Monday, June 22, 2015 (MTE Daily Issue 69)

HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
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DAILY EDITION
ISSUE 69 | MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015

NEWS 3
NLD prepares for election

but refuses to commit
A two-day meeting of senior party
members over the weekend failed to
bring about a final decision on whether
to contest the election but the NLD
is already beginning its preparations
for the vote, which is expected in
November.
NEWS 4
Govt draws criticism

for Eleven Media case
Seventeen members of the editorial
team at Eleven Media Group face
contempt-of-court charges for a March
report on a criminal defamation case
involving the newspaper and the
Ministry of Information.
BUSINESS 8
Slow start for first new city

The first of seven satellite towns
approved by the Yangon Region
parliament will be developed on the
outskirts of East Dagon township, but
the area is far from downtown and at
present containslittle more than fields
and roads.
BUSINESS 9
A worker trapped by a scaffolding collapse at a construction site in Myanmar waits to be freed from the rubble yesterday. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
Rescue teams struggle

to free trapped worker
One worker remained trapped under rubble last night, more than 24 hours after scaffolding
collapsed at the site of a planned Accor hotel in Mandalay, killing two and injuring 18. NEWS 3
Insurers expect health

policies to be a tough sell
The go-ahead has been given for health
insurance in Myanmar, but officials
from private insurers say they expect it
will take time to grow the market.
BUSINESS 9
IMF comes to town amid

currency fluctuations
A delegation from the International
Monetary Fund visiting for regular
Article IV consultations has
landed amid fierce debate over the
effectiveness of the countrys foreign
exchange policy.
2 News
THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015
Travel body
reconsiders
licence rules
EI EI THU
91.eieithu@gmail.com
Illegal products are committed to the flames in Mandalay on June 19. Photo: Si Thu Lwin
Illegal food, medicines destroyed

SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
IN a K200 million bonfire, illegal
food and medicines seized by Mandalays Food and Drug Administration were torched at the citys Aye
Yeik Nyein Cemetery on June 19
U Min Aung Phyo, head of Mandalay City Development Committees Cleansing Department, said
the products included chilli powder, chilli sauce, fish paste, bamboo
shoots, fried beans, candy and bean
curd cakes.
Companies also handed in expired medicines and unsold household goods.
FDA worked with the citys health
and trade enhancement departments
on inspections carried out between

June 4 and 8, seizing 242 kinds of
goods and 57 varieties of illegal food
products from five markets. Inspections conducted from June 8 to 12
in 30 pharmacies in four Mandalay
townships yielded more than 30
kinds of low-quality, illegal or expired
medicines. The value of the foods and
medicines was estimated at K200
million (US$180,000).
When we checked food stalls
and pharmacies, we found food and
medicines that can make people
sick. We are now raising awareness
of this problem, and if we find more
such food or medicine subsequently,
we will take action, including revoking licences, said deputy FDA director Dr Kyaw Kyaw.
As a result of the inspections, big

pharmacies and pharmaceutical and
food companies handed in expired
foods and medicines on their own
initiative. We will continue with this
course of action in order to eliminate the black market in medicines,
he said.
The destruction of illegal foods
and medicines started in 2000, and
the June 19 bonfire was the 19th time
such products have been destroyed,
said FDA.
Store manager Ko Yan Naing
Linn, who handed in expired foodstuffs and medicines for destruction,
said, Our policy is to provide healthy
food. We dispose of any products that
are past their sell-by date.
Translation by Win Thaw Tar
AFTER criticism from small- and medium-sized travel agencies, the Union
of Myanmar Travel Association has reopened the question of issuing licences
to allow agencies to operate outbound
tours. Though the licences have been
available since February 1, applicants
must file a deposit of K10 million and
prove two years experience in the trade
before being considered restrictions
that have drawn considerable criticism
in the industry.
UMTA chair U Aung Myat Kyaw
told The Myanmar Times the main
reason for the high deposit was to ensure coverage for passengers claims
in the event of a dispute. He said discussions were proceeding with private
insurance companies to offer travel
insurance to cover potential compensation claims.
If the insurance companies can
provide these types of insurance, we
wont need to request high deposits
from agents, he said.
The criticism from smaller agencies began when the Ministry of Hotels
and Tourism agreed to issue licences

for outbound tours from February.
The UMTA chair said the revised
regulations would not require either
two years experience or a K10 million
deposit. But we need a better banking system and insurance services to
replace the deposits, he said.
One possible revision under consideration would allow a company to
apply for an outbound licence if one
of its senior staff had the necessary experience, though U Aung Myat Kyaw
said there was a risk that industry hiring could be distorted by the increased
need for such staff.
The UMTA will report back to the
Ministry of Hotels and Tourism after
further discussions on the issue, and
the ministry will decide whether to revise the regulations.
U Myo Win Nyunt, director of the
Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, said
the ministry was open to the changes that support small and medium
travel enterprises but would not consider a system without protections
for customers.
They have had difficulty with the
system of deposits and two years experience so we have given them a chance
to propose change, he said. We are
ready to make a decision on amending
the regulations as soon as they report
their proposed changes to us.
www.mmtimes.com
NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com
Constitution vote will not

affect election decision: NLD
two sons are foreign citizens.
While the party says it is still undecided on contesting the election, it
has already begun preparations. One
of four action points to come out of
yesterdays meeting was to set criteria for the selection of candidates,
while in her opening remarks Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi said potential
NLD candidates would need to reveal
their personal assets to the party. In
her closing remarks, the NLD leader
urged supporters to maintain political
stability so that free and fair elections
can be held.
EI EI TOE
LWIN
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
THE National League for Democracy

has again refused to commit to contesting this years election, but backtracked on an earlier statement that
the decision to run would depend
largely on the outcome of a push for
constitutional reform.
The party had been expected to
announce its decision following a
two-day meeting of central executive
committee members that ended yesterday. But a short, one-page statement released at the end of the meeting featured no announcement, and
party leaders were still insisting a
boycott was a potential option. Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in her
opening remarks on June 20 that a
decision would be announced soon.
The NLD is widely expected to take
part in the poll, however, as a boycott
would result in automatic deregistration and make any subsequent political activities illegal.
In April, she told news agency Reuters that a boycott was an option if the
constitution remained unchanged.
MPs will tomorrow begin a threeday debate on the first of two constitutional amendment bills submitted
to parliament on June 10 by a senior
member of the Union Solidarity and
Development Party.
But quizzed yesterday on the looming debate in parliament, senior NLD
members said the outcome would not
affect their decision.
There is no connection between
the decision to contest the election
and the constitutional amendment
process, party spokesperson U Nyan
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at the opening of a National League for
Democracy meeting in Yangon on June 20. Photo: Aung Myin Ye Zaw
Win said yesterday at a press conference following the conclusion of the

meeting.
Asked about the partys expectations on the constitutional amendment process, senior member U Win
Myint, who is also a representative for
the lower house, said the party would
debate the proposed changes strongly, regardless of the final result.
I dont want to say what our expectations are. People [in the parliament] always say they want democracy and have also promised to build
a democratic state so we will have to
wait and see whether they keep their
promise or not, he said.
The first debate in parliament will
focus on a bill to amend sections 436

and 59(f), which require both approval in parliament and a national
referendum.
The second bill, which will be debated later, contains changes to 31
other sections of the document that
require only approval by parliament.
Section 436 gives the military a
veto over constitutional change by
setting the threshold for approval of
amendments at 75 percent of MPs. The
bill proposes reducing this to 70pc.
Section 59(f), meanwhile, sets out the
eligibility criteria for the presidency.
The proposed changes would relax the
criteria, but Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
would remain ineligible because her
There is no
connection between
the decision
to contest the
election and the
constitutional
amendment
process.
U Nyan Win
National League for Democracy
Based on these comments, most

observers believe the party will take
part in the election.
But U Win Htein, a central executive committee member and MP, insisted boycotting was still an option.
For a big party, its impossible to
contest immediately. We have to begin preparing now so we are ready
if we decide to run. But it does not
mean we will definitely do it, agreed
U Nyan Win.
MANDALAY
Collapse of scaffolding leaves two dead

SI THU LWIN
sithulwin.mmtimes@gmail.com
THE collapse of steel scaffolding at
the under-construction Pullman Hotel in Mandalay on June 20 left two
workers dead and 18 injured, rescue
workers said yesterday. The accident
occurred in an area where workers
were installing the concrete floor of
the hotels swimming pool.
A number of victims were trapped
beneath the scaffolding, prompting a
rescue operation involving the Fire
Services Department, the Red Cross
Society, doctors from the Ministry of
Health and volunteers from civil society groups.
At press time, more than 24 hours
after the accident occurred, one injured survivor and one of the deceased
were still trapped, said an official from
the Fire Services Department.
We will soon rescue the living
worker, U Myint Thein, deputy head
of the Chan Mya Tharzi township
Red Cross Society, told The Myanmar Times yesterday at 3pm. We
have to use machines to cut through
the floor of the pool because the concrete has already set.
He said the rescue team was providing oxygen and an intravenous
drip to the trapped worker.
The Pullman Hotel project is
part of the US$100 million Mingala
Mandalay Project on New City plot
1, which is owned by Mandalay City
Development Committee. New Star

Light, CAD and Nyan Family Construction have been contracted to
build the project.
Pullman is the high-end international brand of the Accor group. Accor did not respond to requests for
comment on the accident.
U Zin Min Swe, director of Regal
Hospitality, which is overseeing the
hotel development, said the collapsed
portion of the scaffolding had been
built by Nyan Family Construction.
U Tint Lwin, an engineer working
on the Pullman Hotel project, said it
was difficult at this early stage to pinpoint the cause of the accident.
This incident shows that we
need to focus on scaffolding design.
In other countries, developers give

special consideration to the design of
scaffolding, he said.
Maybe the foundation props
were unstable, or maybe the nuts
were not tightened at the connecting points. We cant yet say what the
main reason for the collapse was.
About 40 workers were in the vicinity of the scaffolding when it gave
way. Those injured were sent to Mandalay General Hospital.
We are so sorry for the workers, said U Nyan Lynn from Nyan
Family Construction. Our company
will take responsibility for the injured and the victims. We will give
compensation.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
News 3
Clashes
in Kachin
displace
villagers
WA LONE
walone14@gmail.com
RENEWED clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence
Army have driven at least 200 villagers
from their homes in Hpakant township, according to local police and aid
workers.
Police in Hpakant town said more
than 50 families had moved to the
Nam Yang Baptist Church IDP camp
following three days of fighting last
week. Police also said that two officers
were injured by a bomb blast in Hpakant on the night of June 17, but gave
no further information.
An aid agency working in the area
said about 200 people fleeing the
fighting had arrived in the town and
more were reported to be on their way.
A KIA officer told The Myanmar
Times yesterday that the Tatmadaw
had used artillery to shell the groups
6th battalion. The reason behind the
fighting is that the Tatmadaw want
to take over the land that we control,
so they warned us several times to remove our military camps, he said.
The officer, who is involved in conflict negotiation and asked not to be
named, said the KIA had already withdrawn their camps two or three times
and could not go further.
I am worried the situation will get
worse. The front line doesnt trust the
negotiating team because we held talks
with the Tatmadaw team but the offensive didnt stop, the KIA officer said.
An official from the Tatmadaws
Public Relations and Psychological
Warfare Department said he had received no information on the fighting.
Fighting in the highly lucrative
jade mining area of Hpakant township
was reported to have displaced more
than 2000 people in January.
The Kachin conflict is one of the
longest-running ethnic insurgencies in
Myanmar. A ceasefire agreed in 1994
lasted until 2011. Peace talks, mediated
initially by China, resulted in an agreement in May 2013 to scale back hostilities, but not a ceasefire. About 100,000
people remain in IDP camps.
The factors driving the latest clashes
remain unclear. However, aid workers
are concerned about the impact of the
apparent breakdown in the nationwide
ceasefire process after leaders of armed
ethnic groups on June 9 rejected a draft
accord signed with the government on
March 31. Aid groups are also worried
by a sharp drop in funding this year
from international donors.
Separately, Myawady, a militaryrun newspaper, reported at the weekend that the KIA had bombed a 110foot (34-metre) Bailey bridge in the
Monkoe area of northern Shan State
on June 17. The KIA said the Tatmadaw was mounting offensives against
its forces in the area in order to seize
land from local Shan residents.
4 News
Chief Executive Officer
Tony Child
tonychild.mcm@gmail.com
Editorial Director U Thiha Saw
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Deputy Chief Operating Officer Tin Moe Aung
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EDITORIAL
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Editor MTM Sann Oo
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Chief of Staff Zaw Win Than
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Editor Special Publications Myo Lwin
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Editor-at-Large Douglas Long
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News Editor MTE Guy Dinmore
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Business Editor MTE Jeremy Mullins
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World Editor MTE Fiona MacGregor,
Kayleigh Long
The Pulse Editor MTE Charlotte Rose
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Sport Editor MTE Matt Roebuck
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Special Publications Editor MTE Wade Guyitt
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Regional Affairs Correspondent Roger Mitton
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Sub-Editors Peter Swarbrick, Laignee Barron
Chief Sub Editor MTM Aye Sapay Phyu
Business & Property Editor MTM
Tin Moe Aung
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Timeout Editor MTM Moh Moh Thaw
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MCM BUREAUS
News Editors (Mandalay)
Khin Su Wai, Phyo Wai Kyaw
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Govt suit against Eleven

editors prompts criticism
Seventeen senior members of editorial team facing contempt-of-court charges over article published in March
ring journalists from state-run MRTV
from attending their June 20 press
conference.
The Ministry of Information never
stopped Eleven from attend our media
conferences and we also responded as
much as we could to questions from
Eleven reporters, he wrote. We dont
know why they didnt allow MRTV to
attend the press conference. We are
not sure whether they have a different
attitude than us on the right [of journalists] to gather news Readers can
guess.
But the industry appears to mostly
be on Eleven Medias side, despite the
companys propensity for taking legal
action.
KYAW
PHONE
KYAW
k.phonekyaw@gmail.com
THE government has launched a

criminal contempt-of-court prosecution against 17 senior members of the
editorial team of Daily Eleven, arguing
that their coverage of an earlier defamation suit was in breach of the law.
Foreign and local critics say the
latest legal action continues a longstanding trend of the government using the law to silence the media, but
a senior government official yesterday
described this accusation as not fair.
The court action was initiated on
June 15 by U Kyaw Soe, managing
director of the News and Periodicals
Enterprise of the Ministry of Information, and a former colonel in the Tatmadaw.
The defendants are the papers
managing editor, the editor-in-chief
and his deputy, six executive editors,
the chief reporter and seven senior
editors.
U Kyaw Soe is already pursuing
a separate action against five senior
staff at Eleven for allegedly defaming
the information ministry. He initiated
the action at Nay Pyi Taw court in 2014
in connection with the newspapers allegation that the ministry had bought
the press for a state-owned newspaper
at an inflated price. The case is still
proceeding.
The latest charge relates to the
newspapers coverage of that court
case. On March 5, the newspapers lawyer raised questions in court concerning the purchase of the offset press.
The paper carried U Kyaw Soes reply
on March 21, stating, The complainant, U Kyaw Soe, confessed that the
Ministry of Information had bought
the offset for 700,000 euro in 2009.
U Kyaw Soes contempt-of-court allegation stems from the fact that the
newspaper was insisting on the innocence of its staff before the court
has ruled on the matter, according to
Eleven Media Group.
The case is to be heard at Mandalay Region High Court. Eleven Media Group representatives said the
1100-kilometre (685-mile) round trip
from Yangon to Mandalay to attend
court hearings, which typically take
place every one or two weeks, would
be a major burden for the company.
The editors who are being sued
are [the leaders] of news production.
Now, journalists
and certain
politicians are
being hunted.
U Thein Than Oo
Defence lawyer
Eleven Media Groups lawyer, U Thein Than Oo, speaks to the media at a press
conference in Yangon on June 20. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing
This will have a serious impact on us,

said Daily Eleven chief Ko Wai Phyo.
If convicted, the journalists face a
prison sentence of up to six months or
a K100,000 fine, or both.
Ko Wai Phyo said the prosecution
underlined the pressure of the government on journalists.
[Minister for Information] U Ye
Htut says the government allows freedom of the press. But journalists are
being jailed, he said, adding that the
number of journalists subjected to legal action had increased since 2013.
Defence lawyer U Thein Than Oo
said that a strong fourth estate was
needed to ensure good government.
Now, journalists and certain politicians are being hunted. The government is taking all possible legal
measures against them, he said, adding that the contempt of court law expressly allows press coverage of ongoing court cases.
The amended Contempt of Courts
Law, enacted in July 2013, makes it
illegal to publish anything that scandalises the court, interferes or disturbs with a case or impairs public
trust in the judiciary. It is also illegal
to pre-comment on cases before a
verdict is handed down.
However, the law contains several
exemptions, including one that allows
publication of fair or true information on an ongoing case.
U Ye Htut told The Myanmar
Times yesterday that the ministry had
taken legal action because the article
published by Eleven Media could hurt
the independence of the judiciary.
He also dismissed international
and local accusations that the government is increasing its oppression of
the media as not fair.
I can give you a clear reason why.
Just compare how many times Eleven
Media charged other media compared to our ministry, which has only
charged them twice, he said.
On his Facebook page, he also
criticised Eleven for apparently bar-
Vice chair of the Myanmar Press

Council (Interim), U Phoe Thauk Kyar,
criticised the governments decision.
We need mutual understanding between the media and the government.
That cant be built by arresting and
jailing journalists, he said.
MP U Aye Maung said on June
20, I suspect this is a way of keeping journalists quiet as the elections
approach.
On June 16, Amnesty International
issued a reporting alleging that the
government was intensifying restrictions on media ahead of the election.
The report said the authorities are
relying on old and new methods to
intimidate media and restrict freedom
of expression. It listed a range of cases
to support its claim, including the sentencing of the Unity Five to 10 years
imprisonment with hard labour and
death of Ko Par Gyi while in military
custody, both last year.
What we are seeing in Myanmar
today is repression dressed up as progress. Authorities are still relying on
the same old tactics arrests, surveillance, threats and jail time to muzzle
those journalists who cover inconvenient topics, said Rupert Abbott, Amnestys research director for Southeast
Asia and the Pacific.
Additional reporting by Wa Lone
Youth leaders hit streets to promote unity

CHERRY THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
IF all the citizens of Myanmar, whatever their ethnicity, worked for unity
with same enthusiasm shown in support of the U23 football team at last
weeks SEA Games, the prospects for
peace and development would improve. That was the view of a participant in a series of public awareness
programs conducted by young people
to promote peace and end conflict.
Around 100 young people gathered
yesterday at major traffic junctions in
Yangon to draw attention to the need
to end conflict under the slogan One
people, one nation.
Leaders of the effort also met the
governments chief peace negotiator, U
Aung Min, to discuss the role of young
people in the peace process.
One of the participants, Ko Akar

Soe Myint, told The Myanmar Times
that the campaign would continue today and tomorrow in the Yangon townships of Kamaryut, Sanchaung, Tarmwe, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, North and
South Dagon, Thaketa and Dawbon.
We have five groups of 500 people
each. We will visit each house to discuss the concept of peace and listen to
peoples views, attitudes and feelings
about conflict and racism, he said.
Organiser Ko Thet Swe Win, director of the Centre for Youth and Social
Harmony, told The Myanmar Times
that the program aimed to get people
thinking about conflict and national
identity. People are fighting because
they have different political and racial
ideologies. If we want to build a brave
new nation, we should find a common
and inclusive identity, he said.
The program is based on the principle that all the countrys nationalities
are heading toward the same destination. It is impossible to initiate a federal system without respect for equal
rights, he said.
The program promotes equal
rights and values ethnic identity and
differences, he said.
Another member said, I was in
Kachin State when our national side
played Thailand at the SEA Games.
Everybody supported the national
team and felt proud that it was representing our country. To be Myanmar
is not to belong to one ethnic. All the
ethnic groups in the country belong
to Myanmar. If we all can organise
our country as well as we support our
team, we can achieve peace and development, he said.
The program is the result of work-
shops on youth participation in the

peace process hosted by the centre last
year. A similar campaign will be held
next month in Mandalay and the Kayin State capital Hpa-an. The groups
plan to hold an evaluation workshop
after the programs to prepare for a nationwide expansion of the campaign
later this year.
The centre is working to promote
a youth-oriented policy along with the
Ministry of Relief and Resettlement
and the United Nations Population
Fund, but wants to strengthen its consultation with young people.
There should be a policy and laws
that promote and protect rights and
opportunities for young people, said
Ko Thet Swe Win.
The centre was established in 2013
to promote youth participation in the
countrys development process.
6 News
Daw Suu
calls for
clean
politics
NATIONAL League for Democracy
leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi called
for clean politics in a video message
marking her 70th birthday on June
19, saying looming elections would
be crucial in deciding the countrys
future.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her
party are expected to make sweeping
gains at the polls slated for November
in what is seen as one of the greatest
tests yet of Myanmars transition toward democracy.
The Nobel laureate, who entered
parliament in 2012 after by-elections
following a decades-long democracy
struggle, said this year was a very
important time for Myanmar, which
was ruled by the army for nearly half
a century.
How this election is held, what the
results are and what the situation in
the country is after the election will
not just have an impact this year, or
next year, but for many years to come,
she said in a recorded message posted
on Facebook.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently barred from becoming president by a junta-era constitution, also
called for clean politics, free from
trickery and coercion.
Only if we have clean politics can
our country develop in peace, she
added.
The NLD leader has declined to
completely rule out a boycott of this
years poll as she campaigns to change
the constitution.
The charter excludes anyone from
top political office who has foreign
children. Her two sons are British.
Analysts say she is unlikely to succeed in changing the charter in time,
as she faces strong opposition from
military MPs who hold a quarter of
parliamentary seats.
But her supporters say her central
role in the countrys political future is
not in doubt.
She has been very important for
the last 20 years and will remain just
as important in future years for our
party and our country, said Ko Nay
Soe Aung, an information officer for
the youth wing of the NLD. AFP
Donors give blood in Yangon on June 19 to mark Daw Aung San Suu Kyis birthday. Photo: Naing Wynn Htoon
Blood donations mark NLD leaders birthday

SHWE YEE SAW MYINT
poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com
MORE than 200 people queued to
donate blood on June 19 in honour
of National League for Democracy
leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who
celebrated her 70th birthday that
day. About 100 of them were mem-
bers of her National League for Democracy party, while another 100
were members of the public, and
there were 25 monks and nuns.
The donations took place at the
Myanmar Central National Blood
Bank at Yangon General Hospital.
Daw Suu selflessly offers her
service to us, and Im donating my
blood to show my love and appreciation, said one blood donor, Ko

Tha Ha.
The event was sponsored by the
NLD Youth Committee.
Organiser Ko Myo Myint Aung
said it was the first time the government has allowed Daw Aung San
Suu Kyis birthday to be celebrated
Speaker rebukes dissenting MP

as Yangon city plan approved
Opposition MP questions whether landowners in the project area have connections with government officials
YE MON
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
THE Speaker of the Yangon Region

parliament has warned a prominent
opposition representative to stop
using the phrase on behalf of the
people when posing questions to the
house.
U Sein Tin Win told Daw Nyo Nyo
Thin on June 19 that as the MP for
Bahan township, she could not imply
that she represented the people.
The rebuke came during a debate
on the Strategic Urban Development
Plan for Greater Yangon, which parliament approved overwhelmingly.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin of the Democratic Party (Myanmar) said the governments submission of the plan to
parliament so close to the end of its
term of office had caused anxiety.

May I ask the government, on behalf of the people, whether the landowners involved in this project are
related to any of the members of the
government? she asked.
The Speaker disallowed the question, adding, Daw Nyo Nyo Thin,
you represent only Bahan. Please
stop saying on behalf of the people.
Union Solidarity and Development
Party MP U Win Tun Naing, an MP
for Seikkan township, agreed with
the Speakers position. Daw Nyo Nyo
Thin should respect other MPs. She
doesnt represent all the people not
even all the people of Yangon, he said.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin retorted that
the members of the Yangon Region
parliament collectively represented
all the people of the region. We
dont just represent our own constituencies, she said.
Her usage appears to be in sync
with that of the parliament in Nay Pyi
Taw, however. In 2011, the Pyidaungsu
Hluttaw adopted the slogan Peoples

Voice, Hluttaws Voice, Peoples Will,
Hluttaws Will, Peoples Expectation,
Hluttaws Implementation, and the
sentiment is regularly expressed by
the two speakers, Thura U Shwe
Mann and U Khin Aung Myint.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin was one of only
two MPs who objected to the Strategic
I think the
regional
government and
some MPs are
involved in these
projects.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin
Democratic Party (Myanmar)
Urban Development Plan for Greater

Yangon 2040, which was formally
passed on June 19. Daw Nyo Nyo Thin
had urged lawmakers not to approve
the plan, but merely record it.
These are big projects. The government should draw up new laws
to govern them, and clarify the lines
of responsibility. I think the regional
government and some MPs are involved in these projects, she said,
adding that questions continued to
be asked about the possible relationships between some of the landowners affected in the expansion and
members of the government.
The strategic plan aims to expand Yangon into a series of new
cities in Northeast Yangon, Southwest Yangon, and Dala, Thanlyin,
Htantabin, Hmawbi and Hlegu
townships, covering nearly 120,000
acres at a cost of some K8.178 trillion (US$7.373 billion).
SEE RELATED STORY BUSINESS 8
in a government building.
More than 500 people came,
and half of them donated blood, he
said.
Similar donation events took
place throughout the country.
NLD chair for Yangon Region U
Myint Htay and blood bank director
Daw Thida Lwin attended the event.
TOKYO
Japan offers
$3.5m in aid
JAPAN on June 20 offered US$3.5
million to assist Muslims from Rakhine State who attempt to flee Myanmar in boats.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida
said Japan remained committed to
helping national reconciliation efforts on various fronts in Asia, including between Myanmars government and ethnic minority groups.
With regard to non-regular immigrants, including women and
children trying to cross the Indian
Ocean, Japan has decided to extend
$3.5 million through global agencies such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he said in a public address.
The money will go to providing
food and shelter as well as to fund
data analysis of their maritime movements, the foreign ministry said.
The persecution of Rakhine
States Muslims, many of whom
identify as Rohingya, has drawn international attention as thousands
of them and Bangladeshi migrants
cram into boats and struggle desperately to reach other Southeast Asian
countries. AFP
www.mmtimes.com
Views
News 7
TRADEMARK CAUTION
NOTICE is hereby given that LOREAL a company organized
under the laws of France and having its principal office at 14, rue
Royale, 75008 Paris, France, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor
of the following trade mark:
GARNIER MEN
POWERWHITE
The said Trade Mark consists of GARNIER MEN POWERWHITE.
The said Trade Mark is used in respect of the following goods:
Class 3
Perfume, eau de toilette; gels, salts for the bath and the shower
not for medical purpose; toilet soaps, body deodorants; cosmetics;
creams, milks, lotions, gels and powders for the face, the body
and the hands; sun care preparations (cosmetic products); makeup preparations; shampoos; gels, sprays, mousses and balms
for hair styling and hair care; hair lacquers; hair colouring and
hair decolorant preparations; permanent waving and curling
preparations; essential oils for personal use.
rendered by or on behalf of LOREAL in the Union of Myanmar.
That Declarations of Ownership in respect of the said Trade Marks
have been registered in the Office of the Sub-Registrar, Yangon,
on the day of 1st January, 2015 under No. IV/20115 for 2014.
A farmer uses a phone in

the hinterlands of Mandalay
Region. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw
Furlongs on the
road to digitopia
NICHOLAS
FARRELLY
nicholas.farrelly@glenlochadvisory.com
ECHNOLOGICAL milestones like the furlong

posts on highways out
of Yangon help us to
measure how far we have
travelled.
I recall vividly the first time I saw
a tablet computer in this country. It
was early 2011 in Myitkyina and the
Tatmadaws Northern Command was
flexing its muscles, a prelude to the
new Kachin war.
The Kachin nationalists were disheartened that they had failed to get
a viable slate of candidates up for the
November 2010 election. Everyone
was waiting for what would happen
next.
My conversations in Myitkyina
were heavy with talk of the conflict
to come. It was during one of these
discussions that something caught
my eye on the other side of the room:
a flickering animated screen.
Huddled around, a small group of
teenagers expressed their amusement
with, and their appreciation of, the
high-tech marvel in their hands.
Until then the only widely available computing facilities in places
like Myitkyina were boisterous and
ramshackle internet parlours. Most
were full of young men and women.
The boys tended to play shoot-em-up
games, while many of the women
would spend their hours in chat
rooms with friends from near and far.
Some, of course, would use the
internet for more serious surfing, for
writing job applications and assignments, or for setting plans to make
big moves to distant shores. But they
were probably the minority.
Back then, the countrys rickety
internet infrastructure served as
a distraction for kids with a bit of
discretionary money and a whole
lot of free time. Getting a seat in the
most popular internet cafes could
be a hassle for newcomers, but often
somebody would make way for a
dusty field researcher trying to check

in on news from home.
In such settings it was common
to need layers of digital magic to get
past Myanmars censors. Somewhere
deep inside the Ministry of Information, faceless arbiters of political
sentiment laboured to keep online
rebellions in check.
Thousands of sites were blocked,
and some internet cafes would even
list disallowed URLs on their walls. I
was never quite certain whether this
was supposed to discourage access,
or to alert customers to useful, albeit
prohibited, content. In any case, most
regular internet users had their
means to sidestep blocks on websites,
Gmail or other basic online tools.
The extent to which the government could ever really manage Myanmars modest internet footprint is
in doubt. Certainly, all sorts of things
In a relatively free
society there is no
easy way to licence
internet use or to
fully remove its
potential for causing
calamity.
would slip through.

Then, all of a sudden in late 2011,
the need for the old-style sidestepping techniques ended. The first
time I legally accessed the websites
of the Kachin News Group and The
Irrawaddy from inside the country,
I remember taking a screen shot for
posteritys sake. Another furlong.
What surprised me then is that
Myanmars internet was freed up so
quickly. We now know that this liberalisation also sent a jolt through the
telecommunications market, with
the boom in smartphones quick to
follow. Before long this rush to Facebook, and to the digital tomorrow,
will be seen nationwide, right down
to the poorest villages.

Its exciting to imagine what that
might mean. Myanmars rapidly expanding internet has the potential to
link farmers to their markets, to give
students access to the best-quality
learning resources, and to change the
way we all think about the media and
news. It is a potentially intoxicating
mix, with ramifications for all other
aspects of political and economic
reform.
Sometimes, though, we mistakenly
imagine that we can ride a smooth
road to a distant digitopia, where
these technologies will help solve the
fundamental problems of our existence. Much will go wrong. Myanmars
drivers know all about the potholes
and pitfalls of long-distance travel.
Yet the best Myanmar drivers
can handle any conditions, and I am
constantly impressed by their improvisation and skills. We know that
the digital highways will be fraught
with bumps and dangerous turns, and
so awareness of appropriate internet behaviour, just like good driving
etiquette, will help to keep everyone
safer. The reality, though, is that in
a relatively free society there is no
easy way to licence internet use or to
fully remove its potential for causing
calamity.
In Myanmars case, it is at the
intersection of information, technology and politics that new hazards are
emerging. Much has already been said
about hate speech and communal
antagonism getting impetus from the
unregulated spaces of the digital ether.
Learning to handle such conditions
in this newly information-saturated
environment is going to take time. Yet
more technological milestones loom
just around the corner and they are
approaching at speed.
Its not clear that there is any
single technological or social fix for
the internets hazards but like safety
on the road, managing the risks is a
shared responsibility.
Nicholas Farrelly is director of the
Australian National UniversitysMyanmar
Research Centre and co-founder of New
Mandala, a popular website on Southeast
Asian affairs.
WARNING is hereby given that any fraudulent imitation,

unauthorised or improper use of the said Trade Marks or other
infringement of the rights of LOREAL in any manner whatsoever
will be dealt with according to law.
Dated this 22nd day of June, 2015.
U Kyi Win Associates
for LOREAL
53-55 Maha Bandoola Garden Street
Yangon
TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that ACE COOK KABUSHIKI
KAISHA (ACE COOK CO., LTD.) , a company organized
under the laws of Japan and having its principal office at 12-40,
1-Chome, Esaka-Cho, Suita-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan is the Owner
and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-
(Reg: No. IV/6083/2015)
(Reg: No. IV/6084/2015)

The above two trademark are in respect of: Curry, stew and soup mixes; instant curry; pre-cooked curry;
instant stew; pre-cooked stew; instant soup; pre-cooked soup;
instant miso soup; pre-cooked miso soup. - Class:29
Cereal preparations; noodles; udon noodles [uncooked]; oat
flakes; oatmeal; dried cooked-rice; enriched rice [uncooked];
pasta-wrappings for gyoza; corn flakes; powder of sweetened bean
jam [Sarashi-an]; artificial rice [uncooked]; spaghetti [uncooked];
somen noodles [very thin wheat noodles, uncooked]; instant
udon noodles; instant soba noodles; instant Chinese noodles;
Chinese-Japanese style dry noodles with soup base (so-called
instant Ramen); instant stir-fried noodles; soba noodles [Japanese
noodles of buckwheat, uncooked]; Chinese noodles [uncooked];
bean-starch noodles [Harusame, uncooked]; bread crumb; Chinese
rice noodles [Bifun, uncooked]; dried pieces of wheat gluten [Fu,
uncooked]; canned cooked rice; macaroni [uncooked]; pounded
rice cakes [Mochi]. Class: 30
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said
trademarks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with
according to law.
for ACE COOK KABUSHIKI KAISHA
(ACE COOK CO., LTD.)
P.O. Box No. 26, Yangon.
Phone: 372416
Dated: 22nd June, 2015
8 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015
Business
Sparse starting point for first New City
Other than this low-cost housing project, there is little development but quality infrastructure in the future home of the East North New City. Photos: Zarni Phyo
interested buyers over the weekend.

Speculators often rush into areas
when they are first designated for highprofile projects, hoping they will be able
to snap up land on the cheap and sell it
when the project developers begin purchasing land. The same rush of speculation happened with a previous new
city project aimed for the outskirts of
southwest Yangon last year, as well others such as the planned Hanthawaddy
airport in Bago Region.
Yet while the new city in East
Dagon, called East North New City,
is in a thinly inhabited area, it will not
be built in a vacuum. Residents already
occupy the area, including two main villages, Talanpan and Thayetpin Chaung.
Speaking to The Myanmar Times before the June 19 announcement, many
villagers said they were not aware of
plans for their area to become the East
North New City. Instead they pointed to
a few local small-scale projects as the
only government-backed development
in the region.
There is a low-cost housing project
called December Bawga Thiri housing
under way in the area, separate from
East North. Villagers say the developers
of the low-cost housing project are the
Much of the northeast area of East Dagon township is underdeveloped and

located far from downtown Yangon.
THOUSAND ACRES
17
Land area in East Dagon township that

is allocated for the East North satellite
town in the Yangon 2040 plan
end up with ownership rights.

Some people may have known
about the seven new city projects included in the Yangon plan, so they
could have paid for land in advance,
she said. People who know about these
projects first then try to make illegal
profits by using this information.
Daw Nyo Nyo Thin added that authorities can take action against those
contravening anti-money laundering
laws, so officials need to be careful
about participating in the rush.
The total area for the East Dagon
New City is 17,375 acres, and it is slated
to eventually include 900,000 people.
The government has planned to provide about K10 million an acre for land
it expropriates.
The plan states that the government
will be able to keep costs low. They estimate land prices will rise significantly
as the project progresses, possibly up to
K280 million an acre.
The entire project of the East North
new city is estimated at K491 billion,
with Yangon Region government hopeful on implementing it before 2040.
Dagon
East
Dagon
North
Yangons New Cities,

according to the 2040
plan. The East North
New City is outlined in
red, while the other six
projects are in grey.
Shwedagon
Sule
N
Maumb
in er
Ro (2
ad )
DRIVING northeast from East Dagon

township along Number 2 Main Road,
the city of Yangon fades away and is replaced by rice fields and idle land. The
area is dotted with a few small villages,
but given the distance between the area
and downtown Yangon, it is thinly populated and underdeveloped.
This is all slated to change, however.
The area around East Dagons Ywar
Thar Gyi quarter is marked to become
the first of seven new city projects in
Yangon, called East North New City.
The new city projects are part of the
Strategic Urban Development Plan of
Greater Yangon 2040, which has been
drafted by Yangon City Development
Committee and Japan International
Cooperation Agency.
The new cities are essentially a series of satellite towns ringing Yangon,
planned to contain extensive industrial,
commercial and residential spaces.
Developed in response to Yangons
bursting population, the Yangon
2040 plan for the seven new cities
has been discussed in Yangon Region
parliament. The site of the first New
City, East North, was publicly revealed on June 19.
The unveiling generated a wave of
myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com
staff officers for the ministers, ShanChina businesspeople and also former
colonels.
Yangon Region independent member of parliament Daw Nyo Nyo Thin
said land owners will likely not want
to give up possession of their land if
compensation is only 5 or 10 million an
acre.
During speculation rushes, land
owners can sell land to businesspeople
and brokers, though they often then
Yangon-Mandalay Highway Road
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
regional government and local private

companies, but they dont know the
names with certainty. It has also been a
long time coming. U Thein Win, a resident of Thayetpin Chaung village, said
the housing has been under way, stopping and starting, for 18 years but is
still not completed.
We dont know exactly who the developers are, but we heard it is being
developed by government and a private
company, he said, adding some of the
buildings are nearly completed.
Development in the East North
area is extremely limited, beyond
the two main existing villages and
the start of the low-cost housing
project. Yet local infrastructure is
comparatively developed, boasting
hard-top roads, electricity and quality communications.
There has been interest in the local
property market since 2013. The area is
not short on open spaces, though many
lots have recently changed hands and
are not for sale again, according to U
Than Lwin, a local real estate agent at
Thayetpin Chaung village.
Speaking before the public unveiling
of the area as the first New City, he said
property in the East Dagon area sells
for K5 million (US$4500) an acre, when
it is available, while 10,000 square foot
lots in the villages sell for K30 million.
Prices have been rising from last
year. Industrial land in particular is
more expensive than paddy land and
residential areas, he said. In the area
there are four industrial zones.
U Than Lwin said a 40,000-squarefoot plot of industrial land may cost
about K150 million, though it varies
considerably depending on location.
Over the weekend, though, the
area has seen a rush of speculators
enter, and prices are beginning to
rise. Yet prices have not shot up as
they have in previous rushes, as maximum prices for expropriated land
have been laid out in planning documents and are relatively modest.
U Than Lwin said market has
slowed since last year. Those who made
purchases are not looking to flip land
immediately, but appear to be waiting,
he said.
A little over a year ago, people came
and bought lands. At the time, the price
was cheap and buyers received good
parcels, said a retired land surveyor
and resident of Thayetpin Chaung village. Of the buyers, most are personal
Pyay Ro
ad
YE MON
MYAT
NYEIN
AYE
Dagon
Seikkan
Dagon
South
BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com
Thailands Central Group

testing the waters for
Myanmar hotel
Cambodian telcos race

to provide 4G service
as market evolves
BUSINESS 10
BUSINESS 12
Exchange Rates (June 21 close)

Currency
Buying
Euro
Malaysia Ringitt
Singapore Dollar
Thai Baht
US Dollar
Selling
K1253
K296
K825
K33
K1116
K1273
K305
K840
K36
K1119
Health insurance to begin as a tough sell

SHWEGU
THITSAR
khaingsabainyein@gmail.com
A HEALTH insurance plan set out by

the government is scheduled to start
next month, though initial uptake
may be show. Private insurers say
the one-year test phase will be spent
identifying whether it is viable and
convincing consumers of its benefit.
The long-promised health insurance program was introduced earlier
this month by deputy finance minister U Maung Maung Thein, and
is slated to start on July 1. The program has relatively rigid conditions,
and private insurers say the primary
challenge will be to convince potential users that it is worthwhile.
We need to explain it to people,
so they can gain knowledge. We can
persuade people to insure if they
know the benefits of insurance, said
U Aung Soe Oo, general manager at
IKBZ. If they insure, they will cover
their losses.
Private insurers have been allowed in the market since 2013,
when state-owned Myanma Insurances monopoly came to an end.
There are currently 11 private insurers in the market, along with Myanma Insurance.
The health insurance program
unveiled by the government has a
limited degree of flexibility. People between the ages of six and 65
can purchase units of insurance
for K50,000, up to five units. Each
unit entitles the policy holder up to
K15,000 a day for hospital treatment
per unit of insurance that has been
purchased, for a maximum of 30
days. In the case of accidental death
the holder receives K1 million.
The plan is the same for all 12 insurance companies, and much of the
plan, including application forms, is
standardised by the Insurance Business Regulatory Board.
U Aung Soe Oo said there had
been significant discussions leading up the formulation of the plan
for health insurance over how much
flexibility to introduce. The plans
drafters initially discussed different premiums for three different

categories of people older people,
adults over 20, and children but
decided to take a simpler route to
help people understand what they
are purchasing.
We made many discussions
about how to cover policy holders
for surgery, and how to claim hospital costs, he said. But eventually, we chose the easiest and clearest way, because its the first time
weve started health insurance, and
the plan should be acceptable to all
people.
Those claiming hospital costs will
need to show they have been admitted to hospitals and clinics with
proper licences.
U Aung Soe Oo said nearly all
the private insurance companies are
going to gradually introduce health
insurance. Other new products such
as marine cargo insurance will also
likely be introduced by the regulator
in the future.
IBKZ is preparing the groundwork for the July 1 launch of health
insurance. It hosted a meeting with
Eventually we
chose the easiest
and clearest way,
because its the first
time weve started
health insurance.
U Aung Soe Oo
IKBZ
some of its 200 agents on June 17 to

inform them about how the new program will work.
U Aung Soe Oo said insurance
agents are important conduits for
an insurance firms products. They
are the people out selling products,
and must understand what they are
selling.
We wanted to explain well to insurance agents what is involved with
Hospital patients will be entitled to receive compensation if they buy health insurance. Photo: Boothee
health insurance, he said of the decision to hold the June 17 seminar.

The firm, part of U Aung Ko
Wins KBZ conglomerate, has 12
branch offices and two more on
the way, including one in Meiktila.
IKBZ plans to begin offering health
insurance simultaneously across its
network on July 1.
IKBZ is not the only insurance
company aiming to begin selling
health insurance. Others are similarly preparing their branches to offer the product.
Some experts say there may be
a challenge in the health insurance
scheme that those most at risk of
health problems, such as the elderly,
IMF team in country for annual

economic, financial consultations
JEREMY MULLINS
jeremymullins7@gmail.com
AN International Monetary Fund
(IMF) team is visiting Myanmar for
its annual check-up on economic
and financial policies, according to
officials.
Under Article IV of the IMFs Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds
bilateral discussions with member
countries, usually every year.
The 2015 Article IV Consultation, an annual comprehensive discussion between the IMF and member countries concerning economic
and financial policies, is scheduled
to take place during June 17 to July
1, said Yu Ching Wong, IMF resident
representative.
Ms Wong said that the mission
schedule was planned since earlier
this year. The visit involves staff collecting economic and financial information and discussing the countrys
economic developments and policies.
The team of IMF staff then return to
headquarters, and prepares a report
which forms the basis of discussion
by the IMFs executive board.
The IMF also concluded a staff
visit to Myanmar in February. At the
end of the February visit, it predicted
growth would decelerate to 7.8 percent in 2014-15, from 8.3pc the year
earlier, due to slower growth in the
agricultural sector.
It also said in February that Myanmars medium-term growth outlook
is favourable, though downside risks
for the near term have increased.
The current visit coincides with
concern over Myanmars foreign exchange market. While the value of the
kyat has been declining for nearly a

year against the dollar, the pace of the
decline rapidly accelerated in June.
As market rates tumbled, the Central Bank of Myanmar was slow to
move its reference rate to meet the
market rate. Since it is illegal to buy
or sell outside plus or minus 0.8pc
of the reference rate, some money
exchanges ceased doing business or
went underground as the gap between the official reference rate and
the market rate widened.
The Presidents Office and the Central Bank have taken action, starting
programs to inject dollars and buy up
kyat. The gap between market and
official rates has recently been narrowing. Yesterday, industry website
naungmoon.com had the market rate
at K1149 per dollar, while the official
rate was at K1110.
will be the most likely to apply for

coverage, straining the premium
pool.
Daw Sein Sein Than, principal
officer with Capital Life Insurance,
there is a need to persuade parents
to insure for their children as well,
as if the numbers of older people
buying insurance is too high, it may
result in an imbalance.
Moreover, we need to listen to
our customers voices, she said.
Daw Sein Sein Than also said the
company will be continually assessing
the scheme. It is also required that

we report to the regulator what is happening, as this is a one-year test.
Leading up to the plan, there
had been negotiation over premiums, and calculations for medical
fees, before arriving at a program
that may work.
Capital Life has branch offices in
Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, but will
initially begin sales in Yangon before
selling health insurance in other cities.
Translated by Emoon and
Khant Lin Oo
TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that SUMITOMO CHEMICAL
COMPANY, LIMITED a joint stock company duly organized
under the laws of Japan, Manufacturers and Merchants of 27-1,
Shinkawa 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan is the Owner and Sole
Proprietor of the following trademark:-
(Reg: No. IV/3591/2015)

in respect of: - Chemicals for use in the manufacture of
insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Class: 1
Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and preparations for killing
weeds and destroying vermin. Class: 5
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademark
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according
to law.
for SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Phone: 372416
TRADE MARK CAUTION

Peacock co., Ltd. of 12-20, 5-Chome, Sagisu, Fukushima-Ku,
Osaka, Japan is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following
trademark: -
10 Business
Thailands Central Group in talks to

bring Centara brand to Myanmar
CLARE HAMMOND
clarehammo@gmail.com
(Reg: No. IV/1653/1992)

in respect of:- Vacuum bottles, keeping warm water boxes, glass
bottles, ice boxes, canteens
whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for Peacock co., Ltd.
Phone: 372416
THE Central Group is in discussions

with local companies with a view to
bringing the Centara hotel brand
to one or more of Myanmars major
tourism destinations.
The Thai company is considering several locations in Myanmar
including Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Ngapali and Yangon, according
to Chris Anklin, director of business
development for Centara International Management.

In Yangon, the company is considering operating a hotel as part of
a mixed use development as this is
something it already does in Thailand, he added.
Centara is The Central Groups
main international hotel brand,
which currently operates in Thailand, Bali, the Maldives, Sri Lanka
and Vietnam.
Over the past few years, as tourist
arrivals to Myanmar have increased,

major international hotel groups including Hilton Worldwide, Kempsinki Hotels, Accor Hotels and the Peninsular Hotels Group have signed to
open hotels across the country.
International arrivals by air into
Myanmars three international airports Yangon, Mandalay and Nay
Pyi Taw rose from 310,688 in 2010
to 1.13 million in 2014, according
to data from the Ministry of Hotels
and Tourism.
TRADEMARK CAUTIONARY NOTICE

Mylan, Inc. a company organized under the laws of the State of
Pennsylvania and having its principal office at 1000 Mylan Blvd.,
4 South, Canonsburg, PA 15317, U.S.A. is the owner and sole
proprietor of the following Trademark :-
EPIPEN
Myanmar Registration Numbers.

4/12721/2014 in Class 5 and 4/12722/2014 for in Class 10
Used in respect of : Injectable pharmaceuticals for treatment of anaphylactic
reactions in Class 5
Medical Fluid injectors in Class 10
Any unauthorized use, imitation, infringements or fraudulent
intentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Tin Ohnmar Tun, Tin Thiri Aung & The Law Chambers
Ph: 0973150632
Email:law_chambers@seasiren.com.mm
(For. Domnern Somgiat & Boonma,
Attorneys at Law, Thailand)
Dated. 22nd June, 2015
TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that Starbucks Corporation d/b/a
Starbucks Coffee Company, a corporation organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Washington, USA and having its
principal office at 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, Washington
98134, United States of America is the Owner and Sole Proprietor
of the following trademark: -
STARBUCKS REFRESHERS
(Reg: No. IV/6061/2015)
IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP
MANDALAY
Dutch not-for-profit
supports small business
That the said trademark is in respect of the following description

of goods:Class 30: Coffee-based beverages; espresso-based beverages;
chocolate-based beverages; tea-based beverages; herbal tea-based
beverages; flavorings, other than essential oils, for beverages.
Class 32: Fruit drinks, fruit juices, and fruit-based beverages;
vegetable drinks, vegetable juices, and vegetable-based beverages;
non-alcoholic beverages, namely carbonated beverages, soft drinks;
energy drinks, isotonic beverages; liquid beverage mixes; powdered
beverage mixes; syrups for beverages; flavored and unflavored
bottled drinking water, mineral water, aerated waters; soy-based
beverages not being milk substitutes; nut milk; nut juice; fruit
concentrates and purees used as ingredients of beverages.
or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.
for Starbucks Corporation d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company
Phone: 372416
Farmers wait to sell their lychee fruit to local traders at the

market in Luc Ngan district, in Vietnams northern province of
Bac Giang. Thousands of tonnes of lychee are expected to be
exported this year to new markets abroad, including Australia,
Canada and the US.
KHIN SU
WAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
SOME Mandalay enterprises are

looking to foreign experts to assist
with developing their businesses.
PUM Netherlands works at connecting entrepreneurs from developing countries with Dutch volunteers, each of whom has at least 30
years experience in a business environment. The hope is these volunteer activities contribute to shortterm, solid consultancy projects on
the ground level.
Experts from the group are in
Mandalay, initially working in agriculture, culture and tourism, and
nursery plantations, with more volunteers slated to arrive later this
month.
Ko Kyaw Myo Ko, an official with
the organisation, said there is no
limit on what enterprises PUM will
support, adding it could work with

businesses such as private schools
and the media.
I dont know why some people
hesitate to get support from us.
This is a chance for businesses in
Mandalay, and our experts have
over 30 years experience in their
field, he said.
VOLUNTEERS
3000
Number of experts with non-profit

organisation PUM Netherlands worldwide, for support of businesses
A group of 40 businesspeople
are working on greenhouses, and
will turn to PUM for support, said
one of the projects backers. For

this project, 40 businessmen are involved, he said. We will find what
is the most economical and most
appropriate.
U Nay Linn, president of the Manufacturing Organisation of Consumer Goods, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics, said that with the programs
assistance, he hopes the greenhouse
project is able to contact more markets, as on its own it faces an uphill
challenge finding customers.
U Win Htay, chair of the SME
committee at Mandalay Region
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that businesses such
as food processors should ask for
expert assistance, as there is no
charge and they pay their own way.
At least we can see how to promote
trade and the market, he said.
PUM Netherlands was formed
in 1978, and boasts more than 3000
experts in about 70 to 75 countries.
The criteria for its assistance include that the enterprise requesting help must have between 10 and
250 staff.
International Business 11
www.mmtimes.com
SHANGHAI
Second-tallest tower comes with a twist

THE worlds second-tallest building,
Shanghai Tower, will soon open in the
Chinese financial capital with a twist
a 120-degree twist, to be exact.
A softened triangular outer skin is
literally twisted around a circular core,
sending the glass and steel tower spiralling 632 metres (2086 feet) into the
grey sky above the city.
State-backed developer Shanghai
Tower Construction and Development Co views the modern design as
a symbol of Chinas future, a super-tall
building in the citys gleaming Pudong
financial district, which did not even
exist 25 years ago.
People involved with the project
said the building will open this summer, with office tenants moving in
first, but the developer declined to
comment.
This twist is an iconic symbol of
looking forward for the Chinese people, said Grant Uhlir, practice area
leader and principal for Gensler, the
US architecture firm whose design was
chosen for the building which broke
ground in 2008.
Its been referred to as a strand of
DNA. Its also been referred to a place
where the ground connects with the
sky, he said.
Although still dwarfed by the
reigning champion Burj Khalifa in
Dubai, which stands at 828 metres
(2732 feet), and with new challengers
SYDNEY
Murdochs
plan big
Asia push
A NEW management team at Rupert
Murdochs News Corps Australian operations will support plans to expand
into fast-growing Asia, son Lachlan
Murdoch said on June 20.
It was announced on June 19 that
chief executive Julian Clarke will retire
at the end of the year to be replaced by
chief operating officer Peter Tonagh.
In addition, Michael Miller will
rejoin News Corp from APN News &
Media, which has newspaper and radio assets, to take on the newly created role of executive chair of News
Corp Australasia.
News Corps non-executive cochair Lachlan Murdoch described
the appointments as the best of
both worlds as he said the company
planned to make acquisitions and
investments in start-ups in Asia, The
Weekend Australian said.
It makes absolute sense to geographically diversify, Lachlan Murdoch told News Corp Australias national broadsheet.
Michaels first task will be to start
looking at building operating businesses in Australasia, and hes the
right person to do it.
Mr Tonagh will take over from Mr
Clarke in overseeing the companys
national, metropolitan and local newspapers.
Mr Clarke came out of retirement
in August 2013 to take on the job after
then News Corp Australia chief Kim
Williams quit.
Julian has done such an amazing
job bringing back the sales culture,
Lachlan Murdoch said.
News Corps chief executive Robert Thomson said the management
changes were part of a clear plan to
use Australia as a base for significant
expansion of our presence in Asia,
while ensuring that our traditional
businesses in Australia are developed
to their full potential.
AFP
under construction, the $2.4 billion

Shanghai Tower can still lay claim to
a host of superlatives.
Besides being the tallest double-facade building, its elevators the worlds
fastest travelling 18 metres per second
will whisk people up and down. The
globes second-highest hotel will be located on the 84th to 110th floors.
An estimated 16,000 to 18,000
people will pass through the Shanghai Tower every day. The building will
sway up to 1 metre in high winds, with
a 1000-tonne damper weight near
the top reducing the effect.
When you do these iconic, supertall buildings, it cant be a copy of
something else. It has to be unique,
said American chief architect Marshall
Strabala, who participated in the project while at Gensler.
Now the head of his own firm, he
spent part of his three-decade career
working on some of the worlds tallest
buildings including the Burj Khalifa.
He said the double skin plays other
roles besides pure design, providing
insulation to keep the building cool in
summer and warm in winter and reducing wind stress. This building is a
giant Thermos bottle, thats all it is, he
said. But the vacuum flask metaphor
masks the mind-numbing complexity
involved in balancing the design, safety
requirements, building codes and client demands that shaped the tower.
Shanghai Tower, under construction, is like a a giant Thermos bottle. Photo: EPA
Despite the futuristic look, concepts

owing to Chinese culture are present.
A golden canopy at the base of the
building was originally meant to be
green, the colour of weathered copper,
but the developer rejected the idea because in Chinese the expression wearing a green hat means being a cuckold.
Its not a good thing. Gold is a colour of prosperity, Mr Strabala said.
A white stone structure dubbed the
River Wall on the lower floors conceptually cuts the building into west
and east, like Shanghai itself is divided

into Puxi and Pudong on either side of
the Huangpu River.
Pudong side is business, Puxi side
is fun. The retail, restaurants [in the
building] are on the fun Puxi side, Mr
Strabala said.
The developer is expected to shun
using floor numbers with the number
four, which sounds like the Chinese
word for death.
Gensler says the building has 121
occupied floors, while the total num-
ber has been given as 127 or 128 storeys

depending on how they are counted.
Office space will take up much of the
573,000-square-metre
(6.2-millionsquare-foot) building, while the retail
space is small compared to a shopping
mall just four floors.
It remains to be seen whether the
pool of tenants currently in Pudong
is large enough to fill the building or
whether Shanghai Tower will need to
start offering discounts to attract others, said Michael Stacy, executive director of Cushman & Wakefields tenant advisory group in China.
Property agents are quoting rental
rates in a range of 9 to 16 yuan (US$1.45
to $2.56) per square metre a day depending on location, but they say the
developer is offering rent-free periods.
Mr Strabala believes the prestige of the address will draw tenants
though he jokes about the curse of
tall buildings, which seems to follow
economic strife. Workers broke ground
on Shanghai Tower in November 2008,
just weeks after the collapse of Lehman
Brothers, which helped spark the global financial crisis, and it will open at a
time when Chinas economy is slowing.
Mr Strabala, however, is not worried, stressing that recognition of the
building as the worlds second-tallest
will attract tenants. This building will
fill up because people will want to be
here, he said. AFP
12 International Business
PHNOM PENH
Race is on for Cambodian telcos to provide 4G service

CAMBODIAN telecom companies are
scrambling to jump on the 4G bandwagon and tap into the kingdoms
growing mobile internet usage, as
front-runner Smart announced last
week that its 4G LTE network now
spans across the whole country.
Thomas Hundt, CEO of Smart,
which is the only provider of 4G LTE
services, said the decision to expand
its network was consumer-driven, as
even smaller provinces wanted access
to high-speed mobile internet.
He added that while currently
more than 100,000 of Smarts 7.5 million subscribers were using 4G LTE,
the investment was necessary going
into the future. 4G services, in addition to voice and 3G services, provides
mobile broadband internet, whereas

4G LTE is a wireless standard for highspeed access.
Certainly the investments are
substantial and wont pay off within a
couple of months. But 4G LTE is the
technology of the future and we see
consumer demand, so we are ready to
invest, Mr Hundt said.
He said subscribers wanted highspeed internet on their phones and
that falling prices of 4G-enabled,
entry-level phones would increase
the number of users. While the
price tag for 4G LTE phones becomes more favourable, currently
US$160 to $170 in the entry level
[segment], more and more customers will be able to enjoy the fastest
mobile internet of Cambodia, Mr

Hundt added.
The growth in 4G also comes with
increased pressure on frequency requirements, Mr Hundt said, and that
further spectrum will have to be made
available by the Ministry of Telecommunications. One of the initiatives,
for example, is to achieve a higher
grade of spectrum utilisation, such as
licensees currently holding spectrum
but not operating are supposed to give
up the unused spectrum so that such
spectrum blocks can be re-assigned to
operators able to utilise for commercial operation, he added.
While the big three telecoms in
Cambodia Smart, Metfone and Cellcard all have 2G and 3G services, new
NOTICE is hereby given that ROLEX SA a company organized under the laws of Switzerland and
having its principal office at Rue Francois-Dussaud 3-5-7, Geneva, Switzerland is the owner and sole
proprietor of the following trademarks:-
CELLINI
(Reg: Nos. IV/3681/2011& IV/2305/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3682/2011& IV/2306/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3683/2011 & IV/2307/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3684/2011& IV/2308/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3685/2011& IV/2309/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3686/2011& IV/2310/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3688/2011& IV/2311/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3689/2011& IV/2312/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3690/2011& IV/2313/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3691/2011& IV/2314/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3692/2011& IV/2315/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3693/2011& IV/2316/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3694/2011& IV/2317/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3695/2011& IV/2318/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3696/2011& IV/2319/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3697/2011& IV/2320/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3698/2011& IV/2321/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3699/2011& IV/2322/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3700/2011& IV/2323/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3701/2011& IV/2324/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3702/2011& IV/2325/2014)
(Reg: Nos. IV/3703/2011& IV/2326/2014)
AIR-KING
SUBMARINER
ROLEX DEEPSEA
GMT-MASTER
YACHT-MASTER
DATEJUST
PEARLMASTER
CELLINIUM
CESTELLO
ORCHID
MILGAUSS
COSMOGRAPH
EXPLORER
SEA-DWELLER
SKY-DWELLER
TURN-O-GRAPH
DAY-DATE
CELLISSIMA
DANAOS
ROLEX PRINCE
The above (22) trademarks are in respect of:- Jewellery, horological instruments, namely watches,
wristwatches, part of clocks and watches and accessories for clocks and watches not included in other
classes, clocks and other chronometric instruments, chronometers, chronographs (watches), apparatus
for sports timekeeping, apparatus and instruments for measuring time and indicating time not included
in other classes; dials (clock and watch-making), clock cases, clock hands (clock and watch making),
watch cases, cases for watches (presentation) and cases for jewellery (presentation) Class: 14
DAYTONA
(Reg: Nos. IV/12226/2011& IV/2327/2014)

In respect of :- Horological instruments, namely watches, wristwatches, part of clocks and watches and
accessories for clocks and watches not included in other classes, clocks and other chronometric instruments,
chronometers, chronographs (watches), apparatus for sports timekeeping, apparatus and instruments for
measuring time and indicating time not included in other classes; dials (clock and watch-making), clock
cases, clock hands (clock and watch making), watch cases, cases for watches (presentation) - Class:14
Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said trademarks or other infringements whatsoever
will be dealt with according to law.
for ROLEX SA.
Phone: 372416
services], he added.
Everything is possible for a newcomer. Once you have the right products. You can take it over and be number 1 or number 2, Mr Xiang said.
According to the Digital, Social and
Mobile in APAC 2015 report published
in March by Singaporean consultancy
firm We Are Social, the number of active users accessing social media via
the mobile phones last year increased
108pc in Cambodia.
Anthony Galliano, CEO of local
social media marketing firm Dynamo
Digital, said adding 4G to a telecoms
service portfolio is necessary to tap
into Cambodias high usage of social
and multimedia content on mobile
phones. The Phnom Penh Post
ATHENS
TRADE MARK CAUTION
OYSTER
entrant and Singapore-based South

East Asia Telecom or Seatel has decided to directly provide 4G LTE services.
The company has been in Cambodia
for a year and will launch its services in
the next few months.
We are going 100 percent 4G. This
is our marketing strategy, said Wei Xiang, publicity and planning executive
at Seatel.
Mr Xiang added that 4G was expected to change the Cambodian telecom market and by providing a highend service, a new entrant like Seatel
can compete with already-established
businesses.
First we can [use 4G to] take
over the market share and then later
on we can expand our package [of
Greece: still
hopelessly
devoted to EU
GREECE said it would present new
proposals to its EU-IMF creditors
to reach a debt deal as the countrys
outspoken finance minister called on
German Chancellor Angela Merkel to
make a clear decision at an emergency eurozone summit.
European Union heads are waiting
for Greeces anti-austerity government
to present new economic reform and
budget proposals, and Greek Minister of State Alekos Flambouraris said
on June 20 Athens would propose reworked measures.
The pressure has mounted on
Greece ahead of an emergency summit
of the leaders of the 19 countries in the
euro area today in Brussels.
But the countrys finance chief
Yanis Varoufakis, whose flamboyant
style has irked many of his European
counterparts, turned the tables by putting the onus on the leader of paymaster Germany to make a deal.
Ms Merkel can enter into an honourable agreement with a government,
which has rejected the rescue package and is seeking a negotiated solution, or follow the calls from [those
in] her government who want her to
throw overboard the only Greek government which has been faithful to its
principles and which is able to take the
Greek people on the road to reform,
said Mr Varoufakis in an article in the
German press yesterday.
German public opinion has soured
on Greece after five months of contentious negotiations, with a recent poll
showing 51 percent now believes Athens should leave the eurozone.
But the leftist Greek government
insists it will present compromises
that should bring Athens and its creditors European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European
Central Bank closer to agreement on
freeing up 7.2 billion euros (US$8.1 billion) in blocked bailout funds Greece
desperately needs to meet looming
debt payments to the IMF and ECB.
We are going to present measures
that bridge the gap, Mr Flambouraris
was quoted as saying by Greek media,
while also predicting Greeces creditors
wont be satisfied with the gestures.
Youll see they wont accept loosening budget [restrictions], or our proposal on the debt, he said of two main
sticking points in the talks.
Given the continued deadlock and
ticking clock towards potential default,
Mr Flambouraris said a phone ex-
change between Greek Prime Minister

Alexis Tsipras and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker
could take place over the weekend.
Yesterday, French President Francois Hollande was to travel to Milan to
open a French exhibit there and meet
with fellow eurozone leader Italian
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to discuss the Greek crisis.
If theres no deal, Greece seems
likely to default on an IMF debt payment of around 1.5 billion euros due on
June 30, and with that risk a chaotic
exit from the eurozone.
That prospect appeared to be fuelling the rising number of Greek savers withdrawing money from national
banks. The rush of withdrawals forced
the ECB on June 19 to lift its emergency liquidity reserve available to Greek
banks for the second time in a week.
European Parliament head Martin
Schulz, who until now had refused to
publicly entertain the idea of Grexit,
warned the Greek government of the
potential consequences of a break-up
with the eurozone.
What doesnt work: leaving the
euro, not paying back your debts but
expecting funds to keep flowing merrily from the EU budget, he told Germanys Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in
an interview.
Mr Tsipras who has never hidden his desire that an eventual accord
be hashed out between political leaders rather than by negotiating teams
of technical advisers will find his
European peers waiting expectantly
for breakthrough proposals at todays
emergency summit.
But Mr Varoufakis said Athens also
has expectations.
The German chancellor has a clear
decision to make [today], he wrote
in an op-ed published yesterday in
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
On our side, we will come with
determination to Brussels to agree to
further compromises as long as we
are not asked to do what the previous
[Greek] governments have done: accept new debt under conditions that
offer little hope for Greece to repay
its debts, he wrote, without specifying the compromises. That sentiment
resonated with demonstrators around
Europe on June 20 who took to the
streets to protest against spending cuts
and austerity measures taken by their
governments, and expressing solidarity with Greece. AFP
14 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015
15
World
US and China ready

for landmark talks
Charleston killers
white supremacist
leanings revealed
WORLD 18
WORLD 18
WORLD EDITOR: Kayleigh Long
HANOI
BERASTAGI, INDONESIA
Vietnam and Malaysia to cooperate

on tanker hijacking investigation
A precarious existence in the

shadow of an active volcano
EIGHT men detained by Vietnam on

suspicion of hijacking a Malaysianflagged tanker speak Indonesian and
were carrying large amounts of cash
when they were apprehended, state
media reported yesterday.
The group were taken into custody on June 19 after they pulled up
to Vietnams southwestern Tho Chu
island in a lifeboat claiming to have
encountered an accident at sea.
The same day Malaysian authorities said eight men who had commandeered the MT Orkim Harmony
a week earlier had managed to give
warships the slip by escaping in a
lifeboat under cover of darkness.
The vessel was the latest to be targeted by increasingly bold pirates behind an upsurge of sea hijackings in
Southeast Asia in the past two years
that have typically targeted smaller
tankers carrying valuable petrol, diesel or gas oil.
VNExpress Sunday said the eight

men aged from 19 to 61 spoke in
Indonesian and could not explain
the origin of a big volume of foreign
currency they were carrying and dozens of phones.
These suspects were very stubborn, refusing to cooperate. They
were professional and were very
calm, Lieutennt Do Van Toan of Vietnams Marine Police was quoted as
saying.
Another marine police official,
Colonel Le Van Minh, said investigators have enough grounds to charge
these eight suspects.
Vietnam is actively cooperating
with Malaysia in the case. The point
is how to make them admit their
crimes, he added.
Indonesias state news agency
said Jakarta had ordered its Hanoi
embassy to find out the nationality
of the men.
MT Orkim Harmony, carrying

around 6000 tonnes of petrol worth
an estimated US$5.6 million, went
missing on June 11 en-route from
Malaysias western coast to the port
of Kuantan on the east coast.
The vessels 22 crew members
were unscathed except for a slightly
injured Indonesian seamen who was
being treated for a gunshot wound
to the thigh, the Malaysian navy said
June 19.
The pirates had managed to slip
away by ordering naval vessels to
stay at least 5 nautical miles from the
ship or the crew would be harmed.
The London-based International
Maritime Bureau has repeatedly
warned that Southeast Asian waters
are now the worlds most piracyprone, calling for decisive action by
regional authorities to prevent the
situation spiralling out of control.
AFP
HANOI
Vietnam eases up on visa restrictions

VIETNAM has announced it will
waive visas for travellers from five
more European countries including
Britain and France as authorities
move to boost the countrys declining
tourism industry.
Travellers from Britain, France,
Germany, Italy and Spain will no
longer need a visa to enter the Communist nation from July 1 for stays
of up to 15 days, according to a statement posted on the governments official website.
The visa waiver will apply to tourists and those travelling for business,
said the statement signed off by the
Vietnamese premier June 18, in a
scheme in place for one year after
which it may be extended.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, international arrivals to the country in
May were down by 14.4 percent compared to the same month last year.
The declining visitor numbers
have triggered increasing concern in
the Southeast Asian nation.
Last week Deputy Prime Minister
Vu Duc Dam told state media foreigners were scared of travelling
to the country and questioned why
the scenic nation was lagging behind
those such as Thailand in attracting
tourists.
When they see on the streets sellers preparing food with their bare
hands, no plastic gloves, they are

scared, he claimed, also citing begging and pickpocketing as factors deterring tourists.
Vietnam currently allows tourists
to enter visa-free from Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, members of
the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Belarus, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
By comparison, Thailand allows
tourists from dozens of countries to
enter without a visa for up to 30 days.
According to government figures
in the first five months of the year
only 3.2 million people visited Vietnam, a drop of 12.6pc against the
same period last year. AFP
PYONGYANG
North Korea claims MERS, Ebola,

TB, cancer and AIDS vaccine
NORTH Korea claims it has developed
a vaccine that is very effective in
curing MERS, Ebola and AIDS, as
well as a range of other diseases and
ailments, state news agency KCNA
reported.
The drug, known as Kumdang-2, is reportedly able to
treat everything from AIDS to
tuberculosis and cancer, as well as
harm from the use of computers and
morning sickness, according to the
drugs website.
South Korea is currently battling with an outbreak of MERS,
which has killed 24 people while
166 cases have been confirmed the
largest outbreak of the disease
outside Saudi Arabia.
Developed by North Koreas
Pugang Pharmaceutic Company
and promoted under the tag
line Everyone has the right to be
healthy the vaccine is made of
extracts from ginseng with the injection of rare earth elements, KCNA
The Kumdang-2
injection, a strong
immune activator,
which is produced
in DPRK [North
Korea], is very
effective in curing
diseases caused by
malignant viruses
such as SARS, Ebola
and MERS.
KNCA
North Korea state media
said.
The Kumdang-2 injection, a
strong immune activator, which is
produced in DPRK [North Korea],
is very effective in curing diseases
caused by malignant viruses such
as SARS, Ebola and MERS, said the
report.
The impoverished communist
state, known to have a weak health
infrastructure, claims to have been
testing this cure-all drug since 1989,
and has previously trumpeted the efficacy of the drug.
North
Korea
has
taken
drastic measures in the past to
guard against viral diseases, and
last year imposed a four-month ban
on foreign tourists, purportedly
due to concern at the spread of the
Ebola virus.
It has recently intensified
screening and vowed watertight
measures at the international airport and at border crossings to ward
off the MERS virus. AFP
IN PICTURES
Photo: AFP
Thousands of participants perform yoga on Rajpath in New Delh on June 21, in this
handout photograph released by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
SEOUL
MERS continues to spread as

Thailand reports first case
SOUTH Korea reported three new
cases of MERS yesterday as health
authorities remained vigilant about
the spread of the virus, which appeared to have slowed in recent
days.
Two medical workers are among
those newly diagnosed with Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome, taking
the total number of those infected
to 169, the health ministry said.
The number of deaths remained
unchanged at 25, it said.
The two medical staff include
a doctor who treated a MERS patient at Samsung Medical Centre in
Seoul, seen as the epicentre of the
outbreak, where more than 80 were
infected.
Another was a medical worker
who took X-rays of a MERS patient
in another hospital in Seoul.
A total of 43 people have so far
recovered and have been released
from hospital, including seven between June 19 and 20, the ministry
said.
Fourteen patients are in critical
condition, it added.
The latest numbers came a day
after South Korea reported no new
cases, raising guarded hopes that
Seoul was winning the battle to

contain the virus.
The number of new patients had
been falling for three straight days
from eight on June 16 to none on
June 20.
The number of people exposed
to patients and quarantined at
state facilities or at home also fell
to 4035 on June 20 from a peak of
more than 6700 on June 17.
The outbreak began on May 20
when a 68-year-old man was diagnosed after returning from a trip to
Saudi Arabia.
Since then the virus spread at
an unusually rapid pace, sparking
public alarm that prompted the
temporary closure of thousands of
schools and trip cancellations by
more than 120,000 foreign tourists.
Almost all patients were infected in hospitals, and the World
Health Organisation said it had
found no evidence of transmission
of the virus within communities
outside hospitals.
WHO chief Margaret Chan said
last week that Seoul was now on a
very good footing after an initially
slow response.
The number of new infections
has generally been in decline after

peaking at 23 on June 7.
Most schools reopened last
week except for about 120 mostly
in Seoul, Gyeonggi province surrounding the capital and Busan, the
second-largest city.
There is no known vaccine for
MERS, which has a mortality rate
of 35 percent, according to the
WHO.
The outbreak in South Korea
the largest outside Saudi Arabia
sparked alarm elsewhere in Asia,
with Thailand confirming its first
MERS patient on June 18 and Hong
Kong recently advising its citizens
against non-essential travel to
South Korea.
AFP
Travellers walk past a thermoscan on arrival at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi

Airport on June 19. Photo: AFP
WHEN Indonesian farmer Elfi Dalimunthe fled to safety last week as

a volcano hurled hot ash and rocks
across the sky, it marked the third
time she was forced to abandon her
home in recent years.
I heard a loud booming sound
and saw thick ash spewing out, the
30-year-old told AFP, recalling the
terrifying eruptions which prompted
her family to jump into a bus and
onto a motorbike and rush to a temporary shelter.
They are among more than 10,000
people evacuated from their homes
this month after an increase in the
activity of Mount Sinabung, on Sumatra island, highlighting the precarious existence for many in the country
with the largest number of volcanoes
in the world.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring
of Fire, a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific
Ocean, and has around 130 active
volcanoes.
But millions of poor Indonesians
live on or near the slopes of the
steaming mountains, where the volcanic soil makes for extremely fertile
farmland, and many insist on returning to their villages after even major
eruptions.
Ms Dalimunthe fled her small village, just kilometres from Sinabung,
for the first time in 2010 for a few
weeks due to an eruption and was
then forced from her home in September 2013 for more than a year.
Last year while she was living
in a shelter, her wooden house was
crushed by falling ash during a deadly eruption.
Despite this disaster, the vegetable
farmer returned to the village with
her husband and three children and
established a new home.
And even after last weeks eruption, she insists she will return to her
village and not move out immediately, citing the fact her children are at
schools in the area.
I will move when the children
are older, she said, sitting on a thin
mat in a cramped hall holding about
500 people in the town of Berastagi,
where many are sheltering.
Many do not want to evacuate at

all when volcanoes erupt violently,
with officials facing resistance from
villagers who are attached to their
houses and farms, and in many cases
have little education.
And some who are persuaded
to leave insist on returning to their
homes under the rumbling volcano
during the daytime to tend to the
crops of chilli, tomato and potato that
grow in the area.
Vegetable seller Syafitri Sitepu fled
from her village near Sinabung this
week, but said her husband had returned to look after their crops.
Hes our familys breadwinner.
If he did not work, how would we
be able to feed and buy milk for our
baby? said the 30-year-old.
The increase in Sinabungs activity has been sudden and dramatic.
Clouds of hot gas and rocks, as well
as molten lava, cascaded down the
volcanos slopes in the past week, and
officials warn there is a strong chance
of more eruptions.
As well as evacuating people, authorities immediate concern is getting hold of tents, blankets, clean
water and clothing for the thousands
forced from their homes, as well as
providing counselling to those left

traumatised.
Even for those who have not been
evacuated from their homes, the
eruptions can be highly disruptive.
Thick ash has blown over a great
distance, coating crops and buildings and forcing people to wear face
masks for protection.
In addition, the economic impact
of Sinabung has been devastating,
with the national disaster agency estimating it caused more than US$100
million in damage over two years, in
2013 and 2014.
While some return to their villages as soon as they can, not everyone wants to go back to an uncertain
future. But sometimes there is no
choice, with under-resourced local
authorities unable to provide decent,
new homes.
Rosalinda, a 55-year-old who was
recently evacuated and like many
Indonesians goes by one name, said
that she would like her village to be
relocated but the government is yet
to take any action.
We need money to move so we
have to sell our homes first, she said,
but who wants to buy our houses?
AFP
Ash from Mount Sinabung volcano fills the sky over an abandoned church
during another eruption in Karo, in Indonesias North Sumatra province, on
June 19. Photo: AFP
PHNOM PENH
Cambodia to deploy anti-mine rats

CAMBODIA is training an elite
squad of rats, imported from Africa,
to sniff out landmines and other unexploded ordnance in the once warwracked kingdom, authorities said
on June 20.
A team of 15 rats, some weighing
up to 1.2 kilograms, were imported
from Tanzania in April with the help
of a Belgian non-governmental organisation, which trains rats to sniff
out mines, Heng Ratana, director general of Cambodian Mine Action Center
(CMAC), told AFP.
If the rats pass the test, we will
use them. If they are not qualified, we
will end the program, Mr Ratana told
AFP.
He said there have been claims
of success in using rats to sniff
landmines as well as detect tuberculosis in several African countries
including Tanzania, Mozambique and
Angola.
The rats are now being trained by

experts in northwestern Siem Reap
province, home to Cambodias famed
Angkor temples complex.
But one of the rodents has already
died probably because of the change
in climate, he said.
Experts plan to begin testing the
rats over the next few weeks.
The rodents will be put through
their paces on a number of tasks,
including to establish if they can sense
all types of mine, whether they can
detect buried ordnance and how fast
they work, he said.
They will test the rats in actual
landmine fields, he said.
At this stage, it is too early to say if
we can use the rats, Mr Ratana said,
adding
that
two
Cambodian
mine experts had been trained in
Tanzania
and
they
were
now
sharing
their
expertise with their colleagues.
Nearly three decades of civil war

gripped Cambodia from the 1960s,
leaving the poverty-stricken nation
one of the most heavily bombed and
heavily mined countries in the world.
Last month, a new Cambodian
underwater demining team pulled
an American-made bomb from the
Mekong River for the first time as the
country battles the wartime legacy of
unexploded mines that have killed
thousands, detonating when trodden
on.
Teams of deminers face the
unenviable task of trying to locate
and safeguard huge quantities of
unexploded ordnance that has killed
nearly 20,000 people and wounded
double that number since 1979.
According
to
Cambodian
government statistics, 154 people were
killed or injured by leftover mines in
2014, and 111 the year before.
AFP

JOST-Werke GmbH, a company organized under the laws of
Germany and having its principal office at Siemensstrasse 2, 63263
Neu-Isenburg, Germany is the owner and sole proprietor of the
following Trademark :-
ROCKINGER
Myanmar Registration Number. 4/13126/2014

Used in respect of : Trailer couplings, in particular for trucks, buses, tracting engines,
industrial trucks, trailers, agricultural and forestry vehicles; hook
clutches; sliding couplings, shunting clutches, drawbar couplings,
fifth-wheel couplings, in particular for semi-trailers; components
and parts of all afore-mentioned goods, in particular drawbar eyes,
drawbar eyes bushings, catch jaws, adaptor clutches, coupling
bolts, coupling holders for tractors including clutch bearings, clutch
body, fifth-wheel coupling pins, steering wedges. (International
Class 12)
intentions of the above mark will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632

PUMA SE, a company organized under the laws of Germany and
having its principal office at PUMA Way 1, 91074 Herzogenaurach,
Germany is the owner and sole proprietor of the following
trademarks : -
Myanmar Registration Numbers. 4/448/2008, 4/8208/2010 &

4/1023/2012 for International Class 9
Used in respect of :- Eyeglasses, eyeglass cases, contact lenses,
containers for contact lenses, sunglasses, sunshades, cases and bags
suited therefore; protective clothing including protective shoes,
protective helmets, protective glasses. (International Class 9)
Myanmar Registration Numbers.4/1148/1981, 4/4233/2000,

4/4269/2003, 4/1256/2006, 4/9117/2008 & 4/1021/2012 for
International Classes 18, 25, 28
Used in respect of :Bags. (International Class 18)
Clothing and shoes for sports and leisure purposes. (International
Class 25)
Sports balls. (International Class 28)
Myanmar Registration Numbers. 4/1147/1981, 4/4234/2000,

4/4270/2003, 4/1257/2006, 4/9118/2008 & 4/1022/2012 for
Intl Class 25
Used in respect of :- Sports and leisure shoes. (International
Class 25)
intentions of the above marks will be dealt with according to law.
Ph: 0973150632
16 World
HONG KONG
Pro-democracy camp in
flux after reform defeat
WITH the defeat this week of the Beijing-backed political reform plan they
slammed as fake democracy, Hong
Kongs young protesters are questioning how to take their fight forward as
the gulf between them and mainland
China widens.
The proposal would have allowed
residents to vote for Hong Kongs
chief executive for the first time: Currently the leader is chosen by a proBeijing election committee.
But the plan stuck to a ruling by
Beijing that all candidates would be
vetted, a decision that sparked mass
student-led protests at the end of last
year.
Ultimately the reform bill was
voted down 28 to eight by lawmakers
on June 18.
However while pro-democracy
campaigners outside the legislature
cheered at the result, young protesters are increasingly forging their own
path.
In the wake of last years street rallies, they say they identify less as Chinese and have little faith that trying
to collaborate with Beijing will lead
to the freedom they seek.
When it comes to the discussion
of democracy, voting rights, the right
to be nominated, it is a kind of civil
right in society, said Billy Fong, president of the Hong Kong University
(HKU) Students Union.
This right only belongs to those
citizens in Hong Kong, not people
living north of the Shenzhen river,
said Fong, referring to the waterway
that divides Hong Kong from the
mainland.
Under Fongs leadership, the HKU
Students Union broke away from
Hong Kongs annual Tiananmen
Square vigil this year.
Instead it held its own, smaller
event, saying it no longer agreed with
the organisers strategy to push for
democratisation in China as a way to
win freedoms for Hong Kong.
Hong Kongers will distance
themselves from China. We dont
share a consensus, said student
Jamie Wong, 18.
We need to mobilise more people
to confront the authorities.
Student Leslie Mak, 19, said she
believed there was still hope for
democracy, but felt an identity shift
after the mass rallies.
Pro-democracy campaigners display placards symbolising a vote against the

government controversial electoral roadmap, outside the citys legislature in
Hong Kong on June 17. Photo: AFP
My feeling about being Chinese is

blurring. I feel strongly about being a
Hong Konger, Ms Mak told AFP.
Ms Mak agrees with a new call by
younger generations to amend Hong
Kongs mini-constitution, the Basic
Law, which they feel restricts democratic development.
Students at the main Tiananmen
vigil in the citys Victoria Park this
year burned copies of the Basic Law
onstage.
There is also increasingly visible
resentment toward China outside the
political arena, from protests against
traders in border towns to the booing
of the Chinese national anthem when
it was played to represent Hong Kong
at a recent World Cup qualifying football match.
Fans at the match held up towels
which read Fight for Hong Kong.
That incident followed heavy
criticism of a poster by the Chinese
football association which warned
against the black, white and yellow
of Hong Kongs multi-ethnic team.
This alienation from the motherland and focus on core Hong Kong
values will continue and will win
more supporters, predicted Willy
Lam, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Now most young people realise

they may not see a democratic China
within their lifetime so they want to
focus on Hong Kong, Mr Lam said.
The mainstream democracy campaign risks losing the support of
youngsters entirely after achieving
no concessions from Beijing, added
analyst Ma Ngok.
There will be some groups, especially younger groups, who think that
they need to be more radical, more
confrontational. Mainstream political
parties will find it difficult to mobilise
young people for the next [district
and parliamentary] elections, said
Mr Ma.
Most of the older generation still
see themselves as Chinese, but the
young say We are Hong Kongese.
But while they are keen to differentiate themselves, Mr Ma says there is
little genuine desire among the citys
young to break away from Beijing.
They feel they were promised
harmony ... but are seeing more control. Its like a very stringent father.
They dont think: We are going
to form an independent country, or
an independent state.
They just want to be left alone. To
put it very simply, they just want to
be free. AFP
WASHINGTON
US and China ready for key talks

THE United States is vowing not to
paper over differences with China at
key talks this week weighed down by
thorny issues of trade, cyber spying and
tensions in the South China Sea.
And while some analysts believe
there will be few concrete results from
the annual US-China Strategic and
Economic Dialogue, the two-day talks
which open formally on June 23 in
Washington are seen as an important
forum for managing ties between the
two global powers.
We talk through, we work through
our differences. We seek to solve problems and to manage the problems that
we cant seem to solve, said the top US
diplomat for East Asia, Danny Russel.
We dont paper over these differences. We dont turn a blind eye to
problems. We discuss them and we
seek to tackle them directly.
US Secretary of State John Kerry
and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will
host Chinas State Councilor Yang
Jiechi and Vice Premier Wang Yang for
a private dinner today, before the talks
kick off at the State Department tomorrow.

The worlds two leading economies
remain at odds over Chinas claims
to much of the South China Sea and
Washington has repeatedly urged Beijing to stop building artificial islands in
the key waterway.
Such moves are troubling not
just to us, but to the countries in the
region, Mr Russel said, adding The
prospect of militarizing those outposts
runs counter to the goal of reducing
tensions.
Ties have also strained over US
accusations of cyber-espionage.
A bilateral cyber-working group
was suspended by Beijing last year after Washington indicted five Chinese
military officers for hacking into US
computers to pilfer intellectual property and US government secrets.
But both countries recognise it is an
area where they need to cooperate.
Its a place where us and China
both have very important equities and
,as in the past, well continue to dis-
cuss those issues vigorously with our

Chinese counterparts, a US Treasury
official said.
Chinese officials remained more
circumspect with foreign ministry
spokesperson Lu Kang saying the delegations would have an in-depth exchange of views on China-US relations
as well as other major issues of common interest.
And the state-run Chinese press appeared optimistic about this seventh
round of annual talks, which come
ahead of a visit to the US by Chinese
President Xi Jinping in September.
Following months of diplomatic
clashes over the South China Sea, SinoUS relations seem to be headed for
calmer waters after key events in the
lead-up to a major meeting between
the two countries, the China Daily
said.
Other problems remain over trade,
with the US claiming the yuan was
manipulated, with the IMF saying the
currency was no longer undervalued.
AFP
18 World
BERLIN
Rallies support migrants in crisis

THOUSANDS of people took to the
streets in several European cities over
the weekend, in a show of solidarity
with migrants seeking refuge in Europe and against austerity measures
in debt-ridden Greece.
In Berlin, some 3700 turned
out according to local police, while
organisers said 10,000 participated in
a protest held on World Refugee Day,
that had been called by German opposition parties Die Linke (The Left) and
Gruenen (The Greens).
In the German capital, protesters
chanted, No frontiers, no nations,
stop deportation! and Say it loud,
say it clear, refugees are welcome
here!
Marching from the bohemian
Kreuzberg district to Brandenburg
gate, some of the protesters held up
Greek flags and posters bearings slogans supporting Athens, as a critical
June 30 deadline in debt talks looms.
Should Greece fail to reach a deal
with its international creditors to
secure the last tranche of funds from
its massive bail-out, it risks defaulting and possibly crashing out of the
eurozone.
This technocratic, cold and neoliberal Europe that is led by Germany is
unbearable, read one poster held up
by a demonstrator.
Economic powerhouse Germany is
seen by anti-austerity activists as taking uncompromising stances in the
debt crises that have hit several European countries.
In Paris, police said 3500 protesters including undocumented migrants
rallied behind a banner that read,
Greece, France, Europe: austerity
kills, democracy is dying, lets resist!
A migrant sleeps under an umbrella on the rocks near the sea in the Italian city of Ventimiglia at the Italian-French border
on June 20, where a group of migrants has been camping since being refused entry into France. Photo: AFP
Elsewhere in France, hundreds

gathered in the southern city of Marseille and in Calais, the northern port
city used as a springboard by migrants
seeking to reach Britain.
In the southeast, activists gathered
in Menton near the Italian border, in
solidarity with hundreds of migrants
stuck in Italy after France refused to
allow them in.
In Rome too, scores of protesters

braved the rain and gathered under
the slogan Stop the massacre now
to express solidarity with migrants
risking their lives to sail across the
Mediterranean Europe on rickety,
overcrowded boats.
We are here to save our Europe,
which includes immigrants, refugees
and Greece. Europe must belong to
everyone, not just to the Germans

and the banks, said Luciano Colletta,
a 66-year-old pensioner, who stood
along with the other protesters in
front of the Colosseum.
However in the Slovakian capital
Bratislava, at least 140 people were
arrested after several thousands protested against immigration and EU
quotas on migrant numbers at a rally
organised by a group called Stop the

Islamisation of Europe.
Protesters included far-right Marian Kotleba, the governor of a central
Slovak region.
I wish you a nice, white day ... We
are here to save Slovakia, Ms Kotleba
told the crowd, in a country where the
majority do not want to take in refugees or migrants, a sentiment echoed
by most of the EUs 28 member states.
Carrying a banner bearing the slogan Multiculturalism equals genocide, some protesters tore up an EU
flag and launched tear gas at the
police.
Later in the train station, unidentified attackers later threw bottles and
stones at an Arab family.
Scuffles erupted between small
groups of demonstrators and police at
the end of the rally, leading to 140 arrests, the countrys TASR news agency
reported, citing local police sources.
Six police cars were damaged in the
unrest.
Some 100,000 migrants have
crossed the Mediterranean so far this
year, most of them landing in Italy,
Greece and Malta which all want their
EU peers to share more of the burden.
At least 1800 people have drowned
trying to make the journey.
On June 19, EU member states approved plans to launch the first phase
of a military operation against people
smugglers in the Mediterranean.
Human Rights Watch said on June
19 that most migrants whove reached
Europe in recent months come from
Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia and
Syria, among the worlds worstaffected states by war and abuses.
AFP
COLUMBIA
RIYADH
Racist manifesto lays bare Charleston motive
Wikileaks
publishes
Saudi cache
A CHILLING website apparently created by Dylann Roof emerged over

the weekend in which the accused
Charleston church shooter rails
against African Americans and appears in photographs with guns and
burning the US flag.
It came to light as a mournful vigil on June 19 for the nine black worshippers killed at Emanuel African
Methodist Episcopal Church gave
way to anger and protests in Charleston and the state capital Columbia.
The church, one of the most historic African-American places of
worship, meanwhile reopened, three
days after a bloodbath that fuelled
simmering racial tensions in the
United States and reignited calls for
gun-control laws.
A rambling 2500-word manifesto
on the website, laced with racist lingo
and spelling errors, does not bear the
21-year-old suspected white supremacists name.
But its first-person style, its title

Last Rhodesian and references
to Charleston and apartheid South
Africa suggested he was its author.
There were also photos of Mr Roof
on the site.
Mr Roof, who went on the run after
the shooting, was caught a day later in
neighbouring North Carolina and is in
solitary confinement in jail charged
with nine counts of murder.
The FBI said it was taking steps to
verify the authenticity of the website.
Somber mourning turned to anger
on June 20, with a rally at the state legislature in Columbia, where the Confederate flag has been a focal point for
controversy for years.
Unlike US and state flags, it was
not lowered to half-staff after the killings because, officials say, doing so by
South Carolina law requires approval
from the state legislature.
While some whites consider the
Civil War-era flag an emblem of South-
This undated photo taken from Lastrhodesian.com on June 20 allegedly

shows Dylann Roof. Photo: AFP
ern pride and heritage, others black

and white see it as a sinister symbol
of white supremacy and racism.
Several hundred chanting demonstrators massed outside the state
house, the Confederate flag flapping in
the evening breeze.
Several politicians, including US
President Barack Obama, weighed in
on the controversy on June 20.
Former Republican White House
hopeful Mitt Romney posted on Twitter, Its time to take down flag in SC.
In response, Mr Obama tweeted,
Good point, Mitt, with a link to Mr
Romneys comment.
Mr Obama, who said after the
Charleston shooting the United States
should closely examine its gun laws,
also recalled firearms deaths statistics
on Twitter on June 20.
Here are the stats: Per population, we kill each other with guns at a
rate 297x more than Japan, 49x more
than France, 33x more than Israel, Mr
Obama tweeted.
Mr Roofs alleged online manifesto
painted a chilling portrait of an angry
young man.
I have no choice. I am not in the
position to, alone, go into the ghetto
and fight, the manifesto stated.
I chose Charleston because it
is most historic city in my state, and
at one time had the highest ratio of
blacks to Whites in the country.
We have no skinheads, no real
KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the internet. Well someone has
to have the bravery to take it to the real
world, and I guess that has to be me.
Downloadable files on the website
contain several haunting photos of
Roof, who hails from a small village
outside Columbia, more than two
hours by car from Charleston.
In one, he is seen in a garden,
holding a Confederate flag and hand-
gun, wearing aviator-style sunglasses

and oddly surrounded by potted
flowers.
Two others depict Mr Roof in a
bedroom one with a Confederate
flag, the other pointing a handgun at
the camera.
Some photos show him wearing
garments with the flags of Rhodesia,
as Zimbabwe was called under white
rule, and apartheid-era South Africa.
On June 20, Mr Roof appeared via
videolink in court and heard relatives
of the dead express forgiveness.
Later, thousands both white and
black gathered for a twilight vigil at
a college basketball arena, singing the
civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome and vowing not to let the bloodbath divide Charleston, the one-time
American capital of the transatlantic
slave trade.
A prayer service was scheduled to
take place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church yesterday.
The shooting was the worst attack
on a US place of worship in decades
and comes at a time of revived racial
tensions in many parts of the nation.
In San Francisco, presidential
hopeful Hillary Clinton called for
tougher gun laws.
Race remains a deep fault line in
America. Millions of people of color
still experience racism in their everyday lives, she said.
Authorities are treating the shooting as a hate crime and investigating it
as possible domestic terrorism.
The arrest warrant revealed how
he allegedly shot the six women
and three men, aged 26 through 87,
multiple times with a high-caliber
handgun and then stood over a
survivor to make a racially inflammatory statement.
Mr Roof faces the death penalty if
convicted. AFP
A SON of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin

Laden asked the United States for a
death certificate after US Navy SEALs
killed him, said a letter released by
WikiLeaks late last week.
The letter, stating it is from the US
embassy in Riyadh, is among about
70,000 documents dubbed The Saudi
Cables the whistleblower website
published on June 19.
They are among more than half a
million cables and other documents
from the Saudi foreign ministry and
other institutions in the kingdom
which WikiLeaks says it will release
over the coming weeks.
The letter is signed by Glen Keiser,
the US consul general in Riyadh and
addressed to Abdullah bin Laden on
September 9, 2011, about four months
after a US raid killed his father in Pakistan after a decade-long manhunt.
I have received your request for a
death certificate for your father, Usama bin Laden, Mr Keiser wrote.
Legal experts in the State Department advised that no such document
was issued, he said.
This is consistent with regular
practice for individuals killed in the
course of military operations.
Instead, Mr Keiser provided Abdullah bin Laden with US court records
in which officials confirmed his fathers death and, as a result, dropped
a criminal case against him.
I hope that these US government
documents are of assistance to you
and your family, Mr Keiser said.
The bin Ladens are a prominent
Saudi business family. The kingdom
stripped Osama bin Laden of citizenship in 1994. AFP
World 19
www.mmtimes.com
TRADE MARK CAUTION

NOTICE is hereby given that GALERIA Kaufhof GmbH, a
company organized under the laws of Germany and having its
principal office at Leonhard-Tietz-Str. 1, 50676 Kln, Germany
is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following trademarks:-
NEW YORK
BOB DER BR
(Reg: Nos. IV/4774/2010 & IV/12414/2014)
FELICITAS
(Reg: Nos. IV/4776/2010 & IV/12416/2014)
MARK ADAM new york

(Reg: Nos. IV/4778/2010 & IV/12421/2014)
MEINE FEE AMELIE
(Reg: Nos. IV/4779/2010 & IV/12422/2014)
Miss H.
(Reg: Nos. IV/4780/2010 & IV/12423/2014)
REDWOOD
(Reg: Nos. IV/4781/2010 & IV/12424/2014)
ROVER & LAKES
Over 1tonne of ivory, confiscated by law enforcement, sits on display before being destroyed in Times Square on June 19 in
New York C ity. Photo: AFP
Ivory crushed in Times

Square demonstration
A TONNE of illegal ivory carvings was
destroyed in New Yorks Times Square
on June 19 as US officials denounced
poaching that kills thousands of elephants a year.
Under the gaudy neon lights of the
most famous square in the world, the
objects most of them seized from the
store of a jailed Philadelphia art dealer were placed one by one on a conveyor belt before being dropped into
the crusher to the sound of applause.
Todays ivory crush serves as
a stark reminder to the rest of the
world that the United States will not
tolerate wildlife crimes, especially
against iconic and endangered animals, said US Secretary of the Interior
Sally Jewell.
US officials say that between 2011
and 2014 the poaching of African elephants reached the highest level ever
recorded.
In just three years around 100,000
elephants were killed for their ivory,
Ms Jewell said.
She said there was a growing demand for ivory, with international organized crime networks seeing it as a
low risk, high-profit market.
Dozens of demonstrators held up

posters in Times Square saying that
96 elephants fall victim to the illegal
trade each day.
It was the second time that US authorities have staged a massive public
destruction of ivory.
In November 2013, the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, which comes under
the department of the interior, organised the destruction of more than five
tonnes of ivory in Denver.
The June 19 event was organized
by the USFWS, the New York department of environmental conservation
and animal-rights charities.
Todays message is this: We plan
to crush the ivory trade and crush the
profits of the traffickers, said Cristian
Samper, president of the US-based
Wildlife Conservation Society, one
such charity.
The WCS said other ivory destruction events had taken place across the
world, including in Kenya, Zambia,
China, Hong Kong and France.
The international trade in ivory
was outlawed in 1989. It is also banned
or severely regulated in a number of
other countries.
The neighboring states of New

York and New Jersey recently banned
the sale and trade of ivory.
China is the largest market, accounting for more than 70 percent of
worldwide demand in ivory, with the
United States in second place.
We are part of the problem. We
also must be part of the solution, said
Ms Jewell.
According to a recent study, the situation is particularly alarming in Tanzania, which has seen a catastrophic
decline in the elephant population
from 109,051 in 2009 to 43,330 in
2014, leading wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC said this month.
According to another recent study,
demand means that a poacher can
earn US$3000 per pair of elephant
tusks, more than many annual salaries
in Africa.
Elephant tusks are highly prized,
particularly in Asia, where they are
carved into statuettes and jewellery.
An estimated 470,000 wild elephants remain in Africa, according to
a count by the NGO Elephants Without Borders, down from several million a century ago. AFP
TOKYO
Japan to resume scientific hunt

JAPAN said it would resume its
controversial annual whale hunt
despite the International Whaling
Commission demanding the country
provide more information to prove
the program is really for scientific
research.
The IWC announced on June
19 that Japan had failed to provide
enough detail to explain the scientific basis of its NEWREP-A proposal, which would target 3996 minke
whales in the Antarctic over 12 years.
Joji Morishita, Tokyos commissioner to the global conservation
body, responded late on June 19 telling reporters that the country would
answer the queries from the IWC but
its intentions would not be altered.
There has been no change to our
plan, Mr Morishita said.
As far as scientific points being
raised [by the IWC], we would like

to respond with sincerity as much
as possible, he said, according to Jiji
Press.
He added Japan would conduct
additional analyses to gain more
support for the new program, Kyodo
News said.
Regardless of the ruling by the
IWC, Japan can still press ahead with
the lethal sampling hunt in the
Southern Ocean, scheduled to begin
in December, as it is ultimately up to
individual countries to issue permits
for whaling on scientific grounds.
Tokyo was told last year by the
top United Nations legal body that
the program of lethal research
whaling it has carried out in the
Southern Ocean for nearly two
decades was a fig leaf for a commercial hunt.
Japan believes the worlds whale

population, especially the minke
stock, is sizeable enough to accommodate a return to sustainable whaling, putting it at odds with campaigners and anti-whaling nations.
Japan has hunted whales for a
few hundred years, but the industry
really took off after World War II to
help feed a hungry country.
While other leading industrial
nations including the United States
and Britain once hunted whales,
the practice fell out of favour, and by
the 1980s, commercial whaling was
banned.
Norway and Iceland ignore the
ban, but Japan uses a loophole that
allows for so-called lethal research.
Mr Morishita is scheduled to
address foreign media today in Tokyo.
AFP
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coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious
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Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of these
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THE MYANMAR TIMES June 22, 2015
the pulse 21
www.mmtimes.com
it
yo
gers o
n
i
f
n
DePuTY Pulse eDiTor: ToM BArTon tom.a.barton@gmail.com
ge
t
Human rights film

captures the hearts and
minds of Myanmars
disappearing tribe
ZON PANN PWINT

zonpann08@gmail.com
O Word for Worry is a feature-length documentary about a young

Moken, one of Myanmars indigenous tribes, whose members
traditionally spend their entire life at sea. It is directed by the
Norwegian Runar Jarie Wiik. The documentary is one of the
impressive entries in the Human Rights Human Dignity Film
Festival which ended on June 18.
Remarkable coincidences do happen. The documentary was born after an
unexpected meeting of two men who led similar lives despite wide variations in
geography, lifestyle and culture.
Runar grew up on an island in the south of Norway, and his early life was
spent free diving and spearing fish. When he moved to the city, he felt as if a
part of him was lost.
On the other side of the world, a man called Hook suffered the same fate.
He was raised on the familys kabang (ocean-crossing dugout), plying the sea
that was home to his family. They were Moken, the sea nomads living in the
Myeik Archipelago.
Instead of learning to walk, Hook learned to swim, dive and spear fish as a
toddler. All the things in the ocean are the love of his life. Today, Moken, who can
hold their breath underwater for several minutes, are struggling to make ends
meet. Some have moved to Thailand; some scrape a living by begging. The sea is
no longer their home, because of the invasion of greedy businessmen who do blast
fishing and dynamite the coral reef. Moken are being arrested for cutting down
trees to carve their kabang, as the trees are reserved for illegal loggers.
By coincidence, Runar met Hook on Mu Koh Surin, a small group of islands
in the Thai part of the Myeik Archipelago. Hook was the best freediver of all
the Moken in Surin. The two bonded through their shared love of underwater
activities.
As Runars insights into Hook, his family and the lives of his peers matured,
he started to make the documentary No Word For Worry. It took him almost
seven years.
When I met the Moken, I felt very much at home. Hook is an extraordinary
free diver. I made the film from my heart, guided by the love I have for the sea
and for the last people who live on the ocean, said Runar.
Hooks father suffered from heart trouble, caused by blast fishing. He and
his father have the inclination to build a kabang, something the younger
generation no longer know how to do. Nor do they retain the skills in diving
and spearing fish like the older Moken.
The film features Hooks adventures sailing from one island to another in
quest of a Moken who can build a kabang and an island where trees can be cut
down to carve it. The enemy is the Myanmar police who go around the seas
and arrest the Moken for no apparent reason.
The film won the Audience Award and the Best Cinematography Award at
the 2014 Eurodoc, and the Golden Chair Award for Best Documentary at the
2014 Kortfilm Festivalen Grimstad, both in Norway.
Runar has been searching for ways to show the film in Myanmar since it was
screened in Ban Nua and Rawai villages in Thailand where sea nomads live.
Ever since the first screening of No Word for Worry, the feedback from
audiences around the world has been overwhelming. If we cant save the
Moken people at this point in human history, I think we will fail to save the
planet, said Runar.
My dream is that people with the ability to make positive changes for
the Moken could use the film in their important work. We showed the film
to politicians, businesspeople and other decisionmakers in Norway, and the
head of the Burma Committee, which suggested that we should screen the
film at this festival, he said.
No Word for Worry was screened at Nay Pyi Taw and Waziya cinemas
during the festival, but won no awards.
During the Q and A session after the screening at the Nay Pyi Taw, one
of the audience members said, This is an interesting and sad film of our
tribe.
The lifestyle of the Moken is very close to nature, Terje Lind Bjorsvik,
one of the films producers, told The Myanmar Times after the screening.
When their lifestyle doesnt fit into modern society, they try to adapt. The
government doesnt know what to do with them. These indigenous tribes
are under threat,
Terje said many Moken live in Thailand. Since the 2004 tsunami, the
Thai government has urged the Moken to stay onshore and give up their
nomadic existence.
Though their lives have been destroyed, they can live as Moken by the
way they take care of the sea and love marine life, he said.
Runar says there is still hope that the Moken culture can be saved, but
commitment is needed from both Myanmar society and the international
community.
I believe the audience understood these important issues while
following Hook on his personal voyage, he said.
Photos: Supplied
22 the pulse
Thats a wrap for HRHD film fest screen scene

TV documentary dives deep under Daft Punks helmets
NaNdar auNg
nandaraung.mcm@gmail.com
HE third Human
Rights Human Dignity
International Film
Festival drew to a close
on June 19 with the
awarding of the seven prizes. The
event, which was first staged in
2013, took place at Yangons Nay Pyi
Taw and Waziyar cinemas.
The free festival, perhaps the
biggest of its kind in ASEAN,
showcased not only international
documentary film directors but also
a new generation of local directors.
The 69 works on view, including
documentaries, shorts and
animations, recorded in particular the
ways in which the rights of Myanmar
women and girls are violated.
The Aung San Suu Kyi
(International) Award for best
documentary went to The Look of
Silence, a 103-minute film about the
Indonesian genocide directed by
Joshua Oppenheimer.
Touching the Fire, a 39-minute
documentary directed by Min Than
Oo, beat 10 other local productions
to win the Aung San Suu Kyi
(National) award.
The Min Ko Naing Award for
best short, which attracted 15
entries, went to A Buffalo Boy,
12 minutes, from the young Shan
director Mai Ah Nway (Taang Chit
Thu). It conveys the anguish of a
family whose father uses drugs. It
also won the Hantharwady U Win
A still from the winner of the Aung San Suu Kyi Award for best international
documentary, The Look of Silence. Photo: Drafthouse Films
Tin Award for best film of the year,

in competition with 27 other films.
Mai Ah Nway said, If it were not
for the film festival, we would not be
able to depict the difficulties we face
in our daily lives, including violence.
The festival is a window to the world.
He told participants at the
awards ceremony that he wanted to
look more deeply at the problems
of growing, producing, selling and
using drugs by making a featurelength documentary film about
narcotics in his native Shan State.
Director Nyan Kyal Says threeminute I Wanna Go to School took
the March 13 Award named for
Myanmar Human Rights Day
telling the story of a brother and
sister who dream of acquiring an
education.
Across depicts the problems

faced by people in Rakhine
State because of a natural gas
and petroleum pipeline project
spanning the country from the coast
to the Chinese border. Directed by
Phyo Zayar Kyaw, Pyae Zaw Phyo
and Kaung Sint, it won the Vaclav
Havel Library Award for best
documentary.
The Peter Wintonick Award
for best film in the student film
category was won by the 27-minute
Wellgyi, produced by the Human
Dignity Film Institute, about a
human rights violation. It was shot
by three students: Thu Thu Swe
Thein, Htet Aung San and Kam
Khan Sing.
The festival featured 31 national
films and 38 international films.
The mystery
surrounding Daft Punk,
the star French musical
duo who usually keep
their identities hidden
under full-face robot
helmets, will be lifted
a little more in a new
TV documentary to
premiere next week.
Daft Punk
Unchained, made by
BBC Worldwide France
Iconic French electro duo Daft Punk feature in a new BBC
and to be shown
documentary. Photo: TNS Sofres/Wikimedia Commons
on Frances Canal+
network tomorrow,
uses rare archive footage and interviews with friends, producers, journalists, DJs and highprofile fellow artists such as Pharrell Williams and Kanye West to trace the rise of the pair
who made 2013s phenomenal global hit Get Lucky.
The two members of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter, 40, and Guy-Manuel de Homem
Christo, 41, gave unprecedented approval for the 85-minute documentary.
Normally reticent to talk to media, their voices are heard in excerpts lifted from some
rare past interviews. In keeping with the enigmatic aura they have cultivated, they largely
leave the way they are portrayed to others.
Director admits FIFA film a disaster

Critics and audiences panned it, and now the
man who directed the $30 million FIFA film
flop has admitted the truth: Its a disaster.
United Passions, directed by Frederic
Auburtin, came out in US theatres earlier this
month just as a massive corruption scandal
erupted at footballs world governing body.
Auburtin told The Hollywood Reporter
that he tried to make a movie somewhere
between a Disney propaganda film and a
Costa-Gavras/Michael Moore movie.
But he added, Now Im seen as bad
as the guy who brought AIDS to Africa or
the guy who caused the financial crisis. My The FIFA biopic United Passions has
had a deflating response.
name is all over [the film] and apparently
Photo: Shutterstock
I am a propaganda guy making films for
corrupt people.
Im a victim of the game. Its a disaster, but that is not the point, I accepted the job,
Auburtin said.
US media and cinemagoers dismissed the movie, with a mocking Los Angeles Times
commenting it kicks far wide of its goal.
United Passions grossed just US$918 in the US during its opening weekend, according
to The Hollywood Reporter. AFP
Schwarzenegger talks about age and being back as Terminator
US actor and former governor of California

Arnold Schwarzenegger poses with the
Terminator animatronics robot during a
photo call for the film Terminator Genisys.
Photo: AFP/Francois Guillot
Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke June 19

about being back as the Terminator
in a new sequel to the sci-fi film series
that made him famous and about
how hes still an action star at age 67.
In a promotional media conference
in Paris on Friday for Terminator
Genisys, Schwarzenegger, revealed
some secrets from the movie, which
will hit the screens next week in
Scandinavia, Greece, Turkey and
Singapore, and the rest of the world
early July.
When I saw the movie for the first
time three weeks ago I was literally
blown away, Schwarzenegger said.
True Detective back with new cast, same darkness

Matthew McConaughey
and Woody Harrelson
are gone from True
Detective, but HBOs
Emmy-winning cop
anthology series is back
for a second season with
the same dark, moody
atmosphere.
The question is, can
a new cast of famous
faces and a shift in
location from the
swamps of Louisiana
to the gritty streets of
southern California
Colin Farrell stars in the much anticipated season two of
draw the same cult
True Detective. Photo: HBO
following?
We were conscious
of not wanting to repeat ourselves or remake the same album in a different setting, said
series writer-creator Nic Pizzolatto.
This time around, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch play cops who end
up on a collision course with career criminal Frank Semyon (played by Vince Vaughn of
Swingers fame) thanks to a bizarre murder in the fictional city of Vinci.
the pulse 23
www.mmtimes.com
Exhibiting
abroad is no
sweat for
Rakhine artist
NyeiN ei ei Htwe
nyeineieihtwe23@gmail.com
CENES reminiscent of a
Rakhine childhood are
to be displayed to the art
lovers of southern France.
Artist Than Kyaw Htay will
stage the solo art show Silent Sweat
in Avignon, France, from June 20 to
August 20.
Silent Sweat, comprising 16 works,
was first exhibited in November, 2014,
in the River Gallery, Yangon.
Than Kyaw Htay was born in
Mrauk-Oo but left his native town
in childhood. Last year he returned,

looking for scenes to sketch. I was
surprised to see how many women
and children were still carrying water
in zinc pots. Things dont change.
When I was a child, I helped my
mother by bringing pots of water, he
said yesterday.
When he exhibited Silent Sweat
last November, a couple of tourists
from France visited the gallery.
Enchanted by the scenes, which
are drawn against the backdrop of
ancient temples, they invited him to
exhibit in France.
I hope people from France will
Myanmar artist Than Kyaw Htays work is currently on display in a French exhibition. Photo: Thiri Lu
come to know something about

Myanmar art and the water shortages
of Mrauk-Oo, as well as the beauty
and arts of Myanmar, said Than
Kyaw Htay.
The artist will stay in France for 10
days, meeting fellow Myanmar artists
there and visiting art galleries and
museums.
I plan to share my knowledge of
Myanmar arts in workshops, and I
feel lucky to have the chance to see
famous artists works in the museums
of Avignon and France, he said.
Gill Patterson, director of the
River Gallery, said visitors to the
exhibition had been struck by the

contrast between the ancient temples
of Rakhine and the procession of
women and children bearing water in
various kinds of pots.
The artist has captured the
beauty and energy of the scene and
portrays them to share his feelings
with the visitors to his exhibition. A
couple who came to see the pictures
said they would love to host an
exhibition at their hotel in Avignon
and we accepted their offer, she said.
This is the first time an artist
exhibiting at the River Gallery will be
showcased in France.
People in Europe are becoming

more and more familiar with
Myanmar. This is a good opportunity
to show them views of Rakhine
State, which is known for the beauty
of its people as well as communal
strife. Visitors to the exhibition will
get a feeling for what life is like in
Myanmar these days, she added.
More than 30 artists are working
at the River Gallery, where talented
artists can meet with art lovers from
abroad.
Than Kyaw Htay left Yangon
on June 16 to attend the opening
ceremony of Silent Sweat on June 20.
24 the pulse
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Yangon to MandalaY
MandalaY to Yangon
Flight
Days
Dep
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Flight
Days
Dep
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Y5 775
Daily
6:00
7:10
Y5 233
Daily
7:50
9:00
W9 515
6:00
7:25
W9 201
Daily
8:40
10:35
YH 917
Daily
6:10
8:30
7Y 132
2,4,6,7
8:50
10:45
7Y 131
2,4,6,7
6:30
8:35
K7 223
1,3,5
8:55
11:00
K7 222
1,3,5
6:30
8:40
YH 918
Daily
8:30
10:25
6T 805
2,4,6
6:30
7:40
6T 806
2,4,6
10:30
11:40
YJ 201
1,2,3,4
7:00
8:55
YJ 202
1,2,3,4
12:00
13:25
W9 201
Daily
7:00
8:25
YJ 761
1,2,4
13:10
17:00
W9201
7:00
8:25
YJ 212
15:00
16:25
8M 6603
9:00
10:10
YJ 212
15:00
16:55
YJ 601
11:00
12:25
YJ 602
15:40
17:35
YJ 211
5, 7
11:00
12:25
7Y 242
1,3,5
16:40
18:45
YJ 761
1,2,4
11:00
12:55
K7 225
2,4,6,7
16:50
19:00
YH 729
2,4,6
11:00
14:00
YH 728
17:00
18:25
YH 737
3,5,7
11:00
13:10
W9 152/W97152
17:05
18:30
YH 727
11:30
13:40
Y5 776
Daily
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18:20
W9 251
2,5
11:30
12:55
W9 211
17:10
19:15
7Y 241
1,3,5
14:30
16:25
YH 738
3,5,7
17:10
18:35
K7 224
2,4,6,7
14:30
16:35
8M 6604
17:20
18:30
Y5 234
Daily
15:20
16:30
8M 903
1,2,4,5,7
17:20
18:30
W9 211
15:30
16:55
YH 730
2,4,6
17:45
19:10
W9 252
2,5
18:15
19:40
Yangon to naY pYi taw
naY pYi taw to Yangon
Yangon to HeHo
Flight
YH 917
YJ 891
7Y 131
YJ 891
K7 222
7Y 131
Y5 649
YJ 751
YJ 761
YJ 751
YH 737
YH 727
K7 224
7Y 241
W9 129
Days
Daily
6
2,4,6,7
1
1,3,5
Daily
Daily
3,5
1,2,4
7
3,5,7
1
2,4,6,7
1,3,5
1,3,6
Dep
6:10
6:20
6:30
6:30
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HeHo to Yangon
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Yangon to MYeik
Flight
Y5 325
K7 319
6T 705
7Y 531
Y5 325
SO 201
Days
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1,3,5,7
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2
Daily
Dep
6:45
7:00
7:30
11:15
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Flight
YJ 891
YH 918
YJ 891
W9 201
7Y 132
K7 223
YJ 761
YJ 752
YJ 762
7Y 242
K7 225
YH 728
YH 738
YJ 602
YJ 752
W9 129
Days
1
Daily
6
Daily
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Daily
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2,4,6,7
1
3,5,7
6
3,5
1,3,6
Dep
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9:15
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19:10
MYeik to Yangon
Arr
8:15
9:05
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Y5 326
6T 706
7Y 532
K7 320
Y5 326
SO 202
Days
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Daily
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1,2,3,4
7:00
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SO 101
Daily
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K7 422
2,4,6
8:00
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K7 423
2,4,6
10:10
11:30
ND 910
1,2,3,4,5
7:15
8:15
YJ 201
1,2,3,4
8:10
13:25
7Y 413
1,3,5,7
10:30
12:20
7Y 414
1,3,5,7
12:35
13:55
1,3,6
11:30
12:55
W9 309
1,3,6
13:10
14:55
Daily
11:45
12:55
6T 612
Daily
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14:20
Domestic Airlines
Air Bagan (W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
Air KBZ (K7)

Tel: 372977~80, 533030~39 (airport), 373766
(hotline). Fax: 372983
Asian Wings (YJ)

Tel: 515261~264, 512140, 512473, 512640
Fax: 532333, 516654
Golden Myanmar Airlines (Y5)

Tel: 09400446999, 09400447999
Fax: 8604051
Mann Yadanarpon Airlines (7Y)

Tel: 656969
Fax: 656998, 651020
Yangon Airways (YH)

Tel: 383100, 383107, 700264
Fax: 652 533
FMI Air Charter (ND)

Tel: 240363, 240373, 09421146545
APEX Airlines (SO)

Tel:95(1) 533300 ~ 311
Fax : 95 (1) 533312
Air Mandalay (6T)

Tel: (+95-1) 501520, 525488,
Fax: (+95-1) 532275
ND 105
1,2,3,4,5
10:45
11:40
ND 9102
1,2,3,4,5
8:35
9:35
W9 309
YJ 211
11:00
15:45
ND 104
1,2,3,4,5
9:20
10:15
6T 611
ND 107
11:25
12:20
ND 106
10:00
10:55
ND 109
1,2,3,4,5
14:55
15:40
ND 108
1,2,3,4,5
13:30
14:25
Flight
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Days
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ND 9109
1,2,3,4,5
17:00
18:00
YJ 212
16:00
16:55
K7 422
2,4,6
8:00
8:55
K7 422
2,4,6
9:10
11:30
ND 111
18:25
19:20
ND 110
17:00
17:55
7Y 413
1,3,5
10:30
11:20
7Y 413
1,3,5
11:35
13:55
SO 102
Daily
18:00
19:00
ND 9110
1,2,3,4,5
18:20
19:20
W9 309
1,3,6
11:30
13:50
7Y 413
12:05
14:20
K7 = Air KBZ
7Y 413
11:00
11:50
W9 309
1,3,6
14:05
14:55
W9 = Air Bagan
Y5 421
1,3,4,6
15:45
16:40
Y5 422
1,3,4,6
16:55
17:50
Y5 = Golden Myanmar Airlines
Yangon to nYaung u
nYaung u to Yangon
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
YH 917
Daily
6:10
7:45
YH 918
Daily
7:45
10:25
Yangon to tHandwe
tHandwe to Yangon
Yangon to dawei
dawei to Yangon
YJ 891
6:20
7:40
YJ 891
7:55
8:25
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
6:30
7:50
YJ 891
8:05
10:10
K7 319
1,3,5,7
7:00
8:10
YH 634
2,4,6
12:15
13:25
K7 222
1,3,5
6:30
7:50
7Y 132
2,4,6,7
8:05
10:45
YH 633
2,4,6
7:00
8:25
K7 320
1,3,5,7
12:25
13:35
7Y 131
2,4,6,7
6:30
7:50
K7 223
1,3,5
8:05
11:00
SO 201
Daily
8:20
9:40
6T 708
3,5,7
14:15
15:15
K7 224
2,4,6,7
14:30
17:25
K7 225
2,4,6,7
17:40
19:00
7Y 241
1,3,5
14:30
17:10
W9 129
1,3,6
17:50
19:10
7Y 242
1,3,5
17:25
18:45
W9 129
1,3,6
15:30
17:35
15:30
17:40
W9 129
15:30
17:35
Yangon to MYitkYina
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
MYitkYina to Yangon
lasHio to Yangon
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
YJ 751
3,5
10:30
12:45
YJ 752
3,5
15:40
17:55
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
YH 729
2,4,6
11:00
13:00
YJ 752
16:10
17:55
6T 805
2,4,6
6:30
8:55
6T 806
2,4,6
9:10
11:40
YJ 751
11:00
13:15
YH 730
2,4,6
16:45
19:10
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
Dep
Arr
Flight
Days
Dep
Arr
YJ 233
11:00
15:10
YJ 234
15:25
W9 251
2,5
11:30
14:25
W9 252
2,5
16:45
Yangon to putao
SO = APEX Airlines
7Y = Mann Yadanarpon Airlines
YH = Yangon Airways
YJ 891
W9 211
Airline Codes
putao to Yangon
Flight
Days
18:15
YH 826
1,3,5,7
7:00
10:35
YH 827
1,3,5,7
10:35
13:55
19:40
W9 251
2,5
11:30
15:25
W9 252
2,5
15:45
19:40
YJ = Asian Wings
6T = AirMandalay
FMI (ND) = FMI Air Charter
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
Dep
Days
15:55
18:45
18:40
MU 2011
CA 415
MU 2031
Arr
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
VN 943
Flights
Flights
QR 919
Flights
Days
Dep
Days
Dep
Days
Dep
Arr
2,4,7
14:25
YANGON TO DOHA
17:15
1,4,6
8:00
YANGON TO SEOUL
11:10
Arr
Arr
Flights
Flights
QR 918
Flights
Days
Dep
Days
Dep
Days
Dep
KA 252
KA 250
Arr
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
Dep
Days
Dep
Flights
9:25
13:45
GAYA TO YANGON
Days
Dep
2
9:20
3,5,6
9:20
DELHI TO YANGON
Days
2
1,5
Dep
9:20
7:00
KOLKATA TO YANGON
Days
AI 227
1,5
Dep
10:35
MUMBAI TO YANGON
AI 675
Days
1,5
Dep
6:10
BANGKOK TO MANDALAY
Flights
Days
Daily
Dep
12:00
SINGAPORE TO MANDALAY
Y5 2234
MI 533
Days
Daily
2,6
Dep
7:20
11:35
DON MUEANG TO MANDALAY
Flights
15:00
FD 244
Arr
Flights
Arr
12:30
10:40
Days
2,4,6
1,5
Flights
Flights
22:30
Dep
INCHEON TO YANGON
Flights
Arr
16:40
1,6
4
AI 235
8M 602
PG 709
Arr
Days
15:40
Arr
14:55
13:05
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 China (CA)
Tel: 666112, 655882
Air India
Tel: 253597~98, 254758, 253601. Fax 248175
Bangkok Airways (PG)
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
BG = Biman Bangladesh Airlines

CA = Air China
CI = China Airlines
CZ = China Southern
Arr
10:15
14:35
16:30
20:50
14:15
11:00
Air Bagan Ltd.(W9)
Tel: 513322, 513422, 504888. Fax: 515102
AK = Air Asia
Arr
Y5 252
7Y 306
Flights
Arr
Daily
Dep
DHAKA TO YANGON
Flights
Arr
Arr
TOKYO TO YANGON
Days
Arr
00:30+1
23:30
18:10
12:00
AI 235
AI 401
22:35
Dep
22:50
21:45
Arr
22:25
23:25
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
Tel: 09254049991~3
Vietnam Airlines (VN)
06:25+1
5:55
5:45
Flights
Air Asia (FD)
Arr
3,5,7
20:40
SEOUL TO YANGON
KA 251
KA 251
Tel: 255412, 413
Tiger Airline (TR)
13:25
KE 471
Daily
18:45
0Z 769
3,6
19:50
HONG KONG TO YANGON
All Nippon Airways (NH)
Arr
2,4,7
11:50
DOHA TO YANGON
0Z 770
4,7
0:35
9:10
KE 472
Daily
23:30 07:50+1
YANGON TO HONG KONG
International Airlines
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
12:50
Arr
19:00
Day
1 = Monday
2 = Tuesday
3 = Wednesday
4
5
6
7
=
=
=
=
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
A hungry hippo munches on water spinach. Photo: Mon Thi Han
Unwinding
at Hlawga
Wildlife Park
T
Mon Thi han
HE relentless heat of
Yangon was unbearable.
As dreams of a cool,
shaded park became more
insistent, me and two
friends, aided by a lull in the traffic,
made a break for it.
From downtown, the journey
north to Hlawga Wildlife Park takes
about an hour. We entered the
wildlife park to face a small herd of
thamin (brow-antlered deer) and hog
deer grazing on a patch of pasture.
The males sport their big antlers to
impress the females. We stood about
3 metres (10 feet) away holding out
food and keeping calm so as not to
trigger any territorial reaction.
Thamin have a regal and elegant
physique whose beauty springs from
natures play with contrast. The big
body stands on long, thin legs, and
the thin pointed face, framed by big
round ears, is dominated by large
dark eyes. The whole effect manages
to exude a sort of fragile confidence.
When every element of the form is
so beautifully out of proportion, the
animal is a poem in mismatches.
The young dashing deer eventually
approached to claim their share
of our water spinach. These freeroaming animals have not lost their
natural caution. A slight movement
can startle them into flight. My
friends gently tossed the greens in
their direction while I took photos.
We came to a trail heading
toward a lake that forms part of the
catchment area of the larger Hlawga
Lake one of Yangons main water
supplies. The soil was a rich, earthy
red. To either side, the trees were
thriving and fresh with new foliage.
A suspension bridge spanned the
water, and wooden decking fringed
the periphery of the lake. A raft of
ducks was swimming about in the
ochre-yellow water. We enjoyed a
picnic in the wooden pavilion beneath
big shady trees.
Near the end of the trail, perched
on the bank, was the enclosure for the
worlds third-largest land mammal,
the hippo. This massive, harmlesslooking herbivore is aggressive only
in the wild, where it shares its habitat
with crocodiles. In captivity, the large
mammal is friendly and confident.
The caregiver invited us to feed

the animal, which stood obligingly a
foot from the fence with its big mouth
wide open. Its daily feed of 40 to 60
kilograms (88 to 132 pounds) of grass
keeps it massive. It gulped down the
bundle of water spinach we offered
and trotted back to its trough for a
drink.
After a few hours roaming the
park, we were back at the minizoo near the entrance. One of my
favourite animals there is the sun
bear, the smallest member of the bear
family. Its sleek, black coat is short,
and legend links the white patch on
its chest to the rising sun. Its name
notwithstanding, the sun bear is
nocturnal in the wild.
In Hlawga, most of the enclosures
are pits enclosed by high concrete
walls. Inside, there are large earthen
mounds, swings and ponds. Two
lovely bears came out to inspect us,
one rearing up on its hind legs to lean
against the wall, ready to catch the
cucumbers we dropped from above.
The second bear, less acrobatically
gifted, frantically chased after the
food its partner missed. Even in
the zoo, the Darwinian concept of
survival of the fittest holds its
relevance.
Unlike the inner-city parks,
Hlawga is not excessively manmade
and the experience is not as
urban. Hlawga offers an authentic
experience with the convenience
and accessibility of the city parks
and the excitement of the wild. The
most rewarding experience is the
kaleidoscope of colours it presents
lively and enriching to the eyes, and
refreshing to the senses.
The park is best explored in a car,
via the 5-kilometre-long (3-mile-long)
driveway that cuts through it. The
setting is a great place to draw, paint
or observe animals up close.
Yangon is blessed with nature.
There is no shortage of greenery
to enjoy. Hlawga Wildlife Park, a
1540-acre green space in Mingaladon
township, is the most ambitious of
all the nature schemes in the city.
Despite its hugeness and grandeur, it
lags behind Inya or Kandawgyi lakes
in reputation, and is less frequented
as well. If you dont mind the 70km
round trip, Hlawga is a worthwhile
place to visit.
26 Sport
ASIA
Alpine skiing
Vanessa Mae wins ski ban appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS) on June 19 overturned a fouryear ban from competing in skiing
imposed on renowned violinist Vanessa Mae when she was accused of
manipulating results.
The sports tribunal found there
was insufficient evidence to back
the International Ski Federation
(FIS) sanction. But it backed the FIS
decision to rule as invalid Maes results at the Sochi Winter Olympics
last year because of the defective
results of her qualifying events.
Mae, competing under her family name of Vanessa Vanakorn, came
67th and last in the womens giant
slalom at the Olympics.
The 36-year-old music star, who
has sold millions of albums, became
Thailands first-ever female Olympic
skier when she competed in Russia.
But Mae, born in Singapore to
Thai and Chinese parents, was handed the ban by FIS in November after
the body had established that her
qualifying event, held in a blizzard
in January in Slovenia, in southeastern europe, was riddled with
irregularities.
The FIS said that the manipulated races on January 18-19 resulted
in points calculations that do not
reflect the true performance of the
competitors that participated ... and
in particular the points awarded to
Vanessa Vanakorn.
Two giant slalom races in the
Thailands Vanessa Mae reacting after the Womens Alpine Skiing Giant Slalom
Run 2 at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center during the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Photo: AFP
Krvavec resort on January 19 were

recorded as involving a competitor
who was not present, while someone
else who fell over was placed second
after having 10 seconds taken off her
time, the FIS said.
In its ruling, the CAS Panel accepted the position of the FIS that
a number of irregularities had occurred in the organisation and
management of the four races in
question, but could not find, to its
comfortable satisfaction, evidence of
any manipulation by Vanessa Vanakorn herself that justified the guilty
finding and the imposition of a fouryear ban.

The CAS Panel held that the
competitions in Krvavec, notwithstanding the fact that Ms Vanakorn
herself was not guilty of any manipulation, were so defective that
their results and qualification points
gained therefrom could not stand.
The CAS panel added that FIS
had been right to annul the competition results meaning that Vanessa
Vanakorn remains ineligible to compete in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. AFP
FootbAll
Chinas Steel Roses back among

elite in World Cup quarter-finals
ChINAS Steel Roses marked their
return to the elite of world football on
June 20 with a 1-0 win over Cameroon
which booked them a ticket to the
quarter-finals of the Womens World
Cup.
A first-half goal from defenderturned-forward Wang Shanshan set
up a meeting with either the United
States or Colombia in the final eight
on June 26
It also sent Africas last remaining
team crashing out of the tournament.
Coach hao Wei had a touchline
ban and watched from the stands as
his team bravely fought in cold and
wet conditions at edmontons Commonwealth Stadium.
But his side closed down the game
early when Wang Shanshan got the
opener after 12 minutes when she
picked up a pass from Li Dongna who
did well to control a Wang Lisi corner.
Today all the players were wonderful. They put on a spectacular
performance, demonstrating amazing
resilience and bravery, said assistant
coach Chang Wei-Wei.
They fought like warriors for over
90 minutes. I want to thank them for
their hard work.

China, runners up in 1999, failed to
qualify for Germany 2011 or the London Olympics the following year.
But the team have been revitalised
since hao was appointed coach soon
after.
Under the leadership of coach
hao over two or three years we have
witnessed tremendous improvement
in the Chinese team, said Chang.
he has selected many young players who are so energetic and enterprising. I think they can reach even
higher goals in the future.
The defence of the 16th-ranked
Chinese was rock solid allowing few
chances for 53rd-ranked Cameroons
energetic forwards.
Cameroons best chance of the first
half was a free-kick from Gaelle enganamouit which deflected from the
wall into the path of Gabrielle Onguene who fired into the side-netting.
But once 25-year-old Wang scored
her second goal of the tournament it
was impossible for Cameroon to get
through.
The Chinese deserved their victory. We can just say bravo. Their
Chinas players acknowledge their fans following their 1-0 victory over
Cameroon after their 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup football Group of 16 match/
AFP. Photo: AFP
team is very complete, said Cameroon coach enow Ngachu, whose

side were just the second from Africa to reach the knockout rounds
after Nigeria in 1999.
They dont score many goals but
they defend very well. We knew that
if we conceded a goal it would be very
difficult for us.
Its impressive the way they regrouped themselves. We didnt have
space because the Chinese were always defending.
If they can keep on like that they
can create surprises.
Cameroon played champions Japan in the group stage and took a goal
in a 2-1 loss to the Asian giants.
But Ngachu admitted the Chinese
were even tougher.
In the game against Japan we
had many scoring chances. We didnt
today, he said.
The Japanese players are more
technical, more intelligent, but the
team that is creating difficulties in this
tournament is China.
The African newcomers were also
struggling in the weather conditions.
We didnt expect cold weather
and rain. It was a handicap for our
team. Its unfortunate we havent been
training on surfaces that are very slippery, said Ngachu.
Goalscorer Wang missed a golden
chance for a second as she went wide
on 60 minutes when alone in front of
the goal. Cameroon substitute Ajara
Nichout missed a chance to level but
volleyed into the arms of goalkeeper
Wang Fei.
Chinas han Peng finished the
game with her head heavily bandaged
after a clash with Cameroons Claudine Meffometou deep into injury
time.
Despite appearing to have suffered the effects of concussion, han
returned to the pitch to play the final
minutes of the game.
We will do tests to see what damage has been done, but the spirit is
commendable, said Chang. AFP
VolleybAll
Iran bars entry

to women ticket
holders at US
volleyball match
RANIAN authorities denied some

women ticket-holders entry to a
June 19 volleyball match between
Iran and the United States despite
their having the necessary permission, the sports association said.
The Iranian Volleyball Federation
had provided special accreditation to
200 women handpicked to attend the
mens Volleyball World League match
in Tehran.
The tickets were reserved for family members of players, supporters of
the visiting team and executive officials, said Reza hassanikhou, head of
security at the sports ministry.
But a federation official told AFP
the accreditations had not been validated by security services at the arena,
meaning the women were barred from
entering.
Rules prohibiting womens access
to stadiums have been in place since
Irans 1979 revolution, officially to
protect them from obscene behaviour
among male fans.
President hassan Rouhanis government, despite opposition from religious conservatives, has been trying to
relax the restrictions. Recently, some
women watched a male basketball
match from a cordoned-off section of
a venue in Tehran.
Mohammad
Reza
Davarzani,
president of Irans volleyball federation, said the June 19 tickets were not
honoured because of protests, about
which he did not elaborate.
We hope that this will be resolved
in future, he told AFP.
An AFP photographer at the game,
which Iran won 3 sets to 1, said some
women were present inside the arena,
including female referees.
In April 2014, Rouhani admitted
there were deficiencies in womens
rights and in gender equality, urging acknowledgement that women
stand alongside men and the two are
equal.
But the governments moves toward reform have hit barriers, highlighting a split between conservatives
anxious to preserve Islamic traditions
and others in Iran who want greater
openness.
In November, the international volleyball federation FIVB said it would
not allow Iran to host international
events as long as women are banned
from attending games.
The announcement followed the
jailing of British-Iranian Goncheh
Ghavami, who was arrested after trying to attend a volleyball match last
year. AFP
Female spectators sit next to an Iranian flag during the match between Iran and
USA at Tehrans Azadi arena. Photo: AFP
FootbAll
Leicester sack Thai orgy trio

LeICeSTeR have sacked three players, including the son of manager Nigel
Pearson, after they appeared in a sexually explicit video where they were seen
racially abusing a Thai woman, the Premier League club announced last week.
James Pearson, the son of Foxes
boss Nigel Pearson, Tom hopper and
Adam Smith, appeared in a leaked
video from the clubs end-of-season
goodwill tour of Thailand, during
which several crude remarks were
made, including one of two Thai women being called a slit-eye.
Following an internal investigation
Leicester whose owners are the Thai
father-and-son combination of of businessmen Vichai and Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha have terminated the
three players contracts.
Leicester City Football Club has
notified Tom hopper, Adam Smith
and James Pearson that their contracts with the club have been terminated, said a club statement.
The decision follows the conclusion of an internal investigation and

disciplinary proceedings, as a consequence of events that took place during the clubs end-of-season goodwill
tour of Thailand.
Leicester City Football Club is
acutely aware of its position, and that
of its players, as a representative of the
city of Leicester, the Premier League,
the Football Association and the clubs
supporters.
It is committed to promoting a positive message of community and family
values and equality, and to upholding
the standards expected of a club with its
history, tradition and aspirations.
The club will make no further
comment on the investigation, its
finding or outcomes, the statement
concluded.
Leicester were touring Thailand
as they celebrated avoiding relegation
from the lucrative Premier League.
AFP
Sport
28 THE MYANMAR TIMES JunE 22, 2015
SPORT EDITOR: Matt Roebuck | matt.d.roebuck@gmail.com
Women again denied entry

to Iranian volleyball
SPORT 26
YOGA
Second to none, says India

Myanmar joins in display of Indian soft power with demonstration event
he 1st International Day of

Yoga was marked in Yangons Thuwunna Indoor
Stadium by a mass demonstration of yoga postures
and protocol by 500 yogis drawn from
across Myanmar.
Spectators
were
treated
to
commentary on the performance of
postures and the benefits of yoga, a
practice that the BBC noted was being
promoted by official publicity for the
day as Indias secondgreatest gift to
the world after the number zero.
Organised in partnership between
the embassy of India and Myanmars
Ministry of Sports, the demonstration was held to coincide with Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modis leading of 35,000 people in a 35-minute
mass outdoor yoga session on a New
Delhi boulevard.
Modi hailed June 21s first International Yoga Day as a new era of peace,
moments before he surprised thousands
in New Delhi by taking to a mat himself
to celebrate the ancient Indian practice.
Modi led the performance of poses
such as the half camel and cobra in
what organisers are hoping will qualify for entry into the Guinness World
Records as the largest yoga class at a
single venue.
The current title, according to the
Guinness website, was set by 29,973
students in Gwalior, India, in 2005.
It was not only yoga enthusiasts
in Myanmar who joined India in celebration. Another 191 other countries
planned events including in Britain,
where mats were rolled out along the
banks of the River Thames.
Indias Foreign Minister Sushma
Swaraj was at the UNs headquarters
in New York for Yoga Day, when scores
struck a pose in Times Square.
Yoga is the soft power of India
and through that soft power the
whole world can be one global village ... [and] violence can be removed
with this kind of peace, Swaraj told
reporters.
Crowds watched a display of yoga skills at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium, Yangon. Photo: Thiri Lu
In his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly, Modi

proposed to dedicate a day devoted to
the ancient Indian discipline, prompting the UN to proclaim June 21 as the
International Day of Yoga.
he thanked the United Nations
and the 177 co-sponsoring countries
for adopting his idea for a world Yoga
Day.
This is a program for human
welfare, a tension-free world and a
program to spread the message of
love, peace and goodwill, said the premier before yesterdays event, wearing
a crisp white outfit with a national tricolour scarf.
Yoga is more than only physical fitness. We are not only celebrating a day
but we are training the human mind
to begin a new era of peace, Modi told
the crowd at Rajpath avenue.
Indian scholars believe yoga dates
back 5000 years, based on archaeological evidence of poses found inscribed
on stones and references to Yogic
teachings in the ancient hindu scriptures of the Vedas.

And Modi, a vegetarian who claims
to practice the art daily, has made
Yoga Day a key initiative of his hindu
nationalist government since he took
office 13 months ago.
he wants to reclaim yoga as an
historical part of Indian culture which
has been lost to the West, where it has
become a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Since storming to power, the
hindu nationalist premier has set
up a ministry dedicated to promoting yoga and other traditional Indian treatments, and also started free
yoga classes for his governments 3
million bureaucrats and their families.
The prime minister, who credits
yoga for his ability to work long hours
on little sleep, had been scheduled
only to make a speech at Rajpath,
where colourful mats were lined
across the stretch that connects the
presidents palace with the iconic India Gate monument. But he surprised
the crowds by leaving the stage, removing his glasses, and securing a
spot at the front of the massive session
to mirror the stretches, breathing, and
meditative moves beamed on giant
screens along the historic avenue.
Aerial images taken near dawn
showed Rajpath, or Kings Avenue, as
a sea of white with scores of people,
clad in new Yoga Day T-shirts, bending
and stretching in sync with the english and hindi instructions to a background score of Indian classical music
being played over loudspeakers.
People in 650 districts joined in,
with pictures pouring in on Twitter
from across the country.
Some showed soldiers performing various yoga poses or asanas
against a backdrop of soaring snow
mountains at Siachen glacier, the
worlds highest battleground, in disputed Indian Kashmir while others
showed residents stretching it out in
local parks.
But the governments push for
yoga for harmony and peace met
with criticism in the run-up to yesterday, with some religious minorities accusing Modi of pushing a pro-hindu
agenda in officially secular India.
A few Muslim groups have complained that chanting the sacred
hindu sound of Om during yoga
and certain poses, such as surya namaskar or sun salutation, have clear
hindu overtones and were against
Islam. AFP/Staff
2
Living Well in Myanmar
Dengue:
how to spot it,
how to avoid it
CHRISTOPH GELSDORF, MD
livingwellmyanmar@gmail.com
ECOGNISE the mosquito in

the picture? Thats the Aedes
aegypti, and its famous for
acting as the distributor of dengue.
The mosquito has quite a history
and current global reach. It began
travelling across the world with
the African slave trade in the 15th
to 17th centuries, and arrived in
Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries
with the increase in global
exchange. In recent times it seems
to have benefited most from the
international trade in used tyres,
which provide a protected way
for eggs to be dispersed into new
geographies.
Aedes aegypti does well in tropical
75%
The percentage of the worlds
dengue infections thought to occur
in Southeast Asia
and subtropical latitudes, thriving

in Latin American and Asian cities
experiencing rapid population
growth with a resulting urbanisation
that offers breeding opportunities.
The mosquito picks up the dengue
virus from a previously infected
person and passes it along during
its next blood meal. It does this with
remarkable effectiveness, causing
an estimated 50 million infections
per year across approximately 100
countries.
Residing in Myanmar puts readers
of this newspaper in the centre
of the global dengue pandemic.

Seventy-five percent of infections
are thought to occur in Southeast
Asia and the WHO has stated that
Myanmar probably has the highest
incidence of dengue in ASEAN.
This means that families should be
looking out for dengue symptoms
and taking precautions toward
prevention.
Interestingly, most dengue
exposures are cleared by
the immune system almost
immediately after receiving
a mosquito bite, meaning
the infections go unnoticed.
Nevertheless, for reasons not well
understood by Western medicine, in
some instances the virus is able to
replicate sufficiently to cause illness.
The resulting dengue disease can
then develop into anything from
simple flu-like symptoms to a worstcase haemorrhagic fever.
The classic symptoms include
a few days of fever, headache,
pain behind the eyes, muscle
pain, joint pain and perhaps a
rash. From this point most people
recover spontaneously. However,
a small proportion of patients go
on to leak fluid from their blood
vessels. Unfortunately this serious
complication occurs more frequently
in children. Therefore we tell parents
to look out for warning signs such as
new abdominal pain, heavy vomiting,
bleeding from the nose or gums, and
difficulty breathing.
While there is a blood test that
helps doctors diagnose dengue,
there are no specific medicines that
act against the virus. Therefore the
treatment is usually supportive,
meaning we watch patients,
and especially children, very
closely to see which direction the

illness is heading. Occasionally,
worsening symptoms will prompt a
hospitalisation in which the patient
is kept alive with fluids and blood
transfers while we wait for the
disease to run its course.
Because dengue fever cannot
be cured or medically prevented
although several promising vaccine
candidates are in development the
primary approach is containing its
spread by what epidemiologists call
vector control. Attempts by national
health systems and international
NGOs to chemically or biologically
control Aedes aegypti populations
have typically not been very
successful, so solutions have to be
local.
The mosquito breeds in puddles
of clear water, which is why
community-level efforts to reduce
sources of standing water are
important. This includes barrels,
drums, jars, pots, buckets, plant
saucers, tanks, discarded bottles,
tins, tyres and other places where
rainwater collects or is stored. Aedes
aegypti bites in the daytime and
likes to live in cooler dark places
like a closet or under a bed. Risk
of dengue can be reduced to the
extent that the family unit has the
resources to keep rooms screened,
use mosquito repellent and protect
kids with daytime bednets.
Christoph Gelsdorf is an American
Board of Family Medicine physician
who sees patients in Yangon and
California (www.gelsdorfMD.com).
He is a member of the Myanmar
Academy of Family Physicians.
Reader thoughts and questions are
welcomed.
Practitioners of all ages thrill the audience with their

poise and form to as part of the first annual Yoga Day
competition on June 16 ahead of the UN-designated
International Yoga Day on June 21 in a competition
organised by the Indian embassy in Yangon. Demanding
strength and flexibility as well as mental focus and
concentration, yoga stretches back as early as the sixth
century BC in Indian ascetics, and traditionally has a
strong spiritual element at its core.
IN PICTURES
Aung Htay Hlaing
Vital signs
What census results tell us about our nations health
Years
66.8
63.9
Average life expectancy at

birth (both sexes)
69.9
Average life expectancy at Average life expectancy at

birth (males)
birth (females)
71.2
60.6
Average life expectancy in Yangon Region
Average life expectancy in Magwe Region
Births
18.9
15.8
20.1
Annual births per 1000

people (overall)

people (urban only)

people (rural only)
29.9
15.5

people in Chin State

people in Yangon Region
Deaths
62
68
Number of children per 1000 who die

before first birthday

before first birthday (rural only)
41
72

before first birthday (urban only)

before fifth birthday
Disabilities
(4.6% of population)
2,311,250
957,736
1,249,737
People with any form of

disability
People with a mobility

disability
People with a vision

disability
673,126
835,598
People with a hearing disability
People with an intellectual/mental disability
Staff writers Shwe Yee Saw Myint,
Editors Myo Lwin, Wade Guyitt
Khin Su Wai, Myint Kay Thi, Myo Lwin,

Mya Kay Khine, Cherry Thein
Sub editor Mya Kay Khine Soe
Contributors Christoph Gelsdorf,
Photography Aung Htay Hlaing
Jessica Mudditt, Elizabeth Whelan
Cover design Ko Htway
Translators Khant Darli Lin,
Page layout Ko Khin Zaw
Thiri Min Htun
For feedback and enquiries, please contact
wadeguyitt@gmail.com, myolwin286@gmail.com
Cheap drugs build

drug resistance
How income-based healthcare leaves the poor with less,
and all of us at risk
SHWE YEE SAW MYINT
poepwintphyu2011@gmail.com
N Myanmar, where most struggle
each month to make ends meet, nonspecialist doctors charge K1500 (roughly
US$1.50) per visit. Any higher, they say, and
few would come.
If I charge a patient more than K1500 a
day in this township, patients wont come to
the clinic anymore because they cant afford
it, Daw Zar Zar, who owns a private clinic in
South Okkalapa township, told The Myanmar
Times.
Unfortunately, little quality treatment is
possible at such a lower charge, and the cutcost thinking extends to prescriptions as well.
I have to include cheap drugs, for having no
other choice. If I dont, my clinic would have to
be closed down, Daw Zar Zar said.
Because expensive, effective medicine is
unaffordable for most, its the cheap medicine
that brings profit. Unfortunately, it may be
doing more harm than good.
Another private clinic owner, U Myo Zaw,
[Drug resistance] can

happen when people
only take legitimate
medication for a fraction
of the recommended
period. It also happens
when they rely on halfbaked medicine such as
circulates in Myanmar.
has been in the pharmaceutical industry for
10 years. He told The Myanmar Times that cheap
drugs are easily available in pharmaceutical
markets and enter the country from a variety
of sources.
Substandard medicines are just ones
which are about to expire and are being
sold at reduced prices by some companies.
China-made and India-made medicines come
in illegally from the border, and others are
imported by some Indian companies, he said.
The market for most pharmaceutical
companies in Myanmar are small

neighbourhood clinics, which distribute
specific antidotes to selected illnesses.
Often, medications are handed out without
labels, so patients have no idea what they are
taking, according to U Myo Zaw.
In the worst cases, doctors dont describe
the names and kinds of medicines in the
prescription. They dont even give record
books.
U Myo Zaw said most patients dont
understand the process and are afraid to
question the doctors orders.
Also, he added, a part of the reason doctors
are afraid [of labelling] is that if patients knew
the names of medicines, then they would buy
them themselves and wouldnt come again to
their clinics.
Reliant on a system that prescribes them
cheap, unapproved medication that is in turns
not effective, a placebo, or even harmful, those
who must rely on Myanmars healthcare
system are the ones who suffer. But its not
just individuals, and not just the lower or
middle classes. Shoddy care is changing the
entire nature of our relationship to disease.
The threat is something called drug
resistance, which happens when diseases
are not treated effectively, then mutate to
overcome the drugs being used to treat them.
As a result, super-diseases develop, beyond
our power to control them. This can happen
when people only take legitimate medication
for a fraction of the recommended period. It
also happens when they rely on half-baked
medicine such as circulates in Myanmar.
Unsystematic procedures in clinics
and pharmacies, prioritisation of profit by
pharmaceutical companies, a shocking lack
of medical knowledge in the general public
due to decades of underfunded education,
and loose supervision from authorities who
are either bought out or unable to make a
difference can all contribute to mounting drug
resistance.
Drug resistances are occurring in
pneumonia, urethritis, TB and malaria, said
Dr Mi Mi Ko, a member of the Myanmar
Medical Association (MMA).
If diseases are resistant to current
medicines, new medicines would have to be
produced. But in fact, a new medicine could
take up to 10 years to be produced. We need to
prevent drug resistances, said Dr Mi Mi Ko.
New medication isnt the only thing that
needs development.
We are running courses on medical ethics
in the MMA, said Dr Mi Mi Ko, but there is
apparently still little interest in them among
doctors.
Translation by Kyawt Darly Lin
An apple a day? Good start

but itll take more than that
Dr U Chit Soe
Orthopaedist
Patients are afraid of rheumatism caused by
bacteria. Rheumatic fever mainly starts from
strep throat. Thats why unhygienic food and
drink should not be consumed. When strep
throat lingers for three days, I suggest you see
a doctor right away, as it can lead to rheumatoid arthritis. When you have the disease, you
could end up being bedridden by abnormal
bending of joints. Some patients treat that
with folk-medicines, but while folk-medicines
could relieve the pain they wouldnt cure the
disease. If you only come to see us when the
condition is far developed, treatment is costly
and difficult. Another common complaint
in orthopaedics is muscle tension, usually
among those who sit a lot without exercising,
such as those working with computers, tailors, students who study all day and gamers.
For orthopedic health, avoid unhygienic food,
instant noodles, coffee mix and chemicallycoloured food. Exercise at least 15-30 minutes
daily to prevent muscle tension. talk to a doctor if joint pain lasts longer than six weeks.
Avoid folk-medicines as much as possible. If
these suggestions are followed, health costs
and orthopedic problems will decrease in the
long term.
especially from rural areas, sometimes see a

doctor only when their pregnancies are four or
five months along. They should have been seeing a doctor as soon as they knew they were
pregnant, to ask how to stay healthy.
Dr Thein Myint
Endocrinologist
Itchiness can happen anytime. Pruritus,

including eczema, could break out, and skin
fungal infections are common as well. When
you use or hold cosmetics or products with
chemicals, wear gloves to avoid skin injury.
Fertilizer users should also wear protection.
Skin diseases mostly stem from poor personal hygiene. It is better to take care of your
own personal hygiene in advance, rather than
have to cure a disease later. Also, take care to
avoid UV rays as much as you can.
According to the WHO, 6 percent of older

adults in Myanmar have diabetes. Sometimes
patients think they will be okay as long as
they control their sugar intake, but theres
much more to it than that. In fact, diabetes
mellitus can cause trouble throughout the
body. Managing diabetes involves controlling sugar level, controlling fat levels in the
bloodstream (cholestoral) and controlling
blood pressure from getting too high. To
control cholestoral, avoid particular food.
Diabetes patients should also take statins
that reduce fat, even if the level is already
normal. As diabetes can often lead to obesity,
body weight should be controlled. High-blood
pressure also leads to other problems, as
numbness means you dont notice when you
are injuring yourself until it has grown severe.
Some can even lose an arm or leg. Always see
a doctor if an injury occurs, especially if the
colour of the skin changes. Check your legs
every night when washing. Take kidney tests
once a year and have your eyes checked every
two years. If blood sugar testers are in hand,
test whether it is 130 milligrams, which is the
appropriate amount, every morning. By two
hours after a meal, it should be under 180; after dinner, under 144. People with high urine
sugar level should have blood pressure under
140 and 90 as everyone else, and 130 and 80
is better yet. Oral health is also important, as
wounds and injuries in the mouth take longer
to heal for diabetics. To know the state of the
disease, a hemoglobin A 1B test once every
three months should be enough.
Dr Soe Lwin
Obstetrician and gynaecologist
Dr Myat Nyan
Prosthodontist
Most pregnant women suffer thalassemia.

Some behaviours stemming from traditional
beliefs as dieting and getting massaged
by informal mid-wives are unhealthy and
could be dangerous. Dont diet while pregnant.
Fruits, vegetables, meats and fishes should be
eaten for vitamins, minerals and folic acid to
keep your body in balance. At the same time,
thinking you have to eat for two and stuffing
yourself is not a good habit. It is necessary
to eat a balanced amount, and to consume a
wide range of nutrients. Physical exercise is
also necessary for the health of mother and
baby. Avoid over-strenuous activities the easiest exercise is walking. Pregnant women who
dont do exercises may not be strong enough
to push well and the foetus could be affected.
When people are healthy, they will be happy
before and after giving birth, and that will be
good for their families. Also, pregnant women,
The most common periodontal diseases are

gingivitis and periodontitis. Both are brought
on by neglecting to brush regularly. I advise
patients to brush twice daily, and children
should be taught to brush before going to
bed at the age of two or two-and-a-half, so
they develop good habits brushing and wont
get periodontal diseases later in life. Also, as
adults have more problems with food getting wedged in between teeth as they age, I
advise everyone to use dental floss to remove
plaque. Remember that oral and dental diseases dont start out causing pain. If you feel
pain, the problem is already advanced. Get
your teeth checked at least twice a year. Most
diseases we see are already far gone, which
means costs rise and treatment is excessive.
Dont let the same happen to you.
Myint Kay Thi, additional reporting by Mya Kay Khine,
translation by Kyawt Darly Lin
Dr U Kyaw Kyaw
Dermatologist
Seeing is believing
Cataracts rob our sight, and the people of Myanmar are particularly at risk
JESSICA MUDDITT
jess.muddit@gmail.com
LTHOUGH no data exists as

to the prevalence of cataracts
among Myanmars population,
experts say more needs to be
done to raise awareness about the
condition, particularly as it can cause
progressive deterioration of vision if
left untreated.
Globally, cataracts are the leading
cause of blindness and account for
more than one-third of the worlds
visually impaired people, who
number some 20 million. According
to the World Health Organization,
the vast majority of untreated cases
are in developing countries, due to
lower levels of access to diagnosis
and treatment.
Cataracts are a clouding of the
eyes natural lens, which results in
an opaque, brown or milky white
colouring which obscures vision. It
often occurs as we age, because the
lens protein is prone to degrading
over time. A persons eyesight can
deteriorate in a variety of ways as a
result of cataracts, including a fading
of colours, blurred vision and what is
known as glare an extra sensitivity
to light.
Cataracts can be present from
birth as a result of a congenital
condition, or result from an injury
that inflicts trauma on the eye.
However the onset of cataracts can
also be brought about by lifestylerelated factors or the misuse of
certain medications.
Myanmar Eye Centre is a private
eye clinic in Yangon that was
established seven years ago. It
currently has six eye specialists,
who are known as ophthalmologists.
Approximately one-fifth of its
patients which number around
50 a day are affected by problems
associated with cataracts.
Most patients complain of having
poor vision that has deteriorated
gradually, or experiencing glare, such
as when they stare into the lights
of an oncoming car at night, said

optometrist Dr Phyo Thiri Aye.
Diagnosis of cataracts requires an
eye exam: Although surgery does
not need to follow immediately
afterward, an operation is the only
means of restoring sight and must
not be left too late. Contrary to some
beliefs, neither eye drops nor oral
medicine can be used to prevent or
cure cataracts: Surgery is the only
treatment possible, and its better
done sooner than later.
Cataracts grow denser over
time, which makes surgery more
complicated because it requires a
large rather than a small incision,
said Dr Khin Thida Oo.
The procedure involves removing
the cloudy lens and replacing it with
an artificial one, which stays in the
eye forever more. Dr Khin Thida Oo
quack healers hucksters trained

in neither modern nor traditional
medical practices who are known
to continue to carry out a form of
treatment that dates back to ancient
Greece called couching: hitting the
lens with a pointed object with such
force that it causes the entire lens to
dislodge from where it is attached
within the eyeball and fall to the
cavity in the back of the eye. As well
as being extremely painful, couching
has very high risk of severe infection
of the entire eye and, most often,
requires very thick glasses afterward,
as you no longer have the eyes
natural lens to rely on.
Weve had some patients come
in from rural areas that have
undergone this procedure, said Dr
Aye Thi Han, adding that the patients
find it difficult to perform necessary
said that surgery should take place

as soon as the deterioration in sight
leads to difficulty carrying out daily
activities.
According to the eye specialists
at Myanmar Eye Centre, surgery
is more frequently delayed among
Myanmars rural population, due to
lower awareness about the risks of
leaving cataracts untreated as well
less access to medical care.
Also complicating matters in
remote areas of Myanmar are
visual tasks in the aftermath.

Any means of shielding the eyes
from exposure to direct sunlight will
work to delay the onset of cataracts
and is therefore recommended.
The greater an individuals
exposure to UV rays, the greater the
risk of developing cataracts, Dr Aye
Thi Han said.
Sunglasses that provide UV
protection are one of the most
common methods. Although
sunglasses are unpopular in
Cataracts are a clouding of the eyes lens, shown here in advanced (above) and
moderate stages. Photo: Supplied/Myanmar Eye Centre
Myanmar, fortunately doctors agree

that the ubiquitous sun umbrella
does an equally good job. Those
who are most exposed to the risks
associated with prolonged exposure
to direct sunlight are engaged in
farming a group that makes up
two-thirds of Myanmars workforce.
An added aggravation is the fact
that Myanmar is located in a region
where ozone depletion is higher
than the norm, as is the number of
sunlight hours.
While men and women are equally
predisposed to developing cataracts,
certain cultural factors suggest there
may be a higher prevalence here
among men.
Women are more likely to stay
indoors and men are more often
working in occupations where
injuries to the eyes can occur, said
Dr Aye Thi Han.
Those who consume alcohol and
tobacco also place themselves at
higher risk, with cases of cataracts
occurring in people as young as 40,
according to the doctors at Myanmar
Eye Centre.
There is a further dangerous
practice that may make Myanmars
population more susceptible to
cataracts: the misuse of certain
medications.
Its a cultural thing in Myanmar

for someone who goes to see a
doctor to want to leave with some
sort of medication, even if theres
nothing wrong with them, said Dr
Phyo Thiri Aye.
Even more alarming are the effects
of corticosteroids, which are strictly
intended for a confined period of use.
Corticosteroids are a good and
useful medication for certain
problems, such as inflammation or an
infection like pink eye. But if misused,
they can have a dangerous effect
that includes both cataracts and
glaucoma, said Dr Khin Thida Oo.
Corticosteroids can be bought over
the counter without a prescription
in Myanmar, which causes medical
experts to worry that large numbers
of people are self-medicating to
detrimental effect.
Steroid eye drops can be used to
treat pink eye and theyll think, Oh
this is working well, so its okay. But
pharmacies shouldnt be dispensing
this type of medication without a
prescription and patients shouldnt be
using it without being monitored by an
eye doctor, said Dr Khin Thida Oo.
For more information, contact the
Myanmar Eye Centre helpline on
09-31311304.
Hospital Management Asia

conference coming in September
MYO LWIN
myolwin286@gmail.com
MAJOR regional hospital

management conference
will take place in Yangon
September 3-4, involving over 700
delegates from 30 countries.
The media coordinator of Hospital
Management Asia 2015, Mylene
Alcazar, said the 14th annual
conference will give a boost to
professionals in the industry.
The people will benefit from the
tremendous combined experience
of over 70 international experts
who will be speaking and training
Myanmar hospital managers and
physicians at HMA, said Ms Alcazar.
These physicians and hospital
managers will take back with
them immediately useful tools and
techniques to provide better patient
safety and better and faster patient
services, she told The Myanmar

Times by email.
These physicians and hospital
managers and owners will be able
to meet and interact with the more
than 700 best and the brightest
fellow hospital executives from 30
countries around the region. This
by itself will be a mind-opening and
major educational influence.
She added that, with Myanmar
becoming increasingly connected
with the outside world and a
valuable member of ASEAN, HMA
was among the links that the
country needs to develop.
The HMA event, held at Yangons
Sedona Hotel, focuses on insights,
tools and techniques for hospitals to
improve service and reduce costs.
Organisers say they have received
confirmation from 600 participants,
even though the event is still over
two months away.
Taking stock of traditional med

KHIN SU WAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
HOUGH it has come to

be influenced by Western
research and techniques,
Myanmar traditional medicine
is still popular. But medical
professionals, and those who value
traditions, are wondering in what
direction our folk medicine may be
heading, and whether any action,
corrective or otherwise, might be
necessary.
Myanmar traditional medicine
dates back to the Bagan era
and reached its zenith during
the Konbaung era (1752-1885).
It is recorded that King Mindon
appointed 11 royal doctors whose
authority to manage the royal
kitchens was so absolute that
the monarch himself could not
interfere with their dictates.
However, under the colonial era,
the glory of Myanmar traditional
medicine faded, and has never fully
recovered its former dominance.
It thrives nevertheless, as can
be seen in the proliferation of its
remedies. Added to the 57 varieties
of medicines produced by state-run
traditional pharmaceutical firms
are thousands of types of medicines
manufactured by the private
pharmaceutical industry. Judging
from the numbers, it is clear that
folk medicine in Myanmar is alive
and well: There are more than 200

state-run clinics, and innumerable
private facilities can be found
almost everywhere.
The chief of Mandalays 100bed traditional hospital, U Than
Gyaung, said that the World
Health Organization accepts
Myanmar traditional medicine.
His hospital has about 100 inpatients and 100 out-patients and
provides treatments to around 120
patients daily. Most are bedridden
and suffering paralytic stroke,
a condition which traditional
medicine claims to be able to treat.

The chief said many factors
combine to explain the durability
of traditional medicine. These
remedies have fewer negative
side-effects. They rely only on local
herbs, thus reducing the need to
import expensive foreign products.
Western medicine demands the use
of modern equipment and enables
the diagnosis of specific ailments,
with precise causes. On the other

hand, such remedies can produce
more negative side-effects. And they
are costly, he said.
The main qualification for
practising traditional medicine is
benevolence, says Daw Htoo Htoo
of Madaya township, Mandalay
Region. Now aged 69, she has been
practising for half a century.
Her grandfather, who owned
nearly 100 farms, used to treat
his many workers with his own
blended traditional medicines. Daw
Htoo Htoo said she had inherited
his skills through her mother.
We took the governmental exam
to get the licence. This was about
1969. The questions were drawn
from the 11 encyclopaedias, she
told The Myanmar Times.
Daw Htoo Htoo practises along
with two traditional medicine
graduates, treating 35 to 40 patients
every day. She runs 12 pharmacies
in Madaya and three in Zay Cho,
and deals with about 200 traders.
Originally a physician, she learned to
blend medicines by herself, she said.
Thagyar yayzin is good for TB and
the lungs and shui for asthma and
coughs. Take zabu dipar for high
blood pressure and obesity, she
said.
Each shop has one room for
blending medicines, one for
treatments, one for making new
blends and one for sales. We provide
Photo:
all healthcare services: producing,

curing and selling.
Daw Htoo Htoo continued,
Traditional medicine is based on
nature, and Western medicine on
effectiveness. In the pharmacy, care
must be taken to protect medicines
from sunlight, maintaining the
temperature, and so forth. Fat
people should be given hot-natured
medicines for laxative because
fats are formed out of water, and
thin people should be given coldnatured medicines. In prescriptions,
things to avoid and affects of the
medicine have to be included
depending on the disease.
Experts say traditional medicine
requires only benevolence. But
most believe that some diseases are
curable and some are incurable with
traditional medicine.
Daw Hnin Aye Nge, 65, said, I
believe in traditional medicine. But
most people dont have a chance to

meet a physician who can prescribe
suitable medicine and proper
food. And knowledge of traditional
medicine is not handed down
effectively because the younger
generation is not interested in it.
Today, medical licences are issued
only by recognised traditional medical
universities to college graduates and
diploma holders. However, it is widely
recognised that there are any number
of unlicensed illegal and so-called
traditional physicians.
The chief of Mandalay traditional
hospital admitted that there is a wide
variation in opinion about the virtues
of Western and traditional medicines.
Even traditional physicians, he says,
are aware that their craft needs to be
upgraded and depends for its success
and its future on public awareness
and support.
Translation by Kyawt Darly Lin
The first 1000 days
Mental health should

always be part of public
social welfare services
Conception to age two provides a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity for mother-and-child

nutrition. The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) launched a short video in Yangon on the
importance of good nutrition in a childs first 1000 days, supporting the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement
in Myanmar. In partnership with the Department of Healths National Nutrition Centre, the video was
produced by the LIFT-funded initiative Leveraging Essential Nutrition Actions to Reduce Malnutrition
(LEARN), a consortium of Save the Children International, Helen Keller International and Action Contre La
Faim. Elizabeth Whelan, nutrition project manager at LEARN, writes about the initiative
ROM the time a mother
becomes pregnant until
her childs second birthday
is a period of time that lasts
approximately 1000 days. Globally,
these 1000 days are referred to as
a window of opportunity when
the body and brain of a child are
developing at an incredibly fast
pace and good nutrition can have
lifelong impacts. Consider all that
happens in the first 1000 days of
life: At day number one, when you
were conceived, you were invisible
to the naked eye. By around day
1000, however, you were an eating,
talking, walking two-year-old
human being. At no other time
in life does so much growth and
development happen in such a short
period of time. Fuelling this growth
is nutrition, and the better the
nutrition consumed the better the
start children will have in life.
A strong evidence base has led
to global consensus that good
nutrition makes it possible for
children to reach their full physical
and intellectual potential in life.
Children who are adequately
nourished during the first 1000
days perform better in school, more
effectively fight off disease and even
earn more money as an adult than
those who were undernourished as
children.
Data tell us that children in
Myanmar are being held back
from reaching their full potential.
The rate of stunting is 35 percent
among children under five years
old, according to the MICS survey,
which is the most recent national
nutrition survey carried out by
the government and UNICEF in
2009-2010. That means one in three
Myanmar children is malnourished,
Children who
are adequately
nourished during
the first 1000 days
perform better
in school, more
effectively fight off
disease and even
earn more money
as an adult than
those who were
undernourished as
children.
Please watch and share the
1000 Days video at www.youtube.
com/liftfundmyanmar and, if you
are a member of the media,
please share the video with a
wide audience at all levels of
society. For more information,
contact LEARN: https://
myanmar.savethechildren.net/
our-consortiums/leveragingessential-nutrition-actionsreduce-malnutrition-learn
and shorter than he or she should

be according to international growth
standards.
Although poverty is a significant
contributing factor to poor nutrition,
even children in the wealthiest
households in Myanmar are not
immune to undernutrition. Among
the poorest households in Myanmar,
one in two children is stunted; in the
wealthiest households, nearly one in
five children is stunted.
Fortunately, malnutrition is
preventable. There are steps that
families can take to ensure that
mothers and their children thrive.
Step 1: Ensure that pregnant

women consume sufficient and
diverse foods
Firstly, women who are pregnant
must be well-fed. It is hard work
for a womans body to build a
human being. If a pregnant woman
eats a diverse array of foods in
sufficient quantity, it is more likely
that she will be able to provide all
the necessary nutrients to meet
the needs of herself and her fetus.
Vitamin A, folate and iron-rich foods
are particularly important nutrients
for a pregnant woman to consume.
Unfortunately almost 9pc of
infants in Myanmar are born
underweight, weighing less than 2.5
kilograms. Maternal undernutrition
leads to growth restriction in the
womb, which is concerning given
that damage done during the first
two years is largely irreversible and
has a devastating impact on the
childs future potential, even if a
childs nutrition status improves
after the age of two.
Step 2: Encourage mothers to

practice exclusive breastfeeding
Around day 280 when a child

is born a mother continues
to share all essential nutrients
with her child but now through
breast milk. Breast milk includes
everything a child needs for the
first six months of life, including
water, nutrients, and antibodies to
prevent and fight disease. Despite
the fact that introducing food or
water to a child before six months
of age is dangerous to the health of
the child, in Myanmar the rate of
exclusive breastfeeding is low. The
rate declines over the course of six
months so that by the end of the
sixth month of life fewer than 5pc
of children are being exclusively
breastfed, according to 2010 MICS
data.
Clinical psychologist Dr Nyi Win Hman speaks to MT editor Myo

Lwin about mental health and the workplace
How important is the mental health of
individual workers to an organisation as a
whole?
Photo: Tim Mitzman/Save the Children 2015
and proper disposal of child faeces. A survey

carried out by UNICEF and the Ministry
of Health in 2011 across 24 townships
found that although nearly all infants had
been properly cleaned after defecation,
caretakers of only about one in five children
had properly disposed of the faeces into a
latrine. On top of this, only four in 10 adults
said they washed their hands with soap and
clean water before eating. This is particularly
concerning when we consider child feeding
and food preparation. Lack of hygiene is
dangerous because it can lead diarrheal
illness, which not only makes it harder to
absorb nutrients, but is also a leading cause
of mortality among children under five in the
world.
Step 3: Help breastfeeding mothers

nourish themselves and their baby
Women who are breastfeeding have
even greater nutrient requirements
than pregnant women do. The
body of a breastfeeding woman
prioritises the nutritional needs of
her infant, and so if a woman does
not consume a sufficient quantity
of diverse foods, her own body may
suffer. Of particular concern are
food restrictions, based on food
taboos which are practised among
women throughout Myanmar in the
first days or weeks after childbirth.
Although the specific food taboos
vary, many foods containing key
vitamins and minerals such as iron,
protein and vitamin A are restricted
despite the fact that a mother so
desperately needs these nutrients
after enduring childbirth.
Step 4: Caretakers introduce

appropriate complementary foods
once a child turns six months old
Elizabeth Whelan is a nutrition specialist

and the program manager with the LEARN
consortium, which partners with the LIFT
Fund on nutrition.
Photo: Valeria Turrisi/3MDG
Once a child turns six months

old, the caretaker should begin
supplementing breast milk with
complementary foods. New foods
should be introduced gradually to
feed a childs growing mind and
body. Diverse foods which contain a variety

of nutrients will make the child stronger. As a
childs teeth come in and stomach grows, the
texture and quantity of food will change over
time, so that by one year a child is eating all
the same types of food that his or her family
eats.
Step 5: Practice good hygiene behaviours

In addition to having the right food, children
need to be raised in a clean environment
where caretakers practice good hygiene
and where sanitation facilities exist. This
includes safe food storage and preparation,
consumption of clean water, hand washing
with soap and water, access to a clean latrine,
LIFT is a multi-donor fund set-up in 2009

to improve the lives and prospects of poor
and vulnerable people in rural Myanmar.
It is funded by the governments of
Australia, Denmark, the European Union,
France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the
United Kingdom and the United States
of America, as well as, from the private
sector, the Mitsubishi Corporation. The
Fund is managed by the United Nations
Office for Project Services (UNOPS). For
more information, please visit www.liftfund.org
To quote the WHO, The development and

implementation of workplace mental health
policy and programmes will benefit the
health of employees, increase productivity
for the company and contribute to the wellbeing of the community at large. Mental
illness and disability affects not only the
individual but also the family, community,
workplace and the nation as a whole. It
affects productivity and the economy.
The same WHO paper quoted above
describes in detail the importance of mental
health in the workplace in terms of work and
mental health; the role of government; and
putting in place a workplace mental health
policy. An Australian document, Workers
with Mental Illness: A Practical Guide for
Managers, covers the same ground.
Mental health is very important for the
workplace in order to develop and maintain
productivity, health and well-being for both
managers and workers. To mention a few
studies, one in the USA found 18.2 percent
of people had their work impaired by a
mental health disorder in the previous 30
days. Another study in Germany found 5.9pc
of work days lost were related to mental
health.
How could we test the mental status of a

potential employee before hiring?
Screening out workers with potential mental
problems before hiring is part of personnel
selection and screening performed
usually by industrial and organisational
psychologists, or the human resources
department of a workplace. But in terms
of both workers and human rights, those
workers who experience mental health
problems need services for their problems.
The documents mentioned above provide
detailed description of developing and
implementing mental health services as
part of workplace health and safety. If such
services are provided or exist then workers
mental health issues can be approached
properly.
What is the situation of mental healthcare

in Myanmar?
Even in developed countries, mental health
services and resources lag far behind
physical health services. In Myanmar, mental
health services never evolved or developed
to be in line with international standards. In
the developed world, such services are more
community service-oriented (outreach care),
rather than institution-oriented (psychiatric

hospitals). Moreover, the discipline of
psychiatry suffers from being designated as
a very low priority in comparison to other
medical specialisations. No postgraduate
study and training in psychiatry had been
implemented here for a very long time.
Hence, both knowledge, clinical skills and
practices remain sub-standard.
Health (both physical and mental)
constitute human capital. In my opinion,
mental health should always be part of
public social welfare services of a nation
and people, and not for profit, though the
private sector can exist alongside the public
sector.
What psychological associations are

working for the public health in Myanmar?
The Myanmar Psychological Association
(MPA) can provide basic counseling training
survey respondents
25%
Of 5000 workers surveyed in Australia, onequarter took stress-related leave from the
workplace annually
and services and has already organised a

few workshops. I and a few of my colleagues
conducted a two-day workshop for academic
staff on counselling when I was in Myanmar
last year. If you have not yet received a
pamphlet on the various psychological
services of the MPA, please contact its office
at 01-216861 or 216864.
Youre spending some of your time in

Australia. Tell us about the mental health
situation in workplaces there.
Preliminary research shows that Australian
businesses lose over US$6.5 billion each
year by failing to provide early intervention/
treatment for employees with mental health
conditions.A total of 3.2 days per worker
are lost each year through workplace stress.
Stress-related workers compensation claims
have doubled in recent years, costing over
$10 billion each year. A survey of over 5000
workers indicated that 25pc took time off
each year for stress-related reasons. And
work pressure accounts for around half
of all psychological injury claims, while
harassment and bullying accounts for
around one-quarter.
Where we all come from

ROUND 800 women die each
day from preventable causes
related to pregnancy and
childbirth. As the UN prepares to
phase out its millennium development goals, which included the
target of cutting maternal deaths
by 75 percent, Britains Guardian
newspaper asked readers worldwide
to share stories of maternal healthcare provision. Here are some of the
responses.
I gave birth on my wedding day. The

baby was three months early
Toyin Ojora-Saraki, Nigeria
I gave birth to twins on my
wedding day in an urban
maternity hospital in my home
country of Nigeria. The birth was
three months premature, and
midwives and doctors were present,
but there was a fatal delay in
finding an anaesthetist to enable
an emergency caesarean section
by general anaesthetic since an
epidural was neither offered nor
available.
I had been preparing for the
birth in the UK, receiving prenatal
care in London from consultants.
As it was a multiple birth, prenatal
consultants provided consistent
care in the months leading up to my
due date. However, I had to prepare
for my wedding in Nigeria and
had to travel to the country before
my due date. I was assured that
it should be fine to return home,
get married, and make it back to
London in time to give birth.
Yet on my wedding day, and
within only 24 hours, I got
married, gave birth three months
prematurely, and lost one of my
twin babies in childbirth. We were
fortunate, however, that as soon as
the emergency arose, I immediately
received two of an indicated three
steroid injections to help my babies

lungs mature faster.
I came close to death myself,
having become severely anaemic. I
had to fight to save my life and the
life of the surviving twin. In getting
through this harrowing process, my
child and I are very lucky to be here
today. The care following the birth
was diligent, but uncomfortable and
difficult due to a lack of modern
resources.
Three days after giving birth in
the hospital, I suffered from painful
engorgement and had to express my
breast milk. The nurses treating me
handed me a white plastic bucket,
without explaining what I should do.
They began pressing my breasts to
pump milk into the bucket, leading
to a lot of crying and pain on my
part.
Knowing that an experience
like mine is all-too-common for
mothers and infants around the
world is heartbreaking, but it could
have been worse, because, in fact,
14 percent of Nigerian women give
birth without anyone present. Some
of these women if they survive
suffer permanent birth injuries.
Stillbirths often go unrecorded,
let alone lead to counselling. This
is why I started the Wellbeing
Foundation Africa, which works to
improve maternal, newborn, and
child health across the continent.
Healthcare is underfunded in Poland,

but I got the care I needed
Claudia, Poland
I decided to share my story because
I was very satisfied with the care
I received in a public hospital
in eastern Europe and I thought
this might go against the usual
complaints we hear about public
healthcare in this part of the world.
At 35 weeks of pregnancy, I
Women worldwide talk about their experiences giving birth
My hope is that
every woman gets
the choice to get
the care they need.
Name withheld, Malawi
was diagnosed with pregnancy
cholestasis [a liver condition], which
meant I had to stay in hospital until
37 weeks, when a baby is considered
full term, and have an induced
labour. I received excellent care for
the almost three weeks while I was
in hospital, from a team of midwives
in Warsaw. I even got to choose a
vegan diet.
At this hospital, women in labour
are taken to newly renovated rooms,
where conditions are very good:
There is a bath, a private toilet,
birthing balls and mattresses, and
many other items to use for finding
comfort during labour. I gave birth
with the midwife on call, who was
extremely patient and discreet.
Im just happy to say that we got
this very warm, thoughtful care
at a public hospital despite health
systems in Poland and the rest of
eastern European countries being
systematically underfunded. While
I was in the hospital, I read a notice
on the wall which said that state
support for this hospital covers
about two-thirds of the cost of a
birth and that they do need support
from donations and philanthropists,
but it seems that they do manage
in the end to find the funds they
need. Or they manage somehow to
compensate with love and care.
My mother didnt see a doctor for her

entire pregnancy
Photo: Staff
Name withheld, Malawi

This is not my birthing story but my
mothers. She had my brother at age
16 and me at 18 in Malawi. My mum
never talked about her pregnancy
or childbirth experiences, and it was
only recently, on a return home to
see her, that I found out she had
given birth at home with both of
us. She was with her mother-in-law
and older sister both times, and she
was in labour for two days with my
brother. Living in the UK, my idea of
home births is very different from
my mothers experience. She didnt
see a doctor or health professional
for her entire pregnancy or labour.
There was a health clinic about
an hours drive away on public
transport, but she says she never
considered it an option. Her friends
had all given birth at home with
traditional birth attendants, and her
mother-in-law had said that going
to the clinic went against the family
tradition of women delivering in
their villages.
Things were tense with her first
labour, but luckily my brother didnt
require vital care when he finally
arrived. Mum says she felt that God
had watched over her during that
labour. She says that now women in
Malawi dont have to go through the
same thing, and it is the norm to go
to a clinic for at least one visit, even
I could have saved my first child if I

had had the chance to learn about
maternal and child health
Daw Nwe Nwe (sent via World
Vision), Myanmar
I had never heard about
antenatal and postnatal care for
mothers when I was expecting
my first three children. I did not
understand the importance of
immunisations and nutrition.
When World Vision started
working in our community, I got
to learn about the importance of
maternal and child healthcare.
I think I could have saved my
first child if I had the chance to
learn about maternal and child
healthcare earlier. Now, I always
attend maternal, child health
and nutrition awareness sessions.
I also received iron tablets.
I realised that I was not eating
properly while I was expecting
my first three children. But while
I was expecting my fourth child, I
ate nutritious foods and followed
what I had learned, so there were
no problems during delivery. I
only breastfed my daughter, until
she was six months old. She is
healthier than my other children.
Now, I promptly go to the clinic
when my children are sick. I am
afraid I might lose them like my
first child.
if you are delivering in your village.

All of my friends still in Malawi
have received all the basic care that
I would receive here in the UK, but
theyre mostly in the city. My hope is
that every woman gets the choice to
get the care they need.
The public health system is very

good in Germany
Anna, Germany
I had monthly pre-natal check-ups
up to two months before delivery,
then bi-monthly check-ups until
delivery, done by my gynaecologistobstetrician. There was a weeklong prenatal class to prepare for
the delivery, paid for by public
insurance. We hired a housekeeper
as I was too large to do the usual
share of domestic work. Also,
privately I got weekly massages,
weekly lymphatic drainages,
weekly private antenatal lessons,
bi-weekly pre-natal yoga classes,
weekly osteopathy and acupuncture
sessions, weekly prenatal pilates
and aqua fitness classes. I also saw a
personal trainer every week.
After the delivery and two nights
in hospital, we were discharged to go
home. A midwife visited every day
for 10 days after we arrived home.
We had also hired a maternity
nanny to look after the baby. A
paediatrician close to our house
checked the baby after two weeks.
For my personal antenatal care, my
insurance paid for one weekly class.
14%
Percentage of women in Nigeria
who give birth alone, with no one
else present
Privately, I attended four others.

The public health system is very
good in Germany, although we live a
comfortable life in an affluent part
of Germanys wealthiest city. Instead
of buying a new car or expensive
furniture, we paid for excellent care.
My sister-in-law gave birth in an

overcrowded refugee camp
Samantha, Kenya and Canada
My husband spent 10 years in
Daadab refugee camp in Kenya, and
his sister gave birth there. She was
one of the lucky ones who received
care at a clinic, and that saved her
life because she had to have an
emergency caesarean. Most of her
friends gave birth in their homes in
the camp, sometimes for cultural
reasons and sometimes because
they simply didnt have a choice.
The camp is so crowded, and is
growing with around 1000 births
each month apparently. Im so
grateful that my nephew survived
and is now a healthy little boy in
Tanzania, where they were able to
emigrate.
In comparison, I gave birth in
Canada with a midwife present
throughout the birth. I had weekly
check-ups and had visiting homecare for the weeks after. I always felt
safe and cared for, and knew that
if any complications arose there
would be help at hand. How is it fair
that my son had a much greater
chance of survival at birth than his
cousin?
I lost two brothers at a young age

due to no access to basic medical
facilities
Darjat, Pakistan
I was born in a mountain village 750
kilometres away from Islamabad,
Pakistan. My grandmother was there
but no health worker was present.
During the time of my birth in
1959, [we] only [had] the indigenous
knowledge of elder women, but
during my kids time, they were
provided with all the preventative
vaccines and check-ups before and
after birth in the small village, and
later in the town and city. My wife
also had access to basic check-ups
before and after deliveries. I wish we
had had basic medical facilities in
the village where I was born. I lost
two brothers at a young age due to
no access to basic medical facilities.
My baby had to be resuscitated but I

had full trust in the medical team
Lotte, Australia
We had public healthcare and it
was fabulous. Prenatal care was
uneventful and I felt informed.
When I was admitted for labour,
a midwife was with us the entire
time, even when there wasnt
much happening. She was there
unobtrusively in the background
doing paperwork if we didnt need
her, and was right there to assure,
advise and answer questions when
we did. As labour progressed,
things got complicated the babys
heart rate dropped and he had
to be brought [out] quickly with
forceps, then resuscitated but the
wonderful care we had received
up until that point meant that I
had full trust in the medical team.
I am so happy with the birth, even
though it was complicated.
The Guardian
In every state
and region
An interview with Paul Sender, 3MDG fund director
To start, tell us about 3MDG.
The Three Millennium Development
Goal Fund, or3MDG, refers to MDG
4, to reduce child deaths; MDG 5,
to improve the health of mothers;
and MDG 6, to fight communicable
diseases. Our overarching goal is to
help Myanmar develop universal
health coverage an accessible
system providing healthcare to all
citizens. We work with the Ministry
of Health and local communities,
international and local NGOS, and
UN agencies. The Fund combines the
support of Australia, Denmark, EU,
Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the
US to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of donor funds.
What do your funds put toward?

Myanmar suffers from high maternal
and child mortality. At least 2400
pregnant women and 70,000 children
die annually thats seven women
and 191 children dying every single
day. We finance work throughout
Myanmar to deliver a continuum of
care to mothers and children which
covers essential services within the
lifetime of a child. This includes
before they are born, through
reproductive health, prenatal care
and health promotion for mothers;
after they are born, through childbirth
services, maternal antenatal care,
promotion of exclusive breastfeeding,
and providing immunizations; and
to age five, through nutritional
supplements, improved sanitation
practices like hand washing with
soap and interventions to reduce the
impact of childhood ailments that
cause preventable deaths.
What are key areas of success?

As of last year, we support essential
health services for about 3.5 million
mothers, newborns and children. Im
particularly excited by the work we do
with the Ministry of Health to ensure
training and skills are improved
using modern training techniques
across every midwifery school and
in supporting over 5000 auxiliary
midwives to be trained in nearly 200
townships over 50 percent of the
national target. Auxiliary midwives
are often the only skilled health
worker available to provide maternal
and child health services, especially in
difficult-to-reach communities.
For our work combating
communicable diseases, 6.9 million
sterile needles and syringes were
distributed to people who inject drugs
in 2014, reaching 35pc of the national
target. A total of 26,661 people who
inject drugs benefited from HIV
prevention and harm-reduction
services, reaching 107pc of 3MDGs
goal and contributing 44pc to the
annual national target. We work with
the National Tuberculosis Program
to find hidden tuberculosis cases,
helping to support, for example,
outreach work to mine workers by
mobile teams equipped with portable
X-ray units.
Health-system strengthening
is a cornerstone of our work
since a robust system is critical
for sustainable progress. We are
financing the World Bank to work
with the government to design a

health financing policy for universal
health coverage. Another milestone
is a financing agreement we now
have in place to expand Myanmars
vaccine cold chain and enable the
introduction of new vaccines to
increase child survival rates. See
www.3mdg.org for more.
Who are the main beneficiaries of

3MDGs services?
We target disadvantaged people,
often in hard-to-reach areas across
Myanmar. We fund partners
that provide HIV, TB and malaria
related services to rural and urban
slum areas across Myanmar, for
example helping populations with
diverse ethnic, religious and social
backgrounds in areas characterised
by high physical vulnerability,
including gold prospecting and
jade mining sites, industrial zones,
prisons, and migrant construction
sites. We have supported mobile
team operations to carry out health
services to impoverished, underserved
and marginalised communities living
in mountainous areas, post-conflict
areas and mobile populations with
little or no other access to health
facilities. The Fund now finances
healthcare delivery in every state and
region of Myanmar.
What are the challenges?

We see challenges as opportunities.
Myanmar has shown dramatic
changes in the political, social and
economic spheres since 3MDG
began in 2012. One challenge is to
continually adapt to ensure our
strategy and goals are aligned with
these changes. For example, the
opening of the country and the
governments increasing engagement
with international partners has
enabled collaborative work to happen
with the Ministry of Health in postconflict areas and with the most
vulnerable populations in Kayah,
Shan and Chin States. Because our
main beneficiaries are the vulnerable
groups and communities, it can be
difficult reach them logistically. We
work closely with local community
partners with a strong on-ground
presence and with the Ministry of
Health to overcome these challenges,
and are proud of the trust and
relationships that have resulted.
How important is 3MDGs work

in achieving the three stated
development goals?
3MDG is the largest development
fund specifically targeting MDGs
related to maternal, newborn and
child health. More significantly, 3MDG
is a multi-donor trust fund where the
Ministry of Health works alongside
the international donors. Our seven
donors discuss and arrive at decisions
with the Ministry of Health, which
has enabled joint work to occur in
sensitive areas like the Wa Special
Region 2 and Mongla Special Region 4,
and fostered support for the ongoing
development of work with other
highly vulnerable groups mentioned
previously.
Myo Lwin
OPINION
Elective C-sections:
too common, too risky?
KIM LOCK
AST month, the WHO warned
caesarean sections should
only be performed when
medically necessary about 10-15
percent of all births, as more often
didnt help mortality rates. Ten
years ago, C-sections in Australia
were performed 19pc of the time.
Now, that number is 32pc.
Caesarean section is major
abdominal surgery, with chance
of: infection, admission to ICU,
hysterectomy, haemorrhage or
death; scalpel lacerations to
bladders, bowels or other organs;
babies being cut; medication
misuse; longer, more painful
recovery; and more potential
for infections, surgical staples
overgrown with skin, excruciating
removal of wound drains, and more
Birth by caesarean can interfere
with breastfeeding establishment,
affect an infants gut and future
health, and increase a womans
chance of repeat caesarean,
exposing her to complications such
as placenta accreta.
What needs to be done? Leah
Hardiman, president of Maternity
Choices Australia, says, A lot of
issues would be resolved through
continuity of care with midwives
as primary carers. This has been
proven time and again through
studies and in practice.
While midwifery is based upon
seeing pregnancy and birth as normal
physiological life events, obstetric
medicine is based upon treating them

as a medical procedure. Obstetricians
are surgeons, and surgeons excel at
performing surgery. Midwives are
paid to wait for labour to unfold and
to act if necessary; obstetricians are
paid to act.
Is it any wonder, when healthy
pregnant women are predominantly
Obstetricians are
surgeons, and
surgeons excel at
performing surgery.
managed by surgeons, that rates of
surgery are high? Authorities often
cite the rising age and bodyweight
of birthing women and womens
request as the cause of increasing
caesareans. But researchers argue
where a woman lives and whether
she has private health insurance are
the most influential factors.
Women often report feeling
pressured, even bullied into surgery,
describing a conveyor-belt cascade
of intervention: An induction gel
leads to ruptured membranes,
which leads to a drip, which leads
to an epidural, which leads to
failure to progress and being told
caesarean is the only option.
Babies struggle with these
interventions; foetal distress then

requires emergency surgery. But
many routine interventions done in
supposed help of women and babies
may not be helping at all.
As they grow common, caesarean
has become normalised within our
culture, and its seriousness often
downplayed. Women are placated
with a false innocuousness of
surgery, and told not to chastise
themselves if natural birth plans
are interrupted. This reassurance
might be well-meaning, but women
are adults capable of understanding
facts and deserve to know where
they are being grossly let down.
Undoubtedly caesareans can
save lives. Skilled obstetricians are
vital to our maternity care system
and any woman who makes an
autonomous, informed decision to
elect caesarean should have the
unequivocal right to do so.
But women and care-providers
are not making choices in a vacuum.
For a long time, medicine was a
men-only sphere where womens
bodies were seen as inherently
flawed. Childbirth was considered
an undignified, frightening and
dangerous procedure. This attitude
lingers today: Out of 900 daily births
in Australia, roughly 300 are done
by caesarean, despite the WGO
estimating only 90 require surgery.
In our ongoing fight for womens
reproductive rights, reducing our
caesarean rate to reflect womens
needs should be an urgent priority.
The Guardian
10
BANGALORE
Indias street
dentists filling
gap for the poor
GNORING noisy buses and
curious onlookers, street dentist Allah Baksh plunges his
hands into a patients mouth to fit a
sparkling set of dentures for US$12
in the Indian city of Bangalore.
With his plastic stool, mirror and
glass cases of teeth on display, Mr
Baksh, 54, is among hundreds of
such dentists frowned upon by their
licensed counterparts in rapidly
modernising India.
But he insists he is providing an
essential service to 10s of millions of
poor who cannot afford a visit to a
sterilised clinic.
There are millions of poor people
in this country who cannot pay for
expensive dental treatment, Mr
Baksh told AFP in between customers at his makeshift clinic, where his
tools include a large metal file.
But they also have a right to be
treated and look good, he said as he
mixed pink gum paste with his bare
fingers on a teaspoon.
I know this is not hygienic at all,
but if I start using sophisticated
tools the poor man wont come
here.
Mr Baksh never formally trained
as a dentist. He learned his skills
from his father, who came in 1984
to the sleepy southern backwater
which has now transformed into
a regional IT hub and thriving me-
tropolis.
Alongside his younger brother,
son and nephew, Mr Baksh set up
their clinic 14 years ago outside a
bus stand. Together they make and
fit dentures for some 20 customers
a day.
A full set of teeth, moulded and
ready to fit in 30 minutes, costs
as little as 800 rupees ($12). A
single false tooth sells for 50 rupees
($0.80).
Tools are thoroughly washed in
soap and water but not disinfected.
The teeth in all shapes and sizes
are made in China and in India from
dental cement. Soft pink adhesive
is then moulded for gums and the
teeth are stuck in, with the dentists
saying their handiwork lasts for at
least four years.
India passed a law in 1948 allowing only licensed dentists to treat
patients, but the legislations vague
and outdated wording about exactly
what constitutes a dentist has allowed many unregistered ones to
operate.
In big cities such as New Delhi
and Mumbai, street dentist numbers
have dwindled in recent years on
growing awareness of contracting
HIV/AIDS and other diseases, rising
customer income levels, and a surge
in dentist graduates.
Traditional Indian dental worker Allah Baksh takes measurements for dentures from a customer at his roadside stall at KR
Market bus stand in Bangalore. Photo: AFP
They still thrive in smaller cities

as well as towns, although few
perform root canals, fillings or other
operations.
There must be thousands of
I know this is not

hygienic at all,
but if I start using
sophisticated tools
the poor man wont
come here.
Allah Baksh, street dentist
them, Ashok Dhoble, secretary

general of the Indian Dental Association, a private body of licensed
dentists, told AFP.
The oral healthcare [industry] is
in its infancy and surprisingly we
dont have even figures on qualified
dentists in India.
Mr Dhoble said 30,000 graduates
join the profession every year, but
India still has only one dentist per
10,000 people in urban areas and
about 250,000 in rural areas, according to the US National Library of
Medicine.
Mr Dhoble also rejected economics as a justification for unhygienic
care.
Ban them and they will be forced
to look for another job. We cant
have cheap treatment as an excuse
to continue this practice, he said.
In Delhis crowded old quarter,
third-generation dentist Satvinder
Singh, 48, takes a lunch break from

treating patients on the pavement.
Numerous posters advertising his
services are propped up around him,
as a multitude of vendors jostle for
space.
A few decades ago I used to get
30 customers a day. I hardly see two
now, said Mr Singh, adding a few
decades ago traders from a nearby
spice market, Asias largest, would
line up for his false silver and gold
teeth, considered a status symbol.
Earlier rich and poor would
equally visit us. But now we are
looked down on, he said.
For his part, Mr Baksh remains
adamant he is improving the lives
of the poor, and that his family will
continue the tradition.
We have thousands of satisfied
customers, who not only pay us but
give us their blessings.
AFP
Something to chew on
MYA KAY KHINE
mya.simplefly@gmail.com
ENTAL implant treatment is on the rise

in Myanmar, though remains much more
expensive than other options available
locally for replacing rotten teeth.
Tooth replacement comes in three forms
removable dentures, fixed bridges and
implants, says implant prosthodontist Dr Myat
Nyan. He founded Sakura Dental Implant
Centre in 2010, and says coverage on MRTV-
Dr Myat Nyan and (right) staff.

Photos: Supplied/Sakura Dental Implant Center
4 shortly afterward brought attention, and

patients, to his door.
Dental implants in Myanmar are not
handled in hospitals, he says, though they are
done in the University of Dental Medicine in
both Yangon and Mandalay.
Dentures and fixed bridges replacement are
not surgical procedures and all patients can
have them done. But dental implant replacement is a surgical procedure, so patients
should be in good health overall, said Dr Myat
Nyan, adding that patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, leukemia, un-control
hypertension or bleeding disorders may not be
good candidates for implants.
Dental implants provide several advantages
over other replacement options. With implants,
it is possible to replace a single tooth without
sacrificing the health of neighboring teeth. The
replacement is also more similar to a natural
tooth, making eating easier and talking more
comfortable. The implant may last for years or
even decades. Dental implants are firmly held
in place by titanium posts, making for a more
comfortable fit that wont disturb the surrounding teeth.
A fixed bridge is not similar to ones natural
teeth. It may take up a wide area on the gum,
so it is not always comfortable for the patient.
The implant, however, doesnt use extra materials, as it simply fills the existing space, said
Dr Myat Nyan.
Implants, he said, are also more expensive
than other replacements, however, and require

greater consultation prior to surgery, making
them more time-consuming to arrange. Healing can also take several months, and regular
consultations and follow-ups are necessary.
The surgical process lasts two hours, and
involves drilling into the jawbone and then
sewing the gums to heal. Over the next oneand-a-half to three months, the implant and
the bone are allowed to bond together to form
an anchor for the artificial tooth. A temporary tooth replacement can be worn over the
implant site until the real implant is inserted
again, which may or may not require a second
surgery, depending on how well the titanium

roots have taken hold.
Other Asian countries like Singapore and
Thailand are more expensive for general dental
treatment than Myanmar. And also the cost of
a fixed bridge there is no difference from that
of an implant. But in Myanmar, general dental
treatment is cheap, but implants cost five times
more than other options, due to the complex
process requiring expensive precision components and instruments, said Dr Myat Nyan.
Fixed bridges and removable dentures cost
between K300,000-K600,000, depending on the
dental centre.
11
How the abortion taboo is killing women

Illegal, unsupervised, unsafe, abortions happen every day in Myanmar and with society more worried about protecting
womens dignity than their health and wellbeing, women are dying as a result
CHERRY THEIN
t.cherry6@gmail.com
LEGALLY banned in the public health

sector, including hospitals and clinics, any doctor caught performing an
abortion can lose his or her licence to
practice, and even be sent to prison.
More than this, they are seen as
having defamed the prestige of the
entire profession of medicine.
Not to say that abortions arent
performed in Myanmar. Theyre just
not performed legally; theyre not
performed not safely; and most
often theyre not performed by
anyone with proper medical training.
As is the case worldwide, two
schools of thought on abortion exist here : the so-called pro-choice
camp, who believe a woman has, or
should have, the right to choose to
terminate her own pregnancy; and
the so-called pro-life camp, who believe that terminating a pregnancy is
murder in any circumstance, which a
woman must not be allowed to do.
In all countries, of course, each
camp argues from a position of public policy as well as social, cultural
and religious norms. In Myanmar, as
in other countries with strong traditional beliefs, abortion is generally
construed as not just illegal but immoral as well, due to Buddhist beliefs
which feel the taking of life is a sin.
What else traditional societies
have in common, however, is a lack
of easily available contraception and
a lack of public discourse about its
proper use, which means that unplanned pregnancies do happen, and,
as a consequence, so do abortions,
as women are left feeling they have
no other choice to make. Myanmar
culture frowns upon women pursuing greater knowledge of sex because
it goes against traditional teachings
which say sex even knowledge
about sex damages her dignity.
However, if she ends up pregnant, it
is she, not her male partner, who will
be left to deal with the burden. And
the stigmas are heavy.
Death threats can result from surprise pregnancies, even from ones
own family. As a result, some women
try to hide the growing evidence and
give birth anonymously, then either
raise or giving away the newborn.
Others seek more drastic measures.
Tools of the trade

Abortions are mostly carried out
by mid-wives or even the pregnant
women themselves. As the practice
is illegal, the tools are necessarily
improvised and therefore radically
unsafe.
The most common technique to
end a pregnancy is by breaking open
the amniotic sac. To do so, a stick is
rammed inside the vagina. Materials
range from bamboo to steel or iron;
implements range from branches
broken off trees to the ends of umbrellas. Sometimes, as an alternative,
acid is poured inside.
Whatever the method, the attempt
is to end the pregnancy the health
and welfare of the mother comes a
distant second.
Some use ma yawe yo, a branch of
a ma yawe tree which has the characteristic of expanding when wet. It
is inserted into the vagina, it absorbs

moisture and swells. The possible
consequences range from bacterial infection to physical damage to
internal organs.
Hiring such services cost between
K150,000 to K300,000 in Yangon,
depending on the experience and
expertise of the individual. While
there are no official statistics on
abortion rates, East and South Dagon
and South Okkalapa township are
said to be common places to procure
one in Yangon, with services easily
available in neighbouring Bago and
Ayeyarwady regions as well.
Unplanned results
Dr Aye Thida, consultant and obstetrician/gynecologist at Thingyan
Kyaung Hospital, told The Myanmar
Times that the general public needs
more awareness and knowledge
about family planning and reproductive health to prevent women
resorting to such desperate methods
to end an unwanted pregnancy.
There are many cases of women
determining to get an abortion
because information and health
services are hard to access, Dr Aye
Thida said.
The stigma of an unwanted
pregnancy, however, could only be
outweighed by the stigma of an attempted abortion. Those suffering
complications are reluctant to seek
assistance, even when the aftermath
proves life-threatening.
When they have induced abortion, septicaemia [blood poisoning]
is likely. But they dare not to see the
doctor or go to a clinic or hospital
because they afraid of being scolded.
Some are afraid of being arrested.
In desperate situations, a woman
may come to the hospital only when
septicemia has already infected the
kidney, affecting her ability to release
urine. Most induced abortions, Dr Aye
Thida said, lead to damaged kidneys.
Unsure about how to best take
care of themselves generally, many
women are particularly uninformed
about treatment options for the
many gynecological problems they
will face throughout their lives. Without safe space to ask questions and
trusted medical experts to ask them
too, they resort to whatever means
they can think up themselves.
Dr Aye Thida recalled a woman
who, wishing to end a pregnancy,
asked her three children to jump on
her belly 100 times. Sadly, she later
died from the internal injuries that
resulted, the pressure having damaged her uterus and intestines.
I was surprised at how she dared
take the risk. But there are many implausible induced-abortion-related
cases, Dr Aye Thida said.
She recalled another case in
which healthcare workers spoke to a
practitioner of traditional medicine
whose method of ending pregnancies
involved inserting a chicken feather
into the vagina. The man confessed
surprise at the fact that woman got
infections as a result of this procedure. I have no idea how women got
infected. I know hygienic practice I
use one feather for one client. And
I only snatch a feather when they
come and ask me to, she recalled
him saying.
We were struck dumb with disbelief, Dr Aye Thida said, not knowing
whether to blame him or burst out
laughing.
Of course, she and other experts
know such rudimentary techniques
are all too common, and are no
laughing matter. According to a 2015
United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) report, 200 mothers die
per 100,000 live births in Myanmar.
Of these deaths, 20 follow induced
abortions.
The abortion booms

Some women cross the border to
neighbouring countries, where
clinics display signboards advertising, in Myanmar language, artificial
insemination and abortion services
described, respectively, as putting
babies in and taking babies out.
As evidenced by the number of
patients seen at Yangon hospitals in
the aftermath of botched procedures,
however, many seek abortion procedures right at home.
While many have heard of baby
booms spikes in birth happening
nine months after a period in which
more couples than average have sex,
usually due to some period of unusual social upheaval like a holiday,
a weather event that keeps everyone
indoors or the end of a war less
commonly discussed are abortion
booms.
Hospitals in Myanmar consistently
see two annual waves of patients
arriving with complications due to
botched abortions: two months after
Valentines Day in mid-February, and
two months after Water Festival in
mid-April.
That means that, in mid-April and
mid-June, Dr Aye Thida deals with
the fallout two induced abortions
and one septic shot per day.
Such holiday periods warrant
particular targeting by campaigns
to promote contraception use, she
said. A recent targeting of pharmacies by police during Thingyan, in
which a round-up of date-rape drugs
saw legitimate contraception being
swept from the shelves as well, was
particularly wrong-headed, she said.
Using condoms is one of the
options for contraceptive practice. I
wonder why the authorities withdrew condoms during this past water
festival, she said.
Knowledge is power
Daw Nang Phyu Phyu Lin, co-chair of
Gender and Equality Network, said
another factor that needs to be addressed head-on, particularly in rural
or ethnic areas, is male chauvinism,
which keeps women from gaining
knowledge and making decisions
about their own best interests.
There are still many women kept
ignorant and uninformed, who do
not even know their own bodily functions and periodic cycles, Daw Nang
Phyu Phyu Lin said.
Traditional culture and social
norms, she said, make advocating
family planning and open discussion of reproductive health difficult.
Such topics remain taboo to discuss
with women, in spite of the fact that
women, as potential child-bearers,
are put at far greater risk than men
when undergoing sexual activity.
Most advice for women, when it

comes at all, can be reduced to a
simple word dont with girls
being taught that boys are thirsty for
sex and that its best to keep ones
distance. What to do if thats not
possible if one is in love, or, worse,
coerced or forced into sex, by a
trusted partner or an attacker isnt
made clear.
Even for married women, misinformation and peer pressure affects
childbearing and childrearing decisions. Daw Nang Phyu Phyu Lin said
rural areas especially see pressure
to keep getting pregnant until one
brings up a boy, with female children
less desirable and therefore seen as
easier to terminate.
There are many

cases of women
determining to get
an abortion because
information and
health services are
hard to access.
Dr Aye Thida
We heard a lot about this in the

fields God wants you to have child,
so dont stop. If the ultrasound
result said girl, okay, you can do an
abortion. But in some occasion no
matter boy or girl you must give birth
until you get a boy, Daw Nang Phyu
Phyu Lin said.
Women are not robots, and the
uterus is not a child-making machine. But many women are considered like birthing robots, she said.
Dr Sid Naing, a public health practitioner, told The Myanmar Times it is
essential to give contraceptive technique and health service effectively.
He said societys attempts to protect
women from sexual knowledge is
done, in most cases, with good will,
but in practicality it bring more problems. So-called protectors, namely
policy makers, religious leaders and
society, need to know more about the
lives and struggles of those they seek
to protect, he said.
The protectors are not always
next to the protected ones. It is essential to give awareness, knowledge
and capacity to them so that they
can protect themselves, and create
easy access to get safer ways, he
said, identifying the poor, the uneducated and rural residents as being
among the most vulnerable.
An ounce of prevention...
Health sector workers contacted for
this article suggested offering sex
education as part of the mainstream
education curriculum, as well as
opening youth clinics which could
offer confidential counseling, as
two of many ways to keep women
from needing, or undergoing, such
induced abortions. Combined, these
factors could help reduce the rates

of teenage pregnancy especially
particularly frightening for women,
given the stigma against pre-marital
sex and intimate relationships at a
young age.
Workers also advocate awareness
programs covering contraceptives
and family planning through government information bodies. Even
television programs which are upto-date and appropriate for todays
lifestyle could do valuable service
in spreading valuable, life-changing
information, they say.
For instance, one traditional sort of
birth control often relied upon in the
months after having a child is the
fact that, in a process called lactation
amenorrhea, women who are breastfeeding infants do not menstruate
for six months, and therefore will not
conceive during this time. However,
with busy schedules, many women
are turning to bottles to fill in the
gaps, which can affect the bodys
natural processes and renew in some
instances renew fertility. As many
women rely on the traditional belief
in breastfeeding as a way to control
pregnancy, they may put themselves
at risk of conceiving another child
unexpectedly. Doctors therefore urge
women to get a birth-control injection 45 days after childbirth, whether
or not their period has returned.
Spreading the word about these
issues would do much to prevent
unwanted pregnancies.
Lastly, health workers say, it is a
must to practise a holistic approach
to preventing unwanted pregnancies before they happen, by increasing health services and supporting
contraceptive tools and services
across the board, in every corner of
the country. A higher budget and
more qualified personal, they say, is
urgently needed in the health sector.
In 2011, the government spent 1.74
percent of its budget on health. For
the 2015-16 year, the budget stands
at K757 billion (US$757 million), still
only 3.3pc of the overall budget. As
a comparison, defence was allotted
11.1pc.
Most government hospitals, including Thingyan Kyaung where Dr
Aye Thida practises, offer information, counseling and free contraceptive techniques. But while they offer
intrauterine devices or birth control
pills, they cant afford the DepoProvera birth-control injection, which
is too costly for government hospital.
Morning-after pills are not licenced
here either, meaning that only the
ones smuggled in from India, China
or Thailand and sold under-thecounter are available.
The cost of keeping quiet

While Myanmar society generally
finds it impolite to talk about sex,
sexual organs and sexual practices,
the desire for decorum ultimately
brings far more unpleasant realities.
Demand for better options increases
daily, yet information, support and
services remain hard to access.
Whatever ones opinion on abortion,
it is clear the laws against it are not
enough to prevent women from having them nor to keep them from
being in a position where they feel
the need to seek one.
12
World health check-up

Photo: AFP
Drug-resistant typhoid epidemic in Africa

Drug-resistant typhoid has become an invisible
epidemic in Africa, scientists said May 11 after an
unprecedented probe into the disease.
In Nature Genetics, the team said sequencing
more than 1800 samples of typhoid bacteria
from 63 countries revealed a rise in a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain, H58, which does not
respond effectively to frontline antibiotics.
They said H58 has recently acquired mutations
that blunt newer drugs and is displacing varieties
sensitive to antibiotics.
H58 likely spread from South Asia to Southeast
and western Asia then to East Africa over the past
30 years, leading to an ongoing, unrecognised
MDR epidemic within Africa.
According to the World Health Organization,
about 21 million are infected with typhoid every
year, 216,000-600,000 of whom die.
The disease is caused mainly by Salmonella typhi
bacteria in food or water contaminated with the
faeces or urine of infected people.
In many developing countries, typhoid is
controlled through drugs, and lax use of them is
helping the resistance problem.
Seasonal sickness? Blame your genes

Nearly one-quarter of our genes change activity
levels according to the season, scientists say.
In a study published in Nature Communications
on May 12, researchers analysed 22,822 genes,
and found 5136 operated at higher or lower levels
depending on the season. They believe immune
systems could be subtly affected by seasonality.
Lead scientist John Todd of the University of
Cambridge said the discovery was both really
surprising but also obvious.
It helps explain why so many diseases, from
heart disease to mental illness, are much worse in
the winter months, he said.
The team looked at blood samples and fatty
tissue provided by 16,000 people living in the
northern and southern hemisphere and in
equatorial Africa.
The difference was most marked among donors
from Iceland, where there is nearly 24 hours
of daylight in summer and nearly 24 hours of
darkness in winter.
Samples taken from people in equatorial
regions, where the seasons are less distinct,
IN PICTURES
AFP/Isaac Kasamani
showed less pronounced variations.

In samples from the west African country
Gambia, genes in immune cells in the blood were
more active during the rainy season from June to
October, when mosquito-borne diseases such as
malaria are on the rise.
Researchers believe a gene called ARNTL that
plays a part in inflammation the defensive
process that is also implicated in many autoimmune diseases is seasonally influenced
Vaccination may also be more effective in winter
than in summer.
Hand grip reveals hearts health

Testing peoples hand strength could be an easy
way to screen for risk of heart attack or stroke, The
Lancet reported May 13.
Nearly 140,000 patients aged 35-70 in 17
countries were monitored over four years. During
checkups, the patients were asked to grasp a
gadget called a Jamar dynamometer, which
measures muscle strength.
Every 5-kilogram (11-pound) decline in grip
strength was linked to a 16-percent increase in the
risk of death from any cause over four years.
The decline was also associated with a 7pc
increased risk of a heart attack and a 9pc
increased risk of a stroke.
Hand grip was found to be a better predictor of
early death than systolic blood pressure.
Age, tobacco and alcohol use, education level
and employment status were all taken into
account. There was no link, though, between grip
strength and diabetes, respiratory disease, injuries
from falls or fractures.
Daily 30 minutes exercise key to old-age health

Elderly men who do 30 minutes of physical
activity six days a week are likely to have a 40
percent lower risk of death compared to couchpotato counterparts, researchers said May 14.
The evidence comes from a major project in
Norway called the Oslo Study, in which doctors
enrolled thousands of men born between 1923
and 1932, giving health checkups and surveying
them about their lifestyle and physical activity.
Launched in 1972-3 with a first survey of nearly
15,000 men, the survey was repeated in 2000 with
the 12,700 still alive, of whom 5700 were able or
willing to continue. By 2011, deaths had reduced
this total to just under 3600.
Researchers were struck by the impact of
regular physical exercise during the 2000-2011
period, when volunteers were in their 70s or 80s.
A mortality reduction of 40 percent was
associated with a moderate use of time [30
minutes, six days a week] irrespective of whether
the activity was light or vigorous, the study said.
A 3D-printed artificial limb is assembled at the Comprehensive Rehabilitation

Services Uganda (CORSU) in Wakiso on April 24. In the past, plaster cast
sockets connecting prosthetic limbs to a persons hip took about a week to
make, and were often too uncomfortable to wear. Plastic printed ones can be
made in a day and are a closer, more comfortable fit. The scanner, laptop and
printer cost US$12,000; the materials cost $3. Recipient Jesse Ayebazibwe, 9,
was overjoyed. I felt good, like my normal leg, he said. I can do anything now
run and play football. His grandmother, Florence Akoth, 53, who carried him
the 2 kilometres to school after his leg was crushed and his life shattered, was
also thrilled.
Among those who exercised vigorously with

hard training several times a week the lifespan
was a whopping five years longer than among
those who were sedentary.
Physical activity should be targeted to the
same extent as smoking with respect to public
health prevention efforts in the elderly, they said.
Put a cap on Red Bull, espressos

Drinking the caffeine equivalent of more than four
espressos a day is harmful to health, especially for
minors and pregnant women, the EU food safety
agency said May 27.
In a study representing the first time that
the risks from caffeine from all dietary sources
have been assessed at EU level, the EFSA
recommended that an adults daily caffeine intake
remain below 400 milligrams a day.
The recommendation came at the request of
the European Commission, the EUs powerful
executive body. Regulators said the most worrying
is not espressos and lattes but Red Bull and other
energy drinks, hugely popular with the young.
The main message of the report is that
consumers must account for caffeine
consumption from sources other than coffee, an
EU spokesperson told AFP.
Caffeine intakes from all sources up to 400 mg
per day consumed throughout the day do not give
rise to safety concerns for healthy adults in the
general population, except pregnant women, the
120-page report said.
Expectant mothers should not exceed half that
amount, the agency added. For under-18s, the
limit is 3mg per kilogram of body mass.
An adolescent who drinks a coffee, a Coke,
and two or three Red Bulls every day would easily
exceed this limit, said the EFSA spokesperson,
who wished to remain anonymous.
Of all respondents, about one-third of adults
said they were regular consumers of energy
drinks, with 12 percent of those guzzling them
down four or five days a week.
Alarmingly for regulators, a whopping 68
percent of 10- to 18-year-olds were regular users
of energy drinks with 12 percent of them heavy
consumers.
Caffeine levels in energy drinks can vary greatly,
the agency said, between about 70mg per litre to
400mg.
Teen bullying leads to adult depression

Nearly one in three cases of depression among
young British adults may be traced to having been
bullied as adolescents, a study said June 2.
Researchers published figures in The BMJ journal
to back anecdotal evidence that victimised
teenagers often go on to struggle later in life.
They had trawled through the findings of a large
project in Bristol, western England, that tracked
14,500 residents since the early 1990s.
In one phase of the project, nearly 4000
participants completed a questionnaire at the age
of 13, and were assessed again five years later for
symptoms of depressive illness.
Out of 683 people who reported they had been
bullied at least once a week at the age of 13, nearly
15 percent were depressed at 18.
This was nearly triple the rate for teenagers
who had not been picked on.
When other possible causes were added to the
mix such as behavioural or mental problems or
family difficulties the statistical link with adult
depression weakened, but the rate was still twice
as high as for non-bullied peers.
Among those frequently victimised, 10pc
experienced depression symptoms for more than
two years, the study found. In the non-bullied
group, only 4pc suffered a depression lasting so
long.
As many as 30pc of depression cases identified
may have been the result of bullying, researchers
said, though the study could not show direct
cause-and-effect.
Anti-bullying programmes in schools have been
disappointing, noted the researchers.
Interventions during adolescence could help to
reduce the burden of depression later in life.
AFP
WHO chief
Margaret Chan.
Photo: AFP
World Health Organization

68th Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland
May 18-26, 2015
Post-antibiotic era looms
Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel
on May 18 urged all countries to help
combat the misuse of antibiotics,
which is fuelling drug resistance and
allowing long-treatable diseases to
become killers.
What is important is to see to it
that the effectiveness of the existing
antibiotics is ensured and that we use
them for purely medicinal purposes,
she told diplomats and health experts
at the WHOs main annual conference.
Ms Merkel said Germany had
already agreed to a global plan for
addressing the growing problem of
antimicrobial resistance, drafted by
the WHO.
A WHO report in April however
revealed major gaps in all regions of
the world in addressing the problem
and reining in overuse and misuse of
antibiotics.
Without urgent action, it said, the
world could be headed for a postantibiotic era in which common
infections and minor injuries that have
long been treatable once again become
killers.
End malaria by 2030?

Countries have agreed to rid the world
of malaria almost completely over the
next 15 years, the WHO said May 21.
Diplomats gathered in Geneva
agreed to a plan to cut malaria cases
by 40 percent by 2020 and by 90pc by
2030.
The plan also calls for completely
eliminating malaria in at least 35 new
countries over the next 15 years.
Pedro Alonso, head of the WHOs
Global Malaria Programme, called the
targets ambitious but achievable and
said they would bring us very close to
eradication.
He insisted the targets were, if anything,
edging on the conservative side.
About 200 million people are
infected with malaria each year,
with around 600,000 dying from the
mosquito-borne disease. Children
under five account for at least threequarters of those deaths.
Africa where 50pc of households
have no access to insecticide-treated
nets, and 60pc of malaria cases go
undiagnosed and untreated accounts
for 90pc of the worlds malaria deaths.
Some 30 nations have dangerously

weak health systems: WHO
About 30 countries have health
systems as dangerously weak as the
ones that allowed Ebola to ravage
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the
WHO has warned.
We must reverse the trend in global
health where we wait for the fire to
flare up, run to put it out but then
forget to fireproof the building, said
senior official Ruediger Krech.
At least 28 other countries
worldwide, mainly in Africa, but also in
Asia and Latin America, had similarly
weak systems, he said, and ouring in
money will not fix the problem, as
corruption is rife in many countries.
AFP

Monday, June 22, 2015 (MTE Daily Issue 69)

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HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

ISSUE 69 | MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015

NLD prepares for election

Govt draws criticism

Slow start for first new city

Rescue teams struggle

Insurers expect health

IMF comes to town amid

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

Illegal food, medicines destroyed

on inspections carried out between

As a result of the inspections, big

and Tourism agreed to issue licences

NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

Constitution vote will not

THE National League for Democracy

Win said yesterday at a press conference following the conclusion of the

focus on a bill to amend sections 436

Based on these comments, most

Collapse of scaffolding leaves two dead

Development Committee. New Star

In other countries, developers give

Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

Govt suit against Eleven

THE government has launched a

This will have a serious impact on us,

Vice chair of the Myanmar Press

Youth leaders hit streets to promote unity

One of the participants, Ko Akar

shops on youth participation in the

THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

Blood donations mark NLD leaders birthday

blood to show my love and appreciation, said one blood donor, Ko

Speaker rebukes dissenting MP

THE Speaker of the Yangon Region

term of office had caused anxiety.

Hluttaw adopted the slogan Peoples

Urban Development Plan for Greater

A farmer uses a phone in

ECHNOLOGICAL milestones like the furlong

dusty field researcher trying to check

would slip through.

to the poorest villages.

WARNING is hereby given that any fraudulent imitation,

TRADE MARK CAUTION

(Reg: No. IV/6083/2015)

(Reg: No. IV/6084/2015)

8 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

interested buyers over the weekend.

Much of the northeast area of East Dagon township is underdeveloped and

Land area in East Dagon township that

end up with ownership rights.

Yangons New Cities,

DRIVING northeast from East Dagon

Yangon-Mandalay Highway Road

regional government and local private

BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com

Thailands Central Group

Cambodian telcos race

Exchange Rates (June 21 close)

Health insurance to begin as a tough sell

A HEALTH insurance plan set out by

drafters initially discussed different premiums for three different