BURMA RELATED NEWS - MARCH 17, 2012

Suu Kyi seeks ethnic, Chinese vote in north Myanmar
By Hla Hla Htay | AFP – 53 mins ago
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi reached out to ethnic Chinese and minority voters Saturday on the campaign trail in the north of the country ahead of April 1 by-elections.

Addressing a crowd of about 20,000 people in the town of Lashio, which is near the border with China, Suu Kyi said some people were trying to stir up the Chinese community against her National League for Democracy (NLD).

"I heard that Chinese businessmen and merchants were threatened. They were threatened that their business could be harmed if our NLD won as we have very close relations with Western countries," she said.

"I would like to request the people to pass along the word that these things are not true," she told the crowd, who were holding banners reading: "People for Suu, Suu for the people" and even one in Chinese.

Many people in Lashio and the northern Shan state area are of Chinese origin, though holding Myanmar citizenship.

In her speech to the crowd, which included many Chinese and other ethnic minorities, she stressed that the NLD was not out to destroy Chinese businesses.

"We had good relations (between Myanmar and China) when we had democratic governments," she said, without specifying the period she was referring to.

"Problems were very few among us," she said.

"Both sides must have understanding to have fewer problems. What we want is mutual understanding. We will try to establish this kind of relationship (with China)," she said.

Lashio is a trading hub for Chinese goods such as clothes and electronics and many shops and houses have Chinese signs.

Myanmar's giant neighbour is its second-largest trading partner and biggest foreign investor and has helped shield it from international opprobrium and the impact of Western
sanctions.

"We understand that investing and doing business in other countries is for our benefit," the Nobel laureate told the crowd.

"However the people in the host country should have benefited from it. The benefit should be for both sides," she said.

"We will work with this kind of spirit of equality."

Wearing a traditional Shan costume, she said the NLD was for all ethnic groups, not just the Burman majority.

Suu Kyi also warned the crowd to be on the lookout for vote rigging with just two weeks to go before polling.

"Frankly, we are seeing more irregularities are happening around the country. We have to be more careful at this juncture," said Suu Kyi, who has alleged that dead people are on the voter rolls.

She told people to inform the party of any cheating or threats so it could take legal action.

The NLD is contesting 47 seats out of 48 available in the by-elections.

The polls, which will see Suu Kyi stand for a seat in parliament for the first time in a constituency near Yangon, are viewed as a key test of the new government's commitment to reform.

The regime has so far impressed even sceptics with its reform process, which has included signing ceasefire deals with ethnic minority rebels and welcoming the NLD back into the political mainstream.
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Myanmar, open for tourism business, aims for one million visitors
AFP Relax News – 22 hrs ago

Myanmar is aiming to attract one million visitors this year as its tourism boom continues, according to reports.

The country, which had been a pariah state for over a decade before initiating a host of political reforms last year, welcomed 816,369 tourists in 2011, up from 791,505 in 2010, according to government figures.

Now, authorities are aiming to hit the magical one million figures, reports TTR Weekly, as interest in the country grows.

That milestone is likely to be significantly helped by a host of positive editorials from the world's travel publications, including being named by Wanderlust as one of the hottest destinations for 2012 and earning second spot in Lonely Planet's top 10 countries for 2012.

According to reports, tour operators specializing in South East Asia have been receiving strong demand for Myanmar-bound trips, with Intrepid Travel adding a further 36 departures for its Best of Burma tour and Wendy Wu tours restarting operations in the country following a three year hiatus.

Official statistics suggest that most visitors to Myanmar enter through land borders, such as those connecting with neighboring Thailand, already a hotspot for the independent travelers Myanmar is trying to appeal to.

Others arrive by air into Yangon International Airport, which the government is planning to significantly expand to accommodate more planes and passengers -- 16 international airlines currently serve the terminals.

While there seems little doubt that travel to the country is booming, one sticking point in the not-so-distant future could be the number of hotel rooms -- the country has just 25,000 hotels, with some 8,000 in the capital Yangon, although six international hotels are reported to be under construction.
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Myanmar agrees to end forced labour by 2015
AFP – 15 hrs ago

Myanmar has signed an agreement with the International Labour Organization to end forced labour by 2015, state media reported on Saturday.

Deputy Labour Minister Myint Thein signed the memorandum of understanding with an ILO liaison officer on Friday in the new capital Naypyidaw, The New Light of Myanmar reported.

"Myanmar has signed MoUs with ILO and has been cooperating with ILO in combating the forced labour and is committed to eradicate it from the country by 2015," the official newspaper said.

The new government has surprised observers with reforms including talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the release of hundreds of political prisoners since the end of nearly five decades of military rule last year.

In June last year, the ILO's branch in Yangon said it had received 506 complaints related to forced labour since the start of 2010 -- more than double the number seen during the previous three years.

However it said the increase was down to "awareness-raising activities" to ensure people knew their rights.

The ILO has said it had found a pattern of forced labour caused by a lack of proper funding for projects demanded from rural authorities.

But the main problem involved adults and youngsters pressed into working for the army.

In 2007, the then ruling military junta bowed to pressure from the UN labour agency and allowed an official, based in Yangon, to deal with complaints from victims on issues related to forced labour and underage army recruitment.
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What to see in Myanmar
AFP Relax News – 22 hrs ago

After over a decade as a pariah state, Myanmar has suddenly reappeared on the global tourism scene, becoming the must-see stop for backpackers heading to explore popular south east Asia.

Myanmar was named by both Lonely Planet and Wanderlust as a must-see destination for this year, not least because -- for now -- it's almost totally unspoilt by modern tourism.

That means it offers a totally different experience from neighboring Thailand, not least in its treatment of visitors -- unaccustomed to tourists, the locals are almost universally regarded as among the world's smiliest, friendliest and sweetest people.

In terms of attractions, Myanmar offers ancient ruins to rival Cambodia, temples to rival Thailand, countless pagodas and those all important beaches, although with the majority of visitors still independent, seeing the towns is rather more in vogue.

Most visitors spend time taking in the colonial, ageless charm of Yangon, where museums sit comfortably alongside pagodas, ruled over by the Shwedagon Pagoda, the country's holiest site.

Head north to Mandalay though, and the Bagan plains offer a less intense, arguably more impressive holy experience, which is becoming one of the major sites on the tourism trail.

Over 10,000 places of worship were constructed around this city between the 11th and 13th centuries, and 2,200 survive today, offering a historical journey unparalleled in size and scale.

On the banks of the Irrawaddy are several other ancient towns, including Amarapura, the former capital of Myanmar, and Sagaing, a popular destination for day-trippers and home to the world's largest ringing bell, a 90-ton behemoth.

Inle Lake, surrounded by mountains and home to the Intha people, is also a must-see stop for many, as is a ride around it by bike or a tour with a local fisherman.
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March 17, 2012 13:20 PM
Myanmar, ILO Agree On Eradication Of Forced Labor By 2015

YANGON, March 17 (Bernama) -- Myanmar and the International Labour organisation (ILO) have reached a memorandum of understanding on eradication of forced labour, China's Xinhua news agency said, citing official media report Saturday.

The MoU was signed by Myanmar Deputy Labour Minister U Myint Thein and the liaison officer of the ILO based in Yangon on Friday, said the New Light of Myanmar.

Myanmar has been cooperating with the ILO in combating the forced labour and is committed to eradicate force labour from the country by 2015, it added.

Myanmar and the ILO had agreed in January this year on extending supplementary memorandum of understanding on eradication of forced labor for one more year.

The extension of the understanding signified Myanmar's continuation of the cooperation between the government and the ILO and the move also confirmed Myanmar government's commitment to the prohibition of forced labour and guarantee of the rights of citizens.

The supplementary understanding supports the application of existing laws prohibiting the use of forced labour in Myanmar and it provides a complaint mechanism, facilitated by the ILO liaison officer in Yangon.

According to the supplementary understanding, Myanmar citizens, with protection from reprisal, can seek justice under the law if they are subjected to forced labor.

Myanmar and the ILO reached the agreement in February 2007 on the establishment of a complaint mechanism for victims of forced labor.

Myanmar government also claimed that it had exposed some forced labour cases in the country over the past few years based on public complaints and had taken punitive action to show its implementation of international norms on forced labor.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's parliament passed the country's Labour Organisation Law in 2011 and it started to take effect on March 9, 2012.

The law covers protecting employees' rights, setting up good relationship between employers and employees as well as forming labor associations systematically and freely.

The Labor Organisation Law was said to have been enacted in accordance with the provision of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and its recommendations.
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Asian Correspondent - 6 magical Burma festivals
Posted by Jo Lane on March 16, 2012 in The Diary

To really appreciate the culture, traditions and lifestyle of Burma, you should attend one of the local festivals. While there is pretty much something on in every calendar month around the country there are some big festivals you shouldn’t miss that involve water throwing, elephant dancing and one-legged rowing. For all the highlights read on.

Thingyan

The Burmese New Year Water Festival is somewhat similar to Thailand’s Songkran. Thingyan usually falls about mid-April and takes place over four to five days.
As the name suggests, it involves water throwing, dousing, merriment and mayhem — perfect when the mercury is soaring at this time of year.

Taungyyi balloon festival

The Taungyyi balloon festival is held in the town of the same name near the world famous tourist destination of Inle Lake.

The annual festival takes place for five days culminating on November 21 and involves huge hot air balloons of some 15-20 feet in height that are shaped like animals or mythical creatures. These are colourfully decorated and when night falls they are released into the air until the firecrackers inside are lit and they explode in colour and sound.

Mahamuni Ceremony

The Mahamuni Ceremony is celebrated in Mandalay in the second week of February on the 14th and 15th waxing days of the moon. For the ceremony, monks gather to chant and there is also singing, dancing, theatre and even a glutinous rice contest.

Robe Weaving Contest

Think you have what it takes to beat the sewing teams of Burma? This festival might make you think twice. It is held across the country in major cities on November 7.

On this day teams of women compete against each other to be recognised as the best robe weavers. The competitions are held on the platforms of the pagodas. When they are finished, the robes are offered to images of Lord Buddha.

Elephant Dance Ceremony

Held near Kyaukse, near Mandalay, the annual elephant dance ceremony is understandably popular.

While there might not be real elephants dancing — men take their places inside huge elephant figures made from bamboo and paper — the precise rhythm and timing required to get the figures to twirl, dance and act in unison are truly amazing. It’s well worth traveling to see this festival, usually held around October 9 and 10.

Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival

This festival runs for a full 18 days on the beautiful Inle Lake in Shan State and ends on October 27. During the festivities Buddhist images are placed in decorated royal barges and ceremoniously taken clockwise around the lake. One leg rowing boat races are held during the festival.
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Asian Correspondent - Will Burma create a free press soon?
By Zin Linn Mar 17, 2012 6:29PM UTC

Nowadays, many observers and analysts on press freedom of Burma think that the south-east Asian country is really on a path of reform. However, some do not agree on this overestimation based on outer coating.

During the Burmese Service transmission from its new London Broadcasting House, Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said: “It’s very important that the external media keeps up an awareness of what is happening in Burma because we don’t really have absolute freedom of information. We don’t have absolute freedom of the press.”

“We must remember there is such a thing as censorship in the country,” Burma’s Nobel laureate said.

On the external appearance, it looks as if change began since government brings in some political space for key opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In fact, reforms in the country including press freedom keep on uncertain, despite promising achievement made by President Thein Sein recently. Several observers believe the situation is in a state of wavering because the policies passed by the parliaments were still inactive in the public level.

On January 20, when Lally Weymouth from The Washington queried about a free press, Suu Kyi said, “There is no real freedom of the press yet. When I was released last year, I think we didn’t have half the number of journalists and publications that we have now. Within the last year, the numbers of publications have proliferated.”

As reported by Mizzima News, Modern Journal’s managing editor Wai Hlyan and correspondent Thet Su Aung were granted bail on 6 March in the first hearing of a libel lawsuit filed by Nwe Nwe Yi, a government construction engineer, referring their lawyer. Both journalists were granted bail in a lawsuit filed at the court of Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay division, said lawyer Myint Thwin. The next hearing will be on March 23 set by the Thabeikkyin Township court.

After interviewing with some vehicle-drivers, the Modern Journal’s reporter covered about dire condition of roads and bridges in Thabeikkyin Township that leading to some car accidents. Besides, the news article also spotlighted the toll fee as unusual charges.

Government should not encourage their officials to take legal action against journalists frequently without a concrete cause. It may make journalists hesitant to cover the news that people ought to pay attention. Articles similar to the one in Modern Journal are not personal provocation but an alert helping the respective authorities to amend their inappropriate conducts.

Moreover, the state-run Kyemon daily reported on 13 March that the Ministry of Mines plans legal action against a reporter and the publisher of private weekly The Voice for a report alleging misappropriation of funds.

The Voice in its 12 March periodical, quoting anonymous members of Parliament, published a finding submitted by the auditor general’s office to the Public Accounts Committee saying misappropriation and irregularities in the accounts of the Information, Mines, Agriculture, Industry One and Industry Two ministries for the 2009-2011 financial years, before the current government replaced the junta ruling.

Referring Myanmar News Agency (MNA), state-owned Kyemon Daily said that the account in The Voice was incorrect, spoils the decorum of the Ministry of Mines and could negatively affect public confidence.

On 15 March, Reporters Without Borders and its partner organization, the Burma Media Association (BMA), condemn the criminal libel suit that a construction ministry engineer has brought against the Modern Weekly newspaper and one of its reporters, Thet Su Aung, over a report last November criticizing the state of roads in the central region of Mandalay.

The press freedom organization urges the mining ministry not to bring a libel suit against the weekly as it would send a negative signal to the media and they have a legitimate right to take an interest in the functioning of government institutions.

The mining ministry has a right of response and has publicly denied the accusations. But a libel suit would intimidate Burmese journalists and would force self-censorship. The ministry’s announcement has served to re-emphasize the need for the creation of an independent press council that can mediate between the media and plaintiffs.

“The libel action against Thet Su Aung is marring the reform process that the government has initiated with respect to the media and we call for its withdrawal,” Reporters Without Borders said.

The country needs an independent press council to settle between plaintiffs and the media to avoid passing on cases to the courts. The media watchdog organization also underscores that it is necessary to establish a really independent journalists’ union provided with legal protection and assistance for journalists.

Meanwhile, on Monday and Tuesday (19 & 20 March), Burma’s Ministry of Information and UNESCO in cooperation with International Media Support (IMS) and Canal France International have jointly sponsored a media forum to talk about media development of Burma in Rangoon. Participants from domestic and international media organizations plus Burmese government officials will take part in the two-day conference.

Analysts hope the media conference to be a constructive forum so as to help establishing a better freedom of press surrounding in the country.
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The Nation - Six top garment makers fleeing to low-wage Burma
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
March 17, 2012 1:00 am

At least six leading garment manufacturers plan to set up plants in Burma in the second half of the year after the country has made clear moves towards democracy and flexibility in its investment laws.

Initial investment capital for starting each new plant is expected to average US$10 million (Bt300 million), for a total of $60 million. Rangoon |will be the first city that Thai investors explore, since it has more highly developed infrastructure than elsewhere |and is a port gateway.

Vallop Vitanakorn, an adviser to the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association (TGMA), said that producers planned to invest in Burma this year foreseeing higher competency of the country to serve as a new manufacturing base for both domestic supply and export to third countries.

He said high output was planned for each plant, creating employment for about 1,000-3,000 labourers.

"The general election on April 1 will show that Burma will not move backwards. This will ensure that the country will have a clearer policy to promote growth and revise rules and regulations to facilitate investment," Vallop said.

The Burmese government is planning soon to amend its investment law, which has been unchanged for 24 years. Burma's labour costs are one-third lower than Thailand's.

LABOUR SHORTAGE

TGMA president Sukij Kongpiyacharn said the current shortage of labour in Thailand and the plan to raise the minimum wage next month to Bt300 a day has encouraged the country's 15 largest garment manufacturers to relocate to neighbouring countries.

During the past year, Thai garment producers have invested a combined $200 million to set up new plants in other Asean countries, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
Sukij said more than 10 local apparel producers would set up new plants in Burma this year.

"Factories in Burma will be larger than the other plants that Thai investors have set up in other Asean countries. Burma is the highest-potential destination for investment, since it has large domestic market as well as being an export base to third countries," Sukij said.

He added that given the unreasonable policy of the Thai government to increase wages in the country, which it says is aimed at improving living standards and reducing the income gap, Thai enterprises would not expand new business here.

As a result, the value of garment exports would face flat growth this year and tend to remain unchanged in the following years. The export value of Thai garments total about $3.25 billion per year.

Garment manufacturers have high hopes that the government will decide to delay its policy to increase wages for skilled and unskilled labourers on April 1. The industry in October filed a petition to the Central Administration Court calling for such a delay.

Vallop said enterprises had questioned the appropriateness of raising wages at a pace that is not in line with efficiency developments. More than 30 per cent of garment enterprises, which are small and medium-sized enterprises, could face bankruptcy as they shoulder higher production costs, while worker competency has not been raised.

Enterprises are unable to raise their retail prices to offset rising costs of production amid the difficulties of global economic growth. Therefore if they cannot cope with higher production costs, they will have to shut down, he warned.
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March 16, 2012
VOA News - Celebrity, Novelty Mark Burmese Political Season
Danielle Bernstein | Rangoon

Burma's April by-elections decide only a small minority of seats in national and regional legislatures, but that hasn't diminished this month's massive outpouring of enthusiasm.

Emotional crowds have been gathering by the tens of thousands across Burma to cheer on Aung San Suu Kyi, whom they lovingly refer to as Mother Suu, as her National League for Democracy (NLD) party fields a star-studded cast of former political prisoners, such as Zeya Thaw, a well-known hip hop artist.

Little more than a year ago, Suu Kyi was still under house arrest, and now her presence on the campaign trail is another sign of rapid change in a country stifled by military rule for more than 60 years, and campaign rallies have become festive occasions.

Journalists such as May Htwe, a local videographer, cover the election with newfound freedom. she says many are drawn by the spectacle of a campaign that would have been unthinkable just 18 months ago.

"I think this crowd of people some don’t really know about NLD and politics, they just want to see Daw Suu," she says.

But despite the excitement, some remain wary of talking to foreign media.

"I'm just here because I’ve never seen Daw Suu before, but I have nothing more to say," says one man.

Suu Kyi’s fame has turned her party's headquarters into a popular tourist destination, and many visitors, like French traveler Francine, say they are deeply touched by her story.

"Of course it would be a great honor to meet The Lady," she says. "I think she is very courageous and has led an exceptional life."

Despite concrete signs of reform, though, NLD election campaign manager U Nyan Win still worries about the vote’s fairness.

"We're facing many difficulties right now, especially with irregularities in voter lists, and especially in the Lady's township in Kawhmu," he says. "There are some underage voters on the list, some as young as ten or eleven years old."

Organizers say they hope Suu Kyi's star power and its accompanying international scrutiny will help ensure a clean election.
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UN expert calls on Myanmar to take ‘active approach’ to protect human rights

12 March 2012 – An independent United Nations expert urged the Government of Myanmar to take an “active approach” to protect human rights in the country and commit to implementing reforms to ensure lasting peace and reconciliation.

Presenting his report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Tomas Ojea Quintana said he welcomed positive steps by the Government to adopt policies to protect the rights of its citizens, but warned that there are “serious human rights concerns that remain to be addressed,” regarding legislative policies, prisoner releases, and poverty and development, as well as ethnic groups.

Mr. Ojea Quintana, who is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, has consistently called for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience. He told the Council that while he welcomed the four amnesties that have been granted by the new Government, he was disturbed about discrepancies in the numbers of remaining prisoners, and urged that a “comprehensive and thorough investigation be undertaken to clarify records and determine accurate numbers.”

In his remarks, the Special Rapporteur also focused on poverty and security in the country, and emphasized that it is essential to ensure that development and economic growth are not concentrated in a few areas but includes all of society, including ethnic border areas.

In addition, he stated that an increase in privatization initiatives should be accompanied by appropriate measures to protect land owners, the environment, and any other sectors that may be negatively affected by the activities of private enterprises.

Mr. Ojea Quintana also called on the Government to develop a plan to “officially engage with ethnic minority groups in serious dialogue and to resolve long-standing and deep-rooted concerns,” calling it an essential step for national reconciliation and for Myanmar’s long-term political and social stability.

The upcoming by-election on 1 April, Mr. Ojea Quintana underlined, will be “a key test” of how far the Government has progressed in its process of reform, adding that it is essential that they are free, fair, inclusive and transparent.

The Special Rapporteur stated that the international community also has the responsibility to support the people of Myanmar in the reform process, and urged Government authorities to seek the guidance of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and other international bodies.
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Bangladesh News 24 hours - 'Myanmar denies troop buildup in border'
Sat, Mar 17th, 2012 4:17 pm BdST

Cox's Bazar, Mar 17 (bdnews24.com) – Myanmar border security force, Nasaka, on Saturday denied troop gathering charges along the Bangladesh borders following the sea limits verdict that went in Bangladesh's favour.

"Nasaka has denied the troop gathering and said it is nothing but a sham media report," lieutenant colonel Zahid Hasan, commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Teknaf battalion-42 told bdnews24.com after a flag meeting with Nasaka.

UN maritime tribunal on Wednesday gave their verdict in favour of Bangladesh over sea limits dispute between the neighbouring countries.

Following media reports that Myanmar is gathering their troops on the Naikhangchharhi, Ukhia and Teknaf borders, BGB sent a letter to the Nasaka officials for a flag meeting to talk over the issue.

"When we asked Nasaka about Myanmer government's reaction to the verdict, they said their government is looking at it positively. Because they too were in confusion over the maritime boundary issue," Hasan said.

"The verdict has cleared everything," he added.

The Bangladesh border force commander said the Nasaka officials have assured cooperation to maintain a healthy relation between the neighbouring countries.

The meeting was held in Nasaka's Sector-6 office in Maungdaw. Zahid Hasan led an eight-member Bangladesh side while Nasaka's deputy commanders of sector-5 U D Min Thang and sector-6 Aung Thein Aung led the 10-strong Myanmar side.
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Pakistan Observer - T-shirt maker rides wave of Suu Kyi popularity
Saturday, March 17, 2012, Rabi-ul-Sani 23, 1433

Yangon—If roaring sales of his Aung San Suu Kyi T-shirts are a yardstick, then businessman Swe Yie thinks Myanmar’s tentative steps to democracy are on the right track.The father-of-two is struggling to keep up with demand for his shirts bearing the images of the Nobel laureate and her revered late father General Aung San in recent weeks as the regime eases its iron grip on the nation.”

Before, you wouldn’t even dare talk about ‘The Lady’ much less openly sell any merchandise that would be associated with her,” Swe Yie said at his shop.”These shirts are our best sellers now,” the 56-year-old told AFP.The low-quality garments fetch about one or two dollars apiece, and at a print run of more than 3,000 a day, Swe Yie said it was fair to say he could dream of running a business empire soon.

His success is all the more surprising because his tiny shop is located just metres (feet) away from the nearest police station, in a country where the authorities previously crushed any sign of political dissent.

In a rundown building in Yangon, lit by two flickering fluorescent bulbs, his wife works their sole manual sewing machine, churning out miniature NLD flags, as T-shirts for sale flap in the tropical breeze outside.Four workers sit on the concrete floor using a silkscreen to print images on a mound of colourful T-shirts, some of which are bought by re-sellers including hawkers who attend Aung San Suu Kyi’s campaign rallies. Many of Swe Yie’s customers are foreign tourists enamoured by Aung San Suu Kyi, the heroine who emerged from years of house arrest in late 2010 and is now running for a seat in parliament for the first time in April by-elections.

The dissident’s face also is often seen on T-shirts worn by people among the crowds of supporters who have greeted her on the campaign trail.

It is part of a boom in sales of Aung San Suu Kyi memorabilia, including posters and keyrings.Portraits of the opposition leader are prominently displayed in tea shops, restaurants and on the sidewalks.
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The Irrawaddy - Burma Business Roundup (Saturday, March 17)
By WILLIAM BOOT / THE IRRAWADDY Saturday, March 17, 2012

Mon Island Port Plan Faces Logistical Hurdles

Proposals for yet another “international” port on Burma’s southeast coast have been labeled as impracticable by industry observers.

The Mon transport enterprise Talamon Company is reportedly seeking national government approval to build a port on sleepy Kalegauk Island which is several kilometers off the Mon coast 90 km west of the Three Pagodas Pass border point with Thailand.

Talamon said it US $1 billion port would be much more modest than the $50 billion one planned for Dawei about 200 km down the coast.

The firm, which operates road freight and passenger services and trades in building material and machinery parts, told the Mon news service Kaowao this week it also planned a road link between the coast and Three Pagodas Pass.

“This might prove a useful trading link for the main Mon town of Moulmein but it doesn’t look practical as an international trade link,” Bangkok energy and infrastructures consultant-analyst Collin Reynolds told The Irrawaddy.

“If you look at a map, Kalegauk is pretty remote as well as being separated from the mainland, which presents more headaches. It’s nearly 400 km to Bangkok as the crow flies compared with 250 km for the proposed Dawei-Bangkok link.

“Road and electricity infrastructure in the area around Kalegauk is also rather primitive at present.”

Another Bangkok-based consultant, Sar Watana, who advises shipping companies, said: Location and infrastructure could be a problem for this venture, but it might work as a localized trade base for Mon.”

Hong Kong Oil Firm in New onshore Joint Venture with MOGE

A Hong Kong company with links to China’s state-owned energy conglomerates has signed a deal to explore for oil and gas in central Burma.

EPI Holdings will team up with Burma’s government-controlled Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and the privately owned Aye Myint Khine Company to drill in the Magwe
area of the Irrawaddy River northwest of Naypyidaw.

MOGE recently awarded onshore exploration licenses to companies from several countries. It said they were from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, but did not name a Chinese operator among them.

EPI Holdings' main oil and gas business activities until now have been in Argentina where it is developing several oil wells. EPI also trades in metals.

The independent firm, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has business links with Chinese state-owned oil and gas giant Sinopec.

Sinopec is already exploring a separate onshore field in central Burma, around Pahtolon, also in the Irrawaddy River valley.

After several fruitless years it claimed in 2011 to have found a gas reserve with about 25 billion cubic meters.

Sinopec has also reported a gas find in Monywa District of Sagaing Division.

‘Go to Burma,’ Malaysian Trade Minister Tells Business Leaders

Malaysia’s government is urging the country’s industrial businesses to invest in Burma.

International Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamed said Burma did not pose a competitive threat to Malaysia over attracting foreign investors because the two countries are at different stages of development.

“Both countries have different targets in attracting FDIs with Malaysia going for high-technology investments while Myanmar is more on labour-intensive industries,”' he was quoting by The Star newspaper as telling a business forum this week.

Key areas where Malaysian businesses could seek contracts in Burma included road and airport construction, oil palm plantations, property development and the oil and gas exploration and production sectors.

“Presently there are 200 Malaysian companies and businessmen there and we want to see more of them in Myanmar,” Mustapha told a conference in Johor Baru.
US Government: How to Do Business in Burma

A website provided by the United States government is providing advice to American businesses on how to go about selling goods and services in Burma.

The site, Export.gov, warns companies that under sanctions laws they must not do business with senior Burmese officials and their families, nor import goods from Burma, but adds:
“There is no general prohibition for United States companies regarding the exportation of goods and services, other than financial services, to Burma.”

Export.gov directs companies to the commercial office of the US Embassy in Rangoon for advice on the business climate in Burma.

“Export.gov brings together resources from across the US government to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace,” says the website, which was last updated on March 6.

However, there is a caveat: “Political intervention, corruption and central state control continue to obstruct most economic sectors. The [Burmese] government is taking tentative steps to remove or amend restrictive trade and investment policies, however, it has yet to enact these changes through new legislation.”

Canada Should Cancel Sanctions and Join the Business Queue

In the wake of the brief visit to Burma by Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird last week, the Toronto Star newspaper has questioned whether Canada’s business interests are best served by maintaining sanctions.

“There is no upside to seeing the Thein Sein government fail in its reform efforts or in pushing it further into welcoming Chinese arms,” the newspaper commented this week. “Burma will not soon achieve a democratic ideal, but neither do many of Canada’s trading partners. [Burma] should be held to the same standard.

“By taking immediate steps, Canada can contribute to Burma’s success, build goodwill and allow Canadian business to pursue more effectively future opportunities in Burma.”

The newspaper said Canada needs to decide whether to act now or wait and see what others do, “in which case what Canada does will not matter—it will arrive late.”
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FEATURE
The Irrawaddy - Displaced and Distressed
By PATRICK BOEHLER/ THE IRRAWADDY Saturday, March 17, 2012

LAIZA, Kachin State—Maran Tu Ring has a broad but cautious smile and the fixed glare of a tired mind. I met him in Laiza in Kachin State, a place he doesn't want to be.

The 54-year-old is an internally displaced person or IDP, a civilian victim of the fighting that broke out in June last year in northeastern Burma.

Since then, the Tatmadaw, or the Burmese armed forces, has reduced the area under the control of the Kachin Independence Army and its political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The fighting has reached a stalemate; both sides say they are seeking a political solution and a ceasefire, but negotiations are tainted by decades of mistrust.

Maran Tu Ring had to abandon his home village of Japu last autumn. He is now living in the Wai Chyai IDP Camp on the outskirts of Laiza, the Kachin Independence Organization's operational capital situated right on the border to China.

"I really want to go home, but I can't," he said. "I have no choice in the matter."

He has been living in the refugee camp for the last four months. His arrival in the giant warehouse that initially provided housing in this camp marked the end of a three-month flight from the conflict to provisional safety in Laiza.

"There are 12 families from my village here," he said. He explained that his own family was dispersed between this camp, another camp in Laiza and a camp in Myitkyina.

According to information provided by the KIO, 2,631 people from 40 villages are currently living in the Wai Chyai IDP Camp.

Some have built primitive bamboo huts, while others continue to live in the two-by-two meter compartments provided by the KIO government in the warehouse.

Most cover the entrance with a cloth for privacy and sleep at night on mats. Most had left all they had in their villages.

“Some youths sneaked back into their villages to get a chicken or a piglet to sell or to eat,” Lt. Geng Du Awng, a KIA officer, told me. “We provide them with rice, but it is scarce.”

No less than 45,678 people have left their homes and sought refuge in camps in China, KIO-controlled areas and government-controlled areas, according to March 4 figures released by the KIO's IDP Refugee Relief Committee (IRRC). Almost half of them are sheltering in Laiza and its outskirts.

More than 5,000 of these displaced people are under five years of age.

"The UNHCR has criticized us for exaggerated numbers, but at the time, we hadn't released any numbers," said Larip, the 41-year old head of the Kachin Development Group and coordinator of the Laiza-based Relief Action Network for IDPs and Refugees (RANIR). "Other people have exaggerated the figures."

"Sometimes the figures have been exaggerated, this creates confusion among politicians and donors," Kareng Awng from RANIR said.

Meters away from Larip's office is the Chinese border. Chinese officials and media have denied the existence of refugee camps on their side over the last months. Chinese journalists have reported on the conflict, but their reports refute the existence of refugee camps on the Chinese side.

One interview on Chinese Central Television showed a local explaining that Kachin people from both sides of the border travel back and forth freely to visit relatives and do business and should not be considered refugees.

“These people are not refugees,” the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Liu Weimin said at a press conference in Beijing in early February.

According to the IRRC figures, 7,223 refugees are living on the Chinese side of the border. Asked why he thought the Chinese government has denied their existence in recent statements, Larip said, "They might have the understanding that the conflict will be settled very soon. If they say they have refugees, they have to give them refugee status. But they don't want international organizations to get involved in this issue.

"I think, that is one of the reasons why they have facilitated the peace talks," he added. "They want to localize the issue as much as possible—it should not spread and become a big issue."

One single UN convoy brought basic household and shelter supplies to camps near Laiza in December last year. Larip said he has not seen any international help in the IDP and refugee camps either from China or from any other country recently.

In February, the UN Special Envoy for Burma Vijay Nambiar said that the UN had reached an agreement with the Burmese government to allow humanitarian aid to IDPs in KIO-controlled territory.

The scarcity in food is due to restrictive export legislation on the Chinese side, he said.

“We cannot legally bring Chinese food items across the border to IDP camps in KIO-controlled territory,” he said. “A sufficient supply of medicine has also been a challenge.
They don't allow us to bring in a lot, but we have to find a way to get it to the camps.”

Larip said he had learned of nine cases of human trafficking from the IDP camps to China.

"We don't know how they are trafficked to China," he said. "Sometimes it's the local people, sometimes it's even the parents."

The fighting has also strained the KIO's teaching capacity. At Laiza High School, one of three schools in the town, the teaching schedule had to be changed to cater for hundreds of new students when the fighting started.

"Due to the IDP [flood] a lot of children came from the villages, so we had to change the timetable," Secretary of the Central Education Department Yao Sau told me.

Local children now start school at six in the morning, ending at half past 12. Then the IDP students begin their classes at one and end at 5:30.

“The really good students from the IDP classes get moved into the local classes," Yao Sau said.

The IDP flood brought in teachers as well. Thirty-six-year old Hkun San is one of them. Originally from Myitsone, he was a teacher in Bandong village. "I came here when the fighting broke out," he said.

Hkun San is the headmaster of a provisional school in the Je Yang IDP Camp. In a dozen bamboo huts with makeshift bamboo stools and tables, 32 teachers teach 1,063 children.

After the 7th grade, some students are allowed to continue their education at the Laiza High School, but for must IDP children schooling ends at age 14. "We prepare to teach grade 8 and 9 next year," he said.

The Laiza Hospital also had to struggle to provide its services to as many of the newcomers as possible. Asked on how many new patients came to his hospital, the head of the Laiza hospital named Major Prang Mai, replied with a forced smile.

They had set up a temporary clinic, which by now has been scaled down to a small room in the Wai Chyai IDP Camp, he said. His hospital caters for those IDPs who sickness is too serious to be treated there.

Kaw Awm, 53, from Namsam village is one of them. She has AIDS and is spending the last days of her life in Major Prang Mai Hospital. Lying in her bed, extremely thin, her eyes are hauntingly sad.

Before the fighting, she used to be a teacher in her village, her 20-year-old son Prang Awng told me. She left in June last year with her two children, a boy and a girl, and found shelter at Laiza's Manau Wang IDP camp. Six days ago, she was brought from the camp to the hospital.

She shared her room with two other terminally ill AIDS patients. The 100-bed hospital is struggling to get basic equipment, some donated years ago by the Japanese embassy in Rangoon, medicine is mostly smuggled from China.

Five minutes drive from the hospital, another IDP is under arrest. Thirty-four-year-old Sang Bu was sitting on a mat along, holding her child, along with a dozen other inmates of the KIO's drug rehabilitation centre.

She left her home in Namsang village in October 2011 and until two weeks ago lived in the Wai Chyai IDP Camp. She was arrested for drug consumption and placed under detention in the centre.

She told me she started using opium a month ago. "I tried to lessen my stomach pains but eventually got too fond of it," she said. "I bought the opium on the Chinese side for 20 yuan [US $3] per dose."

Sang Bu is one of 128 people detained for drug consumption or sale at the center. They can be detained up to six months and are administered gradually lower quantities of drugs, said Assistant Secretary of the Drug Eradication Department Gam Ba.

"Most arrested are from IDP camps," he said. He also employs some IDP as cleaners at the camp.

"What's needed most is food and shelter, nutrition for children and pregnant women," community worker Larip told me.

That evening, just like every other evening in the past six months, thousands of families cook their meals on makeshift fires in crowded camps around Laiza. Most, like Maran Tu Ring, just want to go home.
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Govt Withdraws 39 Polling Stations in Kachin State
By THE IRRAWADDY Friday, March 16, 2012

More than 50,000 people are set to lose their by-election vote after 39 out of 110 polling stations in Phakant region of Kachin State are withdrawn due to security concerns.

Bauk Ja, an ethnic Kachin election candidate representing National Democratic Force (NDF) in the April 1 ballot, said that the Union Election Commission made the decision because of renewed fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and government troops.

All 110 polling stations were operational in the region during the 2010 General Elections which were held during a 17-year ceasefire between the government and KIA.

Three candidates—representing the National League for Democracy (NLD), NDF and Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDA)—will be contesting one seat in the Burmese Parliament's Lower House for Phakant constituency.

“More than 10 villages will not have the chance to vote. The main reason is the matter of security,” said Bauk Ja.

There are now only 95,137 eligible voters in Phakant region, all of whom must visit one of the remaining 71 polling stations in order to cast their ballot.

This compares with around 150,000 eligible voters in the same region in 2010, meaning the decision to withdraw 39 polling stations has rid more than 50,000 people of their right to participate in the democratic process, said Bauk Ja.

The prominent Kachin activist also stood as an NDF candidate for Hpakant constituency in the 2010 General Elections.

Next month's by-elections will be held in the three Kachin State townships of Bhamo, Mogaung and Phakant. Some villages involved are located in areas controlled by the KIA.

Fighting between the Burmese government and KIA broke out in June 2011, causing more than 60,000 Kachin civilians, including many women and children, to flee their homes and become refugees near the Chinese border.

No ceasefire agreement has been reached between the two adversaries despite representatives from Naypyidaw's peace negotiation team and leaders of the KIA’s political wing, the Kachin Independence Organization, meeting several times for talks.

In fact, hostilities appear to be heating up once again with resumed fighting reported on Monday—just after the latest round of negotiations in the Chinese border town of Ruili.
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Eligible voters in Kachin constituency decease dramatically
Friday, 16 March 2012 13:55 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Eligible voters for the coming by-election in Hpakant constituency in Kachin State for a Lower House seat now represent about one-third of the number of eligible voters in the constituency in 2010 election.

In the 2010 general election, there were more than 150,000 eligible voters in the constituency, according to the state Election Commission (EC). Now there are 95,137 eligible voters in the constituency, an EC official told Mizzima.

He said there would be no polling stations in ten villages in the area controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Brigade No. 6.

The official explained the difference by saying that people whose names were not on a registered family list in the area would not have the right to vote. In Burma, people must officially register as a member of a family in a township. That’s why the number of eligible voters has decreased, according to the official.

The election official said workers were afraid to collect votes in KIO areas. “If we do, our heads will be cut off. Nobody wants to go and collect votes there.”

The ten villages are Kansi, Namhsan villages No.1, 2 and 3, Gauri, Kathang Yang, Loi Seng, and some villages in Kamaing sub-township, according to National League for Democracy candidate Dashi La Seng.

In the 2010 general election, polling stations were set up in 20 jade mining companies, but in the by-election only the Yuzana Company will have a poll station, said Dashi La Seng.

In the 2010 election, there were 110 polling stations in Hpakant Township; in the coming by-election, there will be 71 polling stations; 40 stations were abolished because of security reasons, according to officials.

Dashi La Seng said that he would ask the district Election Commission to review the list of eligible voters because the list was not correct.

NLD electoral campaign member Han Myint about 1,000 people from Hpakant Township who could vote in the 2010 general election are no longer listed as eligible voters for the by-election.

In the Hpakant Township constituency, NLD candidate Dashi La Seng, NDF candidate Bauk Ja and ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party candidate Sai Thein Tun will contest for a Lower House seat.

Bauk Ja said that many residents in Hpakant Township were not interested in the by-election because they were struggling to live day-to-day.
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DVB News - Palaung suffer from conscription
By NANG MYA NADI
Published: 16 March 2012

Hundreds of Palaung locals in northern Shan state have been conscripted by rebel militias after fighting broke out between armed ethnic groups and government forces, reports from the region claim.

According to Mai Kae Dang, general secretary of the Ta’ang Students and Youth Organisation (TSYO), the Shan State Army South (SSA-S) has since mid February conscripted about 300 locals from villages near Namhsan.

The skirmishes in northern Shan state’s Namsang township, the capital of the Palaung Self-Administered Zone, are said to be keeping the Palaung (Ta’ang) people out of their tea fields during harvest, due to conscription.

The TYSO, based at the Thai-Burma border, said fresh clashes broke out between the Burmese army, the Kachin Independence Army and the SSA-S on 11 and 12 March close to Namhai, Pinglon, Mannauk and Pangswe villages.

“If we cannot harvest our [tea] by mid-April, then we will be facing a lot of hardship,” said Mai Kae Dang.

According to the general secretary similar clashes broke out last year between the SSA-S and the Burmese army, which prevented the Palaung from reaping their harvest in entirety.

“Now this is happening again,” said Mai Kae Dang. “We have nobody to help harvest due to [conscription] and some of the crops have already gone bad.”

Major Sai Lao Hseng, spokesperson of the SSA-S and its political wing, the Shan State Restoration Council, said the group is looking into the matter and will punish personnel who were responsible for recruiting locals without official permission.

“We have some guerrilla units in the region, but there are also troops from the Shan State Army-North. So we need time to distinguish which group is actually [conscripting],” said the major. “We need to investigate this thoroughly. If we find our troops [disregarding] regulations, then we will have to take action.”

The SSA-S previously pledged to end forced conscription and reduce the amount of ‘taxes’ they collected from local civilians after signing a ceasefire with the government. The group recently opened liaison offices in Taunggyi, Kengtung, Tachilek, Hkolum and Mongsat towns following the agreement with the government.
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