myanmar
times
t H e
February 6 - 12, 2012
Myanmar’s first international weekly Volume 31, No. 613 1200 Kyats
By Kyaw Hsu Mon
DAW Aung San Suu Kyiplans to visit all state andregion capitals duringcampaigning for the April1 by-elections, she saidlast week, shortly aftercalling off a campaign tripto Mandalay because itcould not arrange a suitablevenue.The National Leaguefor Democracy leadersaid she would also begincampaigning in her ownconstituency, Kawmhuin Yangon Region, onFebruary 11, after visitingPathein in AyeyarwadyRegion on February 7.She said she wascontesting Kawmhubecause of its large Kayinpopulation.“I might visit [Kawmhu]more than three times if Idon’t have to go elsewhereto campaign. There areKayin people living there,that’s why I chose to contest[this constituency],” shetold reporters after meetingMr Tomas Quintana, theUnited Nations specialrapporteur for human rightsin Myanmar, in Yangon onFebruary 3.“I can’t go and campaignin every constituencythat the NLD will contestin the by-election but Iplan to visit the capital of each region and state …including Kachin State,”she said, before adding:“We will try to win 100percent of seats in this byelection.”Party spokesperson UNyan Win said a planned tripto Mandalay on February4-5 would be rescheduledfor when a suitable venuewas available. Another spokespersontold news agency
AFP
that Ba Htoo Stadiumwas unavailable over theweekend and the UnionElection Commission hadoffered the party the useof another football ground.However, with a capacityof about 10,000 Daw AungSan Suu Kyi was concernedit wouldn’t be large enoughfor the rallies, he said.“She worries people mightbe injured because of thesize of the crowd. That’swhy she postponed the trip.She will go there later forsure,” the spokespersonsaid.The trip was to be Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s secondofficial campaign event,following a tour of Daweiand rural TanintharyiRegion on January 29.IT says a lot about howexpectations of Myanmar’sdemocratic experiment havechanged that an internationalorganisation dedicated tostrengthening democracy andholding fair elections can todayvisit parliament and it barelyraises an eyebrow. And as if that wasn’t enough,the organisation was invited toNay Pyi Taw by Pyithu HluttawSpeaker Thura U Shwe Mann, theformer number three in the StatePeace and Development Council.“The fact that we were invitedis a very positive indication,”said Mr Vidar Helgesen, theNorwegian secretary general of the Sweden-based InternationalInstitute for Democracy andElectoral Assistance (IDEA).“There’s obviously an interestby the government and thepresident in opening up andestablishing better relationshipswith key international players.But there’s no need for them toinvite a democracy organisation.“Like most people, we weresurprised by the intensity of thereform effort, particularly as itmaterialised after August 19[when President U Thein Seinmet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi]and then after that I think onecan’t be surprised by anythingbecause there is an openness fordiscussion that is very uplifting,”he told
The Myanmar Times
in Yangon on February 2.The visit included the requisitemeetings with parliamentary andelectoral officials and the leader of the National League for Democracy,Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Butunlike most foreign visitors tothe country, International IDEA won’t be sitting back watchinghow democracy unfolds inMyanmar: the organisation hasalready agreed to implement aprogram to build capacity amongparliamentarians. Training forelection commission officials alsoseems likely after the April 1 by-elections.“While we would like to try andget started as soon as possible, wewould obviously take a long-termperspective because developingdemocracy and democraticinstitutions and processes is avery long process and the morecomplex the situation the longerit takes,” Mr Helgesen said.“One of the big issues on thehorizon for this country giventhe bold moves on the peacenegotiation front is obviously howdo you build ways of includinggroups that have previously beenin armed conflict into the politicalprocess and that’s partly a processof negotiation but it’s also a processof institution building.”
In Nay Pyi Taw, parliament receives an unlikely visitor
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Daw Suu Kyi to visit state capitals
Pic: Kaung Htet
Shwegyin monks pay homage at Shwedagon
More than 600 monks of the Shwegyin Nikaya Gain, or Shwegyin Buddhist order, pay homage at Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda on the evening ofFebruary 1. The monks were in Yangon for the 18
th
Shwegyin Sangha conference, held at a monastery in Hmawbi township, from January 31 toFebruary 2. A total of 891 monks from 12 regions and states in Myanmar as well as Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and England tookpart in the conference. The Shwegyin Buddhist order is the second largest in Myanmar, with about 60,000 members.
– Sandar Lwin
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February 6 - 12, 2012
The Mail Box
Got something to say? We want to hear from you. Address all correspondence to the Editor,
The Myanmar Times
(English). We endeavour torespond to all correspondencei n a timely manner.Address: 379-383, Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada township, Yangon. Telephone: (+951) 392-928, 253-642Fax: (+951) 392-706Email: your.myanmar.times@gmail.com
Dear editor,From my humble point of view,telecommunications plays a veryimportant role in poverty alleviationin Myanmar. The K5000 SIM cardsare now the most popular topicamong people in Myanmar and a lotof hot air was exchanged betweensome bureaucrats at Myanmar Postand Telecommunications and thecompany that is trying its best tomake K5000 SIM cards a reality.To be honest, we all know that eventhe forthcoming K300,000 SIM cardsare still extremely expensive forthe majority of people in Myanmar.On the other hand, K5000 a SIMcard is too good to be true. I thinkthe price of a SIM card should beabout K20,000 apiece. I am a formerresident representative of Scansia,former representative of Pan-ChinaTrading, former director of Forest JV and former director of City Furnitureso I have some idea of how thingswork in other countries to a certainextent.Nyunt AungDear Editor, I would like to thank
The MyanmarTimes
for the article on the Ayeyarwady featured in the January9-15 edition (Vol 31, Issue 609).It was excellent. One could vividlyimagine all the colourful sights,sounds and smells that the authorwrites about. I look forward to moresuch features.Dr Khin S AyeKaba Aye Villa Residences Yangon
By BBS U Win Tin
MUCH has changed sincePresident U Thein Sein tookover the reins of governmentin Nay Pyi Taw in March2011.However, more visiblechanges are needed.There are some whoclamour that the presentadministration is anothermilitary government incivilian attire, and that theRevolutionary Government,Burma Socialist ProgramParty Government, StateLaw and Order RestorationCouncil Government, StatePeace and DevelopmentCouncil Government andthe present government areall basically the same. I forone see things differently.It is true though that mostmembers of the presentgovernment are formersenior military officersand belong to the UnionSolidarity and DevelopmentPartyIn addition to all thechanges we have seen todate, I think there area few additional thingsthat can be done to showall concerned here andoverseas that there has beena complete break from thepast, that this governmentoperates differently from itspredecessors and is focusingon national reconciliation.
1. The statues of Bogyoke Aung San in Kandawgyi Parkand Resistance Park
The time has finallycome for these areas to beimproved and landscapedproperly, with gardens,flowers water fountains andfloodlights, as befitting thestatus of the national heroand founder of the modernTatmadaw.Resistance Park shouldat least be open duringweekends and on all officialholidays. Likewise theMartyrs’ Mausoleum andBogyoke Aung San Museumshould be accessible to all,including regular visitors,students and tourists.The president andhluttaws could also considerthe posthumous promotionof General Aung San toMarshal, Generalissimo ora similar rank and nameNay Pyi Taw or Yangonairport Marshal Aung SanInternational Airport.We have some goodexamples in and out of theregion like Indira GandhiInternational Airport inNew Delhi, John F Kennedy Airport, New York andCharles de Gaulle Airportin Paris. This would be along overdue gesture.
2. The tombs of ThakinKodaw Hmaing, BogyokeKadaw Daw Khin Kyi, QueenSupayalat and U Thant onShwedagon Pagoda Road
These places should alsobe improved and landscapedto recognise the status andbackgrounds of the fourpersonalities in our longhistory.Legendary Thakin KodawHmaing, also known asProfessor Maung Hmaing,was from the Dohbama Asiayone; Daw Khin Kyi, thewidow of General Aung San,our only female ambassadorand also referred to by manyas the Mother of Burma;Queen Supayalat, the lastQueen of Burma; and UThant, who served twoterms as United NationsSecretary General, from1961 to 1971. Appropriate signs inMyanmar and Englishwith a brief history andexplanation of each shouldbe placed in all locations.
3. The statue of Sayadaw UWisara, freedom fighter
Again, appropriatesignage in Myanmar andEnglish should be placedto honour this patrioticfreedom fighter, who diedin prison on September 19,1929, on the 166
th
day of hisfast. It would be good if thedonor of the bronze statue,from Myaungmya, is alsomentioned.
4. Panglong Agreement, unionspirit and related matters
The historic Panglongagreement was signed 65years ago by 22 signatories,including Bogyoke Aung San,on February 12, 1947. Theyinclude five Shan Sawbwasand the representative of one sawbwa, seven Shanrepresentatives of thelocal populace, five Kachinrepresentatives and threeChin representatives.It would be mostappropriate to createawareness of their role inthis historic agreementand name roads, streets,markets and in therespective regions after allthese personalities. Eventhe small town of Panglongshould be promoted so thatvisitors can learn moreabout this place that wasintegral to the formation of independent Myanmar.(
BBS U Win Tin isa student of the former Methodist English HighSchool in Yangon whoworked in the Information & Broadcasting Department of the Ministry of Information from 1977-81 and then aUN agency for more than 25 years. He can be contactedon 10win17@gmail.com.
)
Shedding light on shadowsfrom our country’s past
Soldiers march besideMartyrs’ Mausoleumin Yangon as part ofa ceremony to markMartyrs’ Day on July19, 2011.
Pic: AFP
ONE of the best things tohave happened in this regionover the past decade hasbeen the successful launchof AirAsia.The Malaysia-based budgetcarrier, which marked its 10
th
anniversary last month, fliesto every country in Southeast Asia and at a cost that plainfolks can afford.Helmed by its dynamic bossand founder Tony Fernandes,it has been a regional unifieras well as a highly profitableenterprise.My own reasons for beingan AirAsia patron are simple:there is a great selection of flights to a great variety of cities across Asia, the serviceis efficient, the planes usuallynew and there are relativelyfew delays. Most important of all, it is cheap. AirAsia’s faresare invariably the lowestavailable.That is why the first portof call for most regionaltravellers planning any tripin these parts is the AirAsiawebsite. And therein lies aproblem. It is a decent site,but a deceptively tricky one. And that trickiness, whichalso extends to AirAsia’spromotional campaigns,has got the airline into hotwater.Recently it was hit witha lawsuit in one of its keymarkets, Australia, due to itsinfuriating policy of failing toreveal the full ticket price inits adverts and on its website.The Australian Competitionand Consumer Commissionargued that many of AirAsia’sso-called “all in” fares neglectto include all taxes, duties,fees and other charges.Quite rightly, the watchdogbody wants an injunction“to restrain AirAsia fromengaging in misleadingconduct in the future”. AirAsia reacted quicklyand on January 26 reportedthat “corrective action”had already been taken to“constructively resolve thematter”. AirAsia may technicallycomply with the law, but likemany other airlines, it oftendoes not behave in “an ethicaland proper manner”.Indeed, because of this, theUnited States has recentlymade it a criminal offence forairlines not to show all taxesand other surcharges in theiradvertised fares. As well, airlines flying inthe US can no longer use“opt-out” provisions wherebythey automatically chargefor optional items unless thecustomer specifically rejectsthem. It is in its opt-outsthat AirAsia’s trickinesshas reached a fine art.Customers must be on highalert throughout the bookingprocess or else they will becharged for checked baggage,priority seat assignmentsand insurance among otherthings, all of which they maynot want.Even declining theseoptions is tricky, becausethen another window pops upto caution customers and askif they are really sure theywant to decline. And the trickinesscontinues when customerswho want to say that yes,they really are sure, must nothit “ok” but instead “cancel”– as if, in fact, they are notsure and want to canceltheir refusal and accept theoption. It is all shockinglyand deliberately designed tocatch customers out.Just like the absurdlynamed “convenience fee”charged for using a creditcard to buy a ticket, when it isfor the airline’s conveniencethat customers do this. As for the insurancecharged unless customerscarefully follow a two stageopt-out, it is a scam since allairlines under internationalconventions must insure andcompensate passengers foraccidents and lost baggage.Such practices, which drivelongtime AirAsia patronscrazy, must be stopped sothat when ASEAN completesits liberalisation of theregion’s airspace by 2015, anadvertised “all in” fare is justthat and nothing more.
AirAsia, not quiteking of the skies
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By Soe Than Lynn
PYIDAUNGSU Hluttawrepresentatives have been told toconsider the desires of the public whenthey begin discussing budgetary andnational planning bills this week.In his address at the start of thethird session of the PyidaungsuHluttaw on January 31 – exactly oneyear after representatives gathered inthe new parliament in Nay Pyi Tawfor the first time – Speaker U Khin Aung Myint said lawmakers wouldhave to consider national planning,union budget and supplementarybudget bills.“At the present time we are makingthe democratic society of the Republicof the Union of Myanmar moredynamic and strong. Administrationof democracy is merely publicadministration and accuratelyreceiving receipts, which are thepublic’s funds, and allocating andexpending these funds meaningfullyshould be in accordance with thepublic’s wishes. The public needsto be happy [with the allocation of public funds]. Regarding these bills,I would like you all to consider allpossibilities,” said U Khin AungMyint, who is also speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw.Four bills were presented toparliament on January 31 andthroughout the week Union Ministerspresented their ministry’s proposedbudget. Debates are expected tobegin this week, with representativeswishing to discuss the 2011-12National Planning Bill and 2012-13National Planning Bill instructed toregister by February 3, while thosewanting to discuss the 2012 UnionSupplementary Budget AllocationBill and Union Budget Bill to registerby February 6.The budget is likely to dominatethe third session of parliamentin Nay Pyi Taw. Open discussionand public disclosure of budgetarymatters would mark a dramaticdeparture from the approach of the State Peace and DevelopmentCouncil. The military government’sbudgets, characterised by highspending on the military and meagreamounts for health and education,were usually drawn up by a handfulof the top generals and were rarelyreleased to the public.Mr Sean Turnell, an associateprofessor of economics at Australia’sMacquarie University, said he hopedthat the 2012-13 budget would seeall foreign exchange earnings of state-owned enterprises recordedat a near-market exchange rate,rather than the official exchangerate.“[This would] greatly revolutioniseMyanmar’s fiscal position. If thisdoes happen, then this will be anenormous step forward in terms of budgetary transparency,” he told
The Myanmar Times
recently.“Of course, transforming thebudget in this way will not be easy– and so the extent and the realityof the transformation will give usfurther insight into the institutionalcapabilities of the Myanmargovernment, but especially theDepartment of Finance.” A major concern is alsoparliamentarians’ level of knowledgeabout budgetary matters, as theywill be responsible for debating andapproving the budgets. PyidaungsuHluttaw representatives receivedsome training on planning principlesand basic budgeting during thesecond session in late 2011 andlast week each representative alsoreceived reference material from eachUnion Government ministry. A Joint Bill Committee and JointPublic Accounts Committee, bothwith an equal number of upper andlower house representatives, wereformed on January 31 to scrutinisethe bills before they are discussedin the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.Pyidaungsu Hluttaw DeputySpeaker U Mya Nyein was appointedchairman of both committees, whichare made up of 30 members each.The first day of the PyidaungsuHluttaw session also saw U Kyaw SwaKhaing, Minister of the President’sOffice, granted permission to resignand U Myat Ko confirmed as thenew Chief Minister of TanintharyiRegion, replacing U Khin Zaw whovoluntarily resigned on healthgrounds. –
Translated by Thit Lwin
By Win Ko Ko Latt
A GOVERNMENT peace-makingteam signed a five-point initialpeace agreement with the ShanState Progressive Party in the statecapital Taunggyi.The agreement, which includesan immediate ceasefire, was signedon January 28 at the office of theShan State regional government.Other provisions include theopening of liaison offices inTaunggyi, Lashio and Kho Lan,which are all located in ShanState.“We came here not only for ourSSPP and Shan State Army (SSA)but also for restoring peace in ShanState,’’ said Sai Naw Late, a centralcommittee member of the SSPP,the political wing of the Shan State Army-North.“We will try to restore peace andstability throughout the countrywithin the three years or at leastin this government’s term,’’ U AungThaung, leader of the nationalpeace making team, said aftersigning the agreement on January28.Both sides agreed to upholdthe three national causes andto cooperate to eliminate drugproduction and trade.U Thein Zaw, deputy leader of the government’s peace-makingteam, said communication was animportant factor in the success of the peace talks, which commencedon October 18, 2011.“We met four times, sent nineofficial letters and made severalphone calls before signing theagreement.“To achieve peace, we must havea sincere attitude and must haveequal rights and equal justice.”He also suggested that to improvethe country’s prospects for peace, an“all-inclusive” peace-making groupmust be established that includespeople from “all walks of life”.
Reps to debatedraft budgets inNPT this week
Govt, SSPP reach initial peace agreement
Members of the Shan State Progressive Party andTatmadaw shake hands after signing an agreementin Taunggyi on January 28.
Pic: Boothee
YANGON – The UnionGovernment has proposed abudget for the 2012/13 fiscal yearthat would give a huge boost to thehealth and education sectors butstill provides far greater resourcesfor the armed forces.The military, which ruledMyanmar for almost five decadesuntil a civilian government tookoffice in March, will receive abudget of K1.87 trillion (aboutUS$2.3 billion).That represents 14.4 percent of the total K13.04 trillion budgetfor the 2012-13 fiscal year, whichstarts on April 1, and a rise of 36pc on last year. The total budgetwill increase 63pc from the K7.98trillion in 2011-12.Health would get K368 billion,four times as much as the K92billion in the last budget, whilespending on education wouldalmost double to K617 billionfrom K310 billion, according toinformation provided to
Reuters
by Amyotha Hluttaw representativeDr Aye Maung.The proposal, which is in linewith the government’s reformagenda, could help win it supportat home and boost Myanmar’scase for a lifting of Westernsanctions.The government has many of the same generals, now retired,who ruled the country with aniron fist, spending large sums of money on the armed forces andlittle on schools and hospitals, butthe new administration insiststhe welfare of its people is nowits priority.For the new fiscal year, thegovernment is banking on K10.52trillion in receipts, leaving a K2.52trillion deficit. That compareswith a projected K5.78 trillion inreceipts and a K2.20 trillion deficitfor the current fiscal year.Dollar conversions fromMyanmar’s kyat currency arecomplicated by the country’s twoexchange rates: it has a fluctuatingblack market rate and an officialrate that is barely used other thanfor some government data.Myanmar is seeking help fromthe International Monetary Fundto unify its exchange rates. According to Dr Aye Maung,Minister for Finance and RevenueU Hla Tun also revealed thatMyanmar owes some $11.02 billionin external debt run up decades ago,while its foreign currency reservesare a little over $7 billion.U Hla Tun said that $8.41 billionout of the $11.02 billion in externaldebt was incurred during thesocialist military regime that ruledfrom 1962 to 1988.That included $6.39 billion owedto Japan, $802 million to the WorldBank, $582 million to Germanyand $357 million to the AsianDevelopment Bank.Debt run up after 1988 amountedto $2.61 billion, including $2.14billion owed to China.The minister said that totalforeign exchange reserves were$7.20 billion. –
Reuters
Health, education in line for increase
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