HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

500
Ks.

DAILY EDITION

WWW.MMTIMES.COM
NEWS 2

After conference, ceasefire

further out of reach

ISSUE 60 | TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015

Union Election
Commission chair U Tin
Aye speaks to reporters
in Yangon yesterday.

At a meeting in Kayin State, leaders

of armed ethnic groups agreed not
to sign a draft nationwide ceasefire,
which they say must take into account
the three forces currently fighting the
government in Kokang region.

NEWS 4

Parliament to debate
halted property projects
Five controversial property
developments on military-owned land
near Shwedagon Pagoda that were
halted in January are expected to
be debated during a Yangon Region
parliament session that begins today.
BUSINESS 8

Yangon short on
affordable housing
A development association says the
city needs thousands more low-cost
housing units, but adding more may
prove difficult without additional
sources of financing.
BUSINESS 9

Indian state-owned
insurer opens office
New India Assurance, one of the
largest insurance companies in India,
has opened a Yangon-based office,
part of a larger push by the country to
boost local business connections.

PAGE

Election commission battles lack of funding, trained staff

PHOTO: AUNG MYIN YE ZAW

The head of the Union Election Commission, U Tin Aye, admitted yesterday that his
organisation is facing challenges preparing for Myanmars election later this year
because of a lack of both funding and properly trained staff.

Concerns as 150 repatriated

The first batch of rescued migrants were returned to Bangladesh yesterday, amid mounting concerns that some
might be incorrectly expelled from Myanmar and pressure from MPs to accelerate the process. NEWS 3

2 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

LAW KHEE LAR, KAYIN STATE

Fresh blow to ceasefire prospects

WA LONE

EI EI TOE LWIN

LEADERS of ethnic armed groups

meeting in Kayin State have dealt a
heavy blow to government hopes of
signing at least a partial nationwide
ceasefire agreement before the elections. The leaders, meeting in the
Karen National Union (KNU) stronghold of Law Khee Lar, Kayin State,
have decided not to sign the draft
presented to them and agreed upon
by their negotiating team in March.
The decision is also a rebuff to the
international community, as representatives of both the United Nations
and the Chinese foreign ministry
present at the summit had urged the
armed groups to sign the agreement.
However, the surprise decision at
Law Khee Lar could open the way
to a possible political dialogue between the government and the armed
groups. With the ceasefire agreement
increasingly out-of-reach, some observers expect the government will
reverse its earlier ceasefire-first, discussions-later policy and launch political dialogue.
The draft ceasefire agreement
put before the summit last week was
signed amid great fanfare in March
following protracted negotiations,
subject to final agreement by the
leaders of the armed groups involved.
Observers noted, however, that the
peace process did not include the
three armed groups actively engaged
in fighting the government in Kokang, northern Shan State: the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance
Army (MNDAA), the Taang National
Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA). The leaders of those
groups did not participate in the June
2-7 Law Khee Lar summit either.
Despite earlier indications that
the leaders of participating armed
groups might sign the draft without
significant alteration, their decision
not to sign was apparently spurred by
fears that the government was trying
to split the ethnic movement by proposing a two-step ceasefire process,
dealing first with the Law Khee Lar
group and then launching separate
peace talks with the three groups still
fighting at Kokang.
Naing Han Thar, chair of the New
Mon State Party, told a press conference on June 7 that the leaders had
decided not to leave the three Kokang

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win of the Karen National Union (left) and Colonel Khun Okkar of the Pa-Oh National Liberation Organization speak to reporters at Law Khee
Lar on June 3. Photo: Naing Wynn Htoon

groups out of the process. They wanted the armed groups negotiating umbrella organisation, the Nationwide
Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT),
which he leads, to continue to deal
with the government on behalf of all
its members.
We will not accept to see our
brothers left behind. The nationwide ceasefire must be all-inclusive,
he told journalists as the summit
concluded.
U Hla Maung Shwe, senior adviser
of the Myanmar Peace Center, which
has coordinated the ceasefire negotiations, told The Myanmar Times that
the government negotiating team, the
Union Peace-making Central Committee, had found it hard to incorporate the positions of the three Kokang
groups.
These three groups emerged only
after the current government came
to power, so the government had difficulty in recognising them on the
same level as the others, he said.
Khun Myint Tun, chair of the Pa-O
National Liberation Organisation,
said the government would have to
take the Kokang groups into account
in further discussions on the national
ceasefire agreement because they are

members of the NCCT.

Minister U Aung Min [who is
leading the governments negotiating
team] promised us in bilateral talks
with our organisation that he would
not leave even small conflicts out of
the peace process. This is not a small
problem, he said.
The leaders attending the Law
Khee Lar summit have been grappling for the past six days with more
than 15 proposed amendments to the
NCA draft, as well as the issue of excluding the three Kokang groups.
The NCCT will now take the
amended draft back to the government for further discussions. It is

We will not accept

to see our brothers
left behind. The
nationwide ceasefire
must be all-inclusive.
Naing Han Thar
New Mon State Party

not yet clear, however, that the leaders have reached full agreement on
the remainder of the draft text, or on
whether it can be signed before the
elections.
Mahn Nyein Maung, a senior
member of the KNU, said he believed
the agreement should be signed before a new government takes power
to ensure progress made to date is not
lost. We dont know what the policy
of the next government might be, he
said.
But Naing Han Thar of the New
Mon State Party said the groups
should not rush to sign the ceasefire.
We dont care if the agreement is
signed before or after the election. The
important thing is to make clear what
we want in the negotiations, he said.
Vijay Nambiar, the UN special representative, had told participants in
the opening meeting of the summit
on June 2 that they had only a limited time to act, adding, Myanmars
peace is in your hands. He advocated
signing the accord before the election, prompting some ethnic leaders
to accuse him of taking the governments side.
In the wake of the summit, moves
are already afoot to consider action

on political dialogue.
Weve just talked to Naing Han
Thar and [KNU joint secretary-general] Padoh Kwe Htoo Win about meeting in Chiang Mai [on June 10], U Hla
Maung Shwe of the Myanmar Peace
Center told The Myanmar Times yesterday. He added that the government
policy of settling the ceasefire before
discussing political dialogue would
probably change.
The government might have decided to start the political dialogue
first, but we havent received any instructions from the central committee yet, he said, adding that the next
meeting between the government
and the NCCT could discuss the dialogue, in Yangon.
We are now thinking about how
to move forward toward the political
dialogue.
Yesterday a spokesperson for one
of the three Kokang groups welcomed
the Law Khee Lar decision not to sign
the ceasefire agreement.
I appreciate the decision of the
conference because weve already
said we wanted to sign the NCA, but
the government opposed it, said Mai
Aike Kyaw of the Taang National
Liberation Army.

www.mmtimes.com

NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

Repatriations begin as MPs

wade into migrant crisis
Rights groups raise concerns that some rescued migrants may be incorrectly sent to Bangladesh

KAYLEIGH LONG

PYAE THET PHYO

THE first batch of 150 migrants rescued from smugglers boats off Myanmars coast were yesterday returned to
Bangladesh, with Myanmar eager to
deport another 800 people being provided temporary shelter adjacent to the
border.
Aid workers on the ground, however, are concerned many may be pushed
into the wrong country, a fear that appeared to be borne out yesterday when
at least one person deported said he
was actually from Myanmar.
The repatriated migrants, all men,
were transferred under armed guard
over the Naf River, returning to where
they had fled a life of poverty only to
wind up abandoned at sea for three
months.
The men were among a group of
208 found last month on an intercepted trafficking vessel originally bound
for Malaysia. Myanmar insisted all
onboard were Bangladeshi, but after
an elaborate consular process, Dhaka
agreed to take back just 150.
Fifty men from the same vessel remain in makeshift camps near Taungpyo in northern Rakhine State, close to
the border.
Neither country has so far expressed
willingness to accept them, but a source
on the ground said yesterday they appear largely to be from Buthidaung
and Maungdaw townships in northern
Rakhine State, with a smaller number
from Sittwe and Pauktaw townships.
Some of them reportedly speak Myanmar; language has often been used
by the government to demonstrate the
alleged foreignness of Rohingya, who
mainly speak Bengali.
Another 735 people rescued by the
Myanmar navy, including around 120
women and children, were taken to
other shelters near the border. The government says nationality verification of
this second and larger group is ongoing. So far Myanmar says 330 are Bangladeshi, a number that has not yet been
confirmed by Dhaka.
Myanmar, as well as the original
country where boat people left from,
needs to do the verification process,
said U Thant Kyaw, deputy foreign
minister.
But with the long porous border
between the two countries, the process
has been anything but straightforward.
Many rights groups fear that unwanted
Rohingya whom the Myanmar government insists on calling Bengalis
may be pushed over the border.
At least one of the people repatri-

Migrants are repatriated across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in Maungdaw township yesterday. Photo: AFP

ated yesterday claimed to be from the

Myanmar side of the line, according
to a source who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
The source said he recognised one
of the 150 Bangladeshis being transferred as they were both from Buthidaung and share a mutual friend a
claim confirmed independently by The
Myanmar Times. The two were able to
speak briefly.
He said he lied about being Bangladeshi, the source said, adding that
the deportee explained that he had
been placed under pressure to do so by

We saved them
because of goodwill.
But Rakhine [State]
already has a lot of
problems.
U Khin Maung
Amyotha Hluttaw representative

some of the officials who facilitated the

transfer.
Others in the Taungpyo shelters are
believed to have resided in Rohingya
refugee camps in Bangladesh prior to
embarking on their abortive voyages.
An aid worker on the ground told The
Myanmar Times that several of the
migrants and asylum seekers allegedly
fled Rakhine State in 1991 following
violence in the region.
Others may have crossed the border during the most recent outbreak of
bloodshed in 2012 that saw hundreds
killed and more than 140,000 people
uprooted and forced into internally displaced persons camps.
At least eight from the first intercepted boat were confirmed by Myanmars foreign ministry to have come
from Myanmar. While the Presidents
Office said those individuals would be
returned to their homes, they are instead reportedly in police custody.
The eight were arrested a while ago
and sent to jail, according to our monitor, said Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, a rights group that has been following the crisis.
A local official yesterday denied the

account, however.
With the nationality process already
under international scrutiny the US
has said it is very closely watching developments the issue of repatriation
is also causing domestic rifts.
Nationalist hardliners from Rakhine State are planning to protest on
June 14 against local authorities assisting the impoverished and starving people rescued from the boats.
Amyotha Hluttaw representatives
yesterday overwhelmingly voted in
favour of a proposal by Union Solidarity and Development Party MP U Hla
Swe to set a date for repatriating any
rescued migrants. The proposal was approved with 163 votes for and just three
against.
We saved some of them because of
goodwill. But Rakhine [State] already
has a lot of problems, said MP U Khin
Maung, who expressed support for the
proposal.
Election will be taking place soon
We cant let things get more complicated ... We have to start dealing with
this crisis right now.
Additional reporting by Nyan
Lynn Aung and Laignee Barron

News 3

Speaker
rejects
foreign
pressure
PYAE THET PHYO
pyaethetphyo87@gmail.com
U KHIN Aung Myint, Speaker
of the upper house, yesterday
told parliamentarians how he
had rejected suggestions from
an Australian politician that
Myanmar should take in more
than 20,000 boat migrants,
saying the people of Myanmar
would not accept them.
International blame on Myanmar over the boat crisis was
coming from those who could
not see all aspects of the issue
and lacked reasoning, he said.
U Khin Aung Myint shared a
conversation he had last week
with a former foreign minister
of Australia who suggested on
the sidelines of the Myanmar
Update Conference hosted by
Australian National University
that Myanmar should take in
20,000 to 30,000 migrants.
When I was interviewed
on television about accepting
those people, I responded by
asking if their faces were similar to ours, or do they speak
any language used by Myanmar
national races? If the international community forces Myanmar to accept them, Myanmar
people would not accept it, the
speaker said.
He quoted the ex-minister
as saying that if he were prime
minister he would accept those
numbers.
I replied to him by e-mail
that these 20,000 to 30,000
people will turn to 200,000 to
300,000 people right now and
then turn to 2 to 3 million later, and that I wish for him to
become prime minister right
now, U Khin Aung Myint said.
The ex-minister conceded he
might not get to be prime minister in that case, the Speaker
added.
People have always crossed
the sea for centuries for various
reasons, including mass killings, but the current phenomenon was due to starvation in
a country facing a population
explosion, the Speaker said, apparently referring to Bangladesh.
He urged international cooperation to resolve the causes
of the exodus, but also to find
out who was organising the migrants to identify themselves as
Myanmar wherever they go.
U Khin Aung Myint added
that with its 677,000 square kilometres and 51 million people,
Myanmar had sufficient food,
good weather and soil, and no
population explosion. Translation by Thiri Min Htun

Students threaten to sue police over Letpadan crackdown

MRATT KYAW THU
mrattkthu@gmail.com
THE All Burma Federation of Student
Unions says it is planning to take legal
action against police responsible for
the brutal crackdown on demonstrators in Letpadan on March 10 and will
involve the Myanmar National Human
Rights Commission in the process.
ABFSU leaders, members and supporters are among about 70 people
still held in Tharyarwady Prison since
the crackdown.
Were planning to sue the police
who were really responsible for the
Letpadan crackdown. We have video

clips, photos, eyewitnesses and other

evidence. The government must take
action against them, Ko Aung Nay Paing, an ABFSU spokesperson, told The
Myanmar Times.
Students are working with Equality Myanmar, a rights group, on drafting legal letters and registering a case
with the human rights commission.
Students asked me to help. They
dont know how to complain about human rights violations to the commission. Equality Myanmar truly believes
that Letpadan was a violation of human rights so we have decided to help
them, said U Aung Myo Min, executive director of Equality Myanmar.

Equality Myanmar is interviewing

students, writing the complaint letter
and collecting evidence which it plans
to submit within a week. But the organisation does not appear very hopeful.
Were not very encouraged by the
human rights commission. They always work when orders come from
above For example, we can see their
efforts in the case of Ko Par Gyi, said
U Aung Myo Min, referring to the governments request to the commission
to investigate the death of a journalist
in military custody last October.
Equality Myanmar and students
have decided to submit their complaint
to the ASEAN Intergovernmental

Human Rights Commission if the national commission cannot handle the

issue.
During a court hearing last month,
Police Captain Phone Myint, a witness for the prosecution against the
students detained at Letpadan, said
police had followed European Union
standards and techniques during the
operation.
He did not elaborate but noted that
police had held extensive negotiations
with the students in failed attempts to
get them to stop their illegal protest
march against the National Education
Law.
However, the EU, which has been

training the police in crowd control

techniques since 2013, has condemned
the Letpadan crackdown and called
for a formal investigation.
U Sit Myaing, deputy chair of
the commission, said the human
rights body was willing to accept the
complaint.
Well solve the problem according to the rules and regulations of our
commission, he said yesterday.
The independent commission,
comprising 15 retired civil servants
and bureaucrats, was formed in 2011
by the government with a brief to
investigate alleged human rights
violations.

4 News
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THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

Ministry suspends controversial Yangon tender

SANDAR LWIN
sdlsandar@gmail.com
THE Ministry of Information has
stopped selling application forms for
a controversial tender, following a motion in parliament to suspend the tender process.
No further tender application
forms will be distributed in the case
of the 90-acre Yegu transmitter site in
Mayangone township, Yangon, at the

corner of Waizayandar and Gandamar

roads, an official from the ministry
confirmed.
The tender was heavily criticised
for apparently being tailored to suit a
very small number of possible bidders.
Parliament decided to suspend the
tender process on May 27, five days
after an urgent motion to that effect
submitted by South Okkalapa MP U
Aung Thein Linn.
While government officials had

initially said they would wait for a

cabinet response to parliaments decision, Ministry of Information deputy
director general U Myo Myint Aung
confirmed the tender had been halted.
Everything to do with the tender
has now stopped, said U Myo Myint
Aung. How can we dare to defy the
parliaments decision?
Five tender forms had already been
sold, at a cost of K1 million (about
US$900) each, said U Hla Thwin, the

deputy director of the ministrys Myanma Radio and Television (MRTV).

The tender was announced on May
15, and gave applicants little more
than a month to submit detailed plans
on proposed usage of the site.
The tender rules stated that the
land should be used for a media business park, including a broadcasting
complex, a multimedia university, a
theme park, zones for recreation, and
both indoor and outdoor stadiums.

Yangon hluttaw to debate

halted property projects

Chief Sub Editor MTM Aye Sapay Phyu

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YE MON

MYAT NYEIN AYE

THE Yangon Region parliament will

discuss controversial suspended
property developments near Shwedagon Pagoda during a session that
will get under way today, a prominent
MP says.
Five projects being developed on
military-owned land south of Shwedagon were suspended in January
by the Myanmar Investment Commission. The most high-profile of
these is the US$300 million Dagon
City 1 development, which is a joint
venture between the Marga Group
syndicate and local firm Thu Kha
Yadanar.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a representative for Bahan, said she had submitted a proposal to discuss the suspended projects during the last session
of the regional parliament. She has
since been informed by the hluttaw
office last week that her motion had
been included on the agenda for the
upcoming meeting.
I think these projects have no
transparency and the ministers
have not yet explained properly
about them, she said. We need to
know whether they are really good
or not for Yangon and Shwedagon
Pagoda.

I think these projects

have no transparency
and the ministers
have not yet
explained properly
about them.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin
Yangon Region MP

A model represents the Dagon City 1 project at a showroom in Yangon. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

She said the regional parliaments

views on the projects could be important in deciding whether they are allowed to proceed.
I think that if we object to these
projects, they can be repealed, she
said. The parliaments decision is
important for the future of these
projects.
The projects have faced opposition
from a broad range of groups due to
transparency concerns and fears that

planned towers on the sites will harm

views of the pagoda.
Continued delays in a proposed
zoning plan have resulted in a dispute over height limits in the area,
with opponents calling for a 62-foot
(18.6-metre) height limit, while developers say the area is zoned for a
maximum of 190 feet (57m).
U Thaung Htike Min, chair of
Thukha Yadanar, which is a minority
stakeholder in Dagon City 1 and the

sole owner of Dagon City 2, said yesterday he was unaware of the plan to discuss the projects in the regional parliament, but was looking forward to talks
resulting in a positive outcome.
We dont know about the proposal so I cant comment more than
that, he said.
Jason Sai, an account executive at
PR firm Mangosteen, which has been
retained by Marga Group, declined to
comment when contacted yesterday.

Informal residents may be eligible to vote

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LUN MIN MANG

lunmin.lm@gmail.com
SQUATTERS in Yangon and Mandalay and other big cities may be able to
vote in the November election, electoral officials have suggested. Speaking at a press conference yesterday,
Union Election Commission officials
said they were continuing to search
for a solution to the question of voting by temporary residents.
An estimated 600,000 squatters,
equivalent to more than 11 percent of

the citys population, live in Yangon,

according to regional government
data.
We are still considering this matter, UEC member U Win Kyi told journalists at the Myanmar Peace Center.
Those who have been resident in a
place for more than 180 days could request the electoral sub-commission in
their ward to have their name added
to the local voters list, he said.
UEC chair U Tin Aye said internally displaced persons will have the
same right.

They can submit a form 3 to have

their name listed in their current
townships of residence even if they
are listed elsewhere. In that case,
their township of origin will delete
their name from its voters list, he
said.
If the ward commission officials
have confirmed the applicants as
Myanmar citizens, their names can
be included in the voters lists of the
township in which they now live, he
added.
As for former white-card holders,

the UEC chair said their voting rights

were to be decided by legislation.
Parliament will decide, and we
will comply with that decision, he
said.
In February, parliament approved
a suggestion by President U Thein
Sein to grant white-card holders the
right to vote in a referendum bill.
However, the grant was later revoked
after widespread criticism by monks
and others. In the 2010 general election and the 2012 by-election, whitecard holders were allowed to vote.

News 5

www.mmtimes.com

Election commission boss

complains over lack of funds

Final two
seats get
MCDC reps

U Tin Aye says the commission will do our best to hold the election, despite lack of funds and trained staff

REPRESENTATIVES have finally been

chosen for the last two elected seats on
Mandalay City Development Committee. Polls in two of the six townships
permitted to vote were held, successfully this time, on June 7.
The elections held last month in
Aung Myay Thar San and Chan Mya
Tharsi townships were void, one for lack
of a candidate and the other because
voter turnout fell below 50 percent.
The other four townships in the
city Chan Aye Thar San, Mahar Aung
Myay, Pyigyitagun and Amarapura
elected their representatives on May 3.
I came to vote for a representative
for our township. I dont want to have
to come out again, said Chan Mya
Tharsi township voter U Aung Tun,
who also voted in the last election.
U Nyunt Maung was returned as the
representative for Aung Myay Thar San,
and U Moe won in Chan Mya Tharsi.
The representatives for the remaining two townships to sit on Mandalay
City Development Committee have
now been elected and will soon take
up their duties for their townships, an
electoral official said. Mg Zaw, translation by Kyawt Darly Lin

LUN MIN
MANG
lunmin.lm@gmail.com

STAFF shortages, lack of money and

grudging cooperation from other
government departments are hampering electoral preparations, the
chair of the Union Electoral Commission told journalists yesterday.
UEC chair U Tin Aye also explained the relatively high number
of military personnel working for the
commission by saying that the defence ministry had offered more staff
than other government departments.
A limited number of people are
coping with a huge workload. The
lack of qualified staff is the biggest
challenge that we are facing, he said
at the Myanmar Peace Center.
Comparing the effort to prepare
for the November elections with last

U Tin Aye speaks to reporters at

a press conference in Yangon
yesterday. Photo: Aung Myin Ye Zaw

years census, he said, Why was the

census so successful? Because the
staff were well paid. The government provided K3000 and the United Nations [Population Fund] paid

Mandalay Mayor U Aung Maung (left) and JICA Myanmar officer Keiichiro
Nakazawa shake hands after signing an agreement on June 3. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

JICA to fund water

meters in Mandalay
SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
NEARLY 50,000 people in Mandalay
will receive piped water following the
installation of water meters in five
wards, according to officials. Mandalay City Development Committee says
8900 water meters are to be installed
free of charge in the wards of Pyigyitagun township.
With a contribution of more than
US$20 million, Japan International
Cooperation Agency will assist in the
installation of 8300 of the meters as
a first stage. The remaining 600 units
will be installed by MCDC, the citys
municipal body.
Under the agreement between
JICA and MCDC, this project will
provide a better water supply system.
Nearly 50,000 people will have drinking water by 2017, MCDC member U
Kyi Tun told The Myanmar Times on
June 5.
Thin Pin Kone, Ga, Gagyi, Nga and
Ngwe Taw Kyi Kone wards will receive
the meters, he said.
JICA carried out studies in the
township before the installation, said
JICA official Keiichiro Nakazawa. Pyigyitagun has inadequate drinking water. This is not a loan but a contribution, and we will be cooperating with

MCDC [on the project], he said.

MCDCs water supply covers only 5
percent of the townships population,
while 70pc of the population of four
other urban townships Aung Myay
Thar San, Chan Aye Thar San, Maha
Aung Myay and Chan Mya Tharsi receives water.

MILLION US$

20

Grant provided by Japan International

Cooperation Agency to improve water
supply in Mandalay

It is expected that 90pc of the citys

residents will be connected to the municipal water suppy by 2020, U Tun
Kyi said.
Another water supply project, costed at US$2.5 million, is being planned
for Amarapura township with the help
of a French development agency.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe

another K5000. Thats why they did

their work attentively, he said.
Motivation among those who had
volunteered to work for the commission was patchy, he added.
We had to ask various ministries
to transfer staff willing to work with
the UEC. People from different ministries came, but since the staff are
not paid well, they can lack motivation, he said, adding that this resulted in poor communications and cooperation among the different units
of UEC.
Asked about the high composition of military personnel in the
commission, U Tin Aye said, Among
the ministries who had responded
our requests, the Ministry of Defence
seconded the most. Thats why the
composition of retired military personnel is so high.
U Tin Aye is himself a retired
general. His decision to attend the
Armed Forces Day parade in March
in military uniform prompted renewed questions concerning the

UECs impartiality and criticisms of

the excessive involvement in politics
of military men.
He brushed aside these concerns,
and said the commission would
continue to do our best with the
resources it has.
Cooperation is the main thing,
particularly between different levels
of sub-commissions, he said.
He warned parties defeated in
the coming elections not to act
inappropriately.
If your party loses the election,
you can still work for the development of the nation as an opposition
party, seeking to apply checks and
balances to the ruling party. But
dont appeal to the international
community to apply pressure or
sanctions because you lost.
He said international pressure
would do nothing to change the
countrys political trajectory.
I dont care even if they put us
on the sanctions list more than 100
times.

6 News

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

CRIME IN BRIEF
Verdict in actors murder
trial expected tomorrow

Yangons Western District Court

is scheduled to hand down a
verdict tomorrow in the trial of
actor Min Oke Soe, who has been
accused of murdering a woman
on Christmas Day last year.
Lawyers from both sides
presented their final arguments
on June 8, with the prosecution
outlining the events before and
after the death of Ma Tay Nu Yin,
who worked at a magazine run
by Min Oke Soe. The prosecution
called for him to be found guilty
of non-premeditated murder under section 302(2), which carries
a maximum 10-year prison term.
Min Oke Soes lawyer said
he agreed his client was guilty,
but would fight any attempt to
upgrade the charge.
The actor handed himself into
police on December 25, saying
that Ma Tay Nu Yin had died after
he punched and kicked her during an argument.

Three arrested for rape,

murder over K30,000 debt
Police have arrested three men
over the death of a woman from
Hlaing Tharyar whose body was
found on the Sule Pagoda Road
railway bridge on May 31.
The men, who are from Botahtaung, Pabedan and South
Dagon townships, will face murder charges, police said.
Pabedan township police
allege the trio was seen arguing
with Ma Chae Su, 26, at about
1am on May 31 in the area where
her body was later found.
Under police interrogation, the
men said that the fight was over
K30,000 that Ma Chae Su owed
them. They admitted to punching and raping her. According
to police, they then hit her with
a piece of concrete and fled the
scene with K1500.

Worker dies on Vietnamese

construction project

A worker fell to his death from

the 28th floor of a Vietnamesefunded property development
in Bahan township on June 6,
according to police.
Police said U Kyi Lwin stumbled and fell while trying to pass
timber up to another worker.
The project, valued at about
US$500 million, is being developed by Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
Covering 73,000 square metres,
it will feature four office blocks, a
five-star hotel, a retail mall and
apartments.

Man charged over pagoda

donation box theft

A man has been charged after

allegedly stealing K14,450 from a
pagoda in Mingalardon township.
U Than Shein from the Zanar
Man Aung Pagoda board of
trustees submitted a complaint
to police after security camera
footage showed a man entering
the pagoda and taking money
from a donation box on June 4.
Police later arrested a 29-yearold man, who faces a charge of
committing theft in a building,
which carries a potential prison
term of seven years.

Officer hit and killed in

Yangon train accident

A police officer has died after

being hit by a train in Yangon on
June 6, according to an official.
Police Captain Shwe Zan
responded to reports that a
man had been hit by the train at
Insein Bridge. He found the body
of Police Corporal Thein Myint
between Insein and Ywarma
stations. He was pronounced
dead at the scene. Police have
released no further details. Toe
Wai Aung, translation by Khant
Lin Oo and Thiri Min Htun

A student takes a picture of the final-year matriculation exam results posted at a school in Yangon on June 7 just before dawn. Photo: Aung Myin Ye Zaw

Exam results best in three years

MAY
THINZAR
NAING
maythinzarnaing.mcm@gmail.com

RECORD numbers of students took

and passed the matriculation exams
this year, say education officials. A total of 590,000 test-takers sat the exam,
and the pass rate of 37.6 percent was
nearly 6 percentage points higher than
last year.
The board of examinations said
this years pass rate was the highest in

at least three years.

The exam results were released before dawn on June 6, bringing joy to
the 220,000 who passed and opening
the way to university admission.
We are proud of the students who
passed. We turn out winners with real
quality. For those who failed, we urge
them to try again after reviewing their
weaknesses, said an examinations
board official.
Ayeyarwady Region students led
the field nationally, with a pass rate
of 51.78pc. Yangon Region fared just
slightly below this years national average with a 36pc pass rate, while Mandalay students scored 38.59pc.

The pass percentage of Yangon Region this year is higher than last year.
The number of students who passed
with distinctions was also higher. Its
normal for Yangon Region to have
more than 30pc of students pass, and
it was students from Yangon who had
the highest marks, he added.
Some tutors on social media suggested that the higher results were produced by a process of manipulating the
raw marks known as moderation.
Ma Su Yadanar of Latha township, Yangon, who matriculated this
year, said the pass rate at her school
was more than 90pc. All my friends
passed. We also heard a lot of rumours

that the results were determined

through moderation, at least in two
subjects, she said.
In Mandalay, the regional deputy
director of education said on June
6 that he was not satisfied with the
4-percentage-point increase in the regions pass rate this year.
Of the 87,281 students who took the
matriculation exam in Mandalay Region, 33,625, or 38.56pc, passed, compared to last years 34.48 percent. The
number of students who received a distinction was 6943, while 192 students
received distinctions in six subjects, he
said. Additional reporting by Mg Zaw,
translation by Thiri Min Htun

MANDALAY

Govt suspends out-of-town vehicle tax

SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
PUBLIC criticism has forced the Mandalay authorities to shut down a profitable scheme to charge out-of-town
vehicles for entering the city. Originally suspended temporarily, the scheme
has now been stopped at least until a
new regional government is installed
early next year, following elections in
November.
For the first three days of May,
Mandalay City Development Committee set up checkpoints around the city
and charged all vehicles not bearing
Mandalay Region plates to enter and
stay in the city. Drivers paid a sliding
scale from K2000 for light cars up to
a maximum of K10,000 for vehicles
weighing 5 tonnes or more.
The toll stations brought in more
than K30 million from more than
10,000 vehicles during those three
days, said U Khin Maung Tint, secretary of MCDC.
The tax was intended as a revenuegenerating measure that would also,
it was hoped, reduce congestion in
the city centre. MCDC said the money
would fund municipal activities, including road construction, improvements to the drainage and water supply networks, and cleaning. But the
tax attracted residents ire, with some
saying it contributed to rather than reduced congestion.
Opposition to the plan was led by a

Vehicles licensed in other

regions are seen on the street
in Mandalay. Photo: Si Thu Lwin

Facebook group, Mandalay Tadin Pone

Yeik Myar (Mandalay News and Images), which was launched in June 2013
and has more than 50,000 members.
Some members of the group threatened to stage public demonstrations
unless the plan was halted.
The regional government initially
said the measure would be suspended
until the end of May, to give Mandalay

residents time to change their car registration to Mandalay Region. However, a regional government official now
says that the measure has been put on
hold indefinitely.
The collection will be suspended
for the tenure of the current government, he said. Its not sure whether
the next government will resume it.
The city still wants motorists to

transfer ownership of vehicles that

Mandalay residents bought in other
states and regions, and pay tax on
them.
We have to change the ownership
documents for 150 to 200 vehicles a day,
or about 4900 for a month, said U Nay
Linn, head of Mandalay Regions Road
Transport Administration Department.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun

News 7

www.mmtimes.com

Views

Govt misfires on Oslo conference

SITHU AUNG
MYINT

newsroom@mmtimes.com

HE Oslo Conference to
End Myanmars Systematic
Persecution of Rohingyas
was held from May 26 to
28 at the Norwegian Nobel
Institution in Oslo, Norway.
Attended by well-known international scholars, human rights
researchers, activists, state leaders
and Rohingya, it was addressed by
Nobel Prize winners, former state
leaders and peace activists through
pre-recorded speeches.
However, the conference drew the
ire of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
which issued a stern statement of
objection on May 30.
The conference was organised
by the Norwegian Nobel Institution with support from a range of
groups. It had a big-name lineup,
particularly among those who sent
in pre-recorded messages. These
included billionaire George Soros a
long-time supporter of democracy
in Myanmar as well as former
Malaysian prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad and Nobel Prize-winner
Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The speech by George Soros, who
drew on his experience growing up
in Europe under Nazi occupation,
was full of sadness and compassion. It also made clear his goodwill
toward Myanmar.
He spoke of his visit to Myanmar
in January, when he travelled to the
Rakhine State capital Sittwe and
visited Aung Mingalar ward. Home
to many displaced Muslims, he said
it can only be called a ghetto.
In Aung Mingalar, I heard the
echoes of my childhood. You see,
in 1944, as a Jew in Budapest, I too
was a Rohingya. Much like the Jewish ghettos set up by Nazis around
Eastern Europe during World War II,
Aung Mingalar has become the involuntary home to thousands of families
who once had access to healthcare,
education, and employment. Now,

A Muslim man sits inside a shelter in a camp for people displaced by communal conflict in 2012 in Sittwe township, Rakhine State, last month. Photo: Naing Wynn Htoon

they are forced to remain segregated

in a state of abject deprivation. The
parallels to the Nazi genocide are
alarming. Fortunately, we have not
reached a stage of mass killing.
He said the governments insistence that it is keeping the Rohingya
in Aung Mingalar for their own
protection is not credible.
Government authorities have
tried to reassure me. They say things
are under control and not as bad as
reported by outsiders who they claim
dont understand the local culture or
the long and complicated history of
Rakhine State. I understand that half
a century of living in isolation under
repression can make a population
vulnerable to intermediation and
exploitation in all sorts of ways, but
I also know that most of the people
of Burma are fair-minded and would
like their country to be a place where
all can live in freedom.
As a longtime friend and
supporter of Burma, I hope for a

positive outcome for all the people

of the country, but where I once
felt a great sense of optimism, I
am now filled with trepidation for
the future. I hope those in power
will immediately take the steps
necessary to counter extremism
and allow open society to take root.
In the lead-up to the elections, its
crucial that official acts should be
taken to counter the pervasive hate
and anti-Rohingya propaganda on
social media and the racist public
campaigns of the 969 movement.
The promise of Burma as a flourishing and vibrant open society is still
within reach. Its up to Burmas
leaders and people whether this
promise is fulfilled.
The Oslo conference was designed
to call attention to the issue of Rohingya Bengalis in Rakhine State. Like
George Soros, some scholars who
spoke at the event described the governments treatment of this minority
group as a slow genocide.

Typically, the Myanmar government denied those accusations by

issuing a statement on May 30. The
Ministry of Foreign Affair said in
the statement that the conference
made only critical comments and it
object[s to] those negative remarks.
The conference failed to recognise
the plans initiated by the government to rebuild trust between the
two communities in Rakhine State,
restore stability, screen Bengalis
who have long lived in the country
for citizenship and establish peaceful
coexistence within the two communities, it said.
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs response did not match what
was said at the Oslo conference. The
event highlighted that the plight of
the Rohingya has been deliberately
created by the government, but the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it
was a conflict between ethnic Rakhine and Bengalis in Rakhine State.
Whatever the government claims,

we havent seen any evidence yet that

it has done anything to encourage
peaceful coexistence between two
communities in Rakhine State.
The scrutinisation of the citizenship credentials of the Rohingya
has been pending for more than 20
years. Meanwhile, those who were
forced to flee when violent conflict
erupted in 2012 have not yet been
permitted to go back to their homes.
There appears to be little prospect
that they will be able to return any
time soon.
Rather than steadfastly resist all
criticism from international community just as the former military
regime did before it, U Thein Seins
government should practically deal
with the issue by consulting with
ethnic people, including the military
and political leaders. Only in this
way can the country arrive at the
best path to solve this longstanding
problem.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe

8 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

Business
Yangon urgently needs low cost housing
MYAT
NYEIN
AYE
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com

TIN
YADANAR
HTUN
yadanar.mcm@gmail.com

YANGON is facing an affordable

housing shortage and will need to
build thousands of new apartments
over the new few years to prevent
homelessness, but high costs and a
lack of funding are likely to delay
progress.
Yangon has just 17,000 units of
affordable housing, which is not
nearly enough to cater for all those
who need accommodation, said U
Kyaw Kyaw Soe, managing director
of System Engineering Co, Ltd and
a member of the Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association (MCEA).
Yangon has a population of
more than 5 million, which is growing by 6.6 percent a year. This
means that 330,000 people are
moving to Yangon every year and
they need a place to live. But not all
of them can buy a property on the
market because its expensive. Even
the price of affordable housing can
be too high, he told The Myanmar
Times.
In particular, those who have
moved to Yangon from other states
and regions in Myanmar will require low cost housing. Since 2012,

the Ministry of Construction has

built affordable housing projects
across Myanmars major cities, but
the price of apartments is around
K30 million per unit.
It costs a private developer
around K20,000 to build each
square foot of a low-cost housing
project, not including the cost of
land and supporting infrastructure, said U Kyaw Kyaw Soe. As a
result, apartment prices cannot be
cheap.
This is one of the problems
with asking private companies to
develop affordable housing. The
price for the buyer rises even further when you add on the cost of
land and infrastructure. Even if
they pay in instalments, they will
have to pay up to 40pc upfront, he
said.
Private companies also have
to pay high interest rates to the
banks, said U Aung Min, director of Myat Min Construction. To
build low-cost buildings, we face
many difficulties. We need a bank
to offer a loan with a low interest
rate. The CHD Bank interest rate
for contractors is very high, and its

inconvenient, he said.
The Construction and Housing
Development (CHD) Bank, which
opened in July 2013, is the first
bank in Myanmar to offer loans
to contractors of low-cost housing
projects and to the buyers of lowcost apartments.
Most affordable housing developments in Yangon are built by the
Ministry of Construction or Yangon City Development Committee
(YCDC), but sometimes they ask
private companies to develop certain projects.
But in some cases, YCDC issues
a tender for a low cost housing project through one of the government
newspapers, but never announces
who the winner is, or even if anyone won the tender, said U Aung
Min.
A major problem for buyers is
that there is no mortgage system
in Myanmar. Mortgages are longterm bank loan,s of 25 or 30 years,
that allow people to buy apartments
even if they dont have enough money to pay immediately. The cost of
the apartment is then paid back to
the bank in installments.
The amount of money you have
to repay each month is around the
same as rental fees. So everybody
could afford to buy an apartment if
the banks offered mortgages, said
U Kyaw Kyaw Soe.
CHD Bank currently only offers
loans of up to eight years. At the

moment, it also only issues loans

to buyers of government projects
including Shwe Lin Ban low cost
housing, according to a company
spokesperson.
We cannot give loans to people
who dont buy apartments from
government projects, as the contractors dont have an agreement
with our bank, they said.
Government low-cost housing
units are awarded through a lottery process and are often hugely
oversubscribed.
Affordable housing has become
a key area of focus for the government and US$100 million has been
budgeted this fiscal year (2015-16) to
build 10 affordable housing projects
with 18,000 new units, according
to the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development
(DHSHD). Seven of these projects
will be in Yangon.

THOUSAND

17

Units of affordable housing in Yangon

far less than demand, according to
experts

This year, 10,080 low-cost housing units will be built in Dagon

Seikkan township, 2592 units in
Mingalardon township, 1440 in
Thanlyin township, 384 units in
South Dagon township and 240 in
Thingangyun township, said a DHSHD official.
In many big cities, there are
specific areas set aside for building
affordable housing units. In Singapore, this area is Bukit Merah Surbana, in Malaysia it is Banda Katsuya, and in Yangon, Dagon Seikkan
township can become the centre
for low-cost housing projects, said
Gidgetelena Ong, senior vicepresident (ARCH) at Surbana International Consultants.
Surbana is managing an affordable housing project in Dagon Seikkan township in cooperation with
the Myanmar government. We are
providing master planning and architectural consultancy services, as
well as civil, structural, mechanical
and electrical services for a 220acre residential development within
the township, she said.
It is easy for citizens to buy affordable housing in Singapore, they
just need to save 20pc of their salary to own low-cost housing, she
said.
But in Myanmar, there is no
government system that allows this
to happen, there is no bank to offer
a long term payment plan and lowcost housing is not cheap.

Taxi drivers say traffic and rain forces fare increase

We rely on taxis
when it rains, but
that doesnt mean
weve got lots of
money. We just want
to get home early.

AYE
NYEIN
WIN
ayenyeinwin.mcm@gmail.com

FIRST it was the buses. Now passengers are complaining that Yangons
taxi drivers are demanding fare increases because of congestion and
heavy rain.
Last week, the head of Yangons
transportation regulator revealed
that unscrupulous bus conductors
were demanding extra money from
passengers at night, in heavy rain,
or in congestion. U Hla Aung, chair
of the Yangon Region Supervisory
Committee for Motor Vehicles, better
known by its Myanmar acronym Ma
Hta Tha, said overcharging was the
most common customer complaint
received by the committee.
Now he has confirmed that the
same is true of taxis, which, at least
nominally, have been controlled by
Ma Hta Tha since last October.
We cant control taxi fares because drivers prefer to negotiate the
fare with passengers rather than using the meter. If the passenger agrees
to pay the fare proposed by the driver, they will use that taxi, said U Hla
Aung, adding that passengers should
be charged an appropriate fare that
would not result in drivers making a
loss.
But sometimes, passengers feel
they have no choice but to agree.
At South Okkalapa township,
near Baeli Bridge, the congestion has
been terrible because of road construction. Most cabs refuse even to

Ko Zaw Htun
Reluctant taxi passenger

A taxi driver and a passenger chat during a ride. Photo: Staff

go there. Some will agree only if you

pay an extra K1000 or K1500, said
Ma Thazin, who lives in North Dagon
township.
Taxi drivers also seem to have the
upper hand when negotiating with
passengers about the fare to destinations likely to be flooded.
We rely on taxis when it rains,

but that doesnt mean weve got lots

of money. We just want to get home
early. I think the drivers are just taking advantage, which is wrong, said
Ko Zaw Htun of Kamaryut township.
Cabbies also reportedly demand
higher fares to go to popular high
schools downtown, if they agree to go
at all, because of the added concern

of congestion.
Taxi drivers say it is necessary they
increase fares, as traffic jams become
more pervasive, driving down the
number of fares they earn in a day.
I do ask more money than before, said one taxi driver. If passengers give what I ask, I make more
money. If the passenger bargains me

down, I dont go lower than the old

price. So on the whole, I make more
money.
The gouging habit seems to have
spread among cabbies who know
which destinations are the most congested, or likely to be subject to flooding in a downpour.
Passengers fear the practice is being institutionalised.
At first they just asked for a little more, but then they started asking
for more. We know the shortest route,
and how much it should cost. But we
have to pay what they ask, because
we need them, said Ko Maung Myo
of South Okkalapa township.
Two weeks ago, Phay Phay May
May company announced that it
would introduce a taxi call centre offering fixed fares, starting later this
month.
According to this system, the
company would survey the routes
and set an appropriate fare. But the
drivers have to agree, said U Hla
Aung.

BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com

India considers
compensation demand
after noodle scare

Cambodias Europe
duty-free access under
scrutiny

BUSINESS 10

BUSINESS 11

Exchange Rates (June 8 close)

Currency
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar

Buying

Selling

K1217
K294
K807
K32.5
K1112

K1237
K302
K820
K34.5
K1114

MOGE comes
second-last in
transparency
KYAW
PHONE
KYAW
k.phonekyaw@gmail.com

IN PICTURES
Skyscrapers are moving to the suburbs. Work is seen under
way at a project near Parami Hotel in Mayangone township.
Photo: Zarni Phyo

New India Assurance launch

shows growing ties: ambassador
SHWEGU THITSAR
khaingsabainyein@gmail.com
CLARE HAMMOND
clarehammo@gmail.com
INDIAs ambassador to Myanmar told
the story of Ganesha, the elephantheaded deity and remover of obstacles, at the launch of the first Indian
insurance representative office in Myanmar late on June 7.
New India Assurance became the
second Indian financial sector stateowned enterprise to open an office
in Yangon within a week, joining the
State Bank of India. Together, they
represent the growing presence of
Indias financial sector in Myanmar,
said Gautam Mukhopadhaya, Indian
ambassador to Myanmar.
This is a homecoming for us. In
the past we were one of the largest
insurance companies in this country, said chair and managing director of New India Assurance G Srinivasan during the launch at the Sule
Shangri-La Hotel, Yangon.
New India Assurance opened in
1919 and has a presence in 27 countries worldwide. It is the largest nonlife insurance company in India and
has an AAA rating from domestic
ratings agency CRISIL, a Standard &
Poors company.
The 100 percent state-owned company is the first government-owned
insurance firm to open an office in
Myanmar, according to deputy finance minister Dr Maung Maung
Thein.
Trade and investment statistics

between Myanmar and India may

not be that impressive yet, said
Mr Mukhopadhaya. Bilateral trade
stands at US$2 billion and investment at $500 million, he said. But
[these figures are] growing very rapidly. We hope to be able to achieve
$3 billion within a short time, maybe
within this year.

The greater the

presence of our
financial sector in
Myanmar the greater
the possibility
of being able to
leverage and utilise
this fund for Indian
investment here.
Gautam Mukhopadhaya
Indian ambassador to Myanmar

He said the relatively low figures are largely due to a hiatus in

relations over the past 50 years.
In other words, he added, many
countries with higher investment
and trade figures are much more
saturated in their economic relationship with Myanmar, whereas

Indias is only just beginning.

India is taking a number of initiatives that will mature in the next one
to three years, to boost both trade
and investment between the two
countries, said Mr Mukhopadhaya.
Once the trilateral highway is
complete and the trade infrastructure on the border [between Myanmar and India] is upgraded, border
trade can be a major contributor. We
have started a direct shipping service
which will also contribute to trade,
and in the latest budget the government earmarked a fund for investment in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos
and Vietnam, he said.
The greater the presence of our financial sector in Myanmar the greater
the possibility of being able to leverage and utilise this fund for Indian
investment here, and the greater the
possibility channeling Indian investment to Myanmar, he added. Furthermore, the Indian embassy is planning
to organise a Myanmar investment
road show to India later this year.
New India Assurance is the 17th
foreign insurance representative office to open in Myanmar within three
years. The government has recently
issued provisional underwriting licences to three foreign insurers to
operate at Thilawa special economic
zone, according to Dr Maung Maung
Thein. These include Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Limited and
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance.
That is just the beginning of
the beginning, there are many more
things coming, he said.

MYANMARS
state-owned
Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise
(MOGE) came in second-last in a
survey covering the transparency
of 45 large state-owned enterprises
around the world.
The firm finished just ahead of
Turkmenistans Turkmengaz, according to a survey conducted by
the New York-based Natural Resource Governance Institute, the
results of which were discussed in
Yangon last week ahead of the reports official launch.
MOGE failed to publish or incompletely published the amount
they are producing and what their
balance is. That made their ranking worse, said Patrick Heller, head
of legal and economic programs at
Natural Resource Governance Institute, at the event last week.
MOGE officials have declined to
comment on the ranking when contacted on the issue.
Mr Heller said natural resources
is often the most corrupt sector,
adding it is important Myanmar
employs managerial-level staff
based on their skills and merit,
rather than for political expediency. These departments must also
be properly audited by independent
civil organisations, and that parliament has a large degree of control
over state firms.
A bid to bring transparency to

the extractive industry sector has

been a central piece of ongoing government reform.
In July 2014, Myanmar has been
recognised as a candidate of the
Extractive Industry Transparency
Initiative (EITI), a global standard
to promote open and accountable
management of natural resources.
Stakeholders have been working
to prepare the first EITI-compliant
report for January 2016.
If Myanmar becomes compliant with the standard, Myanmars
state-owned extractive companies
must publicly show their income,
spending and money flows to the
public.
The resource industries must
be carefully managed, as resources
have their limit, said Mr Patrick.
The Natural Resource Governance Institute list did not survey
any other state-owned enterprises
in Myanmar, though there are at
least eight others currently operating in resources.
In the survey, Norways state oil
and gas company Statoil and Mexican firm Pemex received first and
second place respectively.
MOGE is the domestic oil and
gas industrys main player.
Myanmar held a high-profile
round of bidding for offshore and
onshore energy blocks last year.
The bidding drew a number of highprofile energy companies, though
the blocks are still years away from
being developed.
The local and international bid
winners have now mostly signed
production sharing contracts with
MOGE, and are now beginning environmental and social surveys.

TRADEMARK CAUTION
Federal Express Corporation, a Company incorporated and
existing under the laws of the United States of America, and having
its registered office at 3620 Hacks Cross Road, 3rd Floor, Building
B, Memphis, Tennessee 38125, the United States of America, here
by declares that the Company is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of
the following Trademark.

THE WORLD ON TIME

Reg. No. IV/6442/2015 (20 May 2015)
The above trademark is used in respect of pick-up, transportation,
storage and delivery of documents, packages and freight by land
and air in International Class 39.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the above mark or
other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
Daw Thit Thit Kyaw, (H.G.P.)
For Federal Express Corporation,
c/o BM Myanmar Legal Services Limited (Baker & McKenzie)
# 1206, 12th Floor, Sakura Tower,
339 Bogyoke Aung San Road,
Kyauktada Township, Yangon,
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Dated: 9 June 2015

10 Business

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

SMALL BUSINESS

Weather weighs on the

sidewalk newspaper trade
MYAT
NOE OO
myatnoe.mcm@gmail.com

STREET commerce, naturally, declines during the rainy season. Few

people want to sit at a stall and slurp
noodles, or search for shirts and sunglasses, during a downpour.
Yet vendors say it is street newspaper sales that can be the hardest hit.
Newspapers are easily affected
by the rain, and care must be taken
that they are covered in the event of
a downpour. This is easy enough for
stalls, but considerably more difficult
for roving vendors who sell at bus stations or traffic lights.
U Nyi Nyi, a resident of Hlaing
Tharyar townships, sells his journals
at Dhammazedi traffic light in Bahan
township.
He purchases the papers from a
wholesaler and then sells them with
a mark-up to idling traffic.
The rainy season always destroys
papers. We try to cover newspapers,
and we order newspapers that are
proven sellers, because when it rains
we cannot display new titles easily,
he said.
In the rainy season, people stick
with the old standbys. In the summer,
we can show new titles and see if people want to buy them.
Still, the weather is secondary to
the quality of the issue. U Nyi Nyi says
he buys more papers for resale when
it contains items he reckons may be of
more interest to readers.
We think about the current
news situation first, he said. If
theres some hot news that comes
out in the rainy season, we still buy
more papers.

Streetside newspaper sales are a little trickier in the rainy season. Photo: Staff

Others change where they sell

newspapers with the beginning of
the rains.
U Myint Soe is a resident of North
Dagon township but sells papers in
Bahan township.
He stops selling on the streets and
moves to a Bahan taxi station when
the rain starts, as he is much less
likely to make a sale during the rainy
season.
In the rainy season, few people
make purchases and I have much
more luck with taxi drivers, he said.
Our business declines by one-third
now compared with other seasons.
There are other factors affecting the seasonality of the newspaper business.

TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Fila Luxembourg S..r.L a Company
incorporated in Luxembourg and having its principal office at 26,
Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following trademarks:-

(Reg: No. IV/592/2008)

(Reg: No. IV/593/2008)

(Reg: Nos. IV/4149/1995 & IV/591/2008)

The above three trademarks are in respect of:Spectacles, frames adapted for spectacles; scientific, nautical
photographic, cinematographic and optical apparatus and
instruments and timepieces in Intl Class: 9
Clothing footwear, headgear, in particular for sports in Class: 25
for registration number 4149/1995.
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 Fila Luxembourg S..r.L
P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.
Phone: 372416

Dated: 9th June, 2015

English Premier Leauge football

generally lasts from late August to
the end of May, coinciding with the
best time to sell football journals
and publications.
U Myint Soe said it is a learned
trick to protect newspapers, and as a
veteran of the trade, he rarely ends up
with destroyed papers. He also augments his newspaper sales by flogging betel and cigarettes, which have
more constant custom.
Other newspaper sellers have different demands on their time.
Ko Naing, a 13-year-old, sells
newspapers at Tarmwe township traffic light.
I sell only in the summers
when school is closed, so Ive never

experienced newspaper sales in the

rainy season, he said. In the summer, sales are good.
While the most visible newspaper
sellers are on the streets or moving
car to car, others specialise in home
delivery. Some agents distribute more
than one newspaper.
Ko Tu, a resident of South Okkalapa township, said home delivery
requests do not drop off in the rainy
season, but he has the additional
challenge of keeping his papers dry.
In the rainy season we face
challenges in delivering newspapers without getting them wet, he
said. Transportation is also one of
the key factories making the business difficult.

BEIJING

China graft
probe
catches
coal exec
CHINESE authorities are investigating a top executive of the countrys largest coal producer Shenhua,
the company said, the latest suspected criminal case involving an
official of a major state-owned firm.
Hong Kong-listed China Shenhua Energy Co (CSEC) said senior
vice president Hao Gui is being investigated by judicial authorities,
according to a statement to the
stock exchange issued on June 7.
It gave no details but said Mr
Hao was unable to properly perform his duties.
The board of directors of the
company will make [a] further decision on the matter according to
the progress of the investigation,
it said, adding the listed unit was
informed of the probe by parent
Shenhua Group Corp.
Mr Hao is also the vice general
manager of the parent firm.
China has launched investigations into executives of several
state-owned enterprises with Zhou
Yongkang, the former security chief
and previously head of oil major
China National Petroleum Corporation among the most high-profile.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
launched a much-publicised drive
against corruption after he came
to power more than two years ago,
vowing to target both high-level tigers and low-ranking flies.
CSEC said production and operation remain normal and unaffected.
Investors were unmoved by the
news. In afternoon trading, CSEC
was up 1.99 percent in Hong Kong
and 2.21pc higher in Shanghai
where it is also listed.
AFP

NEW DELHI

India seeks damages with noodles

INDIAS government is preparing
to seek damages from Nestle after a
food scare involving excessive lead
in its hugely popular Maggi noodles
sparked a nationwide recall, an official
said yesterday.
The consumer affairs ministry is to
seek an undisclosed amount of compensation from the Swiss giant for
false advertising after the food safety
regulator branded the noodles unsafe and hazardous.
Ministry deputy secretary GC Rout
said the case would be filed in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission, a semi-judicial body that
can levy fines against companies.
We are going to file a case against
Nestle and are presently collecting the
material for the case, Mr Rout said,
adding the minimum amount that
could be sought was 10 million rupees
(US$156,000).
There are sections of the consumer protection act that empower
state and central governments to file
a case in the larger interest of the
consumers.
A Nestle spokesperson said the
company was not willing to comment
as it had not yet seen the case.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned Nestle
on June 5 from making and selling the
noodles after tests by some states found
lead levels above statutory limits.
Nestle, which denies the charges
and says the noodles are safe to eat,
had already announced it was pulling

An Indian shopkeeper removes packets of Nestle Maggi instant noodles from the
shelves in his shop in Siliguri on June 5. Photo: AFP

the product from sale as it seeks to

contain growing safety concerns.
At least six states including Indias
capital have announced temporary
bans on the sale of the instant noodles
in the past few days, after officials said
test results showed high lead levels.
The case came as the FSSAI announced yesterday it was ordering
testing of other brands of noodles as
well as packet pasta amid growing
concerns over the food safety scare.
FSSAI said the 33 products made

by nine companies including Nestle

India and ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) will be tested for lead, arsenic
and 19 other substances.
Nestle global chief executive Paul
Bulcke said on June 5 its noodles were
safe for consumption after flying
into India to try to reassure consumers over the safety scare.
Nestle has been selling its Maggi
brand for over three decades in India,
and has 80 percent of the countrys instant noodle market. AFP

International Business 11

www.mmtimes.com
PHNOM PENH

Cambodias EU access under threat

THE European Union is increasingly
scrutinising abuse of its Everything
But Arms treaty with Cambodia, underscoring both the importance of
the zero-tariff agreement to the kingdoms economy and the potential for
its misuse.
Under the EBA, least-developed
countries (LDCs) such as Cambodia
export all goods except for weapons
duty-free to the European market.
Myanmar also receives duty-free access
to Europe under the program.
Thanks to the EBA and similar treaties, Cambodia enjoys one of the most
important advantages to neighbouring
countries such as China, Thailand and
Vietnam, said Hiroshi Suzuki, president of the Business Research Institute
of Cambodia.
Jean-Franois Cautain, ambassador of the EU in Cambodia, said in a
statement that the EBAs purpose was
to help Cambodia and other LDCs better integrate into the global market
which comes at a cost to European tax
collectors.
For a total of 3 billion euros (US$2.7
billion) that Cambodia exported to the
EU last year, member states lose a combined amount of circa 250 million euros on imported duty tax, he said.
The interest of the EU is to ensure
compliance with the regulations that
frame EBA.

BEIJING

Chinese
weakness
continues
in May
CHINESE imports fell for a seventh
straight month in May while exports
also sank, according to official data
yesterday, as the worlds second-biggest
economy shows protracted weakness
even in the face of government easing
measures.
The disappointing figures also come
as leaders try to transform the economy from one where growth is driven by
consumer spending rather than by government investment and exports.
Imports slumped 17.6 percent year
on year to US$131.26 billion, the General Administration of Customs said in
a statement.
The decline was much sharper than
the median forecast of a 10pc fall in a
Bloomberg News poll of economists
and followed Aprils 16.2pc drop.
The May trade data ... suggest both
external and domestic demand remain
weak, said Julian Evans-Pritchard, an
analyst with research firm Capital Economics, in a note.
Exports dropped for the third consecutive month, falling 2.5pc to $190.75
billion, Customs said, although that
was better than the median estimate of
a 4pc fall in the Bloomberg survey. The
sharp decrease in imports meant the
trade surplus expanded 65.6pc year-onyear to $59.49 billion, according to the
data. In yuan terms imports fell 18.1pc
and exports decreased 2.8pc.
The figures provided further evidence that frailty in the Chinese economy, a key driver of world growth, has
extended into the current quarter despite intensified government stimulus
measures.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew
7.4pc in 2014, the lowest rate in nearly a
quarter of a century, while the new year
has shown few signs of a reversal in the
slowing trend.
AFP

In Cambodias rice sector, fears that

cheap rice from neighbouring countries is being mixed with Cambodian
rice exports to benefit illegitimately
from the EBA have recently led the
Ministry of Commerce to take action.
A May 11 letter from the ministry
said surprise inspections would be
launched into rice millers to investigate the issue, while certificates of origin would not be issued to violators.
David Van, senior adviser to the
Cambodia Rice Federation, said the
Ministrys move should help stave off
concerns by taking preventative measures before formal complaints are filed.
I absolutely have no clue if it is going to be efficient or not, but at least
what the ministry is showing is that
they are taking a proactive stance to
demonstrate to the EU that they are
not just sitting and waiting.
According to Mr Van, there have
been no recent proven cases of EBA
abuses when it came to rice exports.
But that is not the case for another
Cambodian industry.
Last month, the European Commission said it uncovered a scheme under
which Chinese-sourced bikes were being exported to Europe through Cambodia to circumvent an anti-dumping
duty imposed on China in 2013.
In response, the Commission
slapped 48.5 percent import duties on

A Cambodian man
makes a bulk delivery.
Photo: AFP

Cambodian bicycle imports, save for

three companies it found to have been
exporting legitimately.
The companies affected by the duties have to wait for one year before
they can have their exemption requests

reviewed by the EU, according to the

Commission.
The investigation also revealed
that local authorities in Cambodia and
other countries that were inspected do
not carry out cross checks between the

Chinese export statistics and respective

local import statistics.
Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Ken Ratha said he could not currently elaborate on the bicycle scheme
in detail, although he said the ministry
was now collecting information on bicycle producers potentially affected by
the duties.
Lets see how much impact [the
duties] have on those companies.
However, for the industry which
benefits the most from the EBA, instances of companies abusing the agreement are uncommon, said Ken Loo,
secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia.
Since the Cambodian government
allows garment firms to import raw
materials duty-free as long as they are
re-exported after processing, numerous checkpoints are already in place.
Because of this duty exemption at
the point of import for raw materials,
theres a lot of inspection going on, Mr
Loo said, adding that the EU annually
inspected garment factories to ensure
they complied with the EBA.
Cambodian garment exports also
benefited greatly from a loosening of
EBA certificate of origin requirements
in 2011, allowing the heavily import-dependent industry to massively increase
its benefit from the deal.
AFP

12 International Business
BANGKOK

Thai
property
counts on
ASEAN
THAI property prospects remain
promising with the imminent arrival
of regional economic integration at
the end of the year.
But political stability, greater competitiveness, clear-cut regulations and
an agile government are vital components for drawing foreign investment
to the Thai real estate market, say
property consultants.
Alastair Hughes, chief executive of
property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle Asia-Pacific, says international
investors like certainty. They will always consider stable government and
clear laws. If Thailand can ensure
political stability with a new constitution [in place], foreign investors will
not hesitate to resume their property
investment, Mr Hughes said.
According to the Bank of Thailands figures, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the real estate sector
which includes residential property,
commercial property, hotel projects,
industrial estates, healthcare facilities,
leisure groups and infrastructure remained in the doldrums in the first
quarter of 2015, falling 40.6 percent
year-on-year to US$169.8 million.
Full-year FDI in real estate fell to
$1.34 billion in 2014 from $1.55 billion
in 2013. The Bangkok Post

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

MANILA

Philippines takes to mobiles

to make money payments
AS a schoolgirl in Manila, Vilma Fetesio would stand at the dock each
month with her brother and other
children, waiting for boatmen to
bring them money from their parents on other islands. Sometimes,
in rough weather, the boats didnt
come.
We waited at the port the whole
afternoon, at times the whole day,
said Ms Fetesio, now 42 and a teacher back on her native Culion island.
During the typhoon season when
no boats sailed, some of us would go
hungry.
Culion, a days journey across the
South China Sea from the capital,
once housed the worlds largest leper colony and was called the land
of no return. Its one of 604 municipalities in the Philippines that dont
have a bank, a deficit the monetary
authority is trying to overcome by
encouraging the adoption of mobile phone transactions. Reaching
the 78 million Filipinos who dont
yet use their mobiles for payments
may yield about US$2 billion in
additional monthly transactions,
according to Bloomberg estimates
based on data from the central bank
and telecom firms.
Its expensive to reach the unbanked, to know them, to understand them, develop products for
them, said Pia Bernadette RomanTayag, head of inclusive finance ad-

vocacy at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Technology is narrowing that

cost.
There are no banks in more than
a third of the countrys 1600 cities
and municipalities, from the mountainous Kibungan town north of
Manila to the Turtle Islands in the
southern-most province of Tawi-Tawi. In contrast, the ratio of mobile
SIM cards to the Philippine population was 114 percent last year, higher than the 95pc global average.
If you go to the mountains, you
wont find an armoured truck, said
Lorenzo Tan, president of Bankers Association of the Philippines,
the countrys largest group of lenders. The only way you can transfer
money is through your phone.
About 50 million Filipinos, or
three-quarters of the countrys

MILLION

50

Number of Filipinos without a bank

account about three quarters of the
adult population.

adults, dont have a bank account.

That compares with about one-fifth
in Malaysia and Thailand, according to the World Bank. Most are
poor farmers or live in remote parts
of the 7000-island archipelago. In
their cash-based economy, many
turn to pawn brokers or loan sharks
who advance money against land or
jewellery and charge interest of up
to 20pc a month.
Its a huge market at the bottom
of the pyramid, said Rob Nazal,
chief development officer at BPI
Globe BanKO, or BanKO, which had
more than 1 million electronic bank
accounts last year. There are so
many barriers to traditional banking.
The Philippines is seeking to replicate the success of models including M-PESA in Kenya and bKash
in Bangladesh. In the Philippines,
it is the central bank thats leading
the charge. Bangko Sentral allowed
banks and mobile services companies to offer mobile-banking accounts in 2009, and by 2014 there
were 27 million of them, more than
half the 45 million traditional bank
deposit accounts in the country.
BanKO, a venture of Ayala
Groups Globe Telecom and Bank of
the Philippine Islands, was the first
to offer a mobile-payments service.
Telecom firm Smart Communications, part of the Metro Pacific In-

vestments, offers remittances and

bill payments via mobile.
There were 217 million mobilephone transactions in the Philippines in 2013, worth $692 million
a month, a 64pc rise in value from
2010, central bank data showed.
Now, central bank Governor
Amando Tetangco plans to expand
the system with the introduction of
a national mobile-phone payment
gateway this year as the centerpiece
of the banks financial inclusion program. The plan will be unveiled July
1.
The expansion helps bring more
money into the formal banking
system, which can mobilise funds
quicker and more efficiently, said
Peter U, dean at the University of
Asia and the Pacific School of Economics in Manila. Funds from the
unbanked can be put to more productive uses like lending to industries or small enterprises.
On Culion, where the US-built
leper colony was finally converted
to a municipality in 1995 after 89
years, Ms Fetesio now sends money
to her children studying in Manila
via her mobile phone. They can
withdraw it within minutes at an
agent in the city.
My son and daughter dont have
to wait at the port like I did, Ms
Fetesio said. It helps me sleep at
night. Bloomberg

International Business 13

www.mmtimes.com
JERUSALEM

TOKYO

Orange boss invited

to Israel in telecoms
brand boycott row
ISRAEL has invited the head of
Frances Orange group to visit and
explain his plan to review ties
with a local telecoms firm that has
stirred a boycott row, a government
official said on June 7.
The telecoms giant reacted
swiftly, saying it welcomed the invitation and that its CEO, Stephane
Richard, would travel to the Jewish
state soon, as both sides seek to
defuse the row.
The trip would allow Mr Richard to clarify the misunderstanding, a spokesperson said.
He said the CEO would provide
all the necessary precisions to put
an end to this controversy and reaffirm the groups commitment.
The governments invitation was
the latest stage in the controversy
which erupted last week when Mr
Richard said in Cairo that his firm
sought to withdraw its brand from
Israel. The country reacted furiously, accusing him of bowing to a
Palestinian-led boycott campaign.
Mr Richard quickly tried to limit
the damage, insisting there was no
political motivation and saying on
the weekend that he sincerely regrets the furore. His remarks were
dismissed by Partner, Israels secondlargest mobile operator which has a
licence to use the Orange brand.
Denouncing his remarks as a
smokescreen, the firm demanded
Mr Richard explain himself in person on June 6.
Mr Richard was understood to
be seeking a meeting with Yossi
Gal, Israels ambassador to France,
but the envoy had been instructed
to decline, an Israeli government
official said.
The ambassador in Paris has
been instructed not to have a meeting there in Paris and to tell the
CEO that he would be a welcome
visitor in Israel, he said, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Mr Richards comments had been inconsistent. His
subsequent words of admiration

for Israel clearly dont square with

the unequivocally hostile remarks
he made in Cairo, Mr Netanyahus
office quoted him as saying in a
written message to a New York conference organised by the Jerusalem
Post newspaper.
Mr Richards remarks in Cairo,
in which he said his firms intention was to withdraw [the] Orange
brand from Israel, touched a raw
nerve in Israel, which is becoming
increasingly jittery about its image
abroad.
His comments came just four
weeks after the publication of a report accusing Orange of indirectly
supporting settlement activity
through its relationship with Partner Communications.
Compiled by five mainly French
NGOs and two trade unions, the
report accuses Partner of building
on confiscated Palestinian land and
urges Orange to cut business ties
and publicly declare its desire to
avoid contributing to the economic
viability of the settlements.
The international community
regards all Israeli construction on
Palestinian land seized during the
1967 Six-Day War as illegal.
In a statement, Mr Richard on
May 6 reiterated that the move was
solely motivated by brand strategy.
Orange does not support any
form of boycott, in Israel or anywhere else in the world, he said in
an email, insisting that the Orange
Group was in Israel to stay.
Aside from its brand licensing
agreement with Partner, the French
firm operates two subsidiaries in Israel: Orange Business Services and
Internet TV specialist Viaccess-Orca.
Paris has also sought to calm the
row, with Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius insisting France was firmly
opposed to a boycott of Israel.
His remarks came after Mr Netanyahu demanded the French
government publicly renounce the
miserable remarks and the miserable action of a company that is
under its partial ownership. AFP

IN PICTURES

PHOTO: AFP

A nail house (top)

standing in the middle
of a road in Nanning, in
Chinas Guangxi province,
and the same location
(bottom) with the house
removed on May 28.
Land seizures by local
officials over years
of booming property
development have been
a problem in China, and
have gave rise to the term
nail house to describe
a holdout tenant or
occupant, likening them
to a nail refusing to be
hammered down.

A container freighter
is seen docked at the
Tokyo port yesterday.
Photo: AFP

Surprisingly strong
Japan economic growth
JAPAN posted stronger-than-expected
growth in the first quarter as a pickup in capital spending powered the
worlds number-three economy, but
some economists warned that the recovery could be short-lived.
The 1.0pc expansion in JanuaryMarch or 3.9pc on an annualised
basis was sharply up from an initial
estimate of 0.6pc growth, according
to the Cabinet Office figures.
The upbeat data is good news for
Tokyos efforts to boost the economy,
but household spending remains stubbornly weak as the Bank of Japan
struggles to push up prices in a bid to
end decades of deflation.
Despite wage rises at big firms
and a tighter labour market, convincing people to splash out on consumer
goods has been a struggle after Japan
raised sales taxes last year to help pay
down a huge national debt.
The rise hammered consumer
spending and pushed the economy
into a brief recession. Japan limped
out of the red in the last three months
of 2014 with yesterdays surprise figures offering some hope for better
times ahead.

The figures show the Japanese

economy is gradually heading for recovery, said Credit Suisse economist
Takeshi Saito.
Corporate investment rose 2.7pc
from the previous quarter, well above
an initial 0.4pc expansion.
The growth figures were in line
with the Bank of Japans assessment
that the economy was on the upswing,
and may delay any further central
bank stimulus.
At the moment, [the Bank of Japan]
is less likely to introduce another round
of monetary easing, Mr Saito said.
However, bank chief Haruhiko
Kuroda has been forced to push
back a timeline for hitting a 2.0pc
inflation target a cornerstone of
Prime Minister Shinzo Abes plan
to kickstart the deflation-plagued
economy although he insists that
healthy price rises are around the
corner.
In Asian forex trading, the dollar was slightly lower at 125.44 yen,
against 125.56 yen on May 5 in New
York where the US currency climbed
briefly to a 13-year high of 125.86 yen.
The data yesterday contrasted

with revised US figures that showed

the worlds top economy contracted
an annualised 0.7pc in the first three
months of the year, with the impact of
a ports slowdown and cautious consumer spending worse than originally
estimated.
The US is a major market for Japanese exporters and despite the apparent strength of yesterdays figures,
they also raised a red flag as firms
inventories grew from three months
earlier.
This [inventory buildup] implies
that the underlying pace of demand
was not nearly as strong as the headline suggests, Marcel Thieliant from
Capital Economics said in a commentary, adding that consumer spending
and industrial output remained lacklustre.
We ... expect a sharp slowdown in
GDP growth in Q2.
Separate data yesterday showed
Japans current-account surplus made
a six-fold jump to 1.32 trillion yen
(US$10.5 billion) in April, thanks to an
improving trade picture and buoyant
returns on company investments.
AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

TOMBOW PENCIL CO., LTD., a Company incorporated in Japan,
of 6-10-12 Toshima, Kita-ku, Tokyo 114-8583, Japan, is the Owner
of the following Trade Marks:-

Reg. No. 7515/2010

Reg. No. 7516/2010
in respect of Class 16: Paper; printed matter; stationery; Pencils;
Colored lead pencils; Crayons; Pencil sharpeners; Pencil holders;
Fountain pens; Ball-point pens; Roller ball pens; refills for ballpoint pens and for roller ball pens; Mechanical pencils and lead
therefor; marking pens; Correction tapes; Correcting fluids (office
requisites); Plastic erasers; Rubber erasers; Drawing instruments;
Writing cases; Adhesive tape dispensers (office requisites);
Adhesive tapes for stationery or household purposes; Adhesives
(glues) for stationery or household purposes.
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 TOMBOW PENCIL CO., LTD.
P. O. Box 60, Yangon
E-mail: makhinkyi.law@mptmail.net.mm
Dated: 9 June 2015

14 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

15

World

WORLD EDITOR: Kayleigh Long

Security tops agenda

as G7 world leaders
convene in Germany

Turkey ballot
delivers strong
shock to Erdogan

WORLD 18

WORLD 18

SEOUL

PHNOM PENH

MERS continues to rise in S Korea

Concern over Angkor copy proposal

SOUTH Korea recorded its sixth death

and biggest single day jump in Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infections yesterday, with 23 new cases in
the largest outbreak of the potentially
deadly virus outside Saudi Arabia.
From just four cases two weeks ago,
the total number of infections now
stands at 87, including six people who
have died.
The latest fatality was an 80-yearold man who died yesterday morning
in a hospital in Daejeon, 140 kilometres
(87 miles) south of Seoul, the health
ministry said.
The outbreak has triggered widespread public concern in South Korea,
with 2500 people placed under quarantine orders and nearly 1900 schools
mostly in Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi province closed down.
Among the 23 new cases, 17 were infected at the Samsung Medical Centre
in southern Seoul one of the countrys
largest hospitals, and the one where
the ailing 73-year-old chairman of Samsung Electronics has been in intensive
care for more than a year.
The hospital said it had placed nearly 900 patients and medical staff under
observation and expected to see more
cases in the coming days.
Another new case was of a 16-yearold student hospitalised on May 27 for
another disease, in the first case involving a teenager.
Given the period of time he had

been in hospital, the education ministry stressed it was not possible that
he had infected classmates at school.
All the infections so far have been
restricted to hospitals, with transmissions between patients, staff and their
families.
One 50-year-old doctor was released from hospital after becoming
only the second person to be passed fit
after contracting the virus, for which
there is no vaccine.
Criticised for its initial response to
the outbreak, the government on June
7 vowed all-out efforts to curb the
further spread of the virus, including
tracking the mobile phones of those
under house quarantine to ensure they
stay home.
Several have already been caught
sneaking out, despite facing possible
fine of 3 million won (US$2670).
Chung Eun-Kyung, a senior official
at the Korea Centre for Disease Control
and Prevention, said those confined
to their homes should stay alone in a
room and wear a surgical mask when
interacting with family members.
Hundreds of public events, school
trips and sporting fixtures have been
cancelled, with movie theatres, theme
parks and shopping malls reporting big
drops in the number of customers.
Both E-Mart and Lotte Mart, two
of the countrys biggest supermarket
chains, reported a 12 percent drop in
weekly sales from June 1 to June 6.

But sales on their websites surged

by about 50 percent as more consumers chose to stay at home and shop
online.
Those who did venture to the stores
were greeted by staff who wiped down
the handles of the supermarket trolleys
before and after use.
Schools that remained open
screened students arriving for class
yesterday morning, checking their
temperature with an ear thermometer
at the gate and sending home anyone
with even a mild fever.
Lee Hyun-Shil, who was taking her
son to a kindergarten in Seoul, said she
was in utter shock over the scale of
the outbreak.
I cant believe this is happening in
South Korea, Ms Lee told AFP.
I am really worried these days ...
and wonder if its OK to use a subway
to go somewhere, she said.
More than 20 countries have been
affected by MERS, with most cases in
Saudi Arabia.
The virus is considered a deadlier
but less infectious cousin of Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
which killed hundreds of people when
it appeared in Asia in 2003.
A team of officials from the World
Health Organisation arrived in Seoul
yesterday to help investigate the
outbreak and offer advice on its
containment. AFP

Nepalese police officers conduct a self-defence training session for women and childeren at a shelter for earthquake victims in Kathmandu on June 5. Photo: AFP

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has

taken its concerns over a large-scale
copy of Angkor Wat to be built in
Bihar, India first mooted to a firestorm of controversy in 2012 directly
to the Indian government, asking it to
intervene and put a halt to the project.
In a letter sent on June 6 to Indias
Ministry of External Affairs, the government appealed to India to act in
order to maintain historical diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Royal Government of
Cambodia considers that this copy
of Angkor Wat temple [built] for
commercial benefit seriously violates
[its] world heritage, which is a universal and exceptional value of humanity,
the letter states.
It continued: [The Cambodian
government] strongly requests that
Indias Ministry of External Affairs
reconsiders the planned construction
of the Angkor Wat replica in order to
preserve the traditional historic relations between the two countries and
our people.
The letter added that the imagery
associated with Angkor Wat has been
a defining characteristic of Cambodias image for centuries, and is even
the central design element of the
countrys national flag.
The statement was issued after
the Cambodian government received
a report that the Mahavir Mandir
Trust is moving forward with plans to
construct the Viraat Ramayan Mandir,
a massive Hindu temple complex with

striking similarities to Angkor Wat,

Cambodias most famous and valuable
tourist attraction.
Speaking to the Phnom Penh
Post, Kishore Kunal, who heads the
Mahavir Mandir Trust, assured that
his company was not creating a replica of Angkor Wat.
We are using only the architecture
of the spire as inspiration, he said.
Inspiration is also being taken from
other temples across India.
But Mr Kunal added that he has
consulted with Cambodian authorities to determine whether or not his
temple, which will upon completion be the worlds largest religious

monument, is in fact an exact

reproduction of Angkor Wat.
We have asked Cambodia to send
architects to see the plans and decide
if its a replica, he said.
They will realise that its an
improved version of many temples,
including Angkor Wat, the Hanuman
temple in Mahabalipuram in Tamil
Nadu, India, and others.
Mr Kunal added that there is
technically no rule against replicating a World Heritage Site, saying that
Indias neighbour Bangladesh hosts a
replica of Indias iconic Taj Mahal to
no ones apparent dissatisfaction.
Phnom Penh Post

Tourists view Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province over the Khmer New
Year period on April 13, 2012. Photo: EPA

KATHMANDU

Self-defence training for

earthquake displaced

A South Korean medical worker (right) wearing protective gear handles a sample tube from a woman suspected of carrying
the MERS virus, in front of the emergency section at the Samsung Medical Centre in Seoul on June 8. Photo: AFP

DHAKA

Alleged trafficker dead in border shootout

A ROHINGYA man suspected of
involvement in people trafficking has
been shot dead in Bangladesh, police
said yesterday, as the country battles
a migrant crisis.
Police said the 30-year-old man
died in an early morning gunfight
between two groups of human traffickers in Teknaf near Bangladeshs
border with Myanmar.
The area is home to 32,000
registered Rohingya refugees who
are sheltering in two camps, as well
as between 200,000 and 300,000
undocumented Rohingya.
He was charged with at least
three human trafficking offences
and his name was in the list of
human traffickers prepared by the

home ministry, local police chief

Ataur Rahman told AFP, referring to
the dead suspect, who he identified
only as Amanullah.
However, a Rohingya community
leader in the Nayapara refugee camp
said Amanullah, a resident of the
camp, had been shot dead while in
police custody.
Police arrested him at 4pm [June
7] and this morning they shot him
dead in cold blood near a road, the
leader said, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
Every year thousands of Bangladeshi economic migrants and
Rohingya from Myanmar attempt
perilous boat journeys organised by
people smugglers, mostly to Malaysia

and Thailand.
The trade was thrown into the
spotlight this year after thousands
were left stranded following a Thai
crackdown on trafficking that threw
well-worn regional routes into chaos.
In the past few weeks at least five
suspected traffickers have been shot
dead during gunfights with police
in Teknaf, whose islands and coastal
villages are used as the main
trafficking hub.
Local people say all five were
deliberately killed in fake encounters
a commonly used term in South Asia
for staged confrontations in which
police execute unarmed suspects and
later claim it as self-defence.
AFP

NEPAL is teaching self-defence to

quake-affected women and children
following a string of attacks in temporary camps housing survivors, police announced late last week.
More than 8700 people died in
two major quakes that hit Nepal
on April 25 and May 12, destroying
nearly half a million houses and
leaving thousands camping out in
the open.
Cases of abuse and violence
have been reported in the camps,
and some women complain of feeling insecure living there, said police
official Tara Devi Thapa, who is coordinating the classes.
These skills will help them feel
confident against attackers and will
be useful for their protection, Ms
Thapa told AFP.
On June 5, dozens of women took
a break from chores and brought
their children to an open ground in
a camp in Kathmandu, as an all-female police team taught them basic
judo and karate moves.
Dont think you are weak just
because you are a woman, said constable Pramila Khadka.
Listen to me attentively, and
you wont have trouble tackling
even someone stronger than you,
Ms Khadka, a judo player, told the
women.
Taking turns at playing attackers,
the participants partnered with each
other and practised kicks, punches
and locking moves designed to disarm opponents, as police shooed

away curious male onlookers.

These are very useful skills ... I
am thankful to them, said Naina
Rai, a 19-year-old who has been living in the camp for over a month.
Living here is not like home.
You are surrounded by strangers all
the time. But now if a boy tries to
tease me, he wont be safe, Ms Rai
told AFP.
Police official Ms Thapa said
more than 40 women and 80 children have attended the classes so far
and plans were under way to extend
the training to other camps as well.
Widespread
unemployment,
poverty and the impact of a 10-year
Maoist insurgency have made Nepali women and children easy targets for traffickers, and campaigners say that the recent disaster has

Cases of abuse and

violence have been
reported in the
camps, and some
women complain
of feeling insecure
living there.
Tara Devi Thapa
Self-defence course coordinator

increased the threat.

Police and security agencies have
increased vigilance against trafficking in quake-hit areas and along the
Nepal-India border.
In an effort to prevent the trafficking of children, the government
recently imposed a three-month ban
on adoption and made it mandatory
for travelling youngsters to carry permission letters if they are not accompanied by parents.
A 2013 report by the Himalayan
nations human rights commission
recorded 29,000 incidences of trafficking or attempted trafficking in
the country.
Over 4000 foreign military personnel involved in relief efforts have
now left the country, six weeks after
the first of two earthquakes ripped
through the country.
Relief teams from 18 nations, including India, China and the United
States, have been working to provide water, food, shelter and medical assistance to the country since a
7.8-magnitude quake struck on April
25.
The international military missions that were in Nepal to handle
the post-quake situation have returned back to their respective countries, the army said in a statement
on June 5.
The international military support was very helpful for rescuing
people alive from the debris, pulling
out dead bodies, treating injured, delivering relief materials. AFP

BANGKOK

No stranger to scandal, Manas has long fight ahead

LIEUTENANT General Manas Kongpan, recently arrested for people smuggling in Thailand, is no stranger to
controversy. He has made a name for
himself and, in doing so, has become
involved in scandal.
During 2005-2006, he earned his
reputation as a colonel leading a
special task force attached to the
25th Infantry Regiment in the coastal
province of Ranong.
His responsibility was to look out
for illegal migrants trying to sneak
into the countrys territorial waters
and keep an eye on Thai gamblers who
went back and forth across the Myanmar border to casino resorts in Victoria
Point, known in Thailand as Koh Song.
Lt Gen Manas and his unit were
widely known as formidable.
But not long after 2006, critics say,
doubts started to emerge about him.
In October 2007, Lt Gen Manas was
assigned to work in the three southernmost provinces. He led a raid on a suspected drug dealers house in Narathiwats Sungai Kolok district and found
about 30 million baht in cash, stuffed
into PVC pipes.
It was alleged the dealer had links
with the insurgent movement.
It was later revealed the actual
amount uncovered was more than 70
million baht.
Two of the PVC pipes with the cash
went missing under the watch of Lt
Gen Manas, and only 30 million baht
was ever handed over to police.
Lt Gen Manas was investigated, but
let off the hook due to lack of evidence.
The mystery of the missing cash
remains.
Much of Lt Gen Manass military career took place in the southern region.
There was talk that he might retire in

two years as the Fourth Army Region

chief in the South.
He was promoted as commander of
the 42nd Military Circle in Songkhla in
2013.
The position is known as an influential post. Whoever holds it receives
a nickname: the boss of Hat Yai, or the
boss of Songkhla.
Lt Gen Manas stayed in the job until
April this year when he was made an
army specialist following allegations of
involvement in the trafficking of boat
people.
The Na Thawi Provincial Court in
Songkhla finally approved a warrant to
arrest Lt Gen Manas at the end of last
month.
Charges range from colluding with
civilians in human trafficking; participating in the smuggling of illegal immigrants; and holding victims of trafficking for ransom.

The charges of collusion mean he

will be tried in a civilian rather than a
military court.
He turned himself in to police to
fight the charges on June 3 before being handed over to the Police Region 9
Bureau.
His bail was denied out of concern
he would meddle with witnesses and
evidence.
One piece of what is believed to be
key evidence is financial documents
purportedly showing money transfers
to Lt Gen Manas from March 2013 to
February 2014.
A source close to Lt Gen Manas
claims the money transfers are for his
bull-fighting business, which would be
classified as gambling. But the officer
has so far remained silent about the
origins of the money.
His classmates at the Armed Forces
Preparatory School Class of 16 said they

Lieutenant General Manas Kongpan (centre) is surrounded by police officers as

he turns himself in at the police headquarters in Bangkok on June 3. Photo AFP

were dumbfounded when they learned

of his implication in Thailands human
trafficking crackdown.
He is hard-working and straight as
an arrow. He is among the first to have
worked on the boat people probe. Its
hard to believe he has a hand in it, said
one of his classmates.
Army officers who are close to him
also voiced scepticism.
They said there was no reason for
him to sacrifice his good name to get
involved in illegal activity. According to
a military source, Lt Gen Manas is one
of the few people who worked on the
boat people crisis.
When the migrants are arrested,
they are detained by the Internal Security Operations Command. Those
who have been detained for years are
allowed to work outside their shelters
and are issued a type of identification
card.
This may provide a loophole for
authorities to exploit. It is a theory
that may need investigation, said the
source.
Some observers say the lieutenant generals arrest is not necessarily
bad for the military and the interim
government.
The action taken against Lt Gen
Manas shows the military-installed
government is serious about combating trafficking and is not inclined to
protect any wrongdoers even if they
are one of the armys own.
Lt Gen Manas has a long fight ahead
if he wants to clear his name. For now,
he also faces suspension from duty and
his salary has been put on hold.
The army has set up a disciplinary
investigation, headed by Fourth Army
commander Lieutenant General
Prakan Chonlayuth. Bangkok Post

TRADEMARK CAUTION
The Cartoon Network, Inc., a company incorporated
and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware,
and having its registered office at 1050 Techwood Drive,
NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 U.S.A., hereby declares
that the Company is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of
the following Trademarks:

production and arrangement of radio and television

programs; information relating to entertainment or
education provided via television, broadband, wireless
and online; providing television, broadband, wireless
and online electronic publications (not downloadable);
providing an online website of entertainment news
and information, products, multimedia programs and
reference materials in Class 41.

BEN 10
Reg. No. IV/7921/2005 (30 September 2005),
IV/2530/2007

Reg. No. IV/2725/2008 (28 April 2008)

The above trademark is used in respect of: Series of
pre-recorded video cassettes featuring cartoons; series
of pre-recorded audio cassettes and compact discs
featuring soundtracks, music of cartoon theme songs
and other sound recordings, apparatus for recording,
producing and projecting sound and visual images,
motion pictures, photographic slides, eyeglasses,
sunglasses, anti-glare glasses, frames and cases
therefore; downloadable ring tones, graphics and music
via a global computer network and wireless devices;
cellular telephone accessories, namely, cellular
telephone cases and cellular telephone face plates;
downloadable television programs provided via videoon-demand; radios, rulers, calculators, computers,
computer software and computer peripheral apparatus,
computer game joysticks, life jackets, protective
helmets and clothing, snorkel tubes, swim masks,
swim goggles, cameras, film, batteries, flashlights
and magical lanterns, electronic games (computer
game cartridges, computer game cassettes, computer
game discs, computer game programs, computer
game software, video game cartridges, video game
discs, video game joysticks, video game interactive
remote control units, video game interactive hand
held remote controls for playing electronic games,
video game software, video game tape cassettes),
magnets, magnetic boards, mouse pads and decorative
refrigerator magnets in Class 9:

The above trademark is used in respect of: Electrical

and electronic apparatus; series of pre-recorded
video cassettes featuring cartoons; series of prerecorded audio cassettes and compact discs featuring
soundtracks, music of cartoon theme songs and other
sound recordings; video and audio tapes, cassettes,
discs and records; apparatus for recording, producing,
and projecting sound and visual images, motion
pictures, and/or photographic slides; eyeglasses,
sunglasses, anti-glare glasses, protective and safety
glasses and lenses, frames and cases therefore; radios,
televisions, transceivers and telephones; thermometers;
compasses, rulers and measuring tapes; telescopes,
microscopes, periscopes, binoculars, magnifying
glasses; calculators; computers, computer software
and computer peripheral apparatus, computer game
joysticks; alarms signaling bells, signal and warning
lights and devices, reflecting discs and strips for wear,
warning triangle and other vehicle breakdown signs;
life jackets, protective helmets and clothing; water
diving apparatus, snorkel tubes swim masks, swim
goggles and cameras; film, slide projectors, batteries,
flashlights and lanterns, flash lighting apparatus for
cameras; electronic games (computer game cartridges,
computer game cassettes, computer game discs,
computer game programs, computer game software,
video game cartridges, video game discs, video game
joysticks, video game interactive remote control units,
video game interactive handheld remote controls for
playing electronic games, video game software, video
game tape cassettes); magnets, magnetic boards,
mouse pads and decorative refrigerator magnets in
Class 9;

Printed matter and paper goods namely, books

featuring characters from animated, action adventure,
comedy and/or drama features, comic books, childrens
books, magazines featuring characters from animated,
action adventure, comedy and/or drama features,
coloring books, childrens activity books; stationery,
writing paper, envelopes, notebooks, diaries, note
cards, greeting cards; trading cards, lithographs and
animation cels; pens, pencils, cases therefore, erasers,
crayons, markers, colored pencils, painting sets,
chalk and chalkboards; decals, heat transfers; posters;
mounted and/or unmounted photographs; book covers,
book marks, calendars, gift wrapping paper; paper
party favors and paper party decorations - namely
paper napkins, paper doilies, paper place mats, crepe
paper, paper hats, invitations, paper table cloths, paper
cake decorations; printed transfers for embroidery
or fabric appliqus; printed patterns for costumes,
pajamas, sweatshirts and t-shirts; all of the foregoing
related to an animated series and/or the characters
contained therein, and all other goods included in this
class in Class 16: and

Stationery, boxed and individual sheets, memo

boards, bulletin boards, folders, files, packaging
materials, namely containers, boxes, bags, advertising
materials and adhesives, adhesives for stationery and
household use, letters, numerals, signs and figures,
printed periodicals, photographs, posters, transfers
(decalcomanias), printed matter, printed reproductions,
namely lithograph prints, pictures, paintings, painting
canvas, books, annuals, catalogues, calendars, display
albums, diaries, bookbinding materials, artists
materials, namely crayons, paint brushes, materials
for modeling or molding, writing and drawing
instruments, namely pens, pencil, markers, erasers,
printing blocks, printers type and clichs, stencils
instructional and teaching materials, namely books,
pamphlets, brochures; gift tags, invitations; gift-wrap,
labels and stickers, clipboards, memo or note pads,
greeting cards, envelopes, seals and correcting fluids,
books to color and sew, paint sets, coloring books,
coloring postcards, display and/or paperboard for use
in retailing and sale promotion, paper napkins, paper
tablecloths, paper cups; bookmarks; pencil boxes; pen
cases; paper cake decorations; bumper stickers; paper
banners in Class 16;

Education; entertainment; sporting and cultural

activities; provision of television, broadband, wireless
and online entertainment information services;
provision of television, broadband, wireless and online
computer games; provision of television, broadband,
wireless and online entertainment multimedia
programs; production, distribution, projecting and
rental of television programs, videos, motion picture
films, pre-recorded audio and video tapes, cassettes,
discs, records, cds, dvds and all other types of carriers;

Clothing; suits, hosiery, socks, stockings, articles

of underclothing, shorts, shirts, blouses, tops, slacks,
trousers, skirts, dresses, jackets, coats, raincoats,
capes, slickers, overalls, waistcoats, pantyhose, knitted
articles of clothing, scarves, mufflers, caps, hats, sun
visors, dressing gowns, bathrobes, childrens and
infants clothing bib; formal wear, articles of sports
clothing; active wear; leisurewear; sleeping garments;
sweaters, cardigans, vests, belts, aprons, tights,
jeans, ties, swimwear, wristbands, footwear, sandals,

boots, sneakers, shoes, gloves, neckwear, headwear;

wristbands, headbands, panties in Class 25;
Games and playthings, in particular toys, dolls, plush
toys, games, balloons, spinning tops, jigsaw puzzles;
toy masks, card games, including ordinary playing
cards, board games, electronic games; toy building
blocks; ornaments and decorations (other than candles
or lamps), all for christmas trees; dolls houses; toy
motor vehicles, ride-on vehicles for children, pedal
powered and battery powered vehicles for children;
sporting articles (other than clothing), roller skates, ice
skates, surfboards (not motorized), swimming flippers;
horseshoe games; swings; strings and nets for sporting
goods, games and rackets; rackets for playing tennis,
squash, paddleball; archery equipment; track and field
equipment; balls, gloves, pads, bats, sticks, clubs,
markers and tees used for games of sport; masks and
protective clothing, body guards and equipment for
every kind of play, horse riding, mountain climbing,
archery, fencing, gymnastic, boxing equipment,
weights, bars and mechanically operated exercise
equipment; fishing rods, lines, hooks, baits, lures,
floats, sinkers and reels; skis, ski boots, ski poles;
jump ropes; puppets, sandbox toys, swings; tossing
disc toys in Class 28;

BEN 10
Reg. No. IV/7534/2005 (16 September 2005),
IV/2530/2007
The above trademark is used in respect of: Education
services, entertainment services, particularly television
programming, online entertainment and information
services, radio and television entertainment, production,
reproduction, projecting and rental of films and videos,
production and reproduction of audio and video
recordings on audio and/or video carriers of different
kinds, projecting and rental of these video and/or audio
carriers, production and arrangement of radio and
television programs, information relating to entertainment
or education provided online from a computer database
or the internet, providing online electronic publications
(not downloadable) in Class 41.

BOOMERANG
Reg. No. IV/6137/2004 (12 October 2004),
IV/2530/2007
The above trademark is used in respect of:
Telecommunication services, in particular broadcasting
and transmission of radio and television programs, of
sound and images and information, also via wire, cable,
satellite, radio, global or other computer network and
similar technical equipment, telecommunications of
information (including web pages), computer programs
and any other data, electronic mail services, providing
user access to the internet (service providers), providing
telecommunications connections to the internet or
databases, telecommunication gateway services, online
retail services (e-commerce), collection and supply of
news, messages and information, agency for press and
non-commercial information in Class 38;
Education services; entertainment services, particularly
television programming, online entertainment and
information services, radio and television entertainment,
production, reproduction, projecting and rental of
motion pictures and videos, production and reproduction
of audio and video recordings on audio and/or video
carriers of different kind, especially video and audio
tapes, cassettes, discs and records, projecting and
rental of these video and/or audio carriers, production
and arrangement of radio and television programs,
information relating to entertainment or education
provided online from a computer database or the
internet; providing online electronic publications (not
downloadable) in Class 41.
Continued to page 17

Continued from page 16

Reg. No. IV/1607/1993 (27 August 1994),

IV/2530/2007
The above trademark is used in respect of: Printed
matter; books, program guides, program transcripts,
photographs; stationery; instructional and teaching
materials (except apparatus); playing cards in Class 16;
Communication services, cable and television
broadcasting services in Class 38.

CHOWDER
Reg. No. IV/7535/2005 (19 September 2005),
IV/2530/2007, IV/12905/2014
The above trademark is used in respect of: Education
services, entertainment services, particularly television
programming, online entertainment and information
services, radio and television entertainment, production,
reproduction, projecting and rental of films and videos,
production and reproduction of audio and video
recordings on audio and/or video carriers of different
kinds, projecting and rental of these video and/or audio
carriers, production and arrangement of radio and
television programs, information relating to entertainment
or education provided online from a computer database
or the internet, providing online electronic publications
(not downloadable) in Class 41.

Reg. No. IV/4198/2005 (28 November 2005),

IV/2530/2007
The above trademark is used in respect of: Audio
and video analog and digital recordings on tape, disc,
records, dvds, cds, cassettes, or other recording media;
motion picture films; motion picture films prepared
for broadcast on television, cable television, digital
television or satellite television or for theatrical viewing;
apparatus for recording, producing, editing, reproducing
and transmitting sound, video, data and images; audio
cassette, cd players and dvd players and recorders; radios,
televisions; computers, notebook computers, electronic
scanners; computer memory cards and drives; computer
software; cameras, camera film; telephones and pagers;
personal digital assistant (pda); electronic diaries;
electronic books; computer and video game programs,
apparatus and software; computer game equipment
containing memory devices namely, discs, sold as a unit
for playing a parlor-type computer game; calculators;
mouse pads; optical instruments, including binoculars,
telescopes, periscopes, microscopes, magnifying lenses
and glasses, prisms, sunglasses and eyeglasses; apparatus
for measuring signalling, monitoring, analyzing,
recording light, sound, length, height, speed, fluid flow,
temperature, humidity, pressure, weight, volume, depth,
magnetism, electricity, surface characteristics, data, and
images; rulers, compasses, scales, decorative magnets,
magnets, batteries; encoded cards; hand-held karaoke
players; pre-recorded, motion picture film cassettes
to be used with hand-held viewers or projectors; prerecorded audio tapes and booklets sold together as a unit;
computer programs, namely, software linking digitized
video and audio media to a global computer information
network; encoded magnetic cards, including key cards,
phone cards, credit cards, debit cards, cash cards,
identification and security cards; consumer electronics
of all kinds; and parts and accessories of these goods
in Class 9;

Paper and paper articles; cardboard and cardboard

articles; printed publications including books,
magazines, newsletters; cartoons and cartoon posters,
photographs, maps, almanacs, calendars, stationery,
letter and envelope sets; postcards, gift cards, place
cards, greeting cards, announcement cards; note
pads, notebooks, rulers, albums, address books, book
and paper binders, autograph books, comic books,
memo pads, coloring books, activity books, sketcher
books, sticker albums, artists materials, including
canvas, drawing pads, paints, brushes; modeling clay;
staplers, erasers, pencil sharpeners, pens, pencils,
markers, crayons, highlighters, chalk; pencil cases;
paper weights; office supplies; school supplies;
educational and instructional materials; stickers,
decals, appliques, trading cards; paper hats, paper
napkins; party bags, gift wrap, paper gift wrap bows,
paper cake decorations, paper table cloths, paper table
decorations, paper table mats; bookends in Class 16;
Clothing for men, women and children, including
t-shirts, sweatshirts, jogging suits, trousers, pants,
shorts, tank tops, rainwear, cloth baby bibs, skirts,
blouses, dresses, suspenders, sweaters, jackets, coats,
raincoats, snow suits, ties, robes, hats, caps, sun visors,
belts, scarves, sleepwear, pajamas, lingerie, underwear,
boots, shoes, sneakers, sandals, booties, slipper socks,
swimwear, and masquerade and Halloween costumes
and masks in Class 25;
Toys and sporting goods, including games and
playthings; action figures and accessories therefore,
plush toys, balloons, bathtub toys, ride-on toys,
equipment sold as a unit for playing card games,
playing cards and card games; toy vehicles, dolls,
flying discs; electronic hand-held game units, game
equipment sold as a unit for playing a board game, a
manipulative game, or a parlor game, target games,
stand alone video output game machines, jigsaw
and manipulative puzzles, skateboards, ice skates,
water squirting toys; balls, including playground
balls, soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, basketballs,
baseball gloves, swimming floats for recreational
use; kickboard flotation devices for recreational use,
surfboards, swim boards for recreational use, swim
fins, toy bakeware and toy cookware, toy banks,
doll houses, doll furniture, doll clothing; christmas
tree ornaments; action rubber balls; action figures;
bean bag dolls; toy blocks; toy model walkie-talkies;
skateboards; yo-yos; toy banks; toy buckets and
shovels; crib and toy mobiles; baby and child multiple
action toys in Class 28;
On-line retail services; mail order catalog services;
and retail store services featuring a wide variety of
consumer goods. in Class 35;
Communication services; television, cable television,
digital television, satellite television, and radio
broadcasting services; providing telecommunications
access to an integrated digital platform in the nature
of a secure broadband computer network for the
production, distribution, transfer, and manipulation of
motion picture, television, and other media content.
in Class 38;
Educational and entertainment services, including
the production and/or distribution and/or presentation
of programs for television, cable television, digital
television, satellite television and radio; services in
the nature of a continuing comedy, drama, action,
adventure and/or animation program series and motion
picture film production, provided through cable
television, broadcast television, broadcast radio and
the global computer information network. in Class
41;
Computer services, namely providing an on-line
magazine; providing an on-line computer database
and interactive database; providing a website featuring
information on cartoons and amusement and providing
on-line links to other websites; providing temporary
use of on-line software; amusement and theme park
services. in Class 42.

Reg. Nos. IV/15/2011 (3 January 2011) for Class 9,

IV/16/2011 (7 January 2011) for Class 16, IV/17/2011
(7 January 2011) for Class 25, IV/18/2011 (7 January
2011) for Class 28, IV/19/2011 (10 January 2011)
for Class 35, IV/20/2011 (10 January 2011) for
Class 38, IV/21/2011 (12 January 2011) for Class
41, IV/22/2011 (7 January 2011) for Class 42 and
IV/12906/2014 for Class 9, 16, 25, 28, 35, 38, 41 & 42.
The above trademark is used in respect of: Series of prerecorded DVDs; series of pre-recorded audio cassettes
and compact discs featuring sound recordings; sunglasses,
lenses, frames and cases therefore; downloadable ring
tones, graphics and music via a global computer network
and wireless devices; cellular telephone accessories,
namely cellular telephone cases and cellular telephone
face plates; downloadable television programs provided
via video-on-demand; rulers; calculators; computer
software, computer peripheral apparatus, computer
game joysticks; alarms; snorkel tubes, swim masks,
swim goggles; cameras; flashlights; electronic games
(computer game cartridges, computer game cassettes,
computer game discs, computer game programs,
computer game software, video game cartridges, video
game discs, video game joysticks, video game interactive
remote control units, video game interactive hand held
remote controls for playing electronic games, video game
software); magnets and mouse pads; all included in Class
9 in Class 9;
Printed matter and paper goods, namely, books,
comic books, childrens books, cookbooks, magazines,
coloring books, childrens activity books, stationery,
writing paper, envelopes, notebooks, diaries, note
cards, printed recipe cards, greeting cards, trading
cards, stickers, lithographs and animation cels,
pens, pencils, cases therefore, erasers, crayons,
markers, colored pencils, painting sets, chalk and
chalkboards, decals, heat transfers, posters, mounted
and/or unmounted photographs, cookbook holders,
book covers, book marks, calendars, gift wrapping
paper; paper party favors and paper party decorations,
namely, paper napkins, paper doilies, paper place
mats, crepe paper, paper hats, invitations, paper table
cloths, paper cake decorations; printed transfers
for embroidery or fabric appliques, printed patterns
for costumes, pajamas, sweatshirts and t-shirts; all
included in Class 16 in Class 16;
Clothing for men, women and children - namely,
shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, aprons, trousers, pants,
shorts, tank tops, rainwear, cloth baby bibs, skirts,
blouses, dresses, suspenders, sweaters, jackets, coats,
raincoats, snow suits, ties, robes, hats, caps, sun
visors, belts, scarves, sleepwear, pajamas, lingerie,
underwear, boots, shoes, sneakers, sandals, booties,
slipper socks, swimwear, masquerade, fancy dress and
Halloween costumes and masks sold in connection
therewith; all included in Class 25 in Class 25:
Toys and sporting goods including games and
playthings, namely action figures and accessories
therefore, plush toys, balloons, bathtub toys, ride-on
toys, card games, toy vehicles, dolls, flying discs,
electronic hand-held game unit, board games, stand
alone video output game machines, jigsaw and
manipulative puzzles, paper face masks, skateboards,
ice skates, water squirting toys; balls, namely,
playground balls, soccer balls, baseballs, basketballs,
baseball gloves; swimming floats for recreational
use, kick board flotation devices for recreational use,
surfboards, swim boards for recreational use, swim
Continued to page 18

18 World

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 9, 2015

IN BRIEF
Tehran
Trial resumes for accused spy
The trial of Washington Post corre-

spondent Jason Rezaian on charges of

spying on Iran resumed behind closed
doors in Tehran yesterday, a news
agency linked to the judiciary reported.
MizanOnline gave no details of the
new hearing.
Mr Rezaian, a 39-year-old IranianAmerican, has been in custody since
July 2014.
At a first hearing on May 25, prosecutors presented the charges against
him, which include collecting confidential information, cooperating with

ISTANBUL
hostile governments and propaganda
against the regime.
Mr Rezaians family has dismissed
the charges as laughable, and the
US has called on Iran to release the
journalist.
Tehran does not recognise dual nationality, and says the case is a purely
Iranian matter.
Mr Rezaian was arrested with his
wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist,
at their home on July 22, 2014.
A photographer was also arrested
on the same day.
The two women are on bail and no
date has been set for their trial. AFP

Continued from page 17

fins; toy bake ware and toy cook ware, toy banks and Christmas
tree ornaments; all included in Class 28 in Class 28;
Retail store services, offering goods for sale by catalogue,
and on a global computer network; online shopping services;
home shopping service; all included in Class 35 in Class 35;
Providing telecommunications access to an integrated digital
platform in the nature of a secure broadband computer network
for the production, distribution, transfer, and manipulation of
motion picture, television, and other media content; on-air
communication services; online services; telecommunication
services, in particular broadcasting and transmission of radio
and television programs, of sound and images and information,
also via wire, cable, satellite, radio, global or other computer
network and similar technical equipment; telecommunications
of information (including web pages), computer programs and
any other data; electronic mail services, providing user access to
the internet (service providers); providing telecommunications
connections to the internet or databases; telecommunication
gateway services; online retail services (e-commerce);
collection and supply of news, messages and information,
agency for press and non-commercial information; all included
in Class 38 in Class 38;
Education; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities;
provision of television, broadband, wireless and online
entertainment information services; provision of television
broadband wireless and online computer games; provision
of television, broadband, wireless and online entertainment
multimedia programs; production, distribution, projecting and
rental of television programs, videos, motion picture films,
pre-recorded audio and video tapes, cassettes, discs, records,
CDs, DVDs and all other types of carriers; production and
arrangement of radio and television programs; information
relating to entertainment or education provided via television,
broadband, wireless and online; providing television,
broadband, wireless and online electronic publications (not
downloadable); providing an online website of entertainment
news and information, products, multimedia programs and
reference materials; all included in Class 41 in Class 41;
Computer services, namely, hosting online web facilities
for others for organizing and conducting online meetings,
gatherings, and interactive discussions; and computer services
in the nature of customized web pages featuring user-defined
information, personal profiles and information; internet based
introduction and social networking services; all included in
Class 42 in Class 42.
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the above
marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
Daw Thit Thit Kyaw, (H.G.P.)
For The Cartoon Network, Inc.,
c/o BM Myanmar Legal Services Limited (Baker & McKenzie)
# 1206, 12th Floor, Sakura Tower,
339 Bogyoke Aung San Road,
Kyauktada Township, Yangon,
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Dated: 9 June 2015

A man who was wounded during the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party HDP rally attack on June 5, casts his vote
on June 7 in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. The attack killed two, left dozens more wounded and added to already
simmering tensions ahead of tight legislative polls. Photo: AFP

Elections deal blow to

Erdogan stranglehold
TURKEYS Islamic-rooted ruling party
yesterday weighed its future strategy
after losing its absolute parliament majority for the first time since winning
power 13 years ago, in a stunning election setback for President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.
The Justice and Development Party
(AKP) won the biggest portion of the
vote in the June 7 legislative polls but
came short of a majority in seats due
to a breakthrough showing by the the
pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party
(HDP).
Mr Erdogan who has dominated
Turkey as premier from 2003-2014 and
now as president had been urging the
AKP to win a majority to create a presidential system with him at the top.
Following AKPs stunning defeat,
the country faced weeks of political
uncertainty and early elections were a
real possibility, Turkish opposition and
anti-government newspapers agreed.
Three possibilities, said the
Hurriyet daily in its headline, saying
there could be a coalition, a minority
AKP government or early elections.
A new era, said the headline in the
Milliyet daily. The collapse, added the
strongly anti-Erdogan Sozcu. Voters
showed Tayyip the red card.
The pro-government Yeni Safak
said early elections were the most likely
option. The possibilities of a coalition
are weak and an early election is on the
horizon, it said.
Official results based on 99.99 percent of votes counted put the AKP on
41 percent, followed by the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) on 2pc, the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
on 16.5pc and the HDP in fourth place
with 13pc.
Turnout stood at 86.pc.
The result marked a major drop
in support for the AKP which in the
last polls in 2011 won almost 50pc of
the vote against the background of a
weakening economy.
According to official projections, the
AKP will have 258 seats in the 550-seat
parliament, the CHP 132, and the MHP
and HDP 80 apiece.
The results wrecked Mr Erdogans
dream of agreeing a new constitution
to switch Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system that he
had made a fundamental issue in the
campaign.
Such a change would have required
a two-thirds majority in the parliament

and just months before the election Mr

Erdogan had been targeting 400 seats
for the AKP.
Mr Erdogan has yet to react to the
vote and his official schedule yesterday
showed no planned public appearance.
Analysts have seen the nationalist
MHP as the most likely coalition partner for the AKP in the new parliament.
However while not firmly closing
the door on the option, the MHPs leader Devlet Bahceli was hardly effusive,
saying the results represented the beginning of the end for the AKP.

We have entered a
difficult period in
terms of the political
balance.
Abdulkadi Selvi
Yeni Safak commentator

We have entered a difficult period

in terms of the political balance, said
Yeni Safaks influential pro-government commentator Abdulkadir Selvi,
warning against a drift into chaos
such as in the 1980s and 90s.
Speaking from the balcony of AKP
headquarters in Ankara the traditional place for the partys victory speeches Prime Minister and party leader
Ahmet Davutoglu put on a brave face.

The winner of the election is again

the AKP, theres no doubt, he said.
The result was, however, a triumph
for the HDP, which in the campaign
had sought to present itself as a genuinely Turkish party and reach out to
voters beyond its mainly Kurdish support base to secular Turks, women and
gays. It was also a personal victory for
the partys charismatic leader Selahattin Demirtas, dubbed the Kurdish
Obama by some for his silky rhetorical
skills.
We, as the oppressed people of
Turkey who want justice, peace and
freedom, have achieved a tremendous
victory today, Mr Demirtas said, vowing to form a strong and honest opposition.
HDP MPs had sat in the previous
parliament but they were elected as independents and not from a party list.
There is just one loser in the election
Recep Tayyip Mr Erdogan, pro-opposition commentator Hasan Cemal wrote
in an editorial for the T24 website.
And the winner is the HDP.
In Turkeys main Kurdish city of
Diyarbakir, cars massed in the streets,
with drivers honking and people hanging out of windows making V signs as
gunshots were fired into the air.
It is a carnival night, said
47-year-old Huseyin Durmaz. We no
longer trust the AKP. The legislative
election took place under the shadow
of violence, after two people were
killed and dozens more wounded in
an attack on an HDP rally in Diyarbakir on June 5. AFP

World 19

www.mmtimes.com
Elmau CastlE, GErmany

Security tops the agenda at G7 summit

WORLD leaders at a G7 summit
in Germany yesterday presented a
united front against global security
threats ranging from jihadist insurgencies to what US President Barack
Obama condemned as Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Barring
Russian
President
Vladimir Putin for a third time, the
Group of Seven leaders have invited
others beyond the club of rich nations, including Iraqs premier and
Nigerias president, both battling
deadly Islamist violence.
Iraqs Prime Minister Haider alAbadi was scheduled to discuss the
US-led campaign to help his country fight the Islamic State extremists
who launched a lightning offensive a
year ago and have snatched over onethird of the countrys territory.
Mr Abadi will also get one-on-one
time with Mr Obama to discuss the
Washington-led campaign to help
Baghdad recover territory lost to
IS militants, whose self-proclaimed
caliphate extends deep into neighbouring Syria.
The power summit, held in a
tightly secured resort in the picturepostcard Bavarian Alps, was also
expected to hold talks on foreign
fighters and the threat Islamist extremism poses to their countries
Britain, Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan and the United States.
Another visitor to the summit,
Nigerias newly elected President
Muhammadu Buhari, was to put a
shopping list to the G7 leaders,
seeking help to fight an insurgency
by Boko Haram Islamists blamed for
15,000 deaths since 2009.
Mr Buhari has been tested with
11 separate attacks that have left at
least 93 dead in the week he has been
in the job.
The first day of the G7 was
dominated by the Ukraine conflict,
as Mr Obama and the summit host,
Chancellor Angela Merkel, urged
the global community to stand firm
against Moscow until it complies
with a Ukraine ceasefire deal struck
in the Belarussian capital Minsk.
I expect that we should send a
firm signal here. Not sanctions as
an end to itself, but sanctions ... to
reach a target, Ms Merkel told ZDF
television.
Japans Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe and Canadas Stephen Harper on
June 6 made a point of visiting Kiev
on their way to the summit, to voice
support for Ukraines embattled leaders, as a recent flare-up in fighting in
the east has left at least 28 dead.
Although Mr Putin has insisted

(Clockwise, from centre) US President Barack Obama, Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David
Cameron, Italys Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Japans Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadas Prime Minister Stephen Harper attend a working dinner at a G7 summit on June 7. Photo: AFP

that theres no need to be afraid

of Russia, the latest escalation has
sparked fears that the hard-won
ceasefire brokered by France and
Germany four months ago could be
derailed.

I expect that we
should send a firm
signal here.
Not sanctions as
an end to itself,
but sanctions ...
to reach a target.
angela merkel
German Chancellor

Another pressing problem has

been the haggling between debthit Greece and its international
creditors the EU, ECB and IMF
and the fear that a messy default
could lead to Greece exiting the
eurozone, with unknown repercussions for the world economy.
The issue was expected to arise again
when the G7 leaders met with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde in their outreach talks
late yesterday.
On June 7, European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker hit
out at Greeces Prime Minister Alexis
Tspiras saying he has misrepresented
the EUs offer to Athens.
Ms Merkel and French President
Francois Hollande, meanwhile, were
expected to seek consensus with G7
counterparts on another burning
global issue, climate change, ahead
of a crunch year-end United Nations
summit in Paris.

The aim is to send a clear signal to

push other nations taking part in the
Paris meeting to commit to reducing
dangerous greenhouse gas emissions,
which threaten to melt ice caps and
glaciers, raise sea levels, and bring
more violent storms and floods.
Commitments have to be made
at the G7. At the moment, the
communique is going in the right
direction, said Mr Hollande before
the second day of talks.
He said he would be pushing for
realistic and objective commitments to reduce global warming in
the coming years.
Mr Abe was expected to draw attention to a pressing regional issue
Chinas assertions over most of the
disputed South China Sea, where its
territorial claims clash with those of
several other nations.
Alarm is growing in Asia over the
issue and the United States has said
Chinas actions were out of step

with international norms.

Citing unnamed sources, Japans Yomiuri newspaper said the
G7 would in their joint statement
express concern about unilateral
attempts to change the status quo
in the South China Sea, while no
country would be named in the
communique.
Ahead of the summit, G7 foreign
ministers in April said the situation
in the East and South China Seas was
of concern, particularly any unilateral actions, such as large scale land
reclamation, which change the status
quo and increase tensions.
As has become tradition at such
gathering, several thousand antiG7 protesters marched over the
weekend
in
largely
peaceful
demonstrations.
There were a handful of clashes
with the police and a few arrests, but
overall the demonstrations were colourful and non-violent. AFP

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 9, 2015

the pulse 21

www.mmtimes.com

it

ge
t

yo

gers o
n
i
f
n

DePuTY Pulse eDiTor: ToM BArTon tom.a.barton@gmail.com

Catherine Deneuve and Information Minister U Ye Htut chat at a screening of the Memory Film Festival.

(Left to right) Michelle Yeoh, Cheng Pei Pei and Marrie Lee pose for press.

Credits roll but film heritage lives on

Crowds flock to Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, Memory Film Festival venue. Photos: Christine Tamalet

Charlotte roSe
charlottelola.rose@gmail.com

Catherine Deneuve speaks at a masterclass moderated by French director Olivier Assayas.

he 3rd Memory International Film heritage Festival came to a close

on June 7 with a showing of Douglas Sirks 1959 film Imitation of Life
at Yangons Nay Pyi Taw Cinema.
The screening was the last in a series of highlights in the closing
days of the festival, which included three screenings with live musical
accompaniment: The Consequences of Feminism (1906) by Alice Guy, the earliest
film shown at the festival, accompanied by Myanmar musician Ito and his band;
Lotte Reinigers 1926 animation The Adventures of Prince Achmed, accompanied
by Laurel Art Academy musicians; and a remarkable screening of Fritz Langs
classic 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis, with live piano music by Pierre Oser and
Katharina Brandl, who received a standing ovation from the packed audience.
Ive never seen anything like that in my life, said one film-goer after the
Metropolis screening at Yangons National Theatre on June 6. It was my first
time watching a silent film. I dont know what to say it was just so amazing,
she added.
The 10-day festival, which opened on May 29, saw over 50 classic films
from around the world brought to the big screen, accompanied by a series
of conferences and masterclasses attended by some of the biggest names
in international cinema, including French actress Catherine Deneuve and
Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh.
Four classic Myanmar films dating back to 1955 were shown at the festival.
According to festival organisers Severine Wemaere and Gilles Duval, the event
was only the beginning in a series of projects aimed at restoring and preserving
Myanmar classic films.
This project is not just about the festival it is about preserving film

heritage in Myanmar. We are also trying to locate and identify the classic films
that can be restored. That is the second step, said Wemaere.
Wemaere and Duval, who are working with the Ministry of Information to
implement the restoration project, say the government has been supportive of
their proposals.
We have to work with the government because, as in most countries, all of
the film archives are in their hands. After our first meeting with the minister for
information in Nay Pyi Taw, we knew there was a will within the government to
preserve this cultural heritage, Wemaere said.
The hope is that the project will also see the establishment of a film
archive or cinemateque which will preserve classic Myanmar films for future
generations.
That will take some time, said Wemaere. Some of them will be lost, some
of them will be in different countries. But there has been a strong history of
cinema in Myanmar since the 1920s, and it is very important that these films
are located and restored.
They have already seen some success, with classic Myanmar film The
Emerald Jungle (1934) sent to a laboratory in Italy for restoration.
But the future of the project depends on the availability of funding, said
Wemaere and Duval, adding that several local companies have already shown
an interest in supporting the project.
Cinema is in the DNA of Myanmar, said Wemaere. Myanmar people
understand that these films are part of the memory of their country, and
memory is vital. If you have no memory, you cannot build a future.
Wemaere and Duval are hopeful that the Memory Film Festival will become an
annual event, on a par with other international cultural festivals around the world.
Film heritage is not dusty and old, said Wemaere. It is our mission to open
the doors so that future generations can know their history.

(Left to right) U Ye Htut, Michelle Yeoh and Daw Thi Thi Yu attend the opening night of the Memory Film Festival.

Catherine Deneuve, French politician Christophe Girard (left) and organiser Gilles Duval visit the Ephemeral Library.

22 the pulse

Maestros of the
silver screen perform
rare encore

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 9, 2015

Pianist U Maung Maung Toke and his group play traditional music at the 1926
German animated fairy-tale film The Adventures of Prince Achmed at Nay Pyi Taw
Cinema on May 6. Photos: Aung Myin

Zon Pann Pwint

zonpann08@gmaill.com

OU hardly missed the

dialogue. So skilled
were the musicians at
capturing the witchs
cunning malevolence
and the princes heartfelt misery
that the music alone told the tale.
After a decades-long break, the
musicians were back last weekend,
accompanying the otherwise silent
action on the screen.
Audiences at The Adventures of
Prince Achmed, shown at Nay Pyi
Taw Cinema on June 6, thrilled
to the mood music performed by
veterans of the craft.
As part of the Memory
International Film Heritage Festival,
the organisers also screened a 1926
German feature-length animated film
whose original nitrate prints had
been restored by German and British
archivists at the Deutsches Film
museum in 1998 and 1999.
I felt as if I was playing in the
silent film period, U Maung Maung
Toke, a leading pianist of the silent
screen, told The Myanmar Times
after the Prince Achmed screening.
He is now 85.
He recalled how the orchestra
used to sit at the foot of the screen
interpreting the action through
music, at a time when 35 silent films
and eight of the new talkies (the

voices were dubbed in later) were

being made between 1930 and 1941.
The pianist earned the title
Cinemascope Maung Maung Toke
after playing in a 1958 documentary
on Shwedagon Pagoda, the first
film ever shot in Myanmar by
Cinemascope.
I want to showcase my talent
today, in this rare chance to play at
a silent film. But I didnt want the
music to drown out the dialogue,
he said. This time, the dubbing had
been done by students at Yangons
Laurel Art Academy.
In the silent era, musicians
would play introductory music to
attract audiences before screening
began. Maybe we could bring back
that tradition, said U Maung Maung
Toke, who started playing at silent
films when he was still at school.
Veteran U Tint San said the event
brought back a host of memories.
I felt as if I was young again. Our
group used to play outdoors too. In
the 1950s film May Chit Tae Maung
(The Man She Loves), I played violin
in a haystack. The 85-year-old played
violin for the June 7 performance of
The Adventures of the Prince Achmed.
The musicians used to accompany
silent films produced by the British
Burma and A One film companies. In
the late 1950s, as sound films became
more popular, the musicians turned
to religious festivals and wedding
ceremonies to keep their hand in.

the pulse 23

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TODAY
FILM

Dirty Corner, a steel, earth and mixed media artwork by artist Anish Kapoor.
Photos: AFP/Stephane De Sakutin

Sculptors provocative
work sparks uproar
at Versailles exhibition

ritish-indian sculptor
anish Kapoor has sparked
an uproar in France by
installing a huge work
he has called a queens
vagina in the stately grounds of the
Palace of Versailles.
the 60-metre-long (200-foot),
10-metre-high (33-foot) steel-androck abstract sculpture, resembling
a funnel in the form of an orifice, is
set up in the garden aimed directly
at the royal chateau, which attracts 5
million tourists a year.
Kapoor, 61, has titled the work
dirty Corner. it is part of an
exhibition of his work, titled Kapoor
Versailles, in the grounds of the 17thcentury palace that opens on June 8
and runs until november.
the artist, who has long courted
controversy, told French newspaper
Le Journal du Dimanche a week ago
that dirty Corner was meant to be
blatantly sexual and regal.
it was, he said, the vagina of a
queen who is taking power.
he didnt say which queen he
had in mind, but added that while
the work was ambitious, it was not
so over-the-top as the scale of the
opulent Versailles.
inside the palace itself is a smaller
work a canon that fired red wax at
white walls in a symbol of a phallus
and ejaculation of blood.
some French media outlets
expressed unease at the level of
provocation unleashed by Kapoor.
anish Kapoor provokes a scandal,
said the website of radio station
Europe 1.
the conservative daily Le Figaro saw
the work as an effort to use Versailles
as an object of contrast between two
types of art: the contemporary style of
Kapoor and the centuries-old elegance
of the French court.

Others came running to the artists

defence. Les Inrocks, a youth pop
culture magazine, said only a fascist
circle of commentators was against
the sculpture.
at a media conference on June 5,
the artist seemed to step away from
his description of the work on the
lawns of Versailles as the queens
vagina.
i dont remember saying
it, Kapoor told reporters, but
admitted that he had used the
word vaginas to describe parts of
the exhibition.
in any case, he said, i dont see
why its problematic, sexual organs
being universal.
the point is to create a dialogue
between these great gardens and the
sculptures, he said.
the French official in charge of
Versailles, Catherine Pegard, said that
what was of interest to Kapoor was
the hidden chaos of the gardens
designed by andre Le notre, the 17thcentury landscape architect who set
out its strict lines.
the man in charge of the
exhibition, alfred Pacquement, said
the gardens formed a contrasting
background for Kapoors work.
the dark cavity is an ever-present
theme in Kapoors work, Pacquement
said.
he brings out contradiction
with perspective, upending its [the
gardens] order while taking into
account the large scale of Versailles.
Kapoors exhibition is one of the
most complex at Versailles since the
authorities in 2008 opened the palace
and its grounds to contemporary
artists.
in 2008, Versailles hosted works
by the american artist Jeff Koons,
and in 2010 by Japanese artist
takashi Murakami. AFP

A visitor watches Shooting into the Corner, a 2008-2009 mixed-media artwork

by Anish Kapoor.

Tuesday Movies at the

Connect Institute. Free
popcorn, chips and soft
drinks. Fun games, quizzes,
thought-provoking discussions
and more. Connect Institute,
3A Pansodan Business
Tower (corner of Anawrahta
Road and Pansodan Street)
2:30-4pm

ART

TOMORROW

DANCE

Jazz and dinner. Enjoy jazz music

and a great dinner in a friendly
atmosphere. The Rendez-Vous
Restaurant, Institut Francais de
Birmani, 340 Pyay Road 7:309:30pm

Tuesday Snippets. Gallery

Conversation and drinks.
Pansodan Gallery, Pansodan
Street 7-10pm

Fun dance cardio for adults.

K6000 per session.Grace
Studio, 2nd floor, Pearl Condo
(building A), Kabar Aye
Pagoda Road, Bahan 6:157:15pm

MUSIC

NIGHTLIFE

Martini cocktail night. Try

a dry martini, espresso

martini and Baileys martini.

Buy one get one free all
night long. The Lab, 70A
Shwegonedaing Road,
Bahan 5:30-11:45pm

DANCE

Salsa at Salud. K5000 entry

includes free Mojito, beer or
cocktail of your choice. Salud
Salsa Club, 7C Wingabar Road
(next to Clover Hotel), Bahan
8pm

IN PICTUREs
Photo: AFP
People
participate in
the ninth annual
Tomato Fight
Festival, known
as tomatina, in
Sutamarchan,
Boyac
department,
Colombia,
on June 7.

24 the pulse

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 8, 2015

DOMESTIC FLIGHT SCHEDULES

Yangon to MandalaY

MandalaY to Yangon

Yangon to HeHo

HeHo to Yangon

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Y5 775

Daily

6:00

7:10

Y5 233

Daily

7:50

9:00

YH 917

Daily

6:10

9:15

YH 918

Daily

9:15

10:25

W9 515

6:00

7:25

W9 201

Daily

8:40

10:35

7Y 131

2,4,6,7

6:30

9:20

W9 201

Daily

9:25

10:35

YJ 211

5, 7

6:00

8:05

YJ 891

1,2

8:40

10:35

K7 222

1,3,5

6:30

9:30

7Y 132

2,4,6,7

9:35

10:45

YH 917

Daily

6:10

8:30

7Y 132

2,4,6,7

8:50

10:45

7Y 131

Daily

7:15

10:05

K7 223

1,3,5

9:45

11:00

YJ 891

1,2

6:20

8:25

K7 223

1,3,5

8:55

11:00

Y5 649

Daily

10:30

12:45

YJ 761

Daily

12:25

17:00

7Y 131

2,4,6,7

6:30

8:35

YH 918

Daily

8:30

10:25

YJ 751

1,3,4,5,6,7 11:00

12:10

7Y 242

1,3,5

15:55

18:45

K7 222

1,3,5

6:30

8:40

6T 806

2,4,6

10:30

11:40

YH 737

3,5,7

11:00

12:25

K7 225

2,4,6,7

16:00

19:00

6T 805

2,4,6

6:30

7:40

YJ 212

5,7

10:40

12:35

YH 727

11:30

12:55

YH 728

16:15

18:25

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

8:55

YJ 202

1,2,3,4

12:00

13:25

K7 224

2,4,6,7

14:30

15:45

YH 738

3,5,7

16:25

18:35

W9 201

Daily

7:00

8:25

YJ 761

1,2,4

13:10

17:00

7Y 241

1,3,5

14:30

15:40

W9 129

1,3,6

16:55

19:10

W9201

7:00

8:25

YJ 602

15:40

17:35

W9 129

1,3,6

15:30

16:40

8M 6603

9:00

10:10

7Y 242

1,3,5

16:40

18:45

YJ 601

11:00

12:25

K7 225

2,4,6,7

16:50

19:00

YJ 761

1,2,4

11:00

12:55

YH 728

17:00

18:25

YH 729

2,4,6

11:00

14:00

W9 152/W97152

17:05

18:30

YH 737

3,5,7

11:00

13:10

Y5 776

Daily

17:10

18:20

YH 727

11:30

13:40

W9 211

17:10

19:15

W9 251

2,5

11:30

12:55

YH 738

3,5,7

17:10

18:35

7Y 241

1,3,5

14:30

16:25

8M 6604

17:20

18:30

K7 224

2,4,6,7

14:30

16:35

8M 903

1,2,4,5,7

17:20

18:30

Y5 234

Daily

15:20

16:30

YH 730

2,4,6

17:45

19:10

W9 211

15:30

16:55

W9 252

2,5

18:15

19:40

Yangon to naY pYi taw

Flight

Days

Dep

naY pYi taw to Yangon

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Yangon to MYeik
Flight

MYeik to Yangon

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Dep

Arr

Y5 325

1,5

6:45

8:15

Y5 326

1,5

8:35

10:05

1,3,5,7

7:00

9:05

6T 706

2,4,6

8:55

10:05

6T 705

2,4,6

7:30

8:40

7Y 532

2,4,6

15:35

17:40

7Y 531

2,4,6

11:15

13:20

K7 320

1,3,5,7

11:30

13:35

Y5 325

15:30

17:00

Y5 326

17:15

18:45

SO 201

Daily

8:20

10:40

SO 202

Daily

13:20

15:40

Flight

Days

Dep

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

K7 422

2,4,6

8:00

9:55

K7 423

2,4,6

10:10

11:30

7Y 413

1,3,5,7

10:30

12:20

7Y 414

1,3,5,7

12:35

13:55

W9 309

1,3,6

11:30

12:55

W9 309

1,3,6

13:10

14:55

6T 611

Daily

11:45

12:55

6T 612

Daily

13:15

14:20

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

7:55

SO 101

Daily

7:00

8:00

ND 910

1,2,3,4,5

7:15

8:15

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

8:10

13:25

ND 105

1,2,3,4,5

10:45

11:40

ND 9102

1,2,3,4,5

8:35

9:35

ND 107

11:25

12:20

ND 104

1,2,3,4,5

9:20

10:15

Flight

Days

ND 109

1,2,3,4,5

14:55

15:40

ND 106

10:00

10:55

K7 422

2,4,6
1,3,5

Yangon to tHandwe
Dep

tHandwe to Yangon
Dep

Arr

K7 = Air KBZ

14:25

W9 309

1,3,6

11:30

13:50

7Y 413

12:05

14:20

SO 102

Daily

18:00

19:00

ND 9110

1,2,3,4,5

18:20

19:20

7Y 413

11:00

11:50

W9 309

1,3,6

14:05

14:55

Y5 421

1,3,4,6

15:45

16:40

Y5 422

1,3,4,6

16:55

17:50

Yangon to dawei

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

6:30

8:55

6T 806

2,4,6

9:10

11:40

YH 826

1,3.5.7

7:00

9:40

YJ 202

1,2,3,4

10:35

13:25

YJ 201

1,2,3,4

7:00

10:20

YH 827

1,3,5,7

11:30

13:55

YJ 233

11:00

15:10

YJ 234

15:25

18:15

W9 251

2,5

11:30

14:25

W9 252

2,5

16:45

19:40

W9 = Air Bagan
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
YH = Yangon Airways

dawei to Yangon

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YJ = Asian Wings

K7 319

1,3,5,7

7:00

8:10

YH 634

2,4,6

12:15

13:25

6T = AirMandalay
FMI (ND) = FMI Air Charter

YH 633

2,4,6

7:00

8:25

K7 320

1,3,5,7

12:25

13:35

SO 201

Daily

8:20

9:40

6T 708

3,5,7

14:15

15:15

6T 707

3,5,7

10:30

11:30

SO 202

Daily

14:20

15:40

7Y 531

2,4,6

11:15

12:20

7Y 532

2,4,6

16:35

17:40

Yangon to lasHio

Dep

SO = APEX Airlines
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines

17:55

2,4,6

Airline Codes

11:30

13:30

Days

Tel: (+95-1) 501520, 525488,

Fax: (+95-1) 532275

13:55

17:00

Flight

Air Mandalay (6T)

9:10

6T 805

Tel:95(1) 533300 ~ 311

Fax : 95 (1) 533312

11:35

1,2,3,4,5

MYitkYina to Yangon

Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545

1,3,5

ND 110

Yangon to MYitkYina

FMI Air Charter (ND)

2,4,6

ND 108

Arr
10:25
10:35
10:45
11:00
19:00
19:10
18:45

Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264

Fax: 652 533

7Y 413

19:20

Dep
7:45
7:55
8:05
8:05
17:40
17:50
17:25

Yangon Airways (YH)

K7 422

18:00

Days
Daily
1,2
2,4,6,7
1,3,5
2,4,6,7
1,3,6
1,3,5

Tel: 656969
Fax: 656998, 651020

8:55

18:25

Flight
YH 918
YJ 891
7Y 132
K7 223
K7 225
W9 129
7Y 242

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999

Fax: 8604051

11:20

17:00

Arr
7:20
7:45
7:40
7:50
7:50
17:25
17:10
17:35
17:40
17:35

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

8:00

Dep
6:00
6:10
6:20
6:30
6:30
14:30
14:30
15:30
15:30
15:30

Tel: 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640

Fax: 532333, 516654

10:30

1,2,3,4,5

Days
5,7
Daily
1,2
1,3,5
2,4,6,7
2,4,6,7
1,3,5
1,3,6
4
1

Asian Wings (YJ)

Days

ND 111

Flight
YJ 211
YH 917
YJ 891
K7 222
7Y 131
K7 224
7Y 241
W9 129
W9 211
W9 129

Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (airport), 373766

(hotline). Fax: 372983

Flight

ND 9109

nYaung u to Yangon

Air KBZ (K7)

Arr

7Y 413

Yangon to nYaung u

Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102

APEX Airlines (SO)

sittwe to Yangon
Arr

Air Bagan (W9)

Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)

Days

K7 319

Yangon to sittwe

Domestic Airlines

lasHio to Yangon

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YH 729

2,4,6

11:00

13:00

YJ 752

YJ 751

3,5,7

11:00

13:15

YH 730

Yangon to putao

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

3,5,7

16:10

17:55

2,4,6

16:45

19:10

putao to Yangon

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

Flight

Days

Dep

Arr

YH 826

1,3,5,7

7:00

10:35

YH 827

1,3,5,7

10:35

13:55

W9 251

2,5

11:30

15:25

W9 252

2,5

15:45

19:40

Subject to change
without notice
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4 = Thursday
5 = Friday
6 = Saturday
7 = Sunday

the pulse 25

www.mmtimes.com

InternAtIonAl FlIGHt SCHeDUleS

Flights

YANGON TO BANGKOK
Days

Dep

Arr

PG 706
Daily
6:15
8M 335
Daily
7:40
TG 304
Daily
9:50
PG 702
Daily
10:30
TG 302
Daily
15:00
PG 708
Daily
15:15
8M 331
Daily
16:30
PG 704
Daily
18:20
Y5 237
Daily
19:00
TG 306
Daily
19:45
YANGON TO DON MUEANG

8:30
9:25
11:45
12:25
16:55
17:10
18:15
20:15
20:50
21:40

DD 4231
Daily
8:00
FD 252
Daily
8:30
FD 254
Daily
17:30
DD 4239
Daily
21:00
YANGON TO SINGAPORE

9:50
10:15
19:05
22:45

8M 231
Daily
8:25
Y5 2233
Daily
9:45
TR 2823
Daily
9:45
SQ 997
Daily
10:35
3K 582
Daily
11:15
MI 533
2,6
13:45
MI 519
Daily
17:30
3K 584
2,3,5
19:15
YANGON TO KUALA LUMPUR

12:50
14:15
14:25
15:10
15:45
20:50
22:05
23:45

8M 501
AK 505
MH 741
MH 743
AK 503

11:50
12:50
16:30
20:05
23:45

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

1,2,3,5,6
7:50
Daily
8:30
Daily
12:15
Daily
15:45
Daily
19:30
YANGON TO BEIJING

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Flights

BANGKOK TO YANGON
Days

Dep

Arr

TG 303
Daily
7:55
PG 701
Daily
8:50
Y5 238
Daily
21:30
8M 336
Daily
10:40
TG 301
Daily
13:05
PG 707
Daily
13:40
PG 703
Daily
16:45
TG 305
Daily
17:50
8M 332
Daily
19:15
PG 705
Daily
20:15
DON MUEANG TO YANGON

8:50
9:40
22:20
11:25
14:00
14:30
17:35
18:45
20:00
21:30

DD 4230
Daily
6:20
FD 251
Daily
7:15
FD 253
Daily
16:20
DD 4238
Daily
19:30
SINGAPORE TO YANGON

7:05
8:00
17:00
20:15

TR 2822
Daily
7:20
Y5 2234
Daily
7:20
SQ 998
Daily
7:55
3K 581
Daily
8:55
MI 533
2,6
11:35
8M 232
Daily
13:50
MI 518
Daily
15:15
3K 583
2,3,5
17:05
KUALA LUMPUR TO YANGON

8:45
8:50
9:20
10:25
12:55
15:15
16:40
18:35

AK 504
MH 740
8M 502
MH 742
AK 502

8:00
11:15
13:50
14:50
19:00

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Dep

Arr

Daily
6:55
Daily
10:05
1,2,3,5,6
12:50
Daily
13:40
Daily
17:50
BEIJING TO YANGON

Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

CA 906
3,5,7
23:50 05:50+1
YANGON TO GUANGZHOU

CA 905
3,5,7
19:30
GUANGZHOU TO YANGON

22:50

8M 711
CZ 3056
CZ 3056

3,6
8:40
1,5
14:40
2,4,7
14:15
TAIPEI TO YANGON

10:25
16:30
15:50

1,2,3,5,6
7:00
KUNMING TO YANGON

9:55

Flights

Flights

CI 7916
Flights

Days

Dep

Arr

Flights

2,4,7
8:40
3,6
11:25
1,5
17:30
YANGON TO TAIPEI

13:15
16:15
22:15

CZ 3055
CZ 3055
8M 712

1,2,3,5,6
10:50
YANGON TO KUNMING

Arr

16:15

Flights

CI 7915

Arr

Flights

CA 416
MU 2012
MU 2032
Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Daily
12:15
3
12:40
1,2,4,5,6,7 15:20
YANGON TO HANOI
Days

15:55
18:45
18:40

Dep

Arr

Days

MU 2011
CA 415
MU 2031
Flights

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

Arr

Arr

3
8:25
Daily
10:45
1,2,4,5,6,7 13:55
HANOI TO YANGON
Days

11:50
11:15
14:30

Dep

Arr

VN 956
1,3,5,6,7
19:10
21:30
YANGON TO HO CHI MINH CITY

VN 957
1,3,5,6,7
16:50
18:10
HO CHI MINH CITY TO YANGON

VN 942

17:15

VN 943

Arr

Flights

Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

2,4,7
14:25
YANGON TO DOHA

Flights

QR 919

1,4,6
8:00
YANGON TO SEOUL

Flights

Flights

11:10

QR 918

Arr

Flights

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Days

Dep

2,4,7
11:50
DOHA TO YANGON
3,5,7
20:40
SEOUL TO YANGON

0Z 770
4,7
0:35
9:10
KE 472
Daily
23:30 07:50+1
YANGON TO HONG KONG

KE 471
Daily
18:45
0Z 769
3,6
19:50
HONG KONG TO YANGON

KA 251
KA 251

5:55
5:45

KA 252
KA 250

Arr

Flights

Flights

Days

5
1,2,3,4,6,7

Arr

YANGON TO TOKYO

Flights

Days

NH 814

Daily

Dep

21:45

06:50+1

YANGON TO DHAKA

Flights

Days

BG 061
BG 061
Flights

Dep

1:30
1:10

1,6
4

Dep

15:35
13:45

YANGON TO INCHEON
Days

Dep

Days

Dep

Arr

Arr

Flights

Y5 251
7Y 305

8:05
12:50

2,4,6
1,5

YANGON TO GAYA

Flights

Days

8M 601
AI 236
Flights

Days

2
1,5

Dep

13:10
14:05

YANGON TO KOLKATA
Days

AI 228
Flights

Dep

3,5,6
7:00
2
13:10
YANGON TO DELHI

AI 236
AI 701
Flights

6:15
11:00

1,5

Dep

14:05

YANGON TO MUMBAI

AI 773

Days

1,5

Dep

14:05

MANDALAY TO BANGKOK

Flights

PG 710

Days

Daily

Dep

14:05

MANDALAY TO SINGAPORE

Flights

MI 533
Y5 2233

Days

2,6
1,2,4,5,6

Dep

15:55
7:50

MANDALAY TO DON MUEANG

Flights

FD 245

Days

Daily

Dep

12:45

MANDALAY TO KUNMING

Flights

MU 2030

Days

Daily

Dep

13:50

NAY PYI TAW TO BANGKOK

Flights

PG 722

Days

1,2,3,4,5

Dep

19:30

Arr

Arr

8:20
15:05
Arr

Arr

Arr

1,6
4

Dep

12:30
10:40

INCHEON TO YANGON
Days

Dep

Days

Dep

2,4,6
1,5
Days

Dep

2
9:20
3,5,6
9:20
DELHI TO YANGON

Flights

Days

2
1,5

Dep

9:20
7:00

KOLKATA TO YANGON
Days

AI 227
Flights

9:25
13:45

GAYA TO YANGON

Flights

1,5

Dep

10:35

MUMBAI TO YANGON

AI 675

Days

1,5

Dep

6:10

BANGKOK TO MANDALAY

Flights

PG 709

Days

Daily

Dep

12:00

SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY

Flights

Arr

Flights

Days

Daily
2,6

Dep

7:20
11:35

DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY

15:00

FD 244

Arr

Flights

Arr

Days

AI 235
8M 602

Y5 2234
MI 533

22:30

11:00

Days

Daily

Dep

10:50

KUNMING TO MANDALAY

MU 2029

Days

Daily

Dep

13:00

BANGKOK TO NAY PYI TAW

Flights

PG 721

Days

1,2,3,4,5

Dep

17:00

Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)

Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102

Air China (CA)

Tel: 666112, 655882

Air India

Tel: 253597~98, 254758, 253601. Fax 248175

Bangkok Airways (PG)

Inside the Mendenhall ice caves in Alaska, US. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Gillfoto

Tel: 255122, 255265. Fax: 255119

Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG)

Tel: 371867~68. Fax: 371869

Condor (DE)

Tel: 370836~39 (ext: 303)

Dragonair (KA)

Tel: 255323 (ext: 107), 09-401539206

Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

Tel: 387648, 241007 (ext: 120, 121, 122)

Fax: 241124

Myanmar Airways International (8M)

Tel: 255260. Fax: 255305

Nok Airline (DD)

Tel: 255050, 255021. Fax: 255051

Qatar Airways (QR)

Tel: 379845, 379843, 379831. Fax: 379730

Singapore Airlines (SQ) / Silk Air (MI)

Tel: 255287~9. Fax: 255290

Thai Airways (TG)

Tel: 255491~6. Fax: 255223

Tel: 371383, 370836~39 (ext: 303)
Tel: 255066, 255088, 255068. Fax: 255086

Airline Codes
3K = Jet Star
8M = Myanmar Airways International
AK = Air Asia

Arr

15:40
Arr

14:55
13:05

BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines

CA = Air China

Arr

Arr

12:0
12:30
Arr

12:20
13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

13:20
Arr

16:30
15:00
Arr

12:15

DD = Nok Airline
FD = Air Asia
KA = Dragonair
KE = Korea Airlines
MH = Malaysia Airlines
MI = Silk Air
MU = China Eastern Airlines
NH = All Nippon Airways
PG = Bangkok Airways
QR = Qatar Airways
SQ = Singapore Airways
TG = Thai Airways
TR = Tiger Airline
VN = Vietnam Airline
AI = Air India
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines

Subject to change
without notice

Arr

19:00

Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday

Mendenhall ice caves, Alaska, US

Imagine standing in a natural glassy
dome illuminated by eerie blue light.
A visit to Mendenhall ice caves is a
rare chance to step into the heart of
a glacier. The 12-mile-long stretch
of ice it is getting shorter every
day, because of global warming is
surrounded by pristine countryside
that includes hiking trails through
a landscape populated by bears,
porcupines and eagles.
Chocolate Hills, Bohol,
Philippines
Like something out of Super Mario
Land, the Chocolate Hills are a
bizarre geological formation. The
perfect, grass-covered, mole-hilllike mounds are scattered through
a large forest; there are estimated
to be up to 1776 in the 50-squarekilometre area. The oddity picked
up the name because during the dry
season the grass turns brown, and
some have compared the hills to
Hershey Kisses.

Tara canyon, near abljak,

Montenegro
With a maximum depth of 1300m,
Europes deepest river canyon is a
vertigo-inducing sight. To get an
idea of how impressive that is, the
USs Grand Canyon has an average
depth of 1600m, so its really not
far off. The 82km-long canyon runs
through Durmitor national park,
with the Tara river rushing through
its bottom.

Arr

12:50

10 of the worlds
best natural
wonders that youve
probably never heard of

Helmcken Falls, British

Columbia, Canada
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a
stunning area of natural beauty
with several breathtaking waterfalls
within its pine forested wilderness.
Helmcken Falls is perhaps the most
spectacular. The 141-metre waterfall
(the fourth-highest in Canada)
tumbles off a cliff edge into a vast
stone bowl surrounded by pine
trees. An ice-cone that forms at its
base in winter can reach up to 50m.

CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern

Arr

10:15
14:35

20:50
14:15

16:40

Daily

Arr

00:30+1
23:30

Y5 252
7Y 306

Flights

16:30

22:25
23:25

Dep

Tel: 09254049991~3

Vietnam Airlines (VN)

Arr

DHAKA TO YANGON

Flights

Arr

Arr

Days

Air Asia (FD)

Arr

06:25+1

TOKYO TO YANGON

Tel: 255412, 413

Tiger Airline (TR)

18:10
12:00

AI 235
AI 401

22:35

Dep

22:50
21:45

All Nippon Airways (NH)

Arr

13:25

W9 608
4,7
17:20
PG 723
1,3,5,6
11:05
CHIANG MAI TO YANGON

16:30
19:50
15:05

4
1,2,3,5,6,7

Flights

BG 060
BG 060

16:10
15:05

Days

NH 813

17:00
15:10

W9 607
4,7
14:20
PG 724
1,3,5,6
13:10
YANGON TO CHIANG MAI
Flights

Flights

International Airlines

4
5
6
7

=
=
=
=

Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Benagil beach sea cave, Portugal

Theres an otherworldly feel to
this unusual rock formation in the
Algarve, which sweeps overhead
to create a series of natural stone
arches. The cave is one of several
cut into the cliffs near the fishing
village of Benagil, and visitors can
take boat trips to them and other,
isolated beaches along the Lagoa
coast.

Cao Cristales, Serrana de la

Macarena, Colombia
It only takes one look at the Cao
Cristales to see how it earned its
name the liquid rainbow. For
a few weeks every year, between
September and November, the
conditions cause the river to explode
in colour, when the sunlight triggers
a plant that lines the riverbed to turn
bright red. The streaks of crimson
mix with dashes of yellow, brown
shades of sand, and water that
shimmers in blue and green, creating
a technicolour mix unlike any other.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves, North
Island, New Zealand
Lining the ceiling like fluorescent
space stickers found in a kids
bedroom, the glowworms of
Waitomos caves were discovered
over 120 years ago and create a
magical spectacle. In 1887, local
Maori chief Tane Tinorau and British
surveyor Fred Mace floated into the
cave on a raft, and eventually found
an accessible land entry point, which
is still used by visitors today.
Jellyfish Lake, Palau, south Pacific
If they were poisonous, this lake would
be a lot less fun. Fortunately, the two
species of jellyfish in this unusual
environment are harmless to humans.
The marine lake is the only one open
to tourists in Palau and is on Eil Malk,
part of the wild Rock Islands. Millions
of jellyfish drift from one end of the
lake to the other each day to feed.
Ik-Kil cenote, Yucatn, Mexico
Cenote comes from a Mayan word
meaning well and the Ik Kil cenote is
a magnificent one. A 26m-high circular
rock shaft surrounds a turquoise pool
of water, with jungle vines draped over
the edge. About 40m deep, the pool
is perfect for diving, and ledges have
been carved into the limestone rock
for this purpose.
Saltstraumen, Nordland, Norway
Every day, at a narrow strait near
the town of Bod, the strongest
tidal current in the world gathers its
strength, creating a frothing mess of
choppy white water full of whirlpools
up to 10m in diameter. It is caused by
400m cubic metres of water rushing
through the 150m-wide sound when
the tide changes. Powerful boats
take visitors through the sound, and
when they cut the engine it feels as if
the boat is being pulled down by the
whirlpools. The Guardian

26 Sport

THE MYANMAR TIMES June 9, 2015

Obscure sports should be

axed for Olympics, say Thais
THE Southeast Asian (SEA) Games
needs to ditch its roster of obscure regional sports and focus solely on Olympic disciplines, Thai officials have urged.
The Games 28th edition opened in
Singapore on June 5. But the officials
said the event had failed in its original
goal of lifting athletic standards in the
region.
Those in charge of the Games
should make it more interesting for
both the athletes and fans, said Sports
Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor
Sakol Wannapong, according to the
Bangkok Post.
Sports at the Games should only
be the Olympic disciplines.
While Southeast Asians are worldbeaters at the volleyball-style sepak
takraw and pencak silat, a martial art,
they have failed to make an impact in
sports that are more widely played.
The biennial SEA Games program
is decided by the hosts, and the current edition features 36 sports, including floorball (indoor hockey), netball,
bowling, petanque and wushu, a Chinese martial art.
This time, Singapore is not organising Olympic sports like weightlifting
and womens football, but netball has
been included in the program, Sakol
said.
At the previous Olympics in 2012,
no athletes from SEA Games member
countries won any gold medals.
SEA Games Federation councillor
Charoen Wattanasin said it was hard

IN PICTUREs

Photo: AFP

to convince other countries to change

as the tournament, now in its 56th year,
was a rare chance for them to win gold
medals.
At the 2013 edition in Myanmar,
little-known martial arts vovinam and
kenpo took pride of place, along with
chinlone (similar to the British game
of keepy-uppy), futsal, chess and bodybuilding.

Those in charge of
the Games should
make it more
interesting for both
the athletes and fans.
sakol Wannapong
Governor, Sports Authority of
Thailand

As a member of the SEA Games

Federation, I personally want to correct things to make the Games better,
Charoen told the Bangkok Post. But it
is not easy because many countries are
reluctant to do so. They want to have
their traditional sports in the Games.
He added, The SEA Games should
be a venue for young athletes to hone
their skills for bigger events like the
Asian Games and the Olympics. AFP

Myanmars Ko Htet Ko lines up a shot

yesterdays in the Mens Snooker Singles
gold-medal match. He lost to Malaysias
Chuan Leong Thor, scoring two points to his
opponents four and pocketing a silver medal
for his trouble.

Billiards &
Snooker

Myanmars billiards and snooker

unit lived up to, and went beyond,
expectations when they added two
silver and two bronze to the bronze
already in the bag from the Mens 9-Ball
Pool Doubles.
Singapores former three-time world
champion Peter Gilchrist, as anticipated,
won the Mens English Billiards Singles
to add to his English Billiards Singles
(500) title from earlier in the Games,
as well as his many other titles from
previous SEA Games. He first beat Kyaw
Oo in the semi-final before finishing off
Htay Aung to leave Myanmar with a
silver and bronze.
Additional silver came as targeted
courtesy of Ko Htet who lost 4-2 in
the best-of-seven final to Chuan Leong
Thor of Malaysia in the final. The bonus
medal was delivered by Aung Aye Mi in
the Womens 9-Ball Pool Singles when
she was knocked out at the semi-final
stage.

Equestrian

Maung Saw on Le Lucky led the way

for Myanmars show-jumpers, posting
a clean round in the first qualification
ride before felling two fences in his
second. Despite a tough second round
for Aung Thu Tun on LH Titan, who
scored 41 points, Myanmar managed
to come fourth in the six-nation team
competition.
The team completed by Phyo Tun
Aung on Favouritas are competing in
their first overseas competition and on
horses borrowed from the Singapore
Equestrian Federation.
Congratulations to the home team
Singapore for getting gold in team show
jumping! And thank you for letting
us borrow your horses to be able to
participate in these Games. We will not
give up and will keep trying to make
our country proud, said the Myanmar
Equestrian Federation on Facebook
after the event.
We are getting there. We came
from zero and look at us now we are
competing with our friends around
Southeast Asia. We are proud, gained
experience and get lots and lots of
love from our Southeast friends, they
added.
Sometimes we win but sometime
we learn was their philosophical
position and with only two fences
down, Maung Saw has the opportunity
to put that lesson into practice with an
outside chance at a medal.
Singapore lead the way into June
10 after they won the team event with
three of their team producing two clear
rounds on their familiar steeds.

Judo

As judo concluded with the heavyweight events Myanmar entered two

the day with two realistic gold medal
chances.
In the Womens +78kg, Khin Myo
Thu first squeezed through a tight semifinal that went to a golden point won
with a yuko before another close bout
to brought her gold. In the final match
she tackled Thonthan Satjadet and
overcame her only by the Thai player
forfeiting two penalty points.
Penalty points were the decider of
the Mens +100kg final after Aung Zin
Linn gave away an early shido, and
his opponent scored a yuko. Two more
penalty points were conceded by the
big man from Myanmar before a fourth
shido with just 1 second of the bout left
meant the bout was over.
Myanmar missed their target of
four gold medals but did deliver seven
medals overall: two gold, three silver
and two bronze.

Sailing

A second- and third-place finish in

the fourth and fifth races of Female
Windsurfing RSX saw July Htwe move
ahead of Indonesian skipper into third
overall. Myanmar has sent a fleet of
young teens predominantly to develop
experience in the youth classifications.
July Htwe was considered to be their
primary hope for gold. That result now
looks unlikely as Singapores Pei Lin
Audrey Yong has dominated the class,
with five wins at the half-way stage of
the 10-race match. Four more races are
scheduled for today before tomorrows
medal race.

Boxing

Myanmars boxing interests ended

yesterday when all five fighters that had
reached the semi-final failed to advance.
Nwe Ni Oo the first Myanmar
boxer to win gold in Nay Pyi Taw at
the 2013 SEA Games was the first to
fall by the wayside when she lost to
Vietnamese fighter Thi Bang Le in her
Bantamweight contest.
After the bout in which she had been
tipped for gold, Nwe Ni Oo told The
Myanmar Times that her opponent was
more experienced than she and that she
had failed to live up to that challenge.
Next to fall was Veronika in the
Womens Featherweight before Maung
Nwe lost in the Mens Flyweight.
Naing Latt failed to last a round
when the referee stopped his fight with

Results Day 1-2

Judo:
Wushu:

Silver
Womens +78kg
Womens Optional
Spear

Other Selected Results

Hockey:

Equestrian:

Mens group stage

Myanmar 3 1
Thailand
Malaysia 4 1
Singapore
Mens Jumping
Team 4th-place
Myanmar

Billiards:
Snooker:

Bronze
Mens English
Billiards
Mens Snooker
Singles

Judo:

Mens +100kg

Wushu:

Mens Sanda 65kg

Womens Duel
Event Barehand

Wushu

As Traditional Boat failed to deliver

eight gold and canoeing looks set to
miss out on their target of six, wushu,
the sport that sat third on the list of
Myanmars planned 50 gold medals,
also fell short.
As the final event wrapped up
yesterday with Sandi Oo and Aint Mi Mi
providing silver in the Womens Duel
Barehanded, wushu had delivered six
medals, three of them gold. Myanmar
also delivered a silver medal in one of
the combat classifications of the sport,
an area they are generally less successful
at, preferring instead the artistic
demonstration disciplines. That silver
medal came courtesy of Kyaw Lin Tunn
in the Mens Sanda -65kg.
The sport has also thrown up two
early contenders for Myanmars star of
the Games, Sandi Oo, 21 and Aye Thit
Sar Myint.
A half-hour before her silver medal,
Sandi Oo delivered gold in the Womens
Optional Spear, impressive as neither
of these events were on the Ministry of
Sports list of expected medals that was
seen by The Myanmar Times. These
medals were added to the silver she had
already collected the Womens Optional
Changquan.
Aye Thit Sar Myint only secured two
medals, but both were gold. She and her
partner Myat Thet Su Wai Phyo started
off Wushus medal count on June 6 with
in the Womens Duel Weapons.
Im so happy, I cannot say
anymore. We had not expected
gold in this event. It is my first
at international level. I have an
individual event still to come and I
will keep trying to deliver more gold,
she told The Myanmar Times.
The youngster delivered, topping
the scores in both the Nanquan and
Nandao demonstrations to win the
Womens optional Nanquan and
Nandao.
Wai Phyo Aung delivered a bronze in
the equivalent male competition.
Additional reporting by
Kyaw Zin Hlaing

MEDAL TABLE

Myanmar Medallists
Gold

Mario Fernandez of the Philippines with

just two seconds remaining.
Boxings final chance to secure
one of their targeted two golds was
crushed after a split decision between
the judges failed to go Aung Ko Kos
way in the Mens Middleweight section.
The scoring looked as if it might cause
question and controversy as judge one
scored the bout a close 29-28, judge two
gave the fight to Myanmars pugilist
27-30 but judge three gave the decision
30-26 in favour of his Thai contender.
All five receive bronze medals, and
the gold medal fights will be fought
tomorrow.

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

SINGAPORE

40

27

47

114

VIETNAM

26

12

30

68

THAILAND

23

30

26

79

Billiards:

Mens English Billiards

9-ball Pool

MALAYSIA

15

19

23

57

Boxing:

Womens Bantamweight Womens

featherweight
Mens Flyweight
Mens Bantamweight
Mens Middleweight

INDONESIA

13

13

27

53

MYANMAR

15

16

40

PHILIPPINES

12

23

42

CAMBODIA

Petanque:

Womens Singles
12-Crew Mens 200m

LAOS

11

14

Wushu:

Mens optional Nan

Quan + Nan Gun

BRUNEI

TIMOR LESTE

Sport 27

www.mmtimes.com

1. Tun Nay Lin of Myanmar dodges Dominic Liam Del Rosario of

the Philippines at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on June 7.
Photo: EPA/Wallace Woon
2. President U Thein Sein watches Myanmars under-23 football
team play the Philippines. The team, which triumphed over its
opponents 5-1, is on a three-win hot streak. Photo: Facebook page
of U Zaw Htay, director of the Presidents Office
3. Myanmars Htet Zaw Myo is stretchered off after an injury.
Singapores SEA Games Organising Committee/Action Images via
Reuters
4. A Myanmar football fan prays before the start of the match
against the Philippines at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on
June 7. Photo: EPA/Wallace Woon
5. Despite a valiant effort at a comeback, the Myanmar Womens
Foil Team lost to silver-medal favourites Vietnam on June 7. Photo:
Matt Roebuck
6. Myanmars national chinlone team has kept the ball in the air
long enough to grab two gold medals. Photo: Kyaw Zin Hlaing
7. Sandi Oo competes in the Wushu Womens Optional Spear,
where she won gold her second medal in less than 30 minutes.
Photo: Singapores SEA Games Organising Committee/Action Images
via Reuters
8. Myanmars Oo Zwe Thet keeps his head down. Photo: Singapores
SEA Games Organising Committee/Action Images via Reuters
9. Naing Latt lost the Mens Bantam Weight (56kg) semifinal to
Philippines Mario Fernandez, by TKO less than 2 seconds into the
first round. Photo: Singapores SEA Games Organising Committee/
Action Images via Reuters

Sport
28 THE MYANMAR TIMES JunE 9, 2015

SPORT EDITOR: Matt Roebuck | matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com

SEA Games updates

on location in Singapore
SPORT 26

Swimming

Birthday wish: a personal best

maTT ROebuck
matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com

IKE many athletes, Shun Lei

Maw Oo arrived in Singapore to compete in her second Southeast Asian Games.
Unlike other athletes, when
she celebrates her birthday tomorrow
by competing in the 200-metre butterfly, she will turn 11.
Born in Mayangone township, Yangon Region, the daughter of a former
national swimmer, she attends Basic
Higher Education School 4 in Hlaing
township while training for the national side.
Ive been swimming for four-anda-half years now. My father opened a
swimming pool and I swam in that at
first, Shun Lei Maw Oo told The Myanmar Times.
I competed at the 27th SEA Games
[in Nay Pyi Taw] but I have not won
any medals yet.
Nor does she expect to do so at
these Games, or in Malaysia in 2017.
Right now Im just looking to get
experience. Its all part of a long-term
plan for the SEA Games. In four years
time Ill be aiming for a medal, but until then I will continue to work hard. I
think my talent will improve year on
year.
That long-term plan took an unexpected step forward on June 6 when,
after another swimmer failed to finish
in the heats of the 400m individual
medley, Shun Lei Maw Oo qualified
for the evening session final.
Entering poolside at the OCBC
Aquatic Centre in front of a sell-out
crowd of 3000 screaming spectators
has startled many athletes far more
experienced than she. The young
swimmer seemed uncomfortable as
she was introduced via a revolving big
screen.
But she is in Singapore to make
sure such details dont faze her in future. When asked to describe how it
felt to appear in the final, she managed to make it seem not such a big
deal.
I treat every swim at these Games
as a final, she said simply.

Ma Shun Lei Maw Oo, who will turn 11 during the SEA Games competition, shows off her Myanmar-themed nails on June 8. Photo: Matt Roebuck

She is competing in seven events,

including individual medley, freestyle
and her preferred stroke, butterfly.
When The Myanmar Times
spoke to Shun Lei Maw Oo, she
had just completed her heat in the
100m freestyle, an event she had
been entered in by mistake, as she
prefers to focus on the longer races
where her undeveloped stature has
less of an impact.
She was supposed to compete in
the 800m but there was a mistake
and she was entered into the 100m

instead, said Kazushi Nakayama,

head coach of the Myanmar Swimming Federation.
Nakayama came to work with
Shun Lei Maw Oo and the rest of the
young Myanmar team after the 2013
Games. Shun Lei Maw Oo is joined
in Singapore by two other young talents, Su Moe Theint Saw, 11, in the
womens events, and Theint Myat in
the mens.
There were faster swimmers in
Myanmar, but we could not have
turned them into champions. By work-

ing with a young team we can build for

the future, said the Japanese coach.
We are focusing on butterfly and a
longer distance, because this is where
they can compete.
Right now Shun Lei Maw Oo
who has painted her nails with the
white star and tricolour of Myanmar
dreams of winning gold in the manner
of Singapores Joseph Schooling and
Tao Li, the two current SEA Games
participants that she says she admires
the most.
But Shun Lei Maw Oo looks closer

to home for real inspiration.

My father is my true hero, she
says. He was a swimmer in the national side and I respect him.
And she will wait to be home in Yangon with her father and her two younger brothers who she hopes will join
her on the international stage in future
before she celebrates her 11th year.
I dont have any plans for my birthday because I am focused on the competition. I hope to set a personal best.
Additional reporting by
Kyaw Zin Hlaing