (left) and Ko Ko Naing were injured when they came to the aid of an 86-year-old monk attacked by a knife-wielding man in Sagaing Regions Ngartayaw village last month. Photo: Than Naing Soe

who has lived in the village most of his life. So why are residents here still afraid? They havent found him yet. The man ed the village the day he allegedly committed the offences, leaving behind his mother and siblings. We are scared of him because he has no normal human feeling, said Ko Win Lwin, one of the villagers who helped the sayadaw in the aftermath of the attack. He killed the head of the village and he also tried to kill the sayadaw, who is revered by all villagers. Since he dares to attack those top people, he thinks nothing of us, the laypeople. We are so scared of him. Ko Win Lwin said the man in question has a history of unstable behaviour. [He] is a deserter from the military. After leaving, he rst excavated gemstones in Mogok, then he worked in a gold mine in Yamethin. The rst time his business was good but the second time he returned with bad news. Since then, he has been out of his mind, Ko Win Lwin said. He reads books about insight, said Ko Win Lwin. He said he can do what he wants to do because the

door of hell is closed for him. He accused the sayadaw of controlling him, of not allowing him to reach the next level of success. So he tried to kill the sayadaw. In February, the alleged murderer placed a knife to the sayadaws neck and threatened to send him to heaven. The sayadaw eventually convinced him to remove the knife and the head of the village U Kyaw Khine and two police then forced the man sign a pledge saying that he would never again go to the monastery. Tragically for U Kyaw Khine, however, the pledge had the opposite effect. Forcing the man to sign the pledge meant he harboured a grudge against the head of the village and killed him, Ko Win Lwin Said. Since the incident, six police have

been stationed in the village. But the villagers, still feeling threatened, have also formed their own patrols. The villagers are so tired now because they have to work in the eld in the daytime and have to guard at night, said Ko Ko Naing, who also came to the sayadaws aid with Ko Win Lwin. After the attack, U Bhaddanta Zawana underwent medical treatment at Mandalay General Hospital. As his life remains in danger in the village, he is staying temporarily in a Mandalay monastery. Residents have been visiting and paying obeisance to him at the monastery in turns. U Bhaddanta Zawana said that after the rst time that the man pulled a knife on him he had urged police and the village head to send him to a mental hospital. I told them I would pay the expenses, said U Bhaddanta Zawana, still wearing bandages from his injuries. But no one was interested in my advice. Thats why weve ended up in this sad situation. Back in Ngartayaw, rumours circulate frequently that the alleged killer is close by, perhaps waiting to strike again. People say lunches taken to farmlands are being stolen. They say he has threatened to keep on killing until ve people are dead. Meanwhile, Daw Aye Mya and her fellow farmers have no choice but to keep on working. So all they can do is watch each others backs and head home before the sun disappears at the end of each day. In the past, our village is peaceful, said Daw Aye Mya, as she packed up her things and prepared for the journey home. Before we were very proud of our village ... but now we dare not go another village. These crimes have made us all ashamed. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

18 News
ASEAN FOCUS

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JAUNARY 5, 2014

Nationalism: a barrier to integration?

A Facebook group for the ASEAN community highlights some of the issues the bloc will face as it tries to bring members closer together

SANDAR LWIN
sdlsandar@gmail.com

CLOSER integration between ASEAN members was always going to be a challenge in a region as diverse as Southeast Asia. The blocs 10 members each have their own political system, culture, religion and level of development, as well as a whole host of domestic problems that often spill over borders and affect their neighbours. Also, little is also known about how the regions 500 million people feel about cooperating more closely with citizens of countries with which, in many cases, they have little in common. But a recently established Facebook community, with more than 200,000 members across all 10 members, has given some insight and highlighted how nationalism could hinder regional integration. The ASEAN Community page is moderated by 41 young people, with up to ve from a single country, and was officially recognised by ASEAN secretary general Le Luong Minh in August. Comments on the page though suggest little unity between countries, or at least within the bloc overall. The problems of member countries have repercussions for the network of moderators. In but one example, the conict in Rakhine State drew lots of angry comments toward the Myanmar administrators of the page from members unhappy at the governments treatment of the Muslim Rohingya. The repercussion of Rakhine conict on [the ASEAN Community] page is quite huge. The Myanmar admins felt sad because every post from [them] got comments that were vituperative and highly critical, said administrator and university student Ma Aye Moe Moe Chit. Even before the strong responses to the Rakhine issue the administrators had set a policy that the ASEAN Community page is for positive comments only. This effort to stie debate has further irritated some, who have instead gone to the administrators personal Facebook accounts to attack them.

[S]ome hate us because [the ASEAN Community] page is always promoting good info about ASEAN, Gerry Bautista, an admin from the Philippines, said by email. Sometimes, some other members send [private messages] to my personal account just to bash me, [asking], Why cant I post [about] the bad side of the Philippines? Many times I [want] to cry whenI read bad comments about Vietnam, complained admin Nguyen Hoang Minh Dand. Regardless or perhaps because of the online slanging matches, the online ASEAN community is growing at a rate of hundreds of members a day. Since it was founded in August 2011, it has 220,630 likes and 23,497 people talking about it as of December 23. While Myanmar boasts the second-largest number of members after Thailand, administrator Ko Khine Min Than said they are rarely among the most active on the page.

Most of the Myanmar members just like the page, give some comments and like the posts of the admin, maybe because of the internet connection. Only a very few members are trying to share [information] about the country, Ko Khine Min Than said. Generally, Singapore and Brunei people are not interested in ASEAN and our page [but] people from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines people are very active. But these nationalistic attitudes are likely to hinder attempts by ASEAN to generate a greater cohesiveness between the people of its 10 member states, which has been a priority of the blocs leadership for a number of years. In a previous interview with The Myanmar Times, former secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said it was time for ASEAN to transition from a leader-driven to people-driven grouping.

The [ASEAN Charter] now provides for people to participate and make a contribution, he said in March 2009. If people take that seriously, well have a chance to help drive and shape the region and the organisation. If they dont, then you cant blame the leaders. They have made their commitment; they have opened up the space. Now its for the people of ASEAN to seize the opportunity. However, successful people-topeople collaboration has been rare. The Southeast Asian Games is perhaps the only event that can be considered a socio-cultural integration success story, but it is still one based on national competition. Most tourism and cultural promotion events, meanwhile, are focused on business ties, while civil society and youth forums show promise but are just gaining momentum. As a result, the challenge in overcoming strong nationalist sentiment and competition between members

that is ingrained through, in some cases, centuries of conict remains as strong as ever. It is further complicated by disparities in economic development. The blocs members range from an economic powerhouse like Singapore to least developed countries such as Laos and Myanmar. It is undeniable that some countries think they are better than other countries in terms of development and education, said Hareef, an administrator from Brunei. Some countries share the same interests and background as other countries: for example, CLMV [Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam] countries, or Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. Some people are not really interested in countries with different backgrounds and do not understand them well, which creat[es] competition and argument, he said. I do not have a problem if they want to criticise the cultures, food and so on. [What really] bothers me [is how] nationalism prevents us integrating into one ASEAN. Boon, an administrator from Thailand who was one of the rst to join the project, said even the administrators struggle to cooperate because they nd it hard to hide their feelings toward other countries. So far we are trying to urge the admins to work together rather than competing against each other, he said. The page creator, Mr Jirapat, [asked me to] take charge in controlling the posts that are made by myself as well as other administrators. I need to make sure that there is collaboration rather than competition. Recently, however, there has been a glimmer of hope for those who want to see the people of ASEAN come closer together. Network members responded with unity following Typhoon Haiyan, which battered the Philippines in early November, killing more than 6000 people. The disaster prompted members of all countries to express support and encouragements for those affected. The young administrators, such as Ko Thiha Wint Aung, said this gave them cause for optimism. I believe that ASEAN must work as a community, as a family and as a united region, Ko Thiha Wint Aung said, to be developed, peaceful and prosperous.

Myanmar to push diplomatic solution on South China Sea

NYAN LYNN AUNG 29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com MYANMAR must avoid bowing to any form of international pressure on the South China Sea dispute when it takes over the leadership of ASEAN next year, a government official says. U Aung Htoo, deputy director general in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ASEAN Affairs Department, said Myanmar would seek to emulate the approach of Brunei and work toward a diplomatic solution to the dispute. Five ASEAN nations Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are claimants to sections of the South China Sea, while China claims much of the sea through its proposed boundary, which is known as the nine-dash line. Taiwan also has a claim. In the past China has insisted on negotiating the boundary with other claimants individually, while ASEAN members have proposed negotiating collectively. Tensions remain high but the rst talks toward a code of conduct to resolve the dispute were launched in September. On October 10, participants at the East Asia Summit the 10 ASEAN members and eight other countries, including the United States, China and Japan welcomed positive progress on official consultations toward the code of conduct. U Aung Htoo said Myanmar will try to add further momentum to these initial talks. China has now agreed to the principle of a code of conduct to resolve the South China Sea dispute. We cant go against China and we will try our best to handle the dispute with Chinas agreement as much as we can, U Aung Htoo said. He said it was important that Myanmar is not perceived as favouring either side in the dispute, adding that it would seek to avoid the situation that occurred when Cambodia chaired the group in 2011 and acceded to Chinas demands on the text of an ASEAN communiqu, prompting a major diplomatic squabble. We will be able to release regional statements without being inuenced by external pressure, he said. Danny Chian Siong Lee, director of the ASEAN secretariats Community Affairs Development Directorate, said Gao Mingo, the head of the Political and Information Section at the Chinese embassy in Yangon, said his country is committed to resolving the dispute peacefully through consultation and negotiation. He said that the issue should not be allowed to overshadow broader ties between China and ASEAN. The disputes over the South China Sea between China and some ASEAN nations are not the entirety of ChinaASEAN relations, he told The Myanmar Times. China and ASEAN countries enjoy friendly relations and theres vast potential for future development. China looks forward to jointly working with ASEAN countries to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea. During its year-long tenure as ASEAN chair, Myanmar is also likely to come under scrutiny for its handling of issues such as Rohingya citizenship, the peace process with armed ethnic groups, economic reform, antiterrorism efforts and climate change. U Than Maung, an adviser to the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs thinktank, said Myanmar needs to adhere to an independent foreign policy to avoid conict with its ASEAN partners or other members of the international community. It could damage Myanmars international standing if it cannot manage these issues effectively, U Than Maung said. U Kye Myint, also from MyanmarISIS, said he was concerned that Myanmar would be sandwiched by China and the US, which favours the position of ASEANs claimants. ASEAN Affairs Department director general U Aung Lynn said Myanmar was committed to the code of conduct. Building trust and using diplomacy is the foundation of resolving this dispute, he said. Myanmar will host the rst ASEAN meeting as chair of the bloc on January 15. It received the chairmanship at a handover ceremony in Brunei on October 10.

We will be able to release regional statements without being inuenced by external pressure.
U Aung Htoo ASEAN Affairs Department

the blocs members are committed to resolving their differences with China through peaceful negotiations and engagement. He said it is a view shared by China.

20 THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Business
PHNOM PENH

Cambodian garment workers strike, join opposition protests

THOUSANDS of Cambodian garment workers on December 26 joined antigovernment protests demanding that Prime Minister Hun Sen step down and call a new election. The opposition had urged the textile industrys vast workforce to join its daily rallies in the capital against Hun Sen, and the workers participation is a boost to efforts to challenge the longruling strongman. wage for garment workers would be increased from US$80 to $95 starting from April next year. The workers are demanding a minimum wage of $160 per month in 2014. Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, said the strike had forced many factories to stop work. We cannot accept the increase. It is so little. The workers will continue with the strike if there is no resolution, he told AFP. Disputes over wages and safety conditions in Cambodias lucrative garment industry are frequent. The multibillion dollar industry employs about 650,000 people and is a key source of foreign income for the impoverished country. The opposition party has boycotted parliament since the election. Parliament in late September approved a new ve-year term for Hun Sen, despite the absence of opposition MPs, in a move decried by the opposition as a constitutional coup. Hun Sen a 61-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and oversaw Cambodias rise from the ashes of war has ruled for 28 years, and has vowed to continue until he is 74. AFP

SPA misses Landmar as talks continue wi

Myanmar Railways official says Ministry of Rail Transportation reluctant to approve
The former Burma Railway Company building located at the corner of Sule Pagoda and Bogyoke Aung San roads is scheduled to be part of the Landmark Project. Photo: Ko Taik

AYE NYEIn WIn

THOMaS KEan

300,000
Estimated number of garment workers striking for better pay Hun Sen last week rejected opposition calls for him to step down and call a new vote to settle allegations of voterigging in July elections. The protests on December 26 coincided with a strike by about 300,000 garment workers for higher pay. The government announced earlier this week that the monthly minimum

Leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy greets supporters during a demonstration in Phnom Penh on December 26. Photo: AFP

SINGAPORE-LISTED Yoma Strategic Holdings has given Serge Pun & Associates (Myanmar) another six months to nalise a lease extension for the site of the proposed US$400 million Landmark project in downtown Yangon. Developers say the extension is needed to make the project nancially viable but the Ministry of Rail Transportation, which owns the site, is reluctant to approve it because of a previous dispute over the rental fee, a ministry official said last week. As The Myanmar Times reported earlier this month, SPA has been in negotiations with the ministry and staterun Myanma Railways since early this year but is yet to reach a deal on the terms for the lease extension. SPA is seeking to extend the lease to 70 years, the maximum allowable under foreign investment rules. Yoma announced on December 20 that it had given Serge Puns company another six months to nalise terms, pushing the December 31 deadline back to June 30, 2014. While it is the second time SPA has missed such a deadline, Yoma said it is condent the deal will be completed, adding that SPA will rely on the existing leases of the two sites to carry out permitted works on the Landmark development. The Landmark development is a large project requiring extensive planning and preparation and it is in the interests of the company that the development of the Landmark development continues while SPA negotiates and

nalises the terms of the master lease with the relevant authorities, it said. Business tycoon Serge Pun is chairman of both SPA (Myanmar) and Yoma. A Nay Pyi Taw-based Myanma Railways official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media, conrmed the talks were continuing. He said, however, that the Ministry of Rail Transportation is reluctant to grant the extended lease because SPA and its partners had for years failed to meet the terms of the

original agreement. If the extension is agreed it will be at a higher rental fee, he indicated. From 1995 SPA was a minority partner in Meeyahta International Hotel Limited (MIHL), which developed Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residences and FMI Centre. SPA and SPA (Myanmar) held around 28 percent of shares, while Thailands Nawarat Patanakarn Public Company held 53pc, according to documents from the Thai stock exchange.

SME development still faces numerous challenges

BUSInESS 23

A booming year for Yangon real estate looks to continue in 2014

pROpERtY 24

ark deadline ith ministry

lease extension because of past dispute over land rental fee

Serviced apartments open in former foreign ministry

Zaw wIn tHan zawwinthan@gmail.com ONE of the rst apartment complexes in Southeast Asia has been given a new lease on life as a serviced apartment complex. Formerly known as Prome Court, the June XI development, which also includes a business centre, opened on December 25, with 218 rooms. The building, which was until recently the home of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was redeveloped by Youth Force Group of Companies, which hopes to tap into the increasing demand for office and apartment space from foreign companies entering Myanmar. The developments name comes from the date June 11, 2012 on which Youth Force got permission for the project from the Myanmar Investment Commission. A tender for the 1.722-acre site, including three buildings, was announced in January of that year. Company spokesperson U Kyaw Soe Win said the rm has leased the site for 50 years with the possibility of two 10-year extensions. The terms and conditions of the contract through MIC do not allow the original structure and architectural features of the buildings to be changed. This means that the companies that rent space here also need to follow these rules, he said. Youth Force had originally planned to develop an additional 14-storey building in the same compound but had to revise these plans because of new zoning rules. Recently this area was put into the restricted category for high-rise development so we changed our plans from a 14-storey to a 6-storey serviced apartment. However, we will develop the foundations of the building so that it can be expanded to 14 storeys in the future if the rules change, he said. According to conservation group Yangon Heritage Trust, Prome Court was constructed as a residential complex for members of British administration in 1921 and nished in 1922. The author Maurice Collis, who wrote numerous books about Myanmar, lived in the building during the last years of his stay. After independence Prome Court became the Deputy Prime Ministers Office and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. U Kyaw Soe Win said many local and international rms were interested in taking leases in the building, which is currently empty, but Youth Force hopes to get a single tenant for the entire site. We havent xed the price yet but it will denitely be above the market rate because of the services we offer, the location and the uniqueness of the building. June XI is one of just a handful of serviced apartments in Yangon, along with Sakura Residence, Marina Residence, Golden Hill Tower Executive Apartments, Espace Avenir and MiCasa Hotel Apartments.

Under the terms of the original lease, MIHL was to pay the Ministry of Rail Transportation $24 a square metre on the 9.37 acre site, or around $910,000 a year, the Myanma Railways official said. [MIHL] failed to pay the money to the ministry and the ministry led a civil suit in 2009. In 2012, the judge ordered the two sides to reach a settlement, the official said. The terms of the settlement have not been publicly released. Mr Pun said last week any debt owed to the government had been repaid and indicated it was not an issue in the negotiations. Any debt owed to the government prior to August 2012 was not a debt owed by SPA but by the company in which SPA was a minority partner. Upon acquiring all the shares back from the majority shareholder, SPA repaid any and all debts owed by the company to the government, Mr Pun told The Myanmar Times. Unveiled in November 2012, the mixed-use Landmark project will

include a luxury hotel, a business hotel, serviced apartments, a high-end condominium, and retail and office space developments. The site occupies a prime location at the corner of Sule Pagoda and Bogyoke Aung San roads. Under the proposed arrangement, Yoma and First Myanmar Investment, of which Mr Pun is also chair, would be the major equity holders in the project. The lease negotiations and a subsequent application to Myanmar Investment Commission appear to be the last hurdles for Yoma and its partners to jump before construction work can begin on the site. In its announcement last week, Yoma said it has secured nancing from the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Asian Development Bank for half of the project to be funded through debt. IFC and ADB have been mandated to provide a debt and equity nancing MORE On BUSInESS 22

Attendees gather at the opening of the June XI apartments on December 25 in Yangon. Photo: Ko Taik

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22 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Which
is why more than 500,000 readers choose the two newspapers that have the nation covered 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year.
Advertising & Subscription Hotline: +951 392 928 email: advertising@ myanmartimes.com.mm circulation@ myanmartimes.com.mm
IN PICTURES Ballet for a bull market: New York City Ballet principal dancers Sara Mearns and Zachary Catazaro pose on the oor of the New York Stock Exchange after ringing the opening bell December 24. Photo: AFP

Winter clothing business heats up as weather cools and 2014 looms

MYat NOE OO myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com

NEW VACAnCIES APPLY NOW!

Business Development manager Marketing manager Sales and distribution manager Brand manager Logistic officer Medical doctor Project manager Sales engineer Site engineer Chief Accountant Accountant HR Manager HR Executive Legal executive Secretary Passenger service agent ( airline) Receptionist Customer service

THE holiday season has contributed to a major bump is Western-style clothing sales in Yangon, shop owners said last week. Shoppers are not only bundling up against colder weather, but also looking to impress with new fashions as they ring in the New Year and take advantage of end-of-the-year sales promotions. This year demand for clothes is up 50 percent compared to this time last year, said Ma Poe Ei Phyu, owner of Pretty Girl Fashion Shop located in Dagon Centre. Ma Poe Ei Phyu said the brisk business was mainly coming from customers shopping for jackets and jeans, wanting to sport new designs but also to cut the nighttime and early morning chill of the citys brief but noticeable cold season. Daw Nilar, owner of Pinki Fashion Shop, a wholesale outlet in Mingalar Market, said that she had seen a similar trend. This year [our] clothing sales are up around 50pc. Myanmar people are now very familiar with New Years Eve parties, so clothes are being sold very quickly this year, she said. Last year, people in Yangon were able to ring in 2013 with a countdown and large reworks display, a public celebration that had been banned under the previous government. The event proved to be wildly popular with

Customers purchase winter jackets in December in downtown Yangon. Photo: Thiri

around 90,000 people gathered in downtown to watch. Daw Nilar added that she had also seen a rise this year in people purchasing Westernstyle clothes as New Years and Christmas gifts, often lured in by end-of-the-year price cuts. The increase in sales has helped to make

up for last years Christmas season, where Daw Nilar said she saw no rise in sales. Shopper Ma Wut Yee Htun, 21, said she was moved to buy a new jacket after seeing prices slashed by as much as 68pc at some shops in Yangon, calling the seasonal deals amazing.

COntInUED FROM bUSInESS 21

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package to the Landmark Development and the parties are currently negotiating on the terms of the nancing, it said. Talks with The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels for a proposed Peninsula Hotel in the heritage-listed former Burma Railway Company building are in an advanced stage of concluding the denitive documents and nalising the design and planning of the development, Yoma said. It added that discussions with two other minority partners, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Estate of Japan, are also progressing.

www.mmtimes.com

Business 23

Challenges ahead for SME growth

NYAn LIn AUnG
29.nyanlynnaung@gmail.com

GOVERNMENT officials have expressed concern that despite a renewed focus on development, Myanmars small and medium enterprises (SMEs) continue to face serious issues, warning that these types of businesses could suffer as Myanmar is poised to take the chair of ASEAN and the ASEAN Economic Community strives for greater regional integration. U Than Htut, deputy director general of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development (MNPED) said despite efforts by the government, SMEs continue to lag behind those found in Laos and Cambodia. Everybody knows that the role of SMEs is an important part of our country. Our president is himself the chairman of the SMEs development committee, U Than Htut said, adding that he believed a lack of coordination between the private sector and government on SMEs was the biggest problem facing the sector. Academic panels, meetings to discuss SME development theory, and

workshops on applying for and receiving loans have already been held, according to U Than Htut, who said what needs to happen now is greater work across government and private sectors, to bring the two sides together. What we needed is cooperation, he said, calling for a nationwide meeting in which both private businesspeople and government officials could create a detailed development plan drawing from both parties. Around 100,000 SMEs have registered through a new registration department established in April 2012 by the Ministry of Industry. MNPED is preparing to carry out a survey of SMEs with the help of the United Nations Development Programme

Everybody knows that the role of SMEs is an important part of our country.
U Than Htut Deputy director general, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development

to gather information on what the SMEs including what they are producing and who owns them. Aung Myint Than, director of the MNPED told The Myanmar Times that this could take place as early as January 2014. Myanmars lack of an SME Law, sufficient consumer protection and intellectual property rights make the situation more complicated than that in other ASEAN countries. A nal draft of the SME Law has been completed, but it has not yet been presented to parliament and the details remain condential. Daw Ei Shwesin Tun, assistant director of the central department of SME development said that SMEs face tremendous issues when attempting to secure loans for business start-up and expansion, due to the lack of an SME law. The current loan registration process is long, requiring SME owners to show ownership of land to receive loans. The three-year loans range from K10 million to 50 billion and carry an interest rate of around 8 percent. While business owners complain about the time it takes to secure a loan, the government remains concerned that they may never see a return on money that they loan out. We want to take action for SME development, but there is risk for us

A food vendor prepares dishes on the streets of Yangon. Pic: AFP

[the government], she said. Daw Khine Khine New, joint secretary of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), was realistic about the challenges being faced by Myanmar SMEs. She said that business owners are

unaware of recent changes, pointing out specically Myanmars reinstatement to the European Unions Generalised scheme of tariff preferences (GSP) in July 2013. Greater clarity and passing this information along to SME owners would be benecial, she said.

Commodities prices down in December

MYat NOE OO myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com ACCORDING to industry experts a number of Myanmars key commodities prices dropped in December. Beans: The price of beans fell as demand in India slumped following the countrys festival season and a new crop began to enter the market. Since the last week of October the price for a tonne of matpe Fair Average Quality (FAQ) has fallen from K670,000 to K570,000, said U Myat Soe, a central executive committeememberof the Myanmar Pulses, Beans and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association. Myanmar exports 70 percent of its bean crop to India. The most popular varieties are black matpe, green mung, toor whole and chickpeas. Most beans are grown in the Bago, Yangon, Mandalay, Ayeyarwady and Sagaing regions from November to February. Cooking Oil: The wholesale price of peanut oil on December 24 was K3300 a viss (1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds), while the retail price was K3500 a viss, both up K100 from the previous week. It is the beginning of the peanut harvest season, so prices have been forced down. The price may continue to fall in coming months said U Saw Hla Myint, a spokesperson at Summit peanut oil warehouse. Rice: The price of rice falls as harvest season forces prices down. The price of a bag of high quality rice (pawsan) was K22000 on December 24, down from K31000 at the end of October said a representative from the Htet Ye Yint Rice warehouse. Gold: One tical (.596 ounces) of gold was selling for K645,000 in Yangon on December 24, down K10,000 from K654,000 two weeks earlier said a representative from Aung Thamadi Gold Shop.

24 Business Property

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Yangon real estate surges in 2013

Prices are across nearly all market segments and look set to remain high throughout next year and beyond
MYat nYEIn aYE tIn YaDanaR HtUn

THE Yangon property market enjoyed a boom year in 2013 as Myanmars economic opening continued to attract foreign interest and buoyed consumer condence. Supply for internationalstandard offices and housing struggled to meet the increased demand, prices soared across virtually all market segments, from condominiums to industrial land and plots in urban fringe areas. On average property prices rose around 50 percent across Yangon. The market was good in every township, said U Khin Maung Aye from Shwe Kan Myay real estate agency. But it was the high price of office space that arguably attracted the most attention. By the end of the year the rent for a Yangon office was around eight times higher than just three years before, said Ko Min Min Soe from Mya Pan Tha Khin real estate agency. Real estate rm Colliers International estimates the average rental rate for an office is nearly US$80 a square metre higher than neighbouring Bangkok, Hanoi and even glitzy Singapore. Apartments were not overlooked as the market soared, with prices in all six downtown townships rising sharply through 2013. The price of high-end apartments rose about 30pc over 2013, according to U Yan Aung, a real estate analyst. Further growth is anticipated in 2014 as the Condominium Law, submitted to parliament in November 2012 but still not approved, is likely to allow full foreign ownership of eligible condominium apartments a change from the blanket ban on foreign ownership under current laws. Foreigners will be eligible to own apartments on the sixth oor or above of a condominium, with up to 40pc of dwellings in a single building eligible for foreign ownership, according to a draft of the law.

A construction worker inserts rebar on a construction site in Yangon. Photo: AFP

While property owners saw the value of their assets spike this year, this growth caused headaches for the government, which is concerned that high prices are deterring investment, particularly in job-creating enterprises. In October, the government tried to cool property prices by assessing the price of land and using these values to determine the taxes payable when land ownership changes. Essentially a move to thwart those trying to skirt the 37pc land tax for those who cant show proof of income by simply declaring a lower sales

price, the new system has impacted most the high end of the market, with sales of properties in the K1 billionplus range (US$1.02 million) slowing. One of the hottest areas this year was previously overlooked outskirt townships known as Dagon Myothit (not to be confused with Dagon township, just north of downtown). Divided into four sections north, south, east and Dagon Seikkan the township has attracted both developers and individual buyers looking to avoid the high prices elsewhere. Developers broke ground on a number of sites in the area this year and three new residential mega-complexes are slated for development in Dagon Seikkan alone. U Yan Aung, general manager of Sie Khon Naung agency said he expected prices to climb in the four Dagon My-

othit townships in 2014. Further aeld in Yangon, progress on the Japanese-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Thanlyin township drove land prices in the area 10 times higher, agents said. While most of the city saw a steady increase in prices, there were similar boom stories in some previously quiet areas. Across the river from downtown, buyers in Dala township learned rst-hand volatile and unpredictable nature of land speculation. In September, rumours of a bridge being constructed across the Yangon River sent prices soaring some up to 1000 times higher than earlier in the year. But as it became clearer that the bridge would not become a reality prices quickly plummeted, said real estate expert U Khin Maung Aye.

Many people wanted to buy in Dala because they thought the bridge project was going to be implemented. Later, they learned that this bridge would not be built, so the price dropped by half, he said. Heading into 2014, experts in Yangon said that they expected prices to remain high for the next 12-18 months. A slowdown is likely after that, however, as government initiatives to ensure residents are not priced out of the market from improved tax collection to low-cost housing developments have an impact. The property market is also likely to grow strongly in 2014, real estate analyst U Khin Maung Aye said. But expect prices to drop when the government implements new [low-cost] housing projects in Yangon.

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NUSAJAYA

Property Business 25

Hopes for shared boom rise on the Malaysia-Singapore border

RISING from a former palm plantation, the towering Astaka complex will cast its shadow across the MalaysiaSingapore border by 2017, a symbol for an ambitious development zone linking the economies of the two former rivals. Construction cranes are sprouting across southern Malaysias Johor state as investment ows into Iskandar, a development zone that aims to draw Singaporean capital to its larger neighbours cheaper land and labour costs. The zone has been dogged by scepticism since its inception in 2006, due in part to Johors reputation in Singapore as a backward hotbed of car thieves. But soaring costs in Singapore are causing a re-think. Anthony Phillips moved his family across the narrow Johor Straits to Iskandar, lured by property prices less than half those of Singapore and cheaper schooling. He now commutes to his Singapore communications consultancy, a trip that takes less than an hour. Iskandar offers the best of both worlds, he said. Authorities say Iskandar named after a revered former Johor sultan landed US$40.5 billion in investment commitments by end-October, onethird of the way toward an ambitious 2025 target of $123 billion. Singaporeans are already a key market for a $280 million Legoland theme park that opened in 2012 and brandoutlet shopping. Other projects include a branch of UK-based moviemakers Pinewood Studios and an Edu-city bringing together several European universities on one campus. A Singaporean-funded $1.1 billion Motorsports City being built will include racing circuits and a driving school, and is intended as a regional hub for development of the sport. Bilateral relations have long been prickly. But Ismail Ibrahim, head of Malaysias Iskandar Regional Development Authority, notes a reversal of tide, saying Iskandar allows each to leverage its strengths amid an uncertain world economy. We like to describe our relationship with Singapore through this simple term: co-opetition, said Ismail, standing beside scale models of the Iskandar area. We compete, but at the same time we cooperate. With a world-class nancial centre and port, high-tech Singapores 5 million residents create a GDP equal to Malaysias 28 million. But soaring prices have crimped competitiveness. A 120-square metre condominium in the centre of Singapore fetches well over $2 million while the Johor Bahru equivalent rarely tops $400,000. Malaysia, meanwhile, views Iskandar as a new inlet for the foreign investment that has been vital to its development. It offers a range of tax breaks and other inducements in Iskandars designated 2217 square kilometres (855 square miles) three times Singapores size of mostly plantation land. Concerns are rising, however, that Malaysian, Singaporean, and Chinese money is fuelling a speculative property bubble while more balanced economic development lags. Johor housing prices have jumped more than 20 percent in the past year, double the national average and causing some local grumbling, yet Iskandar has one of Malaysias lowest retail and office occupancy rates. Units in places like Astaka, which at 301 metres (987 feet) will be the tallest residential block in either country, can go for upward of $2.5 million. Analysts said recent Malaysian measures to cool speculation would have little impact, especially with huge Chinese developers now eyeing Iskandar. Country Garden, one of Chinas top property rms and among a handful of cash-ush Chinese developers in Iskandar, has broken ground on a $5.6 billion residential township. Of the projects 9000 luxury condominiums, one-quarter were sold to China buyers. Malaysian officials express hope that catalytic projects like Legoland and the motorsports facility will stimulate other business growth. There was a property play in the beginning. Now we have to focus on job creation ... to migrate to a vibrant economic zone, said Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, chief executive of Malaysian government-owned UEM Sunrise, a key Iskandar developer. International business consultancy Frost & Sullivan has announced plans to invest $176 million to house its backend operations in Iskandar. But Johor business leaders complain the areas Malaysian labour base is short on skills and that many still prefer better-paying work in Singapore. A speculated linking of Singapores mass-transit system with Iskandar has been cited as a potential shot in the arm, but no rm plans have yet emerged.

Workers at a construction site in Danga Bay in the southern state of Johor Bahru bordering Singapore. Photo: AFP

Observers believe, however, that economic fundamentals will ensure the areas makeover is eventually completed. Iskandar will succeed because it

has to, said Johor ruling-party parliament member Nur Jazlan Mohamed. Malaysia needs it economically and Singapore needs it politically to release the cost pressure. AFP

The newly completed Legoland hotel in Nusajaya, in the southern state of Johor Bahru bordering Singapore. Photo: AFP

26 THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

World
ALEPPO
THE death toll from aerial bombing of an Aleppo neighbourhood last week has risen to 42, a monitor said, as Syrias air force targeted other areas of the city and nearby villages. The toll has risen to 42 people killed in Hanano, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, referring to the neighbourhood hit by massively destructive TNT-packed barrel bombs. Hundreds of people have been killed during the past week in Aleppo as Syrian aircraft have dropped crude barrel bombs on the countrys onetime commercial hub, now largely reduced to rubble, say activists, medics and other witnesses. The Aleppo Media Centre, a network of citizen journalists in the northern city, had singled out the bombing of Hanano as especially deadly, as the barrel bombs had struck a bus, leaving no survivors. The Observatorys Rami Abdel Rahman said President Bashar al-Assads regime is trying to turn people in opposition areas against the rebels. It is killing and forcing people to ee in order to secure that goal. Other air attacks struck the rebelheld Sakhur, Ahmadiyeh, Baideen and Ard al-Hamra neighbourhoods of the city, which has been cleaved into regime- and rebel-held enclaves since the summer of 2012. Elsewhere in Aleppo province, Marea and Atareb villages were also hit on December 21. The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a network of grassroots

WORLd EdITOR: Bridget Di Certo | bridget.dicerto@gmail.com

JUBA

Air strikes rock Syrian city

A digger arrives to remove the rubble following an airstrike in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 24. Photo: AFP

activists, described panic and mass ight to the countryside, despite the intense cold. It also said two of the fatalities were ambulance workers, who died in the unrelenting bombardment as they tried to help wounded people. Aleppos opposition Provincial Council announced schools in rebelheld areas would be closed for a week ... because of the systematic, deliberate bombing. The council also said in a statement that two schools had been hit in Sundays bombing. Footage distributed by Shahba Press, another network of citizen jour-

nalists, showed a child in his badly damaged school saying that the bombing in Marea village happened while classes were being held. On Saturday, Human Rights Watch said government forces had used means and methods of warfare that... could not distinguish between civilians and combatants, making attacks indiscriminate and therefore unlawful. It also condemned the reported use of the highly destructive barrel bombs, adding that military commanders should not ... order the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas. AFP

South Sudanese girl puts her familys laundry out to dry on a barbed fence at a compound in Juba December 22. Photo: AFP

Scores killed as slides toward

THOUSANDS of South Sudanese have been killed in more than a week of violence, with reports of bodies piled in mass graves, the UN said as it moved to nearly double its peacekeepers there. Large areas of South Sudan remain out of the governments control amid fears the young nation was sliding toward civil war, though Juba said its forces had recaptured the strategically important town of Bor from rebels on December 25. The UN humanitarian chief in the country, Toby Lanzer, said there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that were into the thousands of dead, the rst clear indication of the scale of the conict engulng the country. Earlier, UN rights chief Navi Pillay said a mass grave had been found in the rebel-held town of Bentiu and cited reports of at least two more in Juba. The grim discovery follows escalating battles between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing his rival Riek Machar, a former vice president who was sacked in July. The official toll nationwide has stood at 500 dead for days, but aid workers have said the number killed was likely far higher. Witnesses recount a wave of atrocities, including an orchestrated campaign of mass killings and rape. In a Christmas message to the people, Mr Kiir said that innocent people have been wantonly killed, warning that the violence risked spiralling out of control. There are now people who are targeting others because of their tribal affiliation .... It will only lead to one thing and that is to turn this new nation into chaos, he added. The unrest has taken on an ethnic dimension, pitting Mr Kiirs Dinka tribe against Machars Mr Nuer. Mr Machar said he was ready to accept Mr Kiirs offer of talks, following days of shuttle diplomacy by African nations and calls from Western powers for an end to the ghting. We want democratic, free and fair elections. We want Salva Kiir to call it a day, Mr Machar said, listing his demands. US Secretary of State John Kerry called both men and urged them to accept a cessation of hostilities and begin mediated political talks, the State Department said. Mr Machars promise of talks came shortly before the army stormed Bor, which Information Minister Michael Makwei called a gift of the government of South Sudan to the people. Bors capture, apparently without major resistance by the rebels, relieves about 17,000 besieged civilians who ed to the UN peacekeeping compound for protection, severely stretching limited food and supplies. UN peacekeepers had spent days bolstering fortications ahead of the army assault, after militia

Egypst declares Musim Brotherhood terrorist group

wORLD 32

China backs Pakistan nuclear project

wORLD 31

AK-47 creator Mikhail Kalashnikov dies age 94

WORLD 29

JUBA

Crude prices climb as conflict worsens

Crude edged higher in Asian trade Thursday on supply concerns following escalating violence in oil-producer South Sudan, but gains were capped as dealers sat on the sidelines awaiting fresh leads after the festive season. New Yorks main contract, West Texas Intermediate for February delivery, was up 13 cents at US$99.35 in afternoon trade while Brent North Sea crude for February gained 17 cents to US$112.07. Sanjeev Gupta, head of the Asia-Pacic oil and gas practice at consultancy rm EY, said oil prices were being supported by fears of disruptions in supply from South Sudan. But markets are likely to remain range-bound till the release of new economic data during the rst of week of 2014, he said. Violence in South Sudan, a edgling oil producer, escalated as its army battled rebel forces in a key oil-producing state, while the United Nations moved to double its peacekeeping force to stave off civil war. Thousands are believed to have been killed in more than a week of violence pitting troops loyal to President Salva Kiir against those backing his rival Riek Machar, a former vice president who was sacked in July. Oil production, which accounts for more than 95 percent of South Sudans economy, has been dented by the violence, with oil workers evacuated last week. The escalating violence has added to concerns about a disruption in global supply, following the continued curtailment of output from OPEC member Libya due to a monthslong blockade of crucial terminals in the eastern part of the country. Investors are also awaiting the weekly US oil inventories report to be released Friday for clues about US demand. Analysts project US supplies fell 2.2 million barrels, according to a survey by the Wall Street Journal. AFP

XINJIANG REGION

16 Uighur killed in Xinjiang clash

SiX Uighur women were among 16 people killed in a clash in Chinas restive Xinjiang region last week, campaign groups said, contradicting Beijings version of events. The Munich-based World Uyghur Congress(WUC) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), which is funded by the US government, said that police raided a house where an extended family was gathering. Xinjiang, in Chinas far west, is home to the mainly Muslim Uighur minority and Chinese authorities say that terrorists were responsible for the incident. But WUC spokesman Alim Seytoff, citing information from two residents of Saybagh village, where the clash took place, said, It was a massacre of a family who had gathered to prepare for the upcoming wedding of one of their children. According to RFA, one resident said that the local police chief triggered the incident by lifting the veil of a woman during the raid on the house. The dead included two police officers, with the other 14 all Uighurs. Xinjiang has for years seen spasms of violence that Beijing attributes to terrorism and separatism but rights groups say is triggered by cultural oppression, intrusive security measures and a wave of immigration by Chinas Han majority. The violence peaked in 2009, when around 200 people died and more than 1,600 were injured in riots in the regional capital Urumqi. Chinas state-run Xinhua news service said that an initial probe of the Saybagh incident revealed that the 14 terrorists who were shot dead were from a group promoting extremist religious ideas and making explosives for terrorist attacks. AFP

makeshift IDP camp at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

as South Sudan civil war

gunmen last week stormed a UN compound in the Jonglei outpost of Akobo, killing two Indian soldiers and about 20 ethnic Dinka civilians sheltering there. Fighting has spread to half the countrys 10 states, the UN said, with hundreds of thousands eeing to the countryside and others ooding UN bases seeking shelter. Pillays spokeswoman told AFP that a UN official had visited a mass killing site in Bentiu, the capital of the oil-rich Unity state, and counted at least 34 bodies. warned the force will not be able to protect every civilian in need in South Sudan. This is a political crisis which requires a peaceful, political solution, he said, calling on rival leaders to save [your] proud and newly independent country. The US military deployed a platoon-sized Marine contingent to neighbouring Uganda to protect US citizens and facilities in South Sudan and prepare for possible further evacuations of Americans, a spokesman said without specifying the number of troops involved. Nearly 100 US troops were already on the ground in South Sudan, including a contingent reinforcing security at the American embassy. The Pentagon also deployed a roughly 150-strong special Marine Corps unit to Djibouti, along with cargo planes and helicopters. On December 22, a US evacuation operation had to be called off when American aircraft came under re, with four troops wounded. South Sudan gained independence in July 2011 and is still the youngest country in the world, born out of a bloody decades-long struggle for independence from Sudan. It remains a fragile state with deep ethnic divisions. Mr Kiir has accused Mr Machar of starting the ghting by attempting a coup, while Mr Machar says the president has exploited tensions within the army to carry out a purge. AFP

6000
Number of additional soldiers and police the UN Security Council has voted to send in to South Sudan, doubling the security presence. Rebel ghters are also reported to have committed atrocities in areas they control. Late on Tuesday, the UN Security Council voted to send nearly 6000 extra soldiers and police to South Sudan, nearly doubling the UNMISS force to 12,500 troops and 1323 civilian police. But UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who requested the reinforcements,

28 World International
BANGUI

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

French tanks deployed in Bangui clash

Heavy arms re triggered panic last week in the Central African capital of Bangui, prompting a French force to deploy tanks near the airport, where tens of thousands of residents are seeking refuge from deadly sectarian violence. The tanks took positions at the entrance to the airport, where French and African peacekeepers are based, after automatic weapons re and explosions shook several parts of the city. The gunre subsided as night fell, giving way to a tense calm in the capital in which residents are grappling with increasingly unreliable electricity and telephone connections. Tens of thousands of people have been sheltering in precarious conditions on the airport grounds since the sectarian bloodletting erupted early this month in the former French colony, claiming hundreds of lives. Automatic weapons re, much of it from heavy machine guns, was heard but apparently not directed at the airport. It was especially intense in the nearby PK12 area. Hundreds of panicked residents could be seen eeing the area on foot towards central Bangui. In chaotic scenes, others sought to join the displaced people already at the airport, overseen by French soldiers manning combat positions behind sandbags. Some residents who spoke to AFP by telephone accused former rebels backing Muslim interim president Michel Djotodia of mounting attacks, while others named Christian vigilantes as the aggressors. Although Mr Djotodia officially disbanded his Seleka rebels after seizing power in a March coup, some of its members went rogue, leading to months of killing, rape and pillaging and prompting some majority Christians to form vigilante groups. One resident in a Muslim-majority neighbourhood said an unspecied number of bodies were brought to the local mosque. Bangui was virtually deserted on December 26 because of regular outbursts of gunre in other areas throughout the day. Peacekeeping troops were also absent from the streets, with only one helicopter, probably French, circling above. Earlier Wednesday, a spokesman for the African peacekeeping force MISCA said its Chadian troops would be redeployed out of the capital amid charges they were siding with a former rebel group. The whole Chadian contingent will be sent to secure the north in the next few days, MISCA spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ndong Toutoune told AFP. The spokesperson did not elaborate on how or exactly where the Chadian troops would redeploy in the impoverished country that has for decades been prone to coups, rebellions and mutinies. Later, several Chadian MISCA tanks and jeeps could be seen leaving the airport and heading toward gent in the African MISCA force told AFP his men were disarming former rebels when Chadian troops from MISCA threw a grenade and opened re on them, prompting some Burundian elements to return re, wounding three Chadians. The ghting has virtually wiped out Christmas for the countrys Christians, though they t in a Christmas Eve mass at Banguis redbrick cathedral before a dusk-to-dawn curfew took effect on December 25. We must speak out freely and say, in one voice, This should never happen again, Bangui Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga said in an emotional sermon as soldiers stood guard. On December 24, Chadian soldiers had opened re on hundreds of stone-throwing protesters, mostly Christians, killing one man and wounding around 40 others, three seriously. Traditionally inuential in the Central African Republic, neighbouring Chad is Frances main partner in its efforts to re-establish peace in the country. It contributes 850 troops to the 3700-strong MISCA force. But the growing deance of Central Africans toward the Chadian contingent is complicating the task of the 1600 French troops deployed to the country since the beginning of December. The UN refugee agency says the unrest has uprooted more than 200,000 people from their homes. AFP

French troops evacuate the body of a demonstrator who was shot dead near the international airport in Bangui on December 23, 2013. Photo: AFP

the city centre. The Chadians, mainly because they are Muslim, face accusations by many in Bangui of complicity with the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels who overthrew President Francois Bozize in March in the predominantly

Christian country. Amnesty International says some 1000 people were killed in just a couple of days in early December, mostly by Muslim ex-rebels but also in Christian reprisal attacks. The head of the Burundian contin-

IN BRIEF
Libya protests force internet shutdown
Knife-wielding protesters last week stormed the headquarters of Libyas largest telecoms provider and forced an eight-hour shutdown of Internet access in the south and west of the country. Dozens of protesters calling for Prime Minister Ali Zeidan to resign occupied Libyan Telecom and Technologys headquarters in the eastern suburbs of the capital, Tripoli, forcing staff to cut internet service, said LTT communications chief Mourad Bilal. Thanks to the activation of a Plan B by our telecommunications technicians, Internet has now been restored in the regions that experienced outages, Mr Bilal told AFP. The months-long blockade has dealt a blow to the countrys economy and slashed oil production from nearly 1.5 million barrels per day to just 250,000.

Vietnam economy picks up

Vietnams economy grew 5.42 percent in 2013, picking up speed slightly after its worst performance in more than a decade the previous year, according to an ofcial estimate released Monday. While growth narrowly missed the governments target of 5.5pc, the economy is showing signs of recovery compared with 2012 when gross domestic product came in at 5.25 pc, the weakest in 13 years, the General Statistics Ofce (GSO) said in a report. Communist Vietnam is struggling with a host of economic woes, including sluggish domestic demand, a banking sector weighed down with high levels of toxic debt and record numbers of bankruptcies. In May, the central bank cut interest rates for the eighth time in little more than a year in an attempt to spur lending and boost consumption and reduce ination, but last year were forced to resort to stimulus measures. Afp

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NEw YORK RUSSIA

International World 29

Kalashnikov dies at 94

Snowden makes Christmas address

former American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden has declared his mission accomplished after unveiling huge US surveillance programmes, but urged citizens to insist their governments stop spying on them. In excerpts of his rst major media appearance since claiming asylum in Russia -- which was broadcast on British television on Christmas Day -- Snowden issued a staunch defence of individual privacy. Together we can nd a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying, he said in extracts released by Britains Channel 4. The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor sent shockwaves around the world by revealing the extent of Washingtons electronic eavesdropping. The short, pre-recorded broadcast was his rst television appearance since arriving in Moscow in June. The 30-year-old has also given his rst in-person interview since claiming asylum, telling the Washington Post: I already won. For me, in terms of personal satisfaction, the missions already accomplished, he said. As soon as the journalists were able to work, everything that I had been trying to do was validated, he added. Because, remember, I didnt want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself. Snowden leaked explosive details of the secret surveillance schemes to media including the Washington Post and Britains Guardian, and has ed the United States to avoid prosecution. He arrived in Russia in June as a fugitive and spent more than a month holed up in a Moscow airport before being granted a years asylum. US federal prosecutors have led a criminal complaint against him, charging him with espionage and felony theft of government property. His leaks have deeply embarrassed President Barack Obamas administration by revealing the massive scale of Americas spying efforts, including on the countrys own allies such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In his Christmas Day broadcast to Britain, Snowden says that children born into todays world will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. Theyll never know what it means to have a private moment to themselves -- an unrecorded, unanalysed thought, he says in the broadcast, due to be aired at 1615 GMT. And thats a problem because privacy matters. Privacy is what allows us to determine who we are and who Christmas broadcaster. The NSAs collection of communications data has grown dramatically since the September 11, 2001 attacks. On December 21, Obama said he welcomed a debate about the NSAs role as he weighs possible changes to its broad powers amid a public outcry over rights to privacy. A panel of legal and intelligence experts chosen by the White House has recommended curbing the agencys powers. A federal judge has warned that the NSAs routine collection of nearly all Americans phone records was probably unconstitutional. Snowden insisted in the Post interview that he had not been disloyal to his former employers. I am not trying to bring down the NSA, I am working to improve the NSA, he said. I am still working for the NSA right now. They are the only ones who dont realise it. Snowden blamed lawmakers decision to keep the NSA programmes hidden and their failure to ask probing questions for his decision to spill the secrets. The system failed comprehensively, and each level of oversight, each level of responsibility that should have addressed this, abdicated their responsibility, he said. AFP

Mikhail Kalashnikov, 2009. Photo: AFP

JUSTIN PETERS MIKHAIL Kalashnikov, the Russian armourer credited with inventing the AK-47 Kalashnikov automatic rie, has died at age 94. Kalashnikov was a self-taught inventor and Soviet soldier when, in 1947, he lent his name to what is perhaps the most iconic rearm of the 20th century. A recent estimate suggested that there are approximately 100 million Kalashnikovs in existence today one-fth of the worlds total gun supply. There are a dozen or so words that are the same in every language of the world, Elena Joly wrote in the preface to 2006s The Gun That Changed the World. They include the words taxi, radio, Coca-Cola and Kalashnikov. Born in 1919, Mikhail Kalashnikov spent much of his boyhood in Siberian exile before he was conscripted into the Soviet Army in 1938. Injured in the Battle of Bryansk in 1941, Kalashnikov spent months convalescing in a military hospital. Though he had little formal education, Kalashnikov had an innate talent for tinkering, and spent his days lying in bed and pondering the Nazi forces superior repower. He would later say that here, in spite of the pain of my injury, I was obsessed night and day by a single thought: inventing a weapon to beat the fascists. The AK-47 was that weapon. While the AK-47 wasnt the rst assault rie, it was certainly the most simple. It was light. It did not jam. It was easy to understand and inexpensive to manufacture. As John Forge wrote in 2012s Designed to Kill, Compared to any similar weapon, the AK is very easy to use, and thus, even a poorly or barely trained soldier or one wearing gloves in Siberia or, sadly, even a child, can use one effectively at close range. The rie soon became standard Soviet Army issue, and, over the next two decades, the USSR freely licensed the gun to its allies. Versions of the rie were soon being manufactured in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, China, North Korea and many more countries. As the gun spread, it assumed symbolic properties. As Phillip Killicoat noted in a 2007 working paper for the World Bank, an image of the rie appears on the Mozambique national ag, and Kalash, an abbreviation of Kalashnikov, is a common boys name in some African countries. The gun became popular among terrorist groups, too, and this bothered Kalashnikov. In a 2002 interview with a German newspaper, he expressed regret over the weapon that made him famous. Im proud of my invention, but Im sad that it is used by terrorists, he said. I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work for example a lawnmower. SLATE

I didnt want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself.
Edward Snowden NSA whistleblower

we want to be. Channel 4 has aired a short alternative Christmas message every year since 1993, intended as a response to Queen Elizabeth IIs annual Christmas Day broadcast on the rival BBC. The channel caused a row in 2008 when it chose former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as its

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KARACHI

International World 31

China backs Pakistan nuclear project

China has committed US$6.5 billion to nance the construction of a major nuclear power project in Pakistans port city of Karachi as it seeks to strengthen ties with its strategic partner, Pakistani officials said. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif broke ground on the $9.59 billion project last month but ofcials have provided few details of how they plan to nance it. Financing documents seen by Reuters showed China National Nuclear Cooperation (CNNC) has promised to grant a loan of at least $6.5 billion to nance the project, which will have two reactors with a capacity of 1100 megawatts each. Two members of the governments energy team and three sources close to the deal conrmed this. CNNC was not available for comment. China has complete condence in Pakistans capacity to run a nuclear power plant with all checks in place, said Ansar Parvez, chair of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission which runs the civilian nuclear program. Parvez declined to give more details of the funding but said it would be completed by 2019 and each of the two reactors would be larger than the combined power of all nuclear reactors now operating in Pakistan. As part of the deal, China has also waived a $250,000 insurance premium on the loan, said two sources in the Energy Ministry with knowledge of the project. They declined to be identied as they are not authorised to speak to the media about the nancing. Pakistan and China, both nuclear-armed nations, consider each other close friends and their ties have been underpinned by wariness of India and a desire to hedge against US inuence in South Asia. Pakistan sees nuclear energy as key to its efforts to solve power shortages that have crippled its economy. Pakistan generates about 11,000MW of power while total demand is about 15,000MW. Blackouts lasting more than half a day in some areas have sparked violent protests, undermining an economy already beset by high unemployment, widespread poverty, crime and sectarian and insurgent violence. Under its long-term energy plan, Pakistan hopes to produce more than 40,000 MW of electricity through nuclear plants by 2050. The United States sealed a nuclear supply deal with India in 2008, irking both China and Pakistan. Pakistan wants a similar agreement with the United States but it is reluctant, largely because Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan admitted in 2004 to transferring nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iran and Iraq. There should be no double standards in terms of civilian nuclear deals, Mr Parvez said. Pakistan has energy needs and the building of two new reactors should convince everyone that Indias embargos and restrictions wont stop us. Pakistan carried out its rst nuclear tests in 1998, soon after India conducted tests. Both refuse to join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which would oblige them to scrap atomic weapons. China has already helped supply two nuclear reactors at the Chashma nuclear power complex in Pakistans Punjab region, while another two are also under construction with Chinese assistance. China says its nuclear ties with Pakistan are entirely peaceful and come under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. It has not given details of the projects nancing but state media has put its total value at $9.59 billion. Bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is to help ameliorate Pakistans energy shortages, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on December 24. This accords with the interests of the Pakistani people. Three prominent physicists recently raised questions about the safety, design and cost of the new reactors in Karachi, sparking a national debate. There is no official information about preparedness for a nuclear accident in Karachi that is available publicly, said Zia Mian, a PakistaniAmerican physicist who directs the Project on Peace and Security in South Asia at Princeton University. The only real obstacle that may exist to the new reactors being built is if the citizens of Karachi decide they do not want to live with the risks these reactors create. But Pakistans new energy minister has dismissed the critics. Every 1000 megawatts of electricity produced through nuclear energy saves you $1 billion in oil imports, Khawaja Asif, the minister for water and power, told Reuters. If critics can give me alternatives and other platforms to raise money for low-cost, clean power, Im willing to listen. Reuters

Chinese nancing for Pakistans nuclear power project in Karachi

6.5

$US BILLION

TRADE MARK CAUTION

DKSH International AG, a company incorporated under the laws of Switzerland, and having its principal place of business at Wiesenstrasse 8, Zurich, Switzerland, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:Reg. Nos. 1367/2008, 7969/2010, 8997/2013 Reg. Nos. 1366/2008, 7968/2010, 8998/2013 in respect of Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: info@untlaw.com For DKSH International AG Dated: 30 December, 2013.

Hirudoid

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NOTICE is hereby given that Vifor (International) Inc. a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and having its principal office at Rechenstrasse 37, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

VENOFER
(Reg: Nos. IV/6613/2002, IV/7062/2010 & IV/8893/2013)

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the above two trademarks are in respect of:Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations; sanitary preparations for medical purposes 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 Vifor (International) Inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Dated: 30th December, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Sansha Electric Manufacturing Company, Limited a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 1-56, Nishiawaji 3-chome, Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu, 533-0031, Japan is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademark:-

32 World International

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

SanRex
(Reg: No. IV/10561/2013) in respect of :- Plating machines; welding machines. Intl Class: 7 Semi-conductor elements; power supplies; power conditioners for solar power generation devices Intl Class: 9 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Sansha Electric Manufacturing Company, Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that CHANNEL V MUSIC NETWORKS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP organized and existing under the laws of Hong Kong with offices at 13th Floor, One Harbourfront, 18 Tak Fung Street, Hunghom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trade mark:

Egyptian mourners carry the body of one of the 13 people killed in a car bomb at a funeral in Mansura, north of Cairo, on December 24. Photo: AFP

CAIRO

The said Trade Mark consists of a letter V and a bracket symbol. The above Trade Mark is used in respect of the following description of services, that is to say: Class 38 Television and radio broadcasting services; digital television services; provision of telecommunications access and links to computer databases and the Internet; diffusion of television programmes; operation of earth-to-satellite television transmitters for transmission of signals to satellite; relaying of television programmes by satellite; operation of satellite-to-earth receiver aerials; frequency conversion of microwave signals relayed by satellite; dissemination of television programmes relayed by satellite receiver aerials by cable or by microwave link to television receivers of users; operation of television cable networks; provision and operation of radio, telephone, telegraph, satellite and of cable network communications systems; videotext and teletext transmission services; electronic and telecommunication transmission services; transmission of data and of information by electronic, computer, cable, radio, radiopaging, teleprinter, teleletter, electronic mail, fax machine, television, microwave, laser beam, communications satellite or other communications means; provision of communication facilities for the interchange of data by electronic means; consultancy services relating to data communications; transmission of information for business or domestic purposes from a computer-stored data bank; rental of communication apparatus; time sharing services for communications apparatus; and all the above also provided on-line from a computer database or the Internet, and provision of information, consultancy services and advisory services relating to all the aforesaid services manufactured, imported, sold by or on behalf of CHANNEL V MUSIC NETWORKS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP in the Union of Myanmar. That a Declaration of Ownership in respect of the said Trade Mark has been registered in the Office of the Sub-Registrar, Yangon, on the day 16th of August, 2013 under No. 8887 for 2013. WARNING is hereby given that any fraudulent imitation, unauthorised or improper use of the said Trade Mark or other infringement of the rights of CHANNEL V MUSIC NETWORKS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP in any manner whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.

Muslim Brotherhood deemed a terrorist organisation

The Egyptian government last week declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organisation, in a move that criminalises the groups activities.
Egypts military-backed government has designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, criminalizing the activities and nances of a movement that rose to power in national elections last year but has been crippled by a government crackdown since a coup in July. The announcement was a stunning blow to the decades-old Islamist organization, which survived for years in the shadows and in prison cells under then-President Hosni Mubarak but rose to the height of political power after his ouster in the 2011 uprising. With the victory of Mohammed Morsi a former Brotherhood leader in Egypts rst democratic presidential election in 2012, the movement was poised to realise its Islamist project but struggled to govern the countrys vast and bloated bureaucracy. Morsis presidency faltered under an already crumbling economy and his controversial efforts to pass a new national constitution, further isolating the increasingly unpopular Brotherhood, whose leaders began courting hard-line Islamists to bolster support. Egyptian legal experts said the decree would shutter hundreds of charities and nongovernmental organisations affiliated with the Brotherhood, one of Egypts largest opposition groups. The organizations provide health care and other services to rural and urban areas that lack infrastructure. Anyone who is a member of the Brotherhood, participates in its activities or promotes or funds the group will be subject to prosecution under the Egyptian penal code, analysts said. Membership in a terrorist group is punishable by ve years in prison. The maximum penalty for providing weapons and ammunition to a domestic terrorist group is death. Brotherhood officials could not be reached immediately for comment. But a statement posted on the groups official Twitter account called the declaration a worthless decision from an illegal govt without any evidence and will not change anything in reality. The protests are in the streets despite a law restricting them and killings and prison sentences. All this has not changed the will of the people, said Ibrahim Elsayed, a member of the Brotherhoods political group, the Freedom and Justice Party, the Associated Press reported. The decision has no value for us and is only worth the paper it is written on. The declaration by Egypts interim cabinet seems likely to harden further the divide between Morsis supporters and secular backers of the temporary government ahead of a referendum on a new constitution scheduled for next month. After the announcement, the United States expressed concern about the current atmosphere and its potential effects on a democratic transition in Egypt. We think it is essential for Egypt to have an inclusive political process; it is the best means of restoring the stability that the Egyptian people want and that is necessary to the countrys economic recovery, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said. There needs to be dialogue and political participation across the political spectrum. The government acted quickly to blame the Brotherhood which renounced violence decades ago for a deadly car bombing Tuesday outside a security headquarters building in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura. Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa accused the Brotherhood of carrying out the Mansoura attack and said that, in response, the government had decided to classify the organization as a terrorist group. Eissa did not provide evidence that the Brotherhood was involved in the bombing or any other recent attacks on security forces in Egypt. On Wednesday, a Sinai-based jihadist group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, or Ansar Jerusalem, claimed responsibility for Tuesdays bombing, which killed 15 people, including 11 police officers, in one of the deadliest such attacks in Egypt in years. Analysts say the group, which surfaced in Egypts restive Sinai Peninsula in 2012, is probably responsible for most of the more complex sophisticated operations against security compounds in Egypt since the military coup. The group has claimed responsibility for several major car bomb attacks in Egypt in recent months, including an attempt to assassinate the interior minister in a Cairo suburb in September. In the statement released to jihadist forums Wednesday, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis warned Egyptian police and soldiers to abandon their posts and stop working for the government to preserve their religion and lives. In Mansoura on the night of December 26, hours after the car bomb ravaged buildings across a wide city block, anti-Islamist crowds roamed the streets and burned and looted Brotherhood-linked businesses. Residents chanted against the Islamists in the street, and others played pro-military songs. Many in Egypt seemed to welcome the governments escalation of its ght against the group. The front-page headline of the privately owned Egyptian daily, Al-Youm Al-Sabea, on Wednesday read The people want the execution of the Brotherhood. Ahmed Abdel Rahman Fawzi, a psychiatrist whose clinic was destroyed in the car bombing, said calls for revenge will just bring more chaos and destruction. What we need, said Mr Fawzi, 29, is an independent investigation into who perpetrated the attack. AFP

Dated this 30th day of December, 2013. U Kyi Win Associates for CHANNEL V MUSIC NETWORKS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 53-55 Maha Bandoola Garden Street P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon

What we need is an independent investigation into who perpetrated the attack.

Psychiatrist Ahmed Abdel Rahman Fawzi calls for an inquiry into the car bomb that claimed 13 lives.

The allegation has inamed tensions and given rise to vigilante attacks against Brotherhood supporters. Founded in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser after an attempt to assassinate him in 1954. With grassroots appeal, the movement survived several subsequent crackdowns.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Royal Porcelain Public Company Limited a company organized under the laws of Thailand and having its principal office at 9th Floor 888/90-92, Mahatun Plaza Building, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thalind is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(Reg: No. IV/5831/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/5832/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/5833/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/5834/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/5835/2013)

(Reg: No. IV/5836/2013) The above six trademarks are in respect of:Household or kitchen utensils and containers; combs and sponges; brushes (except paint brushes); brush-making materials; articles for cleaning purposes; steelwool; unworked or semi-worked glass (except glass used in building); glassware, porcelain and earthenware not included in other classes Class: 21 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 Royal Porcelain Public Company Limited P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

U
GE T

GERS O FIN N

IT

SKATE

YO

Skaters at 35 Skate World in Mandalay on December 23, 2013. Photo: Sithu Lwin

ON
T
BY JEREMY MULLINS AND MON MON AYE HE feeling of freedom drew him to 35 Skate World, said Ko Phyo Htet Aung on a nippy December evening after school in Mandalay. There is no shortage of establishments seeking to separate young people from their disposable income, he said. He could just as easily be playing video games. Instead, he is one of a growing number of young people spending his free time and money at skate parks, though observers say they are waiting to see whether this sudden boom of interest turns into something long-term and sustainable. Sliding plastic bags onto his feet and then putting on his roller skates, Ko Phyo Htet Aung, 19, said he comes to the skate park almost every evening. When I skate, I feel free and happy, he said. There is undeniable enthusiasm

BOARDING AND BLADING ARE HOT IN MANDALAY, bUT CAN IT LAST?

for skating sports, including roller quading, where each skate has two rows of two wheels, as well as inline skating and skateboarding, said park owners. But since they generate revenues from entrance fees and equipment rentals, maintaining long-term interest in the sports is crucial to keep the parks open, they said. What leads people to try skating in the rst place is a little bit of derringdo, said Ma Su Mon Aung, owner of 35 Skate World. Some people nd its quite hard to stand on the four wheels, she said. Some people nd its impossible and its quite dangerous. So, its like an adventure. While many of Mandalays young people are keen to try, however, their interest often wanes after a few visits to the park. Skate parks are like a trend, she said. If we just open a skate park and leave it, it will be gone one day. Her park competes with 10 others in the city, but also internet gaming and KTV lounges. Even the SEA Games drew away customers, she said. Looking to the future, Ma Su Mon Aung said she plans to hold races and contests to maintain interest in the sports. About 11 skate parks operate in Mandalay city and another 19 in various towns in Mandalay Division, according to statistics provided by Ko Lwin Latt, executive councillor with the Myanmar Skate Association (MSA). By comparison, there are only a couple of skate parks in Yangon, which are not always open to skaters, he said. Yangon skaters [have lots of] international skating knowledge and are going for professional levels but lack practice space compared with Mandalay, Ko Lwin Latt said. There are fewer skate parks available for use in Yangon now than in previous years as the land used by the parks has been turned over to other ventures, he said, adding that there is talk of international donors building new parks in the city. Some 500 skaters have joined the MSA from across Myanmar, he said. And while most international orYet even with the growing enthusiasm for the sports, proponents say popularity over time is not guaranteed. Participants said they lack depth of knowledge about the sport they practise, and only a few are condent enough to attempt tricks. Instead, most skaters and riders cruise in circles around the concrete rink, making little use of the obstacles such as ramps and rails. The MSA is attempting to improve interest and knowledge through demonstration tours, advocacy for better parks, and distributing donated DVDs and skates, Ko Lwin Latt said. Likening the current situation facing Myanmars regular skaters to a video game limited to 10 levels, he said it can be difficult nding new challenges in the game after all 10 levels have been successfully completed. A boring game means a drop-off in the number of people at skate parks and rinks, while improved skills and knowledge would likely generate more interest, he said.

If we just open a skate park and leave it, it will be gone one day.
Ma Su Mon Aung owner, 35 Skate World ganisations like it focus solely on one sport, the MSA is composed of signicant communities of skateboarders, roller bladers and even BMX riders.

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse 35

BLOOD AND SPiRiT

READING bEYOND ORWELL FOR A GLIMPSE OF BRITISH BURMA
AMAURY LORIN UpON arrival in Myanmar, most foreigners with a taste for literature turn rst to George Orwells bestselling 1934 novel Burmese Days. Its a dark portrait of a British teak merchant losing his humanity in 1920s Imperial Burma. Some of the best writing on British Burma, however, comes from a lesser-known but prolic Irish writer. Where Orwells work is somewhat Manichaean, the writing of Maurice Collis (18891973) showed a subtler approach to similar themes. His long eld experience in different remote stations shows through in the inimitable avour and genuine depth of his books. As he wrote in the preface to She Was a Queen (1937), this irreplaceable experience gave him the blood and spirit of Burma pervasive throughout his works. Collis studied history at Oxford from 1907 before joining the Indian Civil Service in 1911 and being appointed successively to posts in Sagaing, Arakan, Myeik and Rangoon as a colonial officer (19121934), deputy commissioner (the local autocrat, in his own words) and then district magistrate. An extraordinary storyteller, Collis wrote more than 20 books in a clear, visual and brisk style, all published by Faber and Faber. They include autobiographies (notably Into Hidden Burma, 1918-1931 and Trials in Burma, 1930-1931), biographies (of Marco Polo, Thomas Stamford Raffles and Ferno Mendes Pinto), plays, travel writings, chronicles, novels and romances. He was also a contributor to the Burma Research Journal. He was obsessed by social-racial exclusiveness and the places where British and Burmese came into contact. In the late 1930s, for example, no Burmese not even the acting governor, Sir Joseph Maung Gyi was admitted to membership of the British clubs. Collis understood and recorded the prevailing tensions better than any other writer. Burmese colonial society, its balls and dinner parties provided near endless inspiration. But more than this, Collis books deserve to be read as rst-rate historical documents. They show a shrewd understanding of people and the issues, without concessions. Indeed, one of Collis greatest merits is his historian-like use of primary archival sources. His witty narratives, powerful recreations of the exotic Burmese scene, are based on abundant original notes, which are mainly preserved in the India Office Library in London. The social dynamics in a colonial situation are far more complex than a confrontation of racial groups perceived solely in terms of antagonism. In a colonial meetingthere are many crossinteractions and hybridisations between the coloniser and the colonized at all levels political, generated through extraction. Soon, two particular events put him at odds with the British rule. First, while visiting Rangoon in February 1930, the mayor of Calcutta, Sen Gupta, made two speeches in which he attempted to excite hatred toward the British Raj. A complaint was brought against him, and it was Collis responsibility to prosecute this case among many other cases pitching European interests against those of the Burmese. Sen Guptas speeches were actually intended to make Burmese join the Indian Congress Party and forsake the policy of separation from the British. It was also at the time when Gandhi was launching non-violent civil disobedience against the Government of India and the question of separating Burma from India was being discussed in London. Collis bitterly and gradually came to realise that far from being asked to administer an impartial system of justice, he was rst and foremost expected to protect British interests. Later on, for having sentenced a British Army Officer to three months imprisonment for criminal negligence in driving a car (a native would have been imprisoned as a matter of course for the same offence), Collis was reprimanded by his hierarchy and quickly transferred to another post. By the end of the 1930s, he soon became marginalised for being deemed by the Foreign Office as too pro-Burmese. Similarities between Maurice Collis and Joseph Conrads Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness quickly come to the mind. Can Collis works be ranged under the reductive label of (anti-)colonial literature? Is it naturalistic or adventure literature? It appears hard to restrict Collis works exceedingly worth a read into any one literary genre. None could wholly embrace it. If you cant wait to get into Collis world, most of his books can be read in their beautiful original leather-bound versions in the collection of Monica Mya Maung, the last British woman remaining in Burma from the colonial era, who married a Burmese and died in 2007. It is available at the British Council Library in Rangoon (78 Kanna Road). Kevin Mackenzie, director of the British Council Myanmar, and his team are warmly thanked for their welcome there. .............................................................. Amaury Lorin, PhD History (Sciences Po, Paris), is a French Yangon-based historian, journalist and consultant. He is the author of Nouvelle histoire des colonisations europennes (XIXe-XXe sicles) (France University Press, 2013) and the founder of NGO Myanmar Challenge.

Maurice Collis (right) in 1932 in Myeik (Tenasserim) with a Balloonist and the Superintendent of Police. Photo: Supplied.

Ko Shine Aung Khant, a skateboarder at X-Games Skateland in Mandalay, said that while he skates nearly every night it is difficult for him to learn new tricks from fellow Mandalay skaters. The community simply lacks the necessary expertise. Friends in Yangon send him links to YouTube clips and pictures of themselves in action so he can try to copy the moves and upgrade his skills. First-time skaters said a combination of adventure-seeking and recommendations from friends drew them to try out the parks. Ma Ei Thandar Khaing said she usually spends her evenings at her hostel, but just last week friends convinced her to try on some roller quad skates for the rst time. At rst she relied on them to guide her around the rink, but she quickly grasped the skills to proper herself, she said. At rst I was afraid of falling and hitting my head, but now I think its fun, she said. It turns out it is not so difficult.

economic and intimate. Observing this, Collis found his favorite themes at junctures between racial communities be they in the domestic or social spheres. The titles of the 12th and 14th chapters of Into Hidden Burma (1953) are in fact key to understanding Collis work as a whole: The Pressure of Conformity, and Face to Face with Myself. Most of his books depict the intertwined identities of white men in colonial situations. A notable example is Siamese White (1936), dedicated to the inhabitants of Mergui and full of opium-smoking characters engaged with so-called native women. They are painfully torn between commitment to British imperial rule and love of Burmese culture, a dilemma that could lead to a dangerous confusion of identity. How can we not see an autobiographical dimension in these portraits? Almost all of Collis stories are set amid real historical periods: the fall of the Pagan dynasty in 1287 (She was a Queen, 1937); Arakans rise to a maritime power during the reign of King Minbin (15311553), facing Portuguese libusters (The Descent of the God, 1948); etc. But his history is not the history of our universities, warned Collis himself, in a letter to his friend the French archaeologist Charles Duroiselle (1871-1951). Though facts are abundant everything but the names of the real persons in some cases the line between historical truth, ction and legend is still thin with Collis. Based on oral history and coming from the memories of country people rather than books, his works can be read more like popular tales. Yet truth is stranger than ction with Collis. His characters are umbrella-holding kings and queens

riding white elephants, scholars, monks, astrologers, antiquarians, magicians, amazons, messengers, and adventurers drawn into hazardous journeys (The Grand Peregrination, 1949). Spirits, divinities, birds and dragons, jungles full of tigers, houses haunted by ghosts of European pirates and more bring his stories an exotic and mystical touch. The troubled period around 1930 was a time of long-sown discontent among the Burmese who were awaking into rebellion and testing the principles of British Imperialism. Collis, ghting the possessive and domineering view of the British Empire, blamed the absurdity of the idea, then generally held in Rangoon, that the Burmese could not throw up men competent to direct the affairs of their country. In the context of rising political agitation in 1929, the most difcult year of [his] life, he depicted the rising Burmese resentments towards the British. He wrote, The Burmese were treated as an inferior race; though the law was supposed to be the same for all, it was interpreted to favour the British. [] You could not believe British promises; the way they acted betrayed their real thoughts. [] This demand for a change of heart was very strong among educated Burmese; it was a thing which could be understood also by the least educated and it can be said that now for the rst time all classes began to attach great importance to it. Collis noted, too, that the problem was complicated by Burma being a commercial venture in which a quantity of British capital was invested. In the end, of course, the Burmese proted very little from the huge wealth that the British

Maurice Collis by Ida Kar (1961), National Portrait Gallery, London

36 the pulse

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

ANNUAL PREDICtIONS FOR 2014

AQUARIUS | Jan 20 - Feb 18 One of the most remarkable features of 2014 will be your contrivance, originality of thought, and the ability to tackle any job with energy and cleverness. Before June 9 you will be in good relations with old partners, who will be strong in their determination to change their lives through integrity, morality and nobility. There will be considerably less tension in your associations with others from now on. Something is not sure to be something and nothing is not to be fixed as nothing. Never let the roots of your desires go too deep into the flame of lust. Set your mind toward some new promised land. PISCES | Feb 19 - March 20 An encouraging basic trend from Jupiter, ruling planet of your sign, will help you to expand and extend your life generally during 2014. Dont get frustrated and dissatised by your right action. You can look forward to progress in material concerns and emotional favor. Even the best inuences can only bless you if you make an effort to work with good intentions. Great care will be needed in your handling of relationships from March to July. Incompatible temperaments and the possibility of estrangement in existing partnerships are on the horizon. ARIES | Mar 21 - Apr 19 The year is a great one in which social beginnings and the maintenance of good relations are of the greatest importance. You must, in fact, be prepared to meet others halfway, and be able to give as much as you hope to be given. Systematic handling of career matters must be a priority, even though there is a special place for the pleasurable side of life. Your lifestyle will be changing after June and you will need both fact and patience in dealing with anything of an emotional nature. You will experience hope and satisfaction in matters of property. TAURUS | Apr 20 - May 20 The year will be sure to show a solid progressive trend in social communications and developments to do with risky financial transactions. There could be big changes after June to bring you into prominence regarding your personal hopes and wishes. You should endeavour to keep on harmonious terms with all. June is a doubtful time for love affairs, and the younger (or more susceptible) you are, the greater the stupidity of infatuation that could upset your life. Your financial stability can be restored by prudence and close attention to duties. GEMINI | May 21 - June 20

AUNG MYIN KYAW 4th Floor, 113, Thamain Bayan Road, Tarmwe township, Yangon. Tel: 09-731-35632, Email: williameaste@gmail.com LIbRA | Sep 23 - Oct 22 You may get the best out of the New Year. Understand the factors that can work against you if you allow them to do so. Your own inhibitions could be the spears against you in the months of January, February and March. Harmony is not always the best thing to seek, but you may need it for very necessary reforms. After July, your concerns will be more to your liking and you should already be feeling more self-reliant and independent. Do your utmost to nd better balance and love will be pleasurable in the rst half of the year. SCORpIO | Oct 23 - Nov 21 Some important and even conclusive changes in your affairs could transpire in the area that rules family relationships and nancial transactions between January and June. The general trend in social affairs is for linking up with people who belong to elite circles and whose originality of thought has a positive effect on your mind. It would be wrong to overlook possibilities because of eccentric or erratic social relationships. News about the affairs of a relative could cause some adjustments in your private life. SAgIttARIUS | Nov 22 - Dec 21 From January to February, your communications could be incompatible with others and you may feel ineffectual and nagged to do something. After February, your situation will improve. You will be consistent and courageous in making right decisions, taking into account history and legal advice. You are sure to feel disappointed by social and political interference as you persist in these challenges. Develop a habit of questioning things in your everyday life. You have to cross the desert to reach the oasis. CApRICORN | Dec 22 - Jan 19 You will need practicality and steady application of effort throughout the year. The first half will look bright and you will feel courageous and responsible. There will be a strong influence on anything to do with money and July could bring your personal affairs into prominence and stability. You may have to wait longer than expected for decisions or cash settlements and profit. The more you can keep your affairs to yourself and confine your efforts to your own concerns, the better it will be. Remain an enigma to others.

Your grandiose ideas could become visible and you will stretch beyond your normal horizons by propounding abstract ideas in ingenious ways. One question usually remains unanswered, and you must remain silent before your intellectual challenge. After the first week of March, you should make changes to your social life. Even complete reconstruction is possible in all that affects social organisation and your leadership role. Balancing your thoughts and feelings, put yourself out there to help another and endeavour to understand peoples problems. CANCER | Jun 21 - Jul 22 The rst six months of the New Year will be full of social agreement, action plans and nancial investment. You will be called upon for more effort than usual, but cash rewards could result. The second three months will bring some good fortune of a material nature. Everything is easy and successful and you will be able to handle your affairs more than capably. Keep yourself well informed of what is happening in the world. Know precisely what you like and dont like through your own logic. LEO | Jul 23 - Aug 22 The year ahead will be stimulating. What you might be up against is other people who will not naturally accept you at your own valuation. You will need to prove your right to order them about and your ability to do it. Another series of awkward corners could arise in anything to do with money. Throughout the year, the tendency is more for dispersal than acquisition of cash. Forewarned is forearmed, so be content to live one day at a time and deal with things as they arise and dont feel frustrated, especially during January, June, July and September. You should see the glass of water half-full. VIRgO | Aug 23 - Sep 22 The year ought to prove crowded with good events that positively sparkle with the unusual thanks to the favour of Jupiter. Choose yellow colours all the time. Learn from old friends and family members, but detach from pessimistic partners. You can expect your mental power to be greatly enhanced. This being so, you could have a wonderful opportunity to enhance the comforts of your life. Inner restlessness could lead to rashness, impulsiveness and excess of emotion. The less you seek from others, emotionally and materially, the better off you will be.

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse 37

Mind the queue

How the line-jumping habits of Myanmar ruined my holiday
MYO LWIN ONE of the main causes of traffic congestion in Yangon is the bad habit among impatient drivers of switching into the oncoming lane to bypass cars that are stopped or moving slowly. For the sake of saving a few seconds, these selfish drivers block traffic, and then force the cars behind them to slow when they cut back into the proper land. The police, meanwhile, impotently blow their whistles, only making matters worse by adding to the din of honking car horns. Most of the time, this practice of driving in the wrong lane creates minor inconveniences. But last year it ruined my vacation. I was driving with my family to Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda in Mon State, better known to foreigners as the Golden Rock. About 160km (100 miles) from Yangon, we came across a traffic jam. The cars travelling in our direction had come to a complete halt. We pulled behind the last car and got out of our vehicle to join the many others who were standing around or sitting on the roadside. Drivers told us the road ahead was clogged with cars driving in the opposite directionfrom the pagoda back toward Yangon. Thinking it couldnt possibly take too long, we waited patiently and enjoyed the forest scenery. We took pictures and exchanged jokes with other travellers. About 30 minutes passed, and not a single car had come down the road from the opposite direction. This is when the situation went from inconvenient to insufferable. A few recently arrived drivers behind my car started their engines and proceeded to drive up the empty left lane. Others followed. Within an hour, the unmoving backup in the left lane extended more than 5km and thousands of cars. The road was completely blocked in both directions. We waited six hours in total, not moving an inch. We eventually gave up, turned around and headed back to Yangon along with many other disappointed drivers. Thus, on a recent trip to Japan, I was quick to notice that the attitude there toward waiting in line is totally different. Like any big city, Tokyo has its problems with traffic congestion, but there is an orderliness that just doesnt exist in my own country. On the way downtown from Narita Airport, the traffic was slow but never completely blocked. I noticed a lane on the left side of the highway reserved for police cars and ambulances. Even though it was empty, no one dared to use it illegally. A Japanese person I met explained that the proper use of these lanes was strictly enforced, and big fines were imposed on non-emergency vehicles that drove on them. This is a lesson we should learn in Myanmar. Enforcement of traffic rules here is spotty at best, so usually drivers can get away with ignoring the whistle-blowing cops. A Myanmar person I met in Tokyo said Japanese people possess the patience and respect to queue properly, and they never jump the line. The first queue I encountered in Japan was at the immigration counter at Narita Airport. Even though there were people in front of me when I arrived, I was through in a matter of minutes. How was this possible? An immigration official kept things moving by checking the entry forms of the people standing in line and even helping fill in some of the blanks flight number, date of arrival, port of entry as the line moved forward. Ive never seen this kind of service before, and I didnt notice anyone getting impatient as happens in Myanmar and some other countries Ive visited. I saw plenty of lines in Tokyo at shopping centres, subway stations, taxi stands, bus stations, restaurants, coffee shops and even toilets. In every instance, the people were waiting patiently. A Japanese guide who was taking me around the city pointed out the longest line I had ever seen. It was at a new shop where Japanese teenagers were waiting up to three hours to get a cup of very good coffee. A Myanmar friend who was travelling with me commented that he would not wait one minute for a cup for coffee. Neither would most people in Yangon: A three-hour wait for coffee would not go over very well in Myanmar. Westerners Ive met are often surprised at how things work in Myanmar, where people think nothing of cutting in line at the supermarket. Not only that, they think its rude if people dont happily allow them to jump the queue. A Canadian colleague complained about this, describing incidents at shopping centres where local queue jumpers had expressed shock that someone would be so impolite as to question their entitlement to shove their way to the front of the line. The nerve of some people.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Seco Tools Inc a company duly organized under the laws of the United States of America and having its principal office at 2805 Bellingham Drive, Troy, 48083 Michigan U.S.A. is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

CARBOLOY
(Reg: Nos. IV/7616/2010 & IV/13649/2013) in respect of : - metals including their alloys, specially steel; blanks for cutting tools; dies and parts thereof and die metal; machine tools and parts, cutting tools and tips for machine tools and tool holders Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates For Seco Tools Inc P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Dated: 30th December, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Japan Tobacco Inc. a company organized under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 2-1, Toranomon 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademark: -

HIMAX
(Reg: No. IV/11175/2013) in respect of:- Honey; molasses for food; sugar; sweeteners; yeast; yeast extracts; baking powder; salt; celery salt; cooking salt; dressings for salad; ketchup; mayonnaise; meat gravies; preserving food stuffs; sauces (condiments); seasonings; soya sauce; tomato sauce; vinegar; mustard; spices, Intl Class: 30 Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Kyi Win Associates for Japan Tobacco Inc. P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416

Dated: 30th December, 2013

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY a company organized under the laws of Korea (South) and having its principal office at 231, Yangjae-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, Korea (South) is the owner and sole proprietor of the following trademarks:-

HYUNDAI i10
(Reg: Nos. IV/7068/2010 & IV/13647/2013)

VELOSTER
(Reg: Nos. IV/8588/2010 & IV/13648/2013) The above two trademarks are in respect of:Goods falling in international class 12 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 HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon. Phone: 372416 Dated: 30th December, 2013

38 the pulse tea break

Universal Crossword
Edited by Timothy E. Parker

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

SUDOKU PACIFIC

PAIR UP By Corey Bowers

ACROSS 1 Wail lustily 5 Trumpet sounds 10 Blender setting 14 Old Milan money 15 Woodshop machine 16 Jackson ___, Wyo. 17 Norse god of war 18 Hiroshima, Mon ___ (1959 film) 19 Capri or Wight 20 How one wishes things would get 23 Manicuring material 24 Gets close to 25 Tusked marine mammal 28 Clauses connectors 30 Black, to Byron 31 Chocolate source 33 Its chewed on the farm 36 Be unable to sit 40 Home for a hog 41 Poohs love 42 Cereal companion 43 Bowling alley 44 Ciao for now! 46 One beyond foolish 49 Bad-looking person? 51 Grade-school math hint 57 Falsifies, as accounts 58 Deceive playfully 59 Aha! 60 Fifteen Miles on the ___ Canal 61 An Eastern Christian 62 Sarges pooch 63 Soapmaking substances 64 Denominational offshoots 65 Indian flat bread DOWN 1 Shapeless movie monster 2 ___-de-camp 3 ___ of habeas corpus 4 Signals for Revere 5 Turns the music way up 6 Trumans Missouri birthplace 7 Lack of texture, as a muscle 8 Heavy impact sound 9 Milosevic, for one 10 Certain laundry load 11 Popular ground cover plant 12 More under the weather 13 Lords and ladies 21 Bird of the outback 22 ___ a good note 25 Spiders homes 26 Set edge-to-edge 27 Australian parrot 28 Sore after exercising 29 Denial in Dundee 31 Film in Cannes 32 Worked on a sub, say 33 Baby bed 34 Like a storied duckling 35 TVs Dick Van ___ 37 ___ all she wrote 38 Attained 39 Return from the depths, perhaps 43 Botches (with up) 44 Deadens or dulls 45 Affirmative! 46 Urge 47 Journal 48 Art movie, often 49 Fiber-___ cable 50 Win and rub it in 52 Work for an orchestra? 53 Mysterious old character 54 Fashion finish? 55 ___ load of (notice) 56 Gas light

DILBERT

BY SCOTT ADAMS

PEANUTS

BY CHARLES SCHULZ

CALVIN AND HOBBES

BY BILL WATTERSON

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

Laugh all the way to the bank when you rent this space.
The tea break page is being re-formatted in readiness for our move to a daily cycle. It may look something like this in the future. Our market research shows that a page like this attracts a large number of readers, who loyally read it every day. Ring Marketing Department to book this space permanently and laugh all the way to the bank with the extra business coming in your door.

Telephone us now on +951 392 928

www.mmtimes.com

the pulse food and drink 39

Last-minute fiesta
Festive recipes with a Tex-Mex twist

PHYOS COOKING ADVENTURE

phyocooking@gmail.com

INCE Ive come back to live in Myanmar, Ive missed the nice creamy avocados I used to eat in Australia. Typically Myanmar people use avocados only in shakes and smoothies. Aussies dont do this. They eat them. I have two favorite ways to use this fruit and the avours it carries so well. My mother-in-law introduced me to guacamole when I was living at her place. Its avocado prepared as a dip and often served with crunchy corn chips. The first taste of it was strange for a Burmese, but I fell in love. The dip is tangy and creamy, and diced onions add

texture. This is my version and you can experiment with variations as you like: spicy, tangy, creamy or chunky. The second recipe is a corn salsa inspired by Mexican cuisine. Cumin with sweet corn is yummy but so easy to make at any time. It could be a side dish for a barbecue dinner party. Learn these quick recipes and you will build your repertoire of snacks to pull out when you want to entertain friends at home but have a busy schedule. Also, buy avocados carefully in Yangon. Sometimes youll miss the

right moment of ripeness and nd the inside spotty and brown. If you need one, buy two so that youll always have back-up. GuaCamOLe SERVEs 6 3 ripe avocados 6 tbsp fresh lime juice 2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced 2 tbsp coriander, chopped 1 small onion, diced 2 tsp tobacco chilli sauce (add more if you love hot and spicy) Salt for taste Cut the avocados into halves and remove the seed. Peel and cut into the cubes. In a shallow bowl, mash the avocados with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, or pulse in a food processor until combined. I like to leave some avocado pieces to enhance the texture. Salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve with corn or tortilla chips. COrn saLsa with Cumin SERVEs 6 4 ears corn 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds 1 tbsp olive oil

Corn Salsa with cumin. Photo: Phyo

red pepper or 1 small green pepper 2 small tomatoes 5-6 coriander sprigs Salt Place corn in a stock pot and ll with water to cover them. Boil the corn with husk on until it becomes soft. It will be around 30 minutes. Cut the kernels from the cob. Set aside. Saut ground cumin and coriander seeds in olive oil for 10 seconds in a non-stick frying pan at medium heat. Mix in the corn.

Remove from heat and let cool. Dice the pepper. Remove seeds from tomatoes and dice. Add to the pan and mix well. Transfer salsa to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves. Salt to taste and serve with tortilla chips. Its also good with barbecued chicken or beef. FoodiE QUotE Kissing dont last; cookery do! George Meredith, English novelist and poet

Guacamole with corn chips. Photo: Phyo

Hot pot is a cool choice for dinner with friends

ZON PANN PWINt zonpann08@gmail.com IN this cooler weather, a bowl of hot pot is the perfect thing to warm and relax us. You might try Shwe Kaung Hot Pot, which is conveniently located just a few minutes from the eastern part of Shwe Dagon Pagoda. One of the more famous Chinese restaurants in Shwegonedine Township, Shwe Kaung provides a large parking space and offers both a buffet and sit-down meals served by attentive staff. The patio looks like a large garage: austere with tidy sets of tables and chairs. The interior, however, offers an air of grandeur and comfort with thick wooden tables and chairs. Before sitting down, rst you must pick the raw ingredients from a selection of refrigerated fresh vegetables and raw meat, including everything from mushroom to squid. Some ingredients are for the adventurous diner. The possibilities include organ meats such as liver, kidney, lung, heart and tongue. My dining partner suggested that I avoid the organs and crab meat because they tend to dissolve in the pots boiling broth. So I chose simply sliced pork meat and prawns with a medley of mushrooms, chicken balls rolled in seaweed and other greens, cauliower, taro root stock and mustard. The ingredients are arranged in coloured-plastic baskets and

The large, comfortable dining room at Shwe Kaung. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint

Hot pot ingredients ready for cooking. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint

each colour corresponds to a price, making the bill easy to calculate. A basket of raw vegetables or mushrooms ranges from K300 to K450, while a basket of chicken or seafood ranges from K800 to K1800. If you dont want to select the ingredients yourself, you can order a set hot pot combination (mutton, pork, chicken, beef ) for K8000. While we were picking our ingredients, our server had already prepared the broth. He turned on a gas cooker xed under the table and tossed our meats and prawns into a steel bowl to poach, leaving the vegetables for us. The bowl was set to a moderate

heat to cook the meat well, which turned out to be too hot. I hoped to savour each bite, but was overwhelmed by the burning in my mouth. I separated the cooked meat from the broth and chatted with my friend as we waited until the meat cooled and we could eat slowly. The meat is delicate and delicious and the taro root stock was pleasantly sweet. The spicy, sweet broth, however, was quite salty. Every time I took a sip, I had to drink a cup water. So I alternated, sipping broth and drinking water to drive away the saltiness. I was also disappointed to nd the vegetables not crisp even

when cooked on low heat. After eating three or four slices of pork and prawn, my stomach was full and so was my dining partner. The hot pot would perfect to share with three or four friends. The meal is plenty, and it would have lessened the sting of the bill. When it arrived, my eyes widened in surprise. Our meal was K22,000. Overall, the ingredients at Shwe Kaung are fresh and tasty, excepting the salty broth. I also failed to nd refreshment after the meal because the menu doesnt offer fresh fruit juice, which would have been very welcome. Only canned beverages are available.

Shwe Kaung Hot Pot

Nar Nat Taw Street, Shwegonedine township Food 7 Atmosphere 7 X-factor 8 Service 8 Value for money 6 Total Score:

7.2

40 the pulse socialite

The Myanmar Times staffs party

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Ko Chan Thar and Ma Akari Min Htut wedding reception

Jack, Queen and King from The Myanmar Times

MBA Cruiser Cocktail Party

Ko Ko Zaw and Thet Thet Thein

Reporter of the year winner Zon Pan Pwint and Windy

Nan Yu

A Nge Lay and Ei Lay

Savills new ofce opening

Guest

Siloxogene lucky draw

Richard Emerson, Troy Grifths and Sushant Bihani

Mr Neil Mac Gregor

Majesty lucky draw

Moe Moe and model

Chit Thu Wai

U Maung Zaw (winner)

Ko Kyaw Moe Aung

U Thein Win Aung

www.mmtimes.com
Canmake X-Max party

the pulse socialite 41

NYEIn EI EI HTWE
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com

Happy New Year to all our beloved readers! Socialite hopes you will have good luck and good cheer over the holidays. Last week she attended the Savills new office opening at the Park Royal Hotel, on December 16. On the following day, she hopped around several events: the Youth Art Competition 2013, also held at the Park Royal, the Silixogene lucky draw at Traders Hotel and Pioneers new products launch at Golden Valley. She visited the She Shines Jewelry House for its X-Max sale promotion, and she celebrated with The Myanmar Times staff at their annual Christmas party, on December 20. The next day, she was at Yankin Center for LOreals new cosmetics launch, and she attended the wedding reception of Ko Chan Thar and Ma Akari Min Htut at the Yuzana Garden Hotel.

Model

Arr T

Gucci Aung and Ko Thaw Tar

Youth Art Competition 2013

Models

2014 Pioneer new product launching

Mr Hideaki Ishii and Mr Tatsuhito Matsumoto

Mr Puthoug Mintrakul

Min Wai Kyaw

Zin Mar Htut

LOreal new products launch

Ma Zin and Ma Nu Yin Win

Ko Zaw

tea break 42 the pulse travel

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

YANGON TO NAy PyI TAW Flight FMI A1 Y5 777 FMI A1 FMI B1 FMI A1 FMI C1 YH -SPL Days 1,2,3,4,5 1,2,3,4,6 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,5 1,4,6 Dep 7:30 7:45 8:00 11:30 15:30 16:30 18:00 Arr 8:30 8:25 9:00 12:30 16:30 17:30 19:10 MANDALAy TO YANGON Flight YJ 901 YH 910 Y5 233 YH 918 YJ 891 6T 402 K7 223 W9 201 NAy PyI TAW TO YANGON Flight FMI A2 FMI A2 FMI B2 FMI A2 Y5 778 FMI C2 YH -SPL Days 1,2,3,4,5 6 1,2,3,4,5 7 1,2,3,4,6 1,2,3,4,5 1,4,6 Dep 8:50 10:00 13:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:10 Arr 9:50 11:00 14:00 18:00 18:10 19:00 20:05 W9 144 Y5 132 YJ 001 K7 227 K7 627 YH 834 YH 832 K7 845 6T 808 6T 808 Arr 7:25 8:20 8:15 7:30 7:55 8:25 8:40 8:10 8:10 8:40 8:40 9:20 8:55 10:10 11:55 11:55 11:55 12:55 12:25 12:55 13:10 14:00 13:10 12:40 15:10 12:55 13:25 15:40 15:10 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:30 16:55 YJ 602 YJ 202 YJ 212 YH 732 YH 728 YJ 762 W9 120 K7 225 W9 129 YH 738 W9 211 K7 625 8M 6604 YH 730 6T 502 YJ 752/W9 7752 YH 922 Days Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily 3,5,6,7 1,2,3,4,5 2,4 1,5 2 4,6 2,4,7 7 1 6 1,2,3,4 5,7 4 1 1,2,4,6 1,3,6 Daily Daily 3,5,7 Daily Daily 2,4,7 2,4 Daily 3,5,7 5,6 Dep 7:40 7:55 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:45 8:55 9:10 9:20 9:30 9:50 10:35 10:55 11:30 11:30 12:50 13:15 13:45 15:10 15:30 15:30 15:40 16:30 16:35 16:30 16:50 17:10 17:10 17:10 17:10 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:50 18:00 Arr 9:45 10:00 9:25 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:00 11:05 10:45 10:30 10:45 12:00 12:20 12:55 12:55 16:00 15:15 15:45 16:35 16:55 17:35 18:40 17:55 18:00 17:55 19:00 18:35 18:35 19:15 18:35 18:30 19:10 19:55 19:15 19:25 YANGON TO MyITKyINA Flight Days Dep YH 833 2 7:00 YH 833 4,6 7:00 K7 844 2,4,7 7:30 K7 624 Daily 10:30 YJ 211 5,7 10:30 YJ 201 1,2,3,4 11:00 W9 251 2,5 11:15 MyITKyINA TO YANGON Flight Days Dep YH 834 2 10:05 YH 832 4,6 10:05 YJ 211 7 13:35 YJ 211 5 13:35 YJ 202 1,2,3,4 14:05 K7 625 Daily 15:40 W9 252 2,5 16:05 YANGON TO HEhO Flight Days Dep YH 917 Daily 6:00 YJ 891 Daily 6:10 W9 141 Daily 6:15 6T 401 Daily 6:20 K7 222 Daily 6:30 6T 351 1,2,3,4,6,7 6:30 W9 201 Daily 7:30 K7 828 1,3,5 7:30 YH 505 2,3,4,6,7 10:30 YJ 751/W9 7751 3,5,7 11:00 YJ 761 1,2,4,6 11:00 YH 737 3,5,7 11:00 W9 203 Daily 11:00 YH 727 1 11:00 W9 119 1,3,6 11:15 6T 807 7 11:30 K7 826 2,6 11:45 6T 807 1 12:00 YH 731 4 13:30 K7 224 Daily 14:30 W9 129 Daily 15:00 Arr 10:05 10:05 11:05 13:25 13:20 13:50 14:10 NyAUNG U TO YANGON Flight Days Dep YH 917 Daily 7:35 YJ 891 Daily 7:45 W9 141 Daily 7:50 K7 222 Daily 8:05 YJ 901 1,2,3,4,5,6 8:25 YH 910 Daily 8:40 W9 144 Daily 8:50 6T 351 5 10:50 YH 732 4 17:20 K7 225 Daily 17:45 W9 211 Daily 17:55 YH 732 1,2,3,5,6,7 17:55 6T 502 Daily 18:35 Arr 10:15 10:25 10:40 11:00 9:45 10:00 10:10 13:55 18:40 19:00 19:15 19:15 19:55 YH 731 6T 501 1,2,3,5,6,7 Daily 15:00 15:30 16:25 16:40 HEhO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 8:35 Daily 9:00 Daily 9:05 Daily 9:15 Daily 9:35 Daily 9:45 Daily 9:55 2,3,4,6,7 11:55 Daily 12:25 1,3,5 13:50 7 14:05 1 14:35 1,3,6 15:45 1 15:45 1,2,4,6 15:50 Daily 16:00 3,5,7 16:25 Daily 16:25 1,2,3,5,6,7 16:25 4 16:25 Daily 16:55 2,6 17:25 YH 505 YH 511 W9307 W9 309 2,3,4,6,7 1,5 2,4 1,3,5,6,7 10:30 10:30 11:30 11:30 13:10 11:35 13:50 13:50

YANGON TO MANDALAy Flight YJ 901 YH 917 YJ 891 Y5 234 YH 909 6T 401 K7 222 K7 626 K7 226 YH 833 YH 831 YJ 001 W9 201 8M 6603 K7 624 YJ 211 YJ 601 YJ 761 YJ 201 YJ 751/W9 7751 YH 737 YH 729 YH 727 W9 251 YH 921 6T 807 6T 807 YH 731 YH 921 K7 224 W9 129 YH 731 6T 501 W9 211 Days Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily Daily 1,5 2,4 2 4,6 1,2,3,4,5 Daily 2,4,7 Daily 5,7 1 1,2,4,6 1,2,3,4 3,5,7 3,5,7 2,4 1 2,5 5 7 1 4 6 Daily Daily 1,2,3,5,6,7 Daily Daily Dep 6:00 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:45 6:45 7:00 7:00 7:30 7:30 9:00 10:30 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00 11:15 11:30 11:30 12:00 13:30 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:00 15:30 15:30

Flight W9 141 6T 352 YH 918 YJ 891 6T 402 K7 223 W9 201 YH 506 W9 204 K7 829 6T 808 6T 808 W9 120 YH 728 YJ 762 K7 224 YH 738 W9 129 YH 731 YH 732 6T 501 K7 827

Arr 10:40 11:10 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:00 11:05 14:00 13:35 15:05 15:15 15:45 17:55 17:55 18:00 19:00 18:35 18:35 19:15 18:40 19:55 18:40

ThANDWE TO YANGON Flight Days Dep W9 141 Daily 9:50 6T 632 1,2,3,4,6,7 10:15 6T 605 Dailys 12:25 6T 632 5 13:00 YH 511 1,5 11:35 YH 506 2,3,4,6,7 13:10 W9 307 2,4 14:05 W9 309 1,3,5,6,7 14:05

Arr 10:40 11:10 15:00 13:55 13:55 14:00 14:55 14:55

Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan Ltd. (W9) Air KBZ (K7)
Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102 Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (Airport), Fax: 372983

Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel : (Head Ofce) 501520, 525488, Fax: 525937. Airport: 533222~3, 09-73152853. Fax: 533223.

Arr 12:55 12:55 16:55 17:35 16:55 18:35 19:00

YANGON TO SIT T WE Flight Days Dep 6T 605 Daily 11:15 6T 611 4,6 14:30 W9 309 1,3,5,6,7 11:30 YH 511 1,5 10:30 K7 426 Daily 12:30 SIT T WE TO yANGON Flight Days Dep YH 512 1,5 12:35 6T 606 Daily 13:35 K7 427 Daily 14:05 6T 612 4,6 16:15 YANGON TO MyEIK Flight Days Dep K7 319 Daily 7:00 YH 633 1,3,5,7 7:00 MyEIK TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:30 1,3,7 11:25 5 9:15

Asian Wings (YJ)

Arr 13:15 15:55 12:55 12:35 13:50

Tel: 951 516654, 532253, 09-731-35991~3. Fax: 951 532333

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

Yangon Airways(YH)

Tel: (+95-1) 383 100, 383 107, 700 264, Fax: 652 533.

YANGON TO NyAUNG U Flight YH 917 YJ 901 YJ 891 W9 141 YH 909 6T 401 6T 351 K7 222 YH 909 W9 143 YH 731 K7 224 W9 211 YH 731 6T 501 Days Daily Daily Daily Daily 1,2,3,4,5,7 Daily 1,2,3,4,6,7 Daily 6 Daily 4 Daily Daily 1,2,3,5,6,7 Daily Dep 6:00 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:30 7:00 7:15 13:30 14:30 15:30 15:00 15:30 Arr 7:35 8:10 7:30 7:35 8:40 7:40 7:50 7:50 8:40 8:35 17:20 17:25 17:40 17:55 18:20

Arr 9:05 9:00 8:20 9:20 9:30 8:45 9:40 8:45 11:55 12:10 12:10 12:25 12:10 12:25 12:25 13:50 13:00 14:20 14:55 15:45 16:10

Arr 13:55 15:00 15:25 17:40

FMI Air Charter - Sales & Reservations

Tel: (95-1) 240363, 240373 / (+95-9) 421146545

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

Arr 9:05 9:15

Flight K7 320 YH 634 YH 634

Arr 13:35 13:25 12:55

Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday

YANGON TO ThANDWE Flight Days Dep W9 141 Daily 6:15 6T 351 1,2,3,4,6,7 6:30 6T 605 Daily 11:15

Arr 9:35 10:00 12:10

www.mmtimes.com

thethe pulse pulse tea travel break 43

INteRNatioNal FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Flights PG 706 8M 335 TG 304 PG 702 TG 302 PG 708 8M 331 PG 704 Y5 237 TG 306

YANGON TO BANGKOK Days Dep Daily 7:15 Daily 8:40 Daily 9:50 Daily 10:30 Daily 14:55 Daily 15:20 Daily 16:30 Daily 18:20 Daily 18:05 Daily 19:45

Arr 9:30 10:25 11:45 12:25 16:50 17:15 18:15 20:15 19:50 21:40 Arr 9:45 10:20 14:40 19:25 22:50 Arr 5:00 12:25 18:25 14:40 14:45 16:20 21:15 19:35 21:35 00:10+1 Arr 15:30 12:50 16:30 20:15 23:10 Arr 21:55 Arr 13:15 15:50 22:15 Arr 8:50 8:05 Arr 16:15 17:20 Arr 18:35 18:00 17:35 Arr 16:10 Arr 21:30 Arr 17:10 Arr 11:15 11:15 Arr 12:30 Arr 8:50 07:45+1 Arr 05:35 Arr 06:45+1 Arr 10:45 Arr 10:20 Arr 20:45 Arr 11:45 21:45 16:40 Arr 15:15 Arr 17:20 Arr 22:45

Flights 8M 336 TG 303 PG 701 TG 301 PG 707 PG 703 TG 305 8M 332 PG 705 Y5 238

BANGKOK TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:55 Daily 8:00 Daily 8:50 Daily 13:00 Daily 13:40 Daily 16:45 Daily 17:50 Daily 19:20 Daily 20:00 Daily 21:10

Arr 12:40 8:45 9:40 13:45 14:30 17:35 18:45 20:05 21:15 21:55 Arr 7:15 8:00 12:20 17:05 20:25 Arr 9:20 10:25 10:40 10:40 14:50 14:30 15:45 16:30 17:05 18:50 20:50 23:35 Arr 13:15 Arr 8:00 11:15 15:00 17:30 18:25 Arr 10:30 16:35 15:50 Arr 9:55 10:35 Arr 22:15 23:40 Arr 11:30 13:15 13:55 Arr 18:10 Arr 18:10 Arr 13:25 Arr 06:29+1 6:29 Arr 14:30 Arr 14:55 Arr 22:30 23:40 Arr 17:15 Arr 23:45 Arr 18:30 Arr 8:45 18:45 13:25 Arr 12:20 Arr 13:50 Arr 19:15

International Airlines
Air Asia (FD)
Tel: 251 885, 251 886.

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

Feeling a little myopic at the Kachin Cultural Museum

DOUGLAS LONG dlong125@gmail.com DURING a recent visit to Myitkyina in Kachin State, I was invited to attend an outdoor gospel festival at which Kachin musicians performed alongside Christian singers and evangelists from Europe. The festival attracted thousands of Kachin, who for three nights gathered in a eld in front of a huge stage that had been built for the event. I visited on the nal night and found the crowd listening raptly to an evangelist who was preaching in the style of an American from the Deep South. FEEL the power of CHEEEsusssss, he intoned, not quite able to stie his Dutch accent. As I listened, the preacher credited the Lord for bringing democracy to Myanmar. According to the sermon, the Lord was covering the Golden Land with his glory and removing the barriers that have stopped heaven from invading certain areas of Myanmar. In the next two years youre going to see millions of souls rescued from the darkness and brought into the light, he effused prophetically, his white shoes shining under the millionwatt stage lights, and because of what is happening in Myanmar, thousands of missionaries will go into countries around Myanmar Cambodia, Thailand, China and contact every tribe. The crowd was enthralled. The faithful closed their eyes and waved their hands rapturously in the air. The atmosphere became even more emotionally charged when the evangelist showed the scourging of Jesus scene from Mel Gibsons lm The Passion of the Christ, with the original soundtrack replaced by angelic choir music. I wandered backstage. There was talk among the European entourage about the healing power of God, and I spotted a tall German man in a blue shirt who was muttering nonstop into a hands-free mobile phone. Except that on closer inspection, there was was no phone. One of the stage crew explained that God had given this man the ability to talk in a language no one knows. It took me a second to register that she meant he was speaking in tongues. Signs of Christianity are everywhere in Kachin State, in the form of churches, theological colleges and white crosses affixed to the front of nearly every house. Still, I was surprised to nd Pentecostalism a Christian sect that practises prophecy, faith healing and glossolalia alive and well. The size and enthusiasm of the festival crowd made my visit to the Kachin Cultural Museum the following day all that much more revealing. The museum is clean, reasonably well-labelled and, thanks more to the numerous windows than to the electricity supply, fairly well-illuminated. Fancy ethnic costumes are on display, as are farming tools, musical instruments, jewellery and scale models of traditional houses. What is missing is

Tel : 513322, 513422, 504888, Fax : 515102

YANGON TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep DD 4231 1,3,5,7 8:00 FD 2752 Daily 8:30 FD 2756 Daily 12:50 FD 2754 Daily 17:35 FD 2758 1,2,3,4 20:55 YANGON TO SINGAPORE Flights Days Dep MI 509/SQ 5019 1,2,6,7 0:25 8M 231 Daily 8:00 8M 233 5,6,7 14:00 Y5 233 Daily 10:10 SQ 997/MI 5871 Daily 10:25 3K 586 Daily 11:40 MI 517/SQ 5017 Daily 16:40 TR 2827 1,6,7 15:10 TR 2827 2,3,4,5 17:10 3K 588 2,3,5 19:30 YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR Flights Days Dep 8M 501 1,2,3,5,6 11:30 AK 1427 Daily 8:30 MH 741 Daily 12:15 MH 743 Daily 16:00 AK 1421 Daily 18:50
Flights CA 906 Flights 8M 711 CZ 3056 CZ 3056

DON MUENG TO YANGON Flights Days Dep DD 4230 1,3,5,7 6:30 FD 2751 Daily 7:15 FD 2755 Daily 11:35 FD 2753 Daily 16:20 FD 2757 1,2,3,4 19:35 SINGAPORE TO YANGON Flights Days Dep SQ 998/MI 5872 Daily 7:55 8M 6231/3K 585 2,4,7 8:55 3K 585 Daily 9:10 8M 6231/3K 585 1,3,5,6 9:10 8M 232 Daily 13:25 TR 2826 1,6,7 13:10 MI 518/MI 5018 Daily 14:20 TR 2826 2,3,4,5 15:00 Y5 234 Daily 15:35 3K 587 2,3,5 17:20 8M 234 5,6,7 19:25 MI 520/SQ 5020 1,5,6,7 22:10
Flights CA 905

Tel : 666112, 655882.

Tel : 253597~98, 254758. Fax: 248175

Bangkok Airways (PG) Condor (DE)

Tel: 255122, 255 265, Fax: 255119

Tel: + 95 1 -370836 up to 39 (ext : 810)

Dragonair (KA)

Tel: 95-1-255320, 255321, Fax : 255329

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 95 9 400446999, 95 9 400447999, Fax: 01 860 4051

BEIJING TO YANGON Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 8:05

YANGON TO BEIJING Days Dep 2,3,4,6,7 14:15 YANGON TO GAUNGZHOU Days Dep 2,4,7 8:40 3,6 11:35 1,5 17:40

KAULA LUMPUR TO YANGON Flights Days Dep AK 1426 Daily 6:55 MH 740 Daily 10:05 MH742 Daily 13:50 8M 502 1,2,3,5,6 16:30 AK 1420 Daily 17:20
Flights CZ 3055 CZ 3055 8M 712 Flights CI 7915 BR 287

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

Tel : 387648, 241007 ext : 120, 121, 122 Fax : 241124

Myanmar Airways International(8M)

Tel : 255260, Fax: 255305

YANGON TO INCHEON Flights Days Dep 8M 7502 Daily 0:50 8M 7702 Daily 23:45
Flights CI 7916 QR 288

GUANGZHOU TO YANGON Days Dep 3,6 8:40 1,5 14:45 2,4,7 14:15 TAIPEI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 7:00 2,5,6 7:45

Silk Air(MI)

Attractive, Christianity-free displays at the Kachin museum in Myitkina. Photo: Douglas Long

Tel: 255 287~9, Fax: 255 290

Thai Airways (TG)

Tel : 255491~6, Fax : 255223

YANGON TO TAIPEI Days Dep 1,2,3,5,6 10:50 2,5,6 11:35

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

Fax : 255086. Tel 255066/ 255088/ 255068.

YANGON TO KUNMING Flights Days Dep MU 2012 1,3 12:20 MU 2032 Daily 14:40 CA 906 2,3,4,6,7 14:15
Flights W9 9607 Flights VN 956

INCHEON TO YANGON Flights Days Dep 8M 7701 Daily 18:40 8M 7501 Daily 19:30
Flights MU 2011 CA 905 MU 2031 Flights W9 9608 Flights VN 957

Qatar Airways (Temporary Ofce)

Tel: 01-250388, (ext: 8142, 8210) Tel: 371867~68, Fax: 371869.

YANGON TO CHIANG MAI Days Dep 4,7 14:20 YANGON TO HANOI Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 19:10

KUNMING TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3 8:20 2,3,4,6,7 13:00 Daily 13:30 CHIANG MAI TO YANGON Days Dep 4,7 17:20 HANOI TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6,7 16:35

Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)

International
FD & AK = Air Asia TG = Thai Airways 8M = Myanmar Airways International Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines PG = Bangkok Airways MI = Silk Air VN = Vietnam Airline MH = Malaysia Airlines CZ = China Southern CI = China Airlines CA = Air China KA = Dragonair Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines IC = Indian Airlines Limited W9 = Air Bagan 3K = Jet Star AI = Air India QR = Qatar Airways KE = Korea Airlines NH = All Nippon Airways SQ = Singapore Airways DE = Condor Airlines MU=China Eastern Airlines BR = Eva Airlines DE = Condor AI = Air India BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines

YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY Flights Days Dep VN 942 2,4,7 14:25
Flights QR 619 QR 919 Flights 8M 403 Flights 0Z 770 KE 472 Flights KA 251 Flights NH 914

YANGON TO DOHA Days Dep Daily 7:30 Daily 7:30 YANGON TO PHNOM PENH Days Dep 1,3,6 8:35 YANGON TO SEOUL Days Dep 4,7 0:50 Daily 23:35 YANGON TO HONG KONG Days Dep 1,2,4,6 01:10 YANGON TO TOKYO Days Dep Daily 22:10

HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON Flights Days Dep VN 943 2,4,7 11:40
Flights QR 618 QR 918 Flights 8M 602

DOHA TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 21:15 Daily 21:15 GAYA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,6 11:20

PHNOM PENH TO YANGON Flights Days Dep 8M 404 1,3,6 13:30

Flights KE 471 0Z 769 Flights NH 913 Flights KA 250 Flights BG 060

SEOUL TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 18:30 3,6 19:30 TOKYO TO YANGON Days Dep Daily 11:40 HONG KONG TO YANGON Days Dep 1,3,5,7 21:50 DHAKA TO YANGON Days Dep 1,4 16:15

YANGON TO SIEM REAP Flights Days Dep 8M 401 1,3,6 8:35

Flights 8M 601 Flights BG 061

YANGON TO GAYA Days Dep 1,3,5,6 9:00 YANGON TO DHAKA Days Dep 1,4 19:30

MANDALAY TO BANGKOK Flights Days Dep TG 2982 2,4,6 9:30 TG 2984 5,7 19:35 PG 710 Daily 14:15 MANDALAY TO DON MUENG Flights Days Dep FD 2761 Daily 12:50
Flights MU 2030 Flights PG 722

BANGKOK TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep TG 2981 2,4,6 7:30 TG 2983 5,7 17:30 PG 709 Daily 12:05 DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY Flights Days Dep FD 2760 Daily 10:55
Flights MU 2029 Flights PG 721

Subject to change without notice

Day 1 = Monday 2 = Tuesday 3 = Wednesday 4 = Thursday 5 = Friday 6 = Saturday 7 = Sunday

MANDALAY TO KUNMING Days Dep Daily 14:40 NAYPYIDAW TO BANGKOK Days Dep Daily 19:45

KUNMING TO MANDALAY Days Dep Daily 13:55 BANGKOK TO NAYPYIDAW Days Dep Daily 17:15

any acknowledgment whatsoever that the majority of Kachin are Christian, not Buddhist or animist. Instead, the museum holds a display of Buddha images and votives from Pyu-era cities in central Myanmar. There are photos of Buddhist pagodas in Kachin State, which is fair enough, but no photos of any of the numerous churches in the region. There are artefacts once utilised in animistic burial rites dating back to the 19th century before most Kachin had converted to Christianity. One room holds a portrait of Ola Hanson, who is described on the label as the inventor of the Jinghpaw [Kachin] literature. Nowhere in the museum is he identied as a SwedishAmerican Baptist missionary who settled in northern Myanmar in 1890 and created a Kachin-English dictionary in order to translate the Bible. On my way out of the building, I asked a woman at the front desk about the reason for this oversight. She laughed and acknowledged what I had already suspected: All traces of Christianity were left out because the museum was established by the Ministry of Cultures awkwardly named Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library. In other words, as a government institution, the museums role is not so much to educate visitors about the actualities of Kachin culture but rather to serve as a propaganda tool to promote Myanmar as a unied country in which being ethnic means wearing colourful costumes but not getting too uppity about expressing non-Buddhist beliefs. To her credit, the woman at the desk said I could write my observations in the remarks section of the museum registry. I happily picked up the proffered pen and expressed my revulsion at the ministrys decidedly undemocratic institutional censorship. I dont know if any authority will read my comment, but its clear that such government-run institutions have a long way to go before they can be called museums.

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Series 5 Ultra Book Intel Core i5 Ram 8GB H.D.D + SSD Display 13.3 1 Year 6 Month International Warranty Price : 580000. Ph : 09-501-6694

General
if you are thinking to give a book-gift to your loved ones. Meiji Soe's "Culture & Beyond Myanmar" is a unique of its king revealing Myanmar Culture, Beliefs and Superstitions in sector by sector together with photos. Available at Book Stores & MCM Ltd. Ph: 253642, 3922928, 392910. Email: distmgr@ myanmartimes.com.mm SHWE KYIN Slipper shop, Yangon. Ph: 01240966 ext 333, 09515-7156.

Public Notice
HR MOdule -1, Recruitment & Selection Certificate Course Trainer (1) Daw Soe Soe Kyi , HR Practitioner MPA , B.Sc (Chemistry), Executive Diploma in Human Resources Management Trainer (2) Daw Swe Swe Aung, HR Practitioner B.Agr. Sc Executive Diploma in Human Resources Management Fees Ks120,000. Schedule,Start date : - 14th December, 2013. Complete date 29th December, 2013 , Sat: & Sun: (3-weeks) Time - From 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm , total 6- hrs. Address : Ba Yint Naung Tower -1 , Ground Flr, Rm C&D, Kamaryut

Language
Within 24 hours can make you confidient in Myanmar language speaking and scripts! Teacher Phyu Phyu Khin 09-4930-8926, phyuporcupine@gmail. com, No.56 I, Thiri Marlar Lane, 7.5 mile, Pyay Road, Yangon. engliSh Grammar for all classes. Ph: 09-5413847. chineSe for all grades. Ph: 09-541-3847. giVe your child the best possible start to life at Int'l Montessori Myanmar

Parking, Two Elevator, Card security System. Ph: 09-511-1485, 45L MYA YA MON Water Front Villa, 3 storey building with full facilities. Ph: 01-241756, 370334, 09510-3207. T hing A ngyun , Kyipwaryay (North) Drive 25 minutes to Down Town, 40' x 60', 2 RC, 3 MBR, 2 SR, 3 Aircons, 1 Ph. US$ (1000) per 1 Month. Only 1 year contract. Contact :09508-0880. m2k20066@ gmail.com HLAING THAR YAR, FMI City, 80' x 60', 2 Story building, 2 living room, 4 MBR, 2 SR, with Ph, Aircon, Hot, cool water, nice to live. Ph : 09-73181377. (1).NeAR Bogyoke Market, 2500 sqft, 2 MBR, 1 SR , fully furnish, 3000 USD. (2).Near Park Royal hotel, 1250 Sqft, 2 MBR, 1 SR, fully furnish, 2500 USD. (3).Near Park Royal hotel, 2500 Sqft, 3 MBR, fully furnish, 4000 USD. Ph: 09-4921-4276. (1) THUWUNNA, Duplex

HousingforSale
LAnd & Building for Sales by owner:- 40' x 60' area land & Wood Building Water, Electricity OK & ready for staying No.294, South Dagon-18(B) Aung Min Ga La St (Concrete Rd) Ph:01 573881, 09514-8138 We have Lands for sale suitable for making Industrial buildings in large area. Buyers can Contact Us on 09-450059037. (There is no pay for Agents & Third party ... Warmly welcome the buyers )

Want to Rent
ApARtment/HOuSe - Wanted Couple from Singapore seeks a clean and comfortable house or apartment in quiet neighbourhood - not more than 9 miles from city - for long term stay (minimum 1 year) commencing January/February 2014. Rental USD 2,500 per month. Email to yadana@ victorymyanmar.com or call 094-5005-3669

The Essentials
EMBASSIES Australia 88, Strand Road, Yangon. Tel : 251810, 251797, 251798. Bangladesh 11-B, Than Lwin Road, Yangon. Tel: 515275, 526144, email: bdootygn@ mptmail.net.mm Brazil 56, Pyay Road, 6th mile, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 507225, 507251. email: Administ. yangon@itamaraty.gov.br. Brunei 17, Kanbawza Avenue, Golden Velly (1), Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 566985, 503978. email: bruneiemb@ bruneiemb.com.mm Cambodia 25 (3B/4B), New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 549609, 540964. email: RECYANGON @ mptmail.net.mm China 1, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 221280, 221281. Danmark, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17. Egypt 81, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 222886, 222887, Egyptembassy86@ gmail.com France 102, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 212178, 212520, email: ambaf rance. rangoun@ diplomatie.fr Germany 9, Bogyoke Aung San Museum Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 548951, 548952, email: info@rangun. diplo.de India 545-547, Merchant St, Yangon. Tel: 391219, 388412, email: indiaembassy @ mptmail.net.mm Indonesia 100, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd, 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 Rd, Yangon. Tel: 549644-8, 540399, 540400, 540411, 545988, fax: 549643 Embassy of the State of Kuwait Chatrium Hotel, Rm: 416, 418, 420, 422, 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe Tsp, Tel: 544500. North Korea 77C, Shin Saw Pu Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 512642, 510205 South Korea 97 University Avenue, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 5271424, 515190, fax: 513286, email: myanmar@mofat. go.kr Lao A-1, Diplomatic Quarters, Tawwin Road, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 222482, fax: 227446, email: Laoembcab@ mptmail. net.mm Malaysia 82, Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road, Yangon. Tel: 220248, 220249, email: mwkyangon@ mptmail.net.mm Nepal 16, Natmauk Yeiktha, Yangon. Tel: 545880, 557168, fax: 549803, email: nepemb @mptmail.net.mm Norway, No.7, Pyi Thu St, Pyay Rd, 7 Miles, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel: 01 9669520 - 17 Fax 01- 9669516 New Zealand No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 Netherlands Diplomatic Mission No. 43/C, Inya Myaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-2305805 Pakistan A-4, diplomatic Quarters, Pyay Rd, Yangon. Tel: 222881 (Chancery Exchange) Philippines 50, Sayasan Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 558149-151,Email: p.e. yangon@gmail.com Russian 38, Sagawa Rd, Yangon. Tel: 241955, 254161, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia No.287/289, U Wisara Rd, Sanchaung. Tel : 01-536153, 516952. Serbia No. 114-A, Inya Rd, P.O.Box No. 943, Yangon. Tel: 515282, 515283, email: serbemb @ yangon.net.mm Singapore 238, Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 559001, email: singemb_ ygn@_ sgmfa. gov.sg Sri Lanka 34 Taw Win Road, Yangon. Tel: 222812, The Embassy of Switzerland No 11, Kabaung Lane, 5 mile, Pyay Rd, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 534754, 512873, 507089. Fax: 534754, Ext: 110 Thailand 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 226721, 226728, 226824 Turkish Embassy 19AB, Kan Yeik Thar St, Mayangone Tsp,Yangon. Tel : 662992, Fax : 661365 United Kingdom 80 Strand Rd, Yangon. Tel: 370867, 380322, 371852, 371853, 256438, United States of America 110, University Avenue, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536509, 535756, Fax: 650306 Vietnam Bldg-72, Thanlwin Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 511305 UNITED NATIONS ILO Liaison 1-A, Kanbae (Thitsar Rd), Yankin Tsp, Tel : 01-566538, 566539 IOM 12th Flr, Traders Hotel, 223, Tel: 252560 ext. 5002 UNAIDS 137/1, Thaw Wun Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel : 534498, 504832 UNDCP 11-A, Malikha St, Mayangone tsp. Tel: 666903, 664539. 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. UNIAP Rm: 1202, 12 Fl, Traders Hotel. Tel: 254852, 254853. UNIC 6, Natmauk St., Bahan, tel: 52910~19 UNICEF 14~15 Flr, Traders Hotel. P.O. Box 1435, Kyauktada. Tel: 375527~32, Email: unicef.yangon@unicef. org, www.unicef.org/myanmar. UNODC 11-A, Malikha Rd., Ward 7, Mayangone. tel: 01-9666903, 9660556, 9660538, 9660398. email: fo.myanmar@unodc.org UNOPS Inya Lake Hotel, 3rd oor, 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), WFP 5 Kan Baw Za St, Shwe Taung Kyar Ward (2), (Golden Valley), Bahan Tsp. Tel : 2305971~6 (6 lines). WHO No. 2, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Tel : 6504056, 650416, 654386-90. ASEAN Coordinating Of. for the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, 79, Taw Win st, Dagon Tsp. Tel: 225258. FAO Myanma Agriculture Service Insein Rd, Insein. tel: 641672, 641673. fax: 641561.

General Listing
ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS
Hotel Yangon 91/93, 8th Mile Junction, Tel : 01-667708, 667688. Inya Lake Resort Hotel 37 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd. tel: 662866. fax: 665537. 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.

YANGON No. 277, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Corner of 38th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 391070, 391071. Reservation@391070 (Ext) 1910, 106. Fax : (951) 391375. Email : hotelasiaplaza@gmail.com

Asia Plaza Hotel

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 ParkroYal Yangon, Myanmar 33, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 250388. fax: 252478. email: enquiry.prygn@ parkroyalhotels.com parkroyalhotels. com.

Avenue 64 Hotel No. 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-8631392, 01 656913-9 Chatrium Hotel 40 Natmauk Rd, Tarmwe. tel: 544500. fax: 544400.

17, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp. Tel: 650933. Fax: 650960. Email : micprm@ myanmar.com.mmwww. myanmar micasahotel.com

ACCOMMODATIONHOTELS (Nay Pyi Taw)

(Nay Pyi Taw)

No.7A, Wingabar Road, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : (951) 546313, 430245. 09-731-77781~4. Fax : (01) 546313. www.cloverhotel.asia. info@cloverhotel.asia Clover Hotel City Center No. 217, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377720, Fax : 377722 www.clovercitycenter.asia Clover Hotel City Center Plus No. 229, 32nd Street (Upper Block), Pabedan Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 377975, Fax : 377974
www.clovercitycenterplus.asia

Royal White Elephant Hotel No-11, Kan Street, Hlaing Tsp. Yangon, Myanmar. (+95-1) 500822, 503986. www.rwehotel.com MGM Hotel No (160), Warden Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. +95-1-212454~9. www. hotel-mgm.com Savoy Hotel 129, Damazedi Rd, Kamayut tsp. tel: 526289, 526298, Sedona Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin. tel: 666900. Strand Hotel 92 Strand Rd. tel: 243377. fax: 289880. Summit Parkview Hotel 350, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp. tel: 211888, 211966. Traders Hotel 223 Sule Pagoda Rd. tel: 242828. fax: 242838. Winner Inn 42, Than Lwin Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 503734, 524387. email: reservation@winner innmyanmar.com Windsor Hotel No.31, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung. Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 95-1-511216~8, www. hotelwindsoryangon.com Yuzana Hotel 130, Shwegondaing Rd, Bahan Tsp, tel : 01-549600 Yuzana Garden Hotel 44, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp, tel : 01-248944

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

resorts

Confort Inn 4, Shweli Rd, Bet: Inya Rd & U Wisara Rd, Kamaryut, tel: 525781, 526872

Reservation Ofce (Yangon) 123, Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Dagon Township. Tel : 951-255 819-838 Hotel Max (Chaung Tha Beach) Tel : 042-423 46-9, 042-421 33. Email : maxhotelsreservation@ gmail.com

AIR CONDITION

For more information about these listings, Please Contact - classied@myanmartimes.com.mm

Emergency Numbers
Ambulance tel: 295133. Fire tel: 191, 252011, 252022. Police emergency tel: 199. Police headquarters tel: 282541, 284764. Red Cross tel:682600, 682368 Trafc 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 Ofce 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.

No. (356/366), Kyaikkasan Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Ph: 542826, Fax: 545650 Email: reservation@ edenpalacehotel.com

M-22, Shwe Htee Housing, Thamine Station St., Near the Bayint Naung Point, Mayangone Tsp., Yangon Tel : 522763, 522744, 667557. Fax : (95-1) 652174 E-mail : grandpalace@ myanmar.com.mm

ACCOMMODATION Long Term

The First Air conditioning systems designed to keep you fresh all day Zeya & Associates Co., Ltd. No.437 (A), Pyay Road, Kamayut. P., O 11041 Yangon, Tel: +(95-1) 502016-18, Mandalay- Tel: 02-60933. Nay Pyi Taw- Tel: 067-420778, E-mail : sales.ac@freshaircon. com. URL: http://www. freshaircon.com

No. 12, Pho Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Yangon Tel : (95-1) 209299, 209300, 209343, 209345, 209346 Fax : (95-1) 209344 E-mail : greenhill@ myanmar.com.mm

Happy Homes
REAL ESTATE & PrOpErTY MANAGEmENT

Air Con Sales & Service No. 2/1, Than Thu Mar Rd, Thuwunna Junction. Tel : 09-4224-64130

Tel: 09-7349-4483, 09-4200-56994. E-mail: aahappyhomes@ gmail.com, http://www. happyhomesyangon.com

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

THE MYANMAR TIMES dECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014 CONSULTING CONSTRUCTION FITNESS CENTRE Gems & Jewelleries HEALTH SERVICES

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

Marina Residence, Yangon Ph: 650651~4, Ext: 109 Beauty Plan, Corner of 77th St & 31st St, Mandalay Ph: 02 72506

Myanmar Research | Consulting | Technology

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

car rental
Lobby Bar Parkroyal Yangon, Myanmar. 33, Alan Pya Phaya Road, Dagon Tsp. tel: 250388. Lemon Day Spa No. 96 F, Inya Road, Kamaryut Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 514848, 09-732-08476. E.mail: lemondayspa.2011 @gmail.com
MYANMAR EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE SERVICE

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

Balance Fitnesss No 64 (G), Kyitewine Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township. Yangon 01-656916, 09 8631392 Email - info@ balancetnessyangon.com

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

Advertising
WE STARTED THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY IN MYANMAR SINCE 1991

No. 52, Royal Yaw Min Gyi Condo, Room F, Yaw Min Gyi Rd, Dagon Township, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 09-425-307-717

HOT LINE: 09 - 402 510 003 01-646 330 First Class VIP Limousine Car Rental. Professional English Speaking Drivers. Full Insurance for your Safety and comfortable journey Call us Now for your best choice www.mmels.com

Duty free

Get the Best Pure Natural Gemstones and Jewellery No. 44, Inya Road, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305811, 2305812. email : info@bestjewels myanmar.com, Bestjewelsmyanmar.com

98(A), Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel: 553783, 549152, 09-732-16940, 09-730-56079. Fax: 542979 Email: asiapacic. myanmar@gmail.com.

Duty Free Shops Yangon International Airport, Arrival/Departure Tel: 533030 (Ext: 206/155) Ofce: 17, 2nd street, Hlaing Yadanarmon Housing, Hlaing Township, Yangon. Tel: 500143, 500144, 500145.

Life Fitness Bldg A1, Rm No. 001, Shwekabar Housing, Mindhamma Rd, Mayangone Tsp. Yangon. Ph: 01-656511, Fax: 01-656522, Hot line: 0973194684, natraysports@gmail.com

ENTERTAINMENT
Car Rental Service No. 56, Bo Ywe St, Latha Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-246551, 375283, 09-2132778, 09-31119195. Gmail:nyanmyintthu1983@ gmail.com,
Dance Club & Bar No.94, Ground Floor, Bogalay Zay Street, Botataung Tsp, Yangon.Tel: 392625, 09-500-3591 Email : danceclub. hola@gmail.com
(Except Sunday)

sales@manawmaya.com.mm www.manawmayagems.com

Ruby & Rare Gems of Myanamar No. 527, New University Ave., Bahan Tsp. Yangon.

One Stop ENT Center No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info@witoriyahospital.com Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com

Tel: 549612, Fax : 545770.

M A R K E T I N G & C O mm U N I C A T I O N S

A D V E R T I S I N G

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

Spa Paragon Condo B#Rm-106, Shwe Hinthar Condo, Corner of Pyay Rd & Shwe Hinthar St, 6Mile, Yangon. Tel: 01-507344 Ext: 112, 09-680-8488, 09-526-1642.

coffee machine

No. 20, Ground Floor, Pearl Street, Golden Valley Ward, Bahan Township, Yangon. Tel : 09-509 7057, 01220881, 549478 (Ext : 103) Email : realtnessmyanmar @gmail.com
www.realtnessmyanmar.com

FLORAL SERVICES

BOOK STORES

BEAUTY & MASSAGE

illy, Francis Francis, VBM, Brasilia, Rossi, De Longhi Nwe Ta Pin Trading Co., Ltd. Shop C, Building 459 B New University Avenue 01- 555-879, 09-4210-81705 nwetapintrading@gmail.com

Engineering
FloralService&GiftShop 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

Yangon La Source Beauty Spa 80-A, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp. Tel: 512380, 511252 Beauty Bar by La Source Room (1004), Sedona Hotel, Tel : 666 900 Ext : (7167) LS Salon Junction Square, 3rd Floor. Tel : 95-1-527242, Ext : 4001 Mandalay La Source Beauty Spa No. 13/13, Mya Sandar St, Chanaye Tharzan Tsp. Tel : 09-4440-24496. www.lasourcebeautyspa.com

150 Dhamazedi Rd., Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 536306, 537805. Email : yangon@ monument-books.com 15(B), Departure Lounge, Yangon Intl Airport. #87/2, Crn of 26th & 27th St, 77th St,Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp, Mandalay. Tel : (02) 24880. MYANMARBOOKCENTRE 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

co working space

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaofce.com, www.venturaofce.com

One-stop Solution for Sub-station, M&E Work Design, Supply and Install (Hotel, High Rise Building Factory) 193/197, Shu Khin Thar Street, North Okkalapa Industrial Zone, Yangon. Tel: 951-691843~5, 9519690297, Fax: 951-691700 Email: supermega97@ gmail.com. www.supermega-engg.com

The Lady Gems & Jewellery No. 7, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2305800, 09-8315555 The Lady Gems & Silk Co operative Business Centre, Room No (32/41), New University Avenue Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 09-5200726 theladygems@gmail.com www.thelady-gems.com Your Most Reliable Jeweller

24 hours Cancer centre No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135

24 hours Laboratory & X-ray No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135

FASHION & TAILOR

courier Service
DTDC Courier and Cargo Service (Since 1991) Yangon. Tel : 01-374457 Mandalay. Tel : 09-43134095. www.DTDC.COM, dtdcyangon@gmail.com Door to Door Delivery!!! Sein Shwe Tailor, 797 (003-A), Bogyoke Aung San Rd, MAC Tower 2, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon, Ph: 01-225310, 212943~4 Ext: 146, 147, E-mail: uthetlwin@gmail.com 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.

The Natural Gems of Myanmar & Fine Jewellery. No. 30(A), Pyay Road, (7 mile), Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-660397, 354398-9 E-mail : spgmes.myanmar @gmail.com

GIFT PRODUCT

24 Hour International Medical Centre @ Victoria Hospital No. 68, Tawwin Rd, 9 Mile, Mayangon Township, Yangon, Myanmar Tel: + 951 651 238, + 959 495 85 955 Fax: + 959 651 398 24/7 on duty doctor: + 959 492 18 410 Website: www.leo.com.mm One Stop Solution for Quality Health Care

Foam spray Insulation

Sole Distributor of Red Ginseng from Korea Ginseng Corporation

Foam Spray Insulation No-410, Ground Fl,Lower Pazuntaung Rd, Pazun taung Tsp, Yangon.Telefax : 01-203743, 09-5007681. Hot Line-09-730-30825.

Tel: 01-374851, 394360 Stores:Coreana @ Junction Square / Mawtin, UNIQHAN@U Wisara Rd; MBIC No.16, 87th street.

No. (68), Tawwin Street, 9 Mile, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : (951) 9 666141 Fax : (951) 9 666135 Email : info@witoriyahospital.com Website : www.witoriyahosptial.com

GENERATORS

Home Furnishing

GAS COOKER & Cooker Hoods

Worlds leader in Kitchen Hoods & Hobs Same as Ariston Water Heater. Tel: 251033, 379671, 256622, 647813

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

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

GLASS

Bldg-D, Rm (G-12), Pearl Condo, Ground Flr, Kabaraye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 557448. Ext 814, 09-730-98872.

Yangon : A-3, Aung San Stadium (North East Wing), Mingalartaungnyunt Tsp. Tel : 245543, 09-73903736, 09-73037772. Mandalay : No.(4) 73rd St, Btw 30th & 31st St, Chan Aye Thar Zan Tsp. Tel : 096803505, 09-449004631.

International Construction Material Co., Ltd. S.B. FURNITURE No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

S.B. FURNITURE

No-001-002, Dagon Tower, Ground Flr, Cor of Kabaraye Pagoda Rd & Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Tsp. Tel: 544480, 09-730-98872.

dECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014 THE MYANMAR TIMES Office Furniture
Singapore Cuisine Super One Super Market, Kyaikkasan Branch, No. 65, Lay Daung Kan Rd, Man Aung Qtr, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon. Tel : 01-542371, 09-501-9128 Pre School and Primary years (Ages 2 to 10) No. 695, Mahabandola Road, (Between 19th & Sint Oh Dan Street), Latha Township, Yangon. Tel :01-382213, 395816 www.imecedu.com

Water Heaters

European Quality & Designs Indoor/ Outdoor Furniture, Hotel Furniture & All kinds of woodworks No. 422, FJVC Centre, Ground Floor, Room No. 4, Strand Road, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 01-202063-4, 09 509-1673 E-mail: contact@ smartdesignstrading.com www.royalbotania.com, www.alexander-rose.co.uk

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

Sai Khung Noung Real Estate Co., Ltd. Tel : 541501, 551197, 400781, 09-73176988 Email : saikhungnoung 1995@gmail.com. www.saikhungnoung.com

a drink from paradise... available on Earth @Yangon International Hotel, No.330, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 09-421040512

The Global leader in Water Heaters A/1, Aung San Stadium East Wing, Upper Pansodan Road. Tel: 01-256705, 399464, 394409, 647812.

For House-Seekers

Marine Communication & Navigation

with Expert Services In all kinds of Estate Fields yomaestatemm@gmail.com

Bld-A2, Gr-Fl, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

Tel : 09-332 87270 09-2541 26615 (Fees Free)

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

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

REMOVALISTS
Quality Chinese Dishes with Resonable Price @Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext.109 Ocean Center (North Point), Ground Floor, Tel : 09-731-83900 01-8600056

Yangon Intl School Fully Accredited K-12 International Curriculum with ESL support No.117,Thumingalar Housing, Thingangyun, Tel: 578171, 573149, 687701, 687702.

Made in Japan Same as Rinnai Gas Cooker and Cooker Hood Showroom Address

Water Heater

WATER PROOFING

service office
International Construction Material Co., Ltd. No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

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

MEDIA & ADVERTISING

Bldg-A2, G-Flr, Shwe Gabar Housing, Mindama Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon. email: eko-nr@ myanmar.com.mm Ph: 652391, 09-73108896

LEGAL SERVICE
Media & Advertising All the way from Australia. Design for advertisement is not easy, reaching to target audience is even harder? We are equipped with great ideas and partners in Myanmar to create corporate logo, business photography, stationery design, mobile advertisement on public transport and billboard/ magazine ads. Talk to us: (01) 430-897, (0) 942-0004554. www.medialane. com.au U Min Sein, BSc, RA, CPA.,RL Advocate of the Supreme Court 83/14 Pansodan St, Yangon. tel: 253 273. uminsein@mptmail.net.mm

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

Executive Serviced Ofces

www.hinthabusinesscentres.com

Tel : 01-4413410 Delicious Hong Kong Style Food Restaurant G-09, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 114

Water solution

No.290-B,U Wisarya Road,10 Ward, Kamaryut Township,Yangon. TEL:(09)259040853 Open daily 11:00~23:00 Produce by Sagittarius Myanmar

Easy access to CBD Fully furnished facility Company setup for $1,000 Office available from $360 only

Company Limited

Aekar

Water Treatement Solution Block (A), Room (G-12), Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. Hot Line : 09-4500-59000

PLEASURE CRUISES

Paint
Worlds No.1 Paints & Coatings Company

Moby Dick Tours Co., Ltd. Islands Safari in the Mergui Archipelago 5 Days, 7 Days, 9 Days Trips Tel: 95 1 202063, 202064 E-mail: info@islandsafari mergui.com. Website: www. islandsafarimergui.com

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

Heaven Pizza 38/40, Bo Yar Nyunt St. Yaw Min Gyi Quarter, Dagon Township. Tel: 09-855-1383

1. WASABI:No.20-B, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp,(Near MiCasa), Tel; 09-4250-20667, 09-503-9139 Myaynigone (City Mart) Yankin Center (City Mart) UnionBarAndGrill 42 Strand Road, Botahtaung, Yangon. Tel: 95 9420 180 214, 95 9420 101 854 www.unionyangon.com, info@unionyangon.com

Tel: + 95 1 374851 Email : info@jkmyanmar.com www.jkmyanmar.com (ENG) www.3ec.jp/mbic/ (JPN)

Water Treatment

Sole Distributor For the Union of Myanmar Since 1995 Myanmar Golden Rock International Co.,Ltd. #06-01, Bldg (8), Myanmar ICT Park, University Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Tsp, Yangon. Tel: 654810~17.

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

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

World famous Kobe Beef Near Thuka Kabar Hospital on Pyay Rd, Marlar st, Hlaing Tsp. Tel: +95-1-535072

No. (6), Lane 2 Botahtaung Pagoda St, Yangon. 01-9010003, 291897. info@venturaofce.com, www.venturaofce.com

Commercial scale water treatment (Since 1997) Tel: 01-218437~38. H/P: 09-5161431, 09-43126571. 39-B, Thazin Lane, Ahlone.

WEB SERVICE

TRAVEL AGENTS
Web Services All the way from Australia. World-class websites, come with usability and responsiveness. Our works include website, web apps, e-commerce, forum, email campaign and online advertisement. Plus, were the authorised reseller for local and international domain names. So, put your worries aside and let us create the awesomeness you deserved online. (01) 430-897, (0) 942-0004554. www.medialane. com.au

REAL ESTATE
Your Most Reliable & Friendly Real Estate Agency Tel : 09-7308848 01-242370, 394053

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.

Enchanting and Romantic, a Bliss on the Lake 62 D, U Tun Nyein Road, Mayangon Tsp, Yangon Tel. 01 665 516, 660976 Mob. 09-730-30755 operayangon@gmail.com www.operayangon.com

No. 5, U Tun Nyein Street, Mayangone T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-660 612, 011 22 1014, 09 50 89 441 Email : lalchimiste. restaurant@gmail.com

Asian Trails Tour Ltd 73 Pyay Rd, Dagon tsp. tel: 211212, 223262. fax: 211670. email: res@ asiantrails.com.mm Shan Yoma Tours Co.,Ltd www.exploremyanmar.com

SUPERMARKETS
22, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp. tel 541997. email: leplanteur@ mptmail.net.mm. http://leplanteur.net Capital Hyper Mart 14(E), Min Nandar Road, Dawbon Tsp. Ph: 553136. City Mart (Aung San Branch) tel: 253022, 294765. City Mart (47th St Branch) tel: 200026, 298746. City Mart (Junction 8) tel: 650778. City Mart (FMI City Branch) tel: 682323. City Mart (Yankin Center Branch) tel: 400284. City Mart (Myaynigone Branch) tel: 510697. City Mart (Zawana Branch) tel:564532.

TOP MARINE PAINT No-410, Ground Floor, Lower Pazundaung Road, Pazundaung Tsp, Yangon. Ph: 09-851-5202 Real Estate Agent Agent fees is unnecessary Tel : 09 2050107, 09 448026156 robinsawnaing@gmail.com

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

No. 372, Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabedan T/S, Yangon. Tel : 01-380 398, 01-256 355 (Ext : 3027) Email : zawgyihouse@ myanmar.com.mm

VISA & IMMIGRATION

RESTAURANTS

SCHOOLS
G-01, City Mart (Myay Ni Gone Center). Tel: 01-508467-70 Ext: 106 Horizon Intl School 25, Po Sein Road, Bahan Tsp, tel : 541085, 551795, 551796, 450396~7. fax : 543926, email : contact@horizonmyanmar. com, www.horizon.com

International Construction Material Co., Ltd. No. 60, Sint-Oh-Dan St, Lower Block, Latha Tsp, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel : 01-2410292, 243551, 09-431-83689, 09-448033905.

Real Estate Agency

Email : realwin2012@ gmail.com Tel : 09-732-02480, 09-501-8250

Good taste & resonable price @Thamada Hotel Tel: 01-243047, 243639-41 Ext: 32

G-05, Marketplace by City Mart. Tel: 01-523840 Ext: 105

Get your Visa online for Business and Tourist No need to come to Embassy. #165. 35th Street, Kyauktada Tsp, Yangon. Tel: +951 381200, 204020 travel.evisa@gmail.com

TRADE MARK CAUTION

CSL Behring AG, a company incorporated in Switzerland, of Wankdorfstrasse 10, CH-3000, Bern 22, Switzerland, is the Owner of the following Trade Mark:-

48 Sport
LOS ANGELES

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

Reg. No. 13872/2013 in respect of Intl Class 5: Pharmaceutical preparations and substances; blood products; blood protein for therapeutic use; albumin. 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 CSL Behring AG P. O. Box 60, Yangon E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm Dated: 30 December 2013

AlbuRx

End of era as Hollywood Park clo

HOLLYWOOD Park, once Americas most famous horse racing showplace with legendary moviemakers and lm stars among its patrons, closed Sunday after 75 years with a nal slate of 11 races. Such equine icons as Seabiscuit, Citation, Affirmed, John Henry and Zenyatta competed at the impressive venue in suburban Inglewood, which opened on June 10, 1938. Film industry legends were among 600 shareholders who founded the track to attract the rich and famous, including Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, Al Jolson, Warner brothers studios Jack Warner, MGMs Sam Goldwyn and noted producers Darryl Zanuck and Mervyn LeRoy. But as cinematic generations changed, so too did the fortunes of US horse racing, with simulcast betting and more wagers being done through the Internet helping reduce live attendance at tracks. A real estate development is planned on the site of a track where Cary Grant once strolled with starlets and famed comedians once enjoyed their leisure hours, a place where only nostalgia remains. People stop to talk and none of them, I really mean none of them, still believe they are going to tear this place down for real estate. Weve all been told that, but nobody seems to believe it, 86-year-old box seat usher Richard Warren told the Los Angeles Times. Its losing an old friend. I remember Fred Astaire, sitting in these boxes. Then there would be Lucy and Desi Arnaz and theyd be arguing about something and theyd be with Jimmy Durante and hed be just sitting there smoking a big cigar and ignoring them. Triple Crown winner Citation captured the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup, the last race of his career and one that took him above US$1 million in winnings, the rst horse to crack that mark.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

Pfizer Products Inc., a company organized and existing under the laws of the State of Connecticut, U.S.A., and having its principal place of business at Eastern Point Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, U.S.A., is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademarks:-

Reg. No. 6622/2004 in respect of Pharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders, central nervous system disorders, urological and urogential disorders, infectious diseases and cancer in Class 5.

REVATIO CADUET

Reg. Nos. 5962/2001, 101/2005 in respect of Pharmaceutical and veterinary preparations and substances; all included in Class 5. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademarks will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division Tel: 959 4500 59 247, Email: info@untlaw.com For Pfizer Products Inc. Dated: 30 December, 2013.

A jockey takes a break during morning workouts at Betfair Hollywood Park on December

Seabiscuit, made famous to 21st Century sport and lm fans in a 2003 movie, won the inaugural Gold Cup in 1938. Shared Belief, prepared by Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, won the 33rd and last CashCall Futurity earlier this month in the nal major event at Hollywood Park, a $750,000

race for two-year-olds that had showcased the next years Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Ive loved the place and I hate to see it go, Hollendorfer said. The largest crowd to attend races at Hollywood Park was 80,348 on May 4, 1980.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

SHANGHAI METERSBONWE FASHION & ACCESSORIES CO.,LTD., a company incorporated under the laws of P.R. China, and having its principal place of business at No.800, Kangqiao East Road, Nanhui District, Shanghai, China, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trademark:-

ME&CITY
Reg. Nos. 8759/2008, 2206/2012 in respect of:- Class 18: Imitation leather; School bags; Backpacks; Handbags; Briefcases; Purses; Valises; Furniture coverings of leather; Umbrellas; Clothing for pets. Class 25: Clothing; Layettes (clothing); Shoes; Hats; Hosiery; Gloves (clothing); Neckties; Scarfs; Girdles; Bathing suits. Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trademark will be dealt with according to law. U Nyunt Tin Associates International Limited Intellectual Property Division P.O. Box No. 952, Yangon, Myanmar. Tel: 959 4500 59 247-8, Email: info@untlaw.com For SHANGHAI METERSBONWE FASHION & ACCESSORIES CO.,LTD. Dated: 30 December, 2013.

www.mmtimes.com

Sport 49

ses aft er 75 years

Federer at 2014 crossroads, Serena eyes history

PARIS

21. Photo: AFP

The rst Breeders Cup was staged at Hollywood Park in 1984, handling more than $11.4 million in wagers with a crowd of 64,625 and an estimated television viewership of 50 million people. Panamanian jockey Laffit Pincay Jnr broke Bill Shoemakers former

career victories record of 8,833 at Hollywood Park on with a victory on December 10, 1999. Pincay established a new mark of 9,530 races before retiring in a ceremony at Hollywood Park in 2003, although Pincays record was eclipsed by Russell Blaze in 2006. AFP

AFAEL Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray opened the 2014 season in Abu Dhabi on December 26 with Roger Federer hoping his absence isnt an indicator of more misery ahead. World number one Nadal provided the comeback story of 2013, winning 10 titles, including a record eighth French Open and a second US Open which took his majors haul to 13. Djokovic defended his Australian Open crown while Murray claimed Britains rst Wimbledon mens title in 77 years. But while the big three start their new campaigns with a leisurely three-day stroll in the Gulf, record 17-time major winner Federer begins his 17th season as a professional in Brisbane and with his career at a crossroads. In 2013, the world number six failed to reach a Grand Slam nal for the rst time since 2002 and his second-round defeat at Wimbledon ended his run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-nal appearances. Federer will turn 33 in August but is acutely aware that his great hero, Pete Sampras, quit at 31 and at the top of his game, having secured a fth US Open. His record against the sports big

three also makes for worrying reading he is 10-22 against Nadal having lost all four matches against the great Spaniard this year and 9-11 when up against Murray, losing their one clash in 2013. He is still ahead in his rivalry with Djokovic at 16-15 but lost both their meetings this year while the Serb has taken six of their last eight matches. The Swiss goes into 2014 having severed his ties with long-time coach Paul Annacone, one of a number of players to have tweaked their backup teams over the winter. For me, its pretty simple: this is what I used to do as a little boy. Its something that always is there in your DNA, said Federer, who will be playing a warm-up tournament in Australia for the rst time in 11 years. After Brisbane, where he is top seed, Federer heads for the Australian Open, a title he has captured on four occasions but where he has fallen in the semi-nals on his last three visits. Nadal missed the UAE tourament in 2012 as well as the Australian Open as he nursed a knee injury for seven months, but he had a recordsetting 2013, losing just seven times in 82 matches. The 27-year-old is now just four majors behind Federer and with ve years on his long-standing rival, is

I know how hard it is to win the majors. It may never happen again, I might not win another one ...
Andy Murray Professional tennis player

Rodman back from N Korea without meeting awesome Kim

FORMER NBA star Dennis Rodman returned from North Korea on Monday, saying he did not meet awesome Kim Jong-Un on his third visit to the reclusive state but was unfazed by the lack of contact. The heavily tattooed Rodman has developed an unlikely relationship with Kim since making his rst trip in March, when he declared the leader a friend for life, and is organising an exhibition basketball game on January 8 to mark his birthday. Asked how he felt about the lack of face-to-face contact with the young ruler after landing at Beijing airport, Rodman said, I am not worried about it. He added, Ill see him again. He is awesome, man, Rodman said when asked about Kim as he was being ushered out of the airport by security. Were going to be playing in two weeks, he added, referring to the match between North Korea and a team of mainly ex-NBA players. When he left Beijing for Pyongyang last week, Rodman said he would have a good conversation with Kim to help the world, without elaborating. Kim, educated in Switzerland, is reportedly a keen basketball fan, especially of the Chicago Bulls, for whom Rodman played a key role in winning three NBA titles alongside Michael Jordan in the 1990s. There is growing concern over the regimes stability after the execution earlier this month of Jang Song-Thaek, a high-level official who was the uncle and former political mentor of Kim Jong-Un, but Rodman earlier distanced himself from political events. He spent much of his time in the North training the countrys basketball team, reports said. The team of former NBA players was expected to be announced during the trip, but no details have yet been given. The sides will face each other in the rst half before they are mixed up for the second half, according to reports. Pyongyang is holding a US citizen, Kenneth Bae, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail on charges of trying to topple the North Korean regime. But US officials said they had not been in touch with Rodman over the visit and he did not represent the US government. They also reiterated official warnings by the US government to its citizens not to travel to North Korea. AFP

BEIJING

Serena Williams posing with the Suzanne-Lenglen trophy after winning the 2013 French tennis Open final on June 8 in Paris. Photo: AFP

widely expected to pass the mark of the Swiss whose last major was the 2012 Wimbledon title. Djokovic stunned tennis by hiring Boris Becker as his new head coach, a decision prompted by his desperate desire to improve a record that reads six Grand Slam titles but also six defeats in nals at majors. As well as defending his Australian Open title, Djokovic also has another big date lined up for early in the new year, marrying longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic to whom he got engaged in September. Murray missed the closing tournaments of 2013 to undergo back surgery and once his Abu Dhabi stint is over he will join Nadal as the leading attraction in Doha which, along with Brisbane and Chennai, opens the competitive season. I know how hard it is to win the majors, Murray, who lost his rst four Grand Slam nals, told Sky Sports News. It may never happen again, I might not win another one but I just want to give myself the best chance to do that. Hopefully Ill give myself an opportunity to win another one. The WTA Tour starts in Brisbane and Auckland and will conclude with a new home in Singapore for the season-ending championships. Six of the worlds top 10 will be in Brisbane led by defending champion Serena Williams. The American will be 33 in 2014 but her rock-solid condence and iron will are as intimidating as ever. Williams ended 2013 with 11 titles while triumphs at the French and US Opens took her Grand Slam haul to 17, one off the mark shared by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and just ve away from Steffi Graf s Open Era record of 22. Williams enjoyed a match record of 78 wins against just four defeats, claimed the season-ending WTA Championships title and became the oldest number one player. Victoria Azarenka, comfortably Williams biggest rival, also features in Brisbane as does Maria Sharapova who was forced to shut down her 2013 campaign at Cincinnati in August because of a shoulder injury. Sharapova has hired Sven Groeneveld, the former coach of Monica Seles, in an effort to knock Williams off her perch. However, Sharapova has a 2-14 record against the American with both those wins coming way back in 2004. World number two Azarenka has won just three of her 16 meetings against Williams, although she split their four clashes in 2013 and for a second successive season took her great rival to three sets in the US Open nal. AFP

50 Sport

THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - JANUARY 5, 2014

China Olympians lover jailed for life

The former girlfriend of a Chinese Olympic gymnastics champion has been sentenced to life in jail for defrauding other star athletes and celebrities of nearly US$10 million, state-run media said on December 25. Wang Ti whose then-boyfriend Xiao Qin won pommel horse gold at the 2008 Beijing Games cheated more than two dozen well-known gures in the sports and entertainment industries, the China Daily reported. Among the victims were gymnasts Yang Wei, who won the 2008 mens individual all-round title, and his wife Yang Yun, who won a bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Many victims trusted Xiao, considering his social inuence, so they gave money to his girlfriend, a lawyer for several victims told the China Daily. Wang pretended to be the daughter of various high-level officials, claiming that enabled her to buy properties and luxury cars at reduced prices, the paper said. Altogether she obtained 58 million yuan ($9.6 million) and HK$2 million ($260,000), it added. Wang ran her scam from 2008 to 2011, during which time she dated Xiao but was also still married to a player from the Chinese football team Dalian Shide, the China Daily reported previously. At the time the club was owned by Xu Ming, a businessman once listed as a billionaire who was a key prose-

BEIJING

Japan pitcher Tanaka freed up to join MLB

The club of star Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has approved his move to the US major leagues, at a likely bargain price for such a highprole trans-Pacic deal because of a new posting system. The Rakuten Eagles, powered by Tanaka to their rst-ever Japan Series national title this year, spent about a week after the launch of the new system before announcing on Wednesday they would release the 25-year-old right hander. The new rules put a US$20 million cap on the money a Japanese team can earn from posting a player for a transfer to a major league club. There was no limit under the previous system. There are many problems in the new posting system. And the club, which owns a precious player, feels it is unequal, Rakuten president Yozo Tachibana told a news conference, without disclosing the release fee the club wants. But we have highly appreciated pitcher Tanakas seven-year contribution to the team ... and accepted his wish to challenge the major leagues. Tanaka separately told reporters: I want to continue my baseball career by rmly bearing in mind what I have achieved (at Rakuten). If posted, Tanaka, who went 24-0 in the regular season this year, is expected to draw several suitors including the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) announced the new posting system early next week. The original system was introduced in 1998 to prevent a drain of Japanese talent across the Pacic without beneting their old clubs and to provide US teams with equal bidding opportunities. But rising bidding prices have prompted MLB to revamp it. Under the previous system, which helped Japanese stars Yu Darvish, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki land MLB deals, US clubs made blind offers for negotiation rights to a player. The highest bidder would win the rights

TOKYO

Wins for Masahiro Tanaka during his perfect 2013-14 regular season.

24

Wang Ti holds her daughter with her ex-husband during a football match in Dalian in June 2013. Photo: AFP

cution witness in the corruption case against fallen political high-yer Bo Xilai earlier this year. Wangs trial opened in June 2012 but the sentence was only handed

down earlier this month and she plans to appeal, the China Daily said. The report gave no explanation for the unusually long 18-month process. AFP

Under the new system, a posted player can negotiate with any club willing to pay a release fee which his NPB outt demands. But the amount should not exceed $20 milllion. In 2012 the Texas Rangers posted a record winning bid of $51.7 million just for the right to negotiate with right-handed pitcher Darvish. Tanakas transfer could have earned the nine-year-old Rakuten, the youngest of Japans 12 professional baseball clubs, at least $50 million under the old system, according to Japanese media. AFP

Curbishley, Dempsey sign on for struggling Fulham

Former Charlton and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley and American international midelder Clint Dempsey signed on at Fulham on December 24 with the Premier League club staring at relegation. Curbishley, 56, was named rst team technical director to work alongside head coach Rene Meulensteen while former star Dempsey, who plays for Seattle Sounders in the MLS, penned a two-month loan deal. Im very happy that Alan has joined us as I know his expertise will be invaluable as we enter the remaining months of the season, said Meulensteen, who took over from Martin Jol three weeks ago but is in charge of a side which is second from bottom of the Premier League. Following Martin Jols departure I discussed with both [chief executive] Alistair Mackintosh and the chairman the challenges we face, and I was delighted that they supported the idea of additional support within the coaching team. Alan has a proven track record in the industry and understands full well what it takes to succeed. I look forward to sharing ideas and listening to advice, to ensure Fulham Football Club remains where it belongs: in the Premier League. Curbishley played for West Ham, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Charlton and Brighton before turning his hand to management with Charlton and West Ham whom he left in 2008. Earlier Tuesday, Dempsey, 30, agreed to return to Fulham where he spent ve and a half seasons in his rst spell after having signed in January 2007 from New England Revolution. During his rst stay at Craven Cottage, Dempsey scored 60 goals in 225 appearances. Dempsey scored the only goal of the match against Liverpool at Craven Cottage in May 2007, which secured Premier League football the following season. It feels good to be back. This has always felt like my home in Europe, said the American. I am excited to be back and be a part of this team and play in this league. Dempsey said he also hopes that a spell in England will help sharpen his form ahead of the World Cup. I just wanted to be back playing at the highest level, get back to top form and get back to helping the team where they are not where they want to be in the table, he added. Going into World Cup year you want to get to that top form and carry that forward, so hopefully have a good showing. AFP

LONDON

Sport
52 THE MYANMAR TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2013 - jANUARY 5, 2014

SPORT EDITOR: Tim McLaughlin | timothy.mclaughlin3@gmail.com

Rodman returns from N Korea hoops trip

SPORT 49

blaze of reworks and colour brought the curtain down on the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar on December 22 an event which marked the formerly cloistered countrys return to the international stage. A spectacular closing ceremony illuminated by reworks, animation and thousands of dancers delighted the crowd at the 30,000-capacity stadium in the sprawling capital Nay Pyi Taw. The raising of the Singapore ag the city-state will host the regional showpiece in 2015 marked the end of 11 official days of competition which saw Thailand top the medals table with 107 golds. The event was hailed as Myanmars coming out party and was given to the hosts as a reward for reforms overseen by President Thein Sein, who was present at the closing and opening ceremonies. Concerns over Myanmars readiness to host a large international standard event had been raised ahead of the Games, while the distances between venues in the vast capital also raised eyebrows. But Myanmar has basked in its host status and a rare moment in the international limelight after years in isolation under military rule. Some local and international observers thought Myanmar could not host the SEA Games, said the presi-

SEA Games end with a bang A

NAY PYI TAW

Some local and international observers thought Myanmar could not host the SEA Games. They were wrong.
U Ye Htut Spokesperson for the government

Singapore Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin waves the Southeast Asian Games (federation flag after the handover ceremony during the closing ceremony of the 27th SEA Games in on December 22. Photo: AFP

dents spokesman U Ye Htut on his Facebook page. They were wrong. The closing ceremony saw thousands of dancers perform scenes from Myanmars history to an animated background broadcast on vast screens anking one side of the stadium. At one point hundreds of teenage boys and girls delighted the crowd with a synchronised demonstration

of chinlone a local cane-ball game which was followed by scores of elaborately-dressed drummers pounding a rhythm for an array of dancers. The opening and closing ceremonies were supported in cash and know-how by China which conrmed its own re-emergence onto the international platform with the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

A SEA Games official thanked China at the closing ceremony for its tremendous support which ofcials said amounted to US$33 million. While little known outside the region, the Games are a source of local bragging rights for the 11 competing nations and give athletes from lesser sporting nations the chance to shine.

While Thailand topped the medals, winning many leading track and eld events as well as the agship mens football gold, Myanmar came in a respectable second with 86 gold medals. It had been accused of cherrypicking non-Olympic sports such as chinlone to ensure a strong showing on home soil. AFP