PDF - Myanmar Eleven E

EPA
PE
R
BUSINESS: TOURISM INVESTMENT ACCELERATES ✪5
First INDEPENDENT English daily
www.elevenmyanmar.com
FRIDAY, August 29, 2014
INSIDE
Migrants in Thailand are
wary of returning home
NATIONAL
Reforms since 2011 have somewhat improved the situation but internal rifts threaten true peace, they say
MYANMAR ELEVEN
By-laws to target 'influx
of dirty cash from China'
✪4
BUSINESS
US prefers to ‘partner, not
compete’ with China
✪6
BURMA STUDY CENTRE
TRUST-building efforts
between ethnic minorities and
Myanmar majority Burman population must continue before
peace can become a reality,
according to research by the
Chiang Mai-based Burma Study
Centre.
Garrett Kostin, director of the
centre, said this conclusion was
based on a two-month survey of
100 migrants working or living in
Thailand. The survey, conducted
in March and April, sought to
gauge opinions about opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and
attitudes about the country’s
future.
“Overall, there remains quite a
bit of overwhelming scepticism
and pessimism on the part of the
migrants regarding Myanmar’s
prognosis,” Kostin said.
“Although the majority of the
population surveyed believe
reforms will continue in
Myanmar, it is worrying that they
do not feel that reforms as yet
have done much to improve the
situations in their communities
or the country as a whole,” he
added.
Those surveyed were asked
what they thought about democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
and whether or not they believed
the situation of the country,
including in their own regions,
would improve if she were elected president in the 2015 elections.
The survey found though a
slight majority of those surveyed
(52.7 per cent) indicated that
they believe Aung San Suu Kyi
will be able to bring positive
change to Myanmar as president,
but overall enthusiasm for her
was subdued, according an article on the Burma Study Centre
News website.
“Before, Shan people trusted
her. But now she doesn’t do
enough to help us,” one respondent said. “Maybe better than
before, but I don’t trust her,”
another said. “I think she is
so-so,” said a third.
However, other migrants were
more positive, stating: “ASSK
would be better than the government now,” and “She is a woman
who sacrifices for justice, so I
think everything would be getting
better.”
One-quarter of those surveyed
indicated they felt a Suu Kyi
presidency would be harmful for
the country: “There will be many
conflicts if ASSK becomes presi-
ASEAN+
MAS to cut 6,000
jobs in revamp plan
✪7
Myanmar migrant workers in an agricultural field in Chiang Mai, Thailand
dent.” The remaining 22.3 per
cent were unsure.
A final qualitative question
sought opinions about Muslims
in Myanmar, and whether or not
they should be protected from
discrimination and violence following the anti-Rohingya and
anti-Muslim campaigns that have
spread throughout the country
since 2012.
More than half of the migrants
surveyed (52.7 per cent) either
chose not to answer the question, gave an ambiguous
response, or indicated “no opinion”. Slightly more than onequarter, 27.7 per cent, expressed
positive opinions about Muslims
and felt that this minority should
be protected from harm, while
the remaining 19.4 per cent
expressed negative attitudes
towards the religious minority.
“I think we should help them
because they are people like us,”
one respondent said. “We should
protect them and let them participate in politics,” said another.
“Now Muslims are suffering
because of human rights abuses
and no one is helping them. Yes,
they need to be protected,” said
a third. “Muslims in Myanmar
need justice,” said another.
Negative responses included:
“Muslims are not good because
they insult other religions”, “I
think they are unkind people”
and “Muslim people are making
conflict with other ethnic groups,
and [it is] better if they go back
to their country.”
An example of an ambiguous
response is: “If Muslims are not
dangerous, people should help
them to get equal [rights].”
Those surveyed were between
15 and 36, with the majority
being full-time workers or parttime students at either the
Migrant Learning Centre or
Myanmar Study Centre. Several
of the youngest individuals are
full-time students who live with
their parents and do not work. All
were born in Myanmar.
Despite often being dismissively categorised as economic
migrants by the Thai government, the majority said the primary reasons for their continued
stay in Thailand were the political and social problems in
Myanmar, not financial considerations or a desire to amass savings. The migrants surveyed
largely self-report as desiring to
return to their homes as soon as
external conditions allow.
The Myanmar Study Centre
called for further studies on
these issues, with more diverse
populations inside various
areas of Myanmar in order to
evaluate their perceptions
about the country’s changes
and likelihood for continued
progress compared to those of
migrants in Thailand.
Researchers call for an
expansion of their small-scale
project. Nearly all respondents
are somewhat unique, as they
have made efforts to continue
their education. In particular, “it
would be useful to study whether access to educational opportunities makes a difference in
opinions about the country and
views regarding the Muslim
population,” the researchers
said.
✪4— More on survey
ARTS&CULTURE
In Myanmar, old
gets new again
✪10
2
NATIONAL
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
Bengalis can apply for
citizenship, but not
Rohingyas: minister
‘Ungrateful’
Miss Myanmar
stripped of crown
RAKHINE’S new chief minister, General Maung Maung Ohn,
will not meet or hold discussions
with people who describe themselves as Rohingya because that
ethnic group does not exist in
Myanmar, he told city elders and
reporters during a meeting in
Sittwe, the state’s capital, on
August 26.
He said Bengali residents of
the state could not apply for citizenship under current legislation
if they identified themselves as
Rohingya because that ethnic
group is not officially recognised
in Myanmar. “Bengli” is the traditional word for describing this
ethnic group in Myanmar, and
this term must be used in the citizen-application process, the
general said.
“I’ve already asked residents
of Maungdaw: ‘Do you want to be
Rohingya or do you want to apply
for citizenship through the legal
process’,” he said.
If they refer to themselves as
“Rohingya” the discussion ends,
Maung Maung Ohn said. “If they
want to be citizens, their
[Bengalis’] applications have to
be processed under the 1982
Citizenship Law,” he added.
The general said that applications could not be accepted from
people belonging to an ethnic
group that is not officially recognised. He aslo said that
extemists and instigators would
be face legal action if they break
laws.
Everything the government
does is in accord with existing
laws, the chief minister said.
It is not a problem to approve
applications for citizenship for
those who qualify under existing
legislation, Maung Maung Ohn
added.
He also said there were no
plans to build housing for the
Bengali residents of camps for
internally displaced persons
(IDPs) as they remained under
watch.
He said the citizenship
screening process in Myaypon
EPA
Than Hlaing
ELEVEN MYANMAR
In a solo protest in Mandalay on August 27, Zaw Myint, a former member of the All Burma
Students Democratic Front, carries banners reading: “People already serve the country”, “We
want peace” and “We want to be proud being Myanmar in the world”. He walked about 11
kilometres around the city to demand a quadripartite meeting on the 2008 Constitution.
Township was proceeding
smoothly, and that international
nongovernmental organisations
(NGOs) and agencies would soon
have the chance to rent buildings
and warehouses. In March, a
mob ransacked the offices and
warehouses of international
NGOs and UN agencies after a
foreign aid worker removed a
Buddhist flag from the warehouse of an international NGO in
a manner that was considered
disrespectful. The attacks
sparked an exodus of foreign aid
workers from Myanmar’s secondpoorest state, where they had
long been accused by ethnic
Rakhine residents of biased
delivery of aid by favouring
Muslims, who comprise about
one-third of the state’s population.
“The future of Rakhine State is
very important and the Union
government considers it an
important area,” General Maung
Maung Ohn said.
He said it would take a “very
long time” to scrutinise the citizen applications of all Bengalis
living in Myanmar and called for
cooperation among all people as
well as end to narrowmindedness.
The Union government is
under pressure internationally
over the “the Rakhine issue” and
is considering shifting IDPs from
camps to villages, he said.
Rakhine State has experience
two major eruptions of communal violence between ethnic
Rakhine and Bengali/Rohingya
residents of the state, since the
end of direct military rule. More
than 200 people were killed in
the violence and about 140,000
people remain in IDP camps.
Ethnic Rakhine people are
also calling for greater autonomy
from Nay Pyi Taw. They have
accused the military of giving
Bengali residents of the state the
right to vote in the 2010 elections in order to dilute the power
of Rakhine political parties.
Earlier this year the two major
Rakhine parties united to form
the Arakan National Party, which
is pushing for greater control
over the state’s vast resources,
which include offshore gas.
The state is also seen as a
strategic entry to the Bay of
Bengal by China, which has
plans to develop railways and
highways linking a port there to
Yunnan Province. It already operates a dual pipeline that transports oil and gas from Rakhine to
Yunnan province.
The organiser of Asia Pacific
World beauty contest has stripped
the Miss Asia Pacific World 2014
title from That Htet Aung, also
known as May Myat Noe.
May Myat Noe was crowned
Miss Asia Pacific World in May 2014,
becoming the first Myanmar beauty
queen to win an international
pageant. She returned to Myanmar
yesterday, the same day she lost her
crown, accompanied by her mother.
She told reporters that she would
hold a press conference within a few
daysto answer all questions.
“I can’t talk right now,” she said.
National Director Hla Nu Tun said
that she was told to take the Miss
Asia Pacific World crown back from
May Myat Noe as soon as possible.
"I want to apologise for the
things the Myanmar representative
has done on behalf of her and her
mother. We prepared for the pageant
with teamwork and worked hard to
win the crown" she added.
Miss Pacific World Organisation
issued a statement saying that May
Myat Noe did not have enough
qualifications due to her "lack of
personality, integrity, loyalty to the
organisation, and character".
The 18-year-old beauty queen
has an "ungrateful attitude" and
can't be trusted so the organisation
will not work with her anymore, the
statement said. "We are shocked
with her mother’s illegal attempt to
get a three months visa although we
issued a letter of invitation and
reference letter for her mother until
August 29," it said.
"There are a few issues we do not
want to mention ... Simply, we have
no trust in her and there is no reason
to believe that she can carry out her
duties as Miss Asia Pacific World
2014 successfully."
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
3
National
4
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
By-laws will target influx of dirty
cash from China, official says
THE Lower House financial
development committee will add
bylaws to the Anti-Money
Laundering Law to prevent the
inflow of dirty money from China,
its chairperson, Win Myint, said
on August 28.
Win Myint said the Ministry of
Home Affairs was drafting the
bylaw for the law, which passed
Parliament on March 14.
It is widely believed that dirty
money from China is being laundered through Myanmar’s property market.
“The government will prevent
the laundering of dirty money
from China in Myanmar’s realestate market as the public has
requested,” Win Myint said. “If
Parliament’s law does not cover
this, the committee will fill it in.
The media should also provide
any information it digs up [on
this crime]. The committee is
collecting data,” Win Myint said.
The new Anti-Money
Laundering Law replaces out-ofdate legislation and was drafted
to meet international standards
as the crime is international in
scope.
Win Myint said there was no
resistance to the new law in the
legislative branch, and that
Lower House speaker Thura
Shwe Mann had recently meet
with the financial development
committee to discuss it.
“Parliament approved the law.
The president has signed it.
Additionally, a central committee
for combatting money laundering
was formed,” Win Myint said.
“This is what the public wants
in the country,” he said, adding
that some tycoons were evading
paying tax because they could
not show where their money
came from.
He said President Thein Sein
had ordered the new committee
to combat money laundering to
investigate this issue.
Internationally, money laundering takes many forms, but in
Myanmar it is believed to primarily involved investing money
derived from criminal activities –
mainly the narcotics trade – into
the real estate market or gold.
Money laundering is reportedly
fuelling inflation in Myanmar and
causing property prices to skyrocket.
The real-estate market has
been distorted by an influx of
cash derived from drug smuggling, illegal logging, illegal gems
trading and corruption, experts
have said.
Real-estate agents say that
Chinese nationals are buy land at
inflated prices in Tontay,
Kyimyintaing and Seikkyi
Kanaungto townships, which are
included in the massive Yangon
new city project. As a consequence, land prices are surging
in the area and this is having a
ripple effect on prices elsewhere,
real-estate professionals say.
EPA
Wai Yan Phyo Oo
MYANMAR ELEVEN
Female cadets march during the graduation ceremony at the military officers trainning school in Hmawbi, Yangon. Myanmar
Army recruited female cadets at the Defence Services Academy for the first time in 50 years.
Nearly all migrants want to return home
MYANMAR ELEVEN
Eighty three per cent of
migrant workers in Thailand
plan to return and live permanently in Myanmar, according to
a survey by Burma Study
Centre.
The study conducted in
Chiang Mai, Thailand, offers
insights into the opinions of
young migrants from Myanmar
on the evolving situation in their
country since the democratisation process was initiated in
2011, as well as several other
issues currently affecting the
country. It covered over 100
respondents who indicated a
strong desire to return to their
home country soon. Though,
many fear it would not be safe
for them to do so at this time,
and even more are reluctant to
say that the situation in
Myanmar has meaningfully
improved since the 2010 general election.
The multi-lingual, anonymous observational survey of
migrants currently living and
working in northern Thailand
was carried out during March
and April. Of all respondents, 94
per cent were from adjacent
Shan State, with a roughly equal
gender distribution (58 per cent
male to 42 per cent female).
The results of the survey,
originally appearing in Burma
Study Centre News, indicate
that the majority of these
migrants are planning to return
to their homes within the next
three-to-four years. Many also
reported they were unsure and
that the timing of their return
depended more on the situation
in the country as a whole than
on their personal circumstances. Several migrant students
stated that they had a desire to
“get more knowledge” and “finish my education” before
returning to Myanmar.
A follow-up qualitative survey asked what the young
migrants viewed as the most
important issue that they would
like to see to changed before
they returned to their home
country. Nearly 20 per cent of
those surveyed identified the
low levels of development,
including local development,
and 16.6 per cent mentioned
lack of peace and/or freedom.
Fourteen per cent indicated
that they would like the education system in Myanmar to be
improved, while 11 per cent
mentioned that the prevalence
of drug use and trafficking
needed to be reduced. Other
answers included “economics”,
“public health”, and “politics”.
When asked “Has the situation in Myanmar/Myanmar as a
whole improved since the 2010
elections?”, nearly three-quar-
ters of the respondents (74.9
per cent) reported that it had
improved only slightly or not at
all, while 22.2 per cent felt
there had been moderate
improvement and 2.7 per cent
reported considerable improvement. Asked if they believe the
situation in their own village or
region had improved since
2010, even fewer of the
migrants responded positively,
with 55.5 per cent indicating
that the situation had not
improved at all and 25 per cent
reporting that the situation had
improved only slightly. Some,
16.6 per cent, said that their
hometowns or villages had
improved moderately, but only
2.7 per cent reported that the
situation in their local area had
improved considerably.
The migrants are split nearly
equally when asked: “Do you
believe you personally would
be safe if you were to return to
your village in Myanmar now?”
However, despite concerns for
their safety and a general perception that not much has
improved in the country, 55.5
per cent of migrants say they
believe they would be happier
in Myanmar than they currently
are in Thailand.
Fully one-third of those surveyed were unsure, while only
11.1 per cent believed they had
a higher likelihood of being
happy in Thailand. Two quantitative questions that sought
respondents’ feelings about the
continued progress of democratic reforms and peace negotiations between the central
military and armed ethnic
groups in the country revealed
a broad range of optimism and
pessimism. While 50 per cent
were confident or very confident that reforms would continue and the situation in the
country would improve over
time, the other half were either
doubtful or strongly doubtful.
Regarding the possibility that a
nationwide ceasefire will be
reached by the end of 2014,
77.7 per cent of migrants were
doubtful or strongly doubtful,
while 22.1 per cent were confident that peace could be
achieved in the country.
The most common occupation of those surveyed is restaurant staff (36 per cent), with
many also working in hotels and
shops (22 per cent) or as
housekeepers (8.3 per cent).
The average monthly income for
the migrants was just under
Bt8,000 (US$266 or Ks
266,000) a month, which is just
slightly below the provincial
minimum wage in Thailand. On
average, the respondents have
been in Thailand for 8.2 years,
with a range from eight months
to 24 years.
KYAT EXCHANGE
BUSINESS
Buy
US $
Euro ¤
Sell
968
974
1,269
1,286
770
781
Singapore $
Source: KBZ Bank
5
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
Thai investors preparing to leap
into Myanmar despite concerns
banks vying for a licence to operate in Myanmar. The Licensing
Committee will announce which
preliminary licences have been
approved next month, according
to the Central Bank.
“Although we stand in the list
after China, we would like to
boost bilateral trade to a very
large extent. That is why if Thai
banks can fully open [their
branches], they can support
improving bilateral trade. We
hope that all our banks can operate their full operations
here,” Boon said.
Tossatis Rodprasert, chief representative of Bangkok Bank’s
Yangon Representative Office,
said that the entry of foreign
banks would boost the nation’s
economy.
“The Myanmar economy will
grow because every bank will
bring the minimum capital of
US$75 million into Myanmar [if it
is awarded the licence]. So, if foreign banks come, they will bring
the customers investing in
Myanmar to facilitate the banking
system,”
Tossatis said.
Bangkok Bank focuses on
investors from Thailand who are
keen on doing business in
Myanmar. The banker also
encouraged Thai business people
to study the investment climate of
Myanmar.
Myanmar-Thai bilateral trade
amounted to US$ 7.82 billion
(about Ks 7.62 trillion) last year,
up 15 per cent from 2012, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
As of June 30, Thai businesses
have invested $10.1 billion (Ks
9.85 trillion) in Myanmar, standing as the second largest source
of investment in the country after
China, according to DICA.
Surge of domestic investment
in hotels, tourism accelerating
EPA
OFFICIALS at the Royal Thai
Embassy in Yangon say business
people from their country will not
hesitate to invest in Myanmar’s
swiftly expanding economy as it
presents immense opportunities
despite some concerns.
The fact that the two countries
share a 2,400 kilometre-long border presents an opportunity for
increased border trade as the
launch of the Asean Economic
Community next year is expected
to improve cooperation between
both countries as well as the rest
in the 10-member bloc.
“We see signs of improvement
in many sectors in Myanmar.
Here, the potential is very high
thanks to 8.5 real GDP growth
rate,” said the commercial affairs
counselor at the ministry, Boon
Intiratana.
Thai businesses see manufacturing of auto parts, plastics, consumer products, household products, telecommunications, and
services including hotels, restaurants and hospitals the most
promising sectors in Myanmar,
Boon said after the opening ceremony for Thai-Myanmar Business
Matching forum at the Ministry of
Commerce’s Yangon office on
Thursday.
He added that Thai firms are
keen to invest in more than 30
industrial zones as well as special
economic zones in Myanmar.
Among the Thai firms that have
discussed investments with the
Directorate of Investment and
Company Registration, some are
interested in setting up factories
and offices while many other
firms prefer partnerships with
local counterparts, he said.
“Thai companies will keep on
coming. We still maintain their
interest in Dawei SEZ. At the
same time, we are also interested
to invest in Thilawa SEZ. Now we
are studying the costs and
opportunities of Thilawa,” Boon
said.
He said the main barriers to
Thai investment are high land
costs, surging rental costs, the
investment law and procedures,
and poor infrastructure.
The rule of law and more clear
procedures will attract Thai businesses to invest in the newly
opened economy, he said.
Thai businesses expect to win
infrastructure projects from the
government as it trying to
upgrade infrastructure, he said,
adding that the banking industry
also offers huge potential.
As Thailand is the second-largest trading partner with Myanmar,
awarding licences to Thai banks
so that they can operate their
activities fully in the country will
boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation, he said.
Four Thai Banks – Bangkok
Bank, Kasikornbank, Krung Thai
Bank, and Siam Commercial
Bank – are among the 25 foreign
EMG
Khine Kyaw
MYANMAR ELEVEN
A monk walks by the former Traders Hotel in Yangon, which is now part of the Shangri-La chain.
MYANMAR ELEVEN
Investment by Myanmar
nationals in the hotels and tourism industry has reached nearly US$690 million, making it
their third most heavily invested
industry, according to the
Directorate of Investment and
Company Administration
(DICA).
Local businesspeople have
been pouring money into the
industry for the past three years
by constructing hotels and
related buildings following an
easing of licensing by the
Myanmar Investment
Commission (MIC).
DICA said its figures counted
cumulative investment up till
the end of July.
As of the end of June the
number of permitted hotels
reached 1,019, with most in
Yangon and Mandalay, according to the Ministry of Hotels and
Tourism.
More than 2 million tourists
visited Myanmar last year and 3
million are expected this year.
The number of licensed
hotels, motels and guesthouses
has increased steadily since
2010 when there were only 700
in the country. Fifty were added
in each of the next two year,
and 123 were added last year,
bringing the total to 923. In the
first six months of this year the
number shot up by 96 to 1,019.
Investment by Myanmar
nationals in hotels and tourism
accounts for 14 per cent of their
total investment in the 11 industrial categories that the MIC
uses to classify investment.
Business
6
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
US firms
see rosy
future
EPA
MYANMAR ELEVEN
US assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs Charles Rivkin talks to the media during his visit to Yangon.
US prefers to ‘partner,
not compete’ with China
Khine Kyaw
MYANMAR ELEVEN
THE United States prefers
working in partnership with
China rather than competing
with the country in the
Myanmar market, a high-ranking US government official said
today.
The US has no interest in
competing with the world’s second-largest economy in the
newly opened Myanmar market,
Charles Rivkin, assistant secretary of state for economics and
business affairs, told a press
conference. The press conference was held at the factory of
Myan Shwe Pyi-Caterpillar
Tractors Ltd in Thaketa
Industrial Zone.
After stating that the US is
interested in establishing economic dialogue with China, he
added: “American companies
can compete with any firms in
the world anytime and in any
place.”
Besides being upbeat on the
competitiveness of American
firms, Rivkin expressed optimism about Myanmar’s economic future. “In the Asean-US
Business Summit [held this
week], I met with all the biggest
American companies. Many of
them are interested in doing
business in this country. The
future is bright. They see many
opportunities here. And I see
that it is progressing in the
right direction,” Rivkin said.
“Only in two years’ time, the
United States has eased around
80 per cent of the sanctions.
Two years ago, American companies couldn’t invest in
Myanmar. A lot has been done
[since then] and only specifically-targeted sanctions remain,”
he said, referring to the US
Treasury Departments Specially
Designated Nationals and
Blocked Persons. It is illegal for
American companies to conduct business with any individual or company on the so-called
SDN list unless they obtain a
licence to do so from the
Treasury Department.
During the press conference,
the official also appreciated the
corporate social responsibility
programmes of US businesses
in Myanmar, including those of
Caterpillar, one of the world’s
largest manufacturers of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas
engines, industrial gas turbines
and diesel-electric locomotives.
“Caterpillar is providing education opportunities to the
youth of Myanmar. Not only is
Caterpillar helping to build
Myanmar’s future, but it is also
trying to strengthen its presence in this country. Caterpillar
is one example of American
brands that bring only the highest standards of business ethics
and professionalism to the people of Myanmar,” Rivkin said.
“Beyond corporate social
responsibility is trade, education, and capacity-building
because the future of the country is very bright. For too many
years, opportunities and prosperity laid in the hands of a few.
Now the country has a promising new generation,” he added.
The assistant secretary also
reiterated the Washington’s
commitment to bring the highest standards of investment to
Myanmar, not just in Yangon but
the rest of Myanmar as well.
“It is very impressive to see
50 per cent of these trainees
[taking Caterpillar’s training
courses] come from Yangon and
the others are from all over
Myanmar,” Rivkin said.
He said the 2015 elections
would not affect the US businesses’ interest in stepping into
the nation’s rapidly expanding
market.
“I don’t think the willingness
of investors particularly
depends on anything except the
bright future of this Asean
region and that of the country.
But we are also watching the
election very, very closely [to
see] whether it is transparent
and fair,” Rivkin said.
During his four-day visit to
Myanmar, he traveled to Nay
Pyi Taw on August 27-29 to participate in the US-Asean
Business Summit. There, he
met with Asean Business
Council and US Chamber of
Commerce representatives to
discuss issues of mutual economic benefit to Asean countries and the US.
In Yangon, on Friday, he visited a facility run by Caterpillar
that trains youths to highlight
American companies’ commitment to corporate social
responsibility. While in Yangon
for two days (August 29-30),
the Assistant Secretary has
scheduled to speak with business leaders on innovation and
meet with women entrepreneurs. After leaving Myanmar,
Rivkin will visit Singapore, Hong
Kong and Beijing.
US companies keep a keen eye
on opportunities by the Asean
Economic Community in 2015,
though the majority believe that
the regional economic integration’s
goals will not be reached until
2020 or later.
According to the Asean
Business Outlook Survey released
yesterday at the Asean Economic
Ministers Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw,
in the year to come, they expect
investment expansion, workforce
growth and profit increases.
AEC goals are one of the key
agenda discussed by the Asean
economic ministers who convene
in Myanmar this week. As the
deadline draws near, the AEC
Blueprint has so far been
completed by only 82.1 per cent.
Two thirds of the respondents in
Myanmar indicate that their
company’s level of trade and
investment in Asean has increased
in the past two years and expect
this trend to continue in the next
five years. Overall, 86 per cent of
business executives based in
Myanmar regard Asean integration
as important to helping their
companies do business in the
region.
The business expansion outlook
is high with 91 per cent of
respondens saying they expect
their companies in Myanmar to
expand and as many expecting
increased profits in 2015.
“The Asean Business Outlook
Survey shows that Myanmar is one
of the most popular countries for
business expansion in Asean,
offering a ready supply of
affordable labour and personal
security. The economic growth is
also visible in the number of US
companies coming to invest in
Myanmar and becoming members
of Amcham’s Myanmar chapter.
The chapter was established less
than a year ago and we already
have 100 member companies,”
said Mariano Vela, president of the
Myanmar chapter.
Myanmar’s expat workforce are
generally satisfed with living and
working conditions as 91 per cent
report satisfaction with their
assignments and 77 per cent
attempt to extend their time in the
country.
In addition, US companies are
viewed more favourably in
Myanmar than in any other country
in Asean. The major impediments
to living and doing business in
Myanmar according to respondents
are housing and office lease costs,
infrastructure, and the limited
availability of trained personnel.
The survey was designed and
implemented by the US Chamber
of Commerce and the American
Chambers of Commerce in Asean
member countries and include 588
business executives representing
small, medium and large US
comapnies in all 10 Asean
countries.
ASEAN+
MAS to cut 6,000
jobs in revamp plan
7
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
MALAYSIA Airlines will slash
thousands of staff, trim routes,
replace its CEO and could see
future stake sales to outside
investors under plans announced
Friday to save it from bankruptcy
after two devastating disasters.
State investment fund
Khazanah Nasional, which has
taken control of the failing flag
carrier, said it planned to pump 6
billion ringgit (US$1.9 billion)
into the airline under a 12-point
plan it hopes will return the company to profitability within three
years. MAS will be delisted.
Its managing director Azman
Mokhtar said the plan involved a
comprehensive overhaul of the
airline.
“At its core, the plan involves
the creation of a new company,
(NewCo) which will house the
‘new MAS’ and the migration of
the right-sized workforce and
work practices and contracts into
NewCo,” he told reporters at a
special briefing at Khazanah
headquarters on Friday.
The plan, entitled “Rebuilding
A National Icon – The MAS
Recovery Plan”, has four categories which are governance and
financial framework, operating
business model, leadership and
human capital, and regulatory
and enabling environment.
Azman said this plan followed
a review of all relevant aspects of
MAS’ operations and operating
environment that commenced in
February this year.
He said current MAS chief
executive officer Ahmad Jauhari
Yahya would continue to lead the
old company during the transition period over the next 10
months to July 1, 2015.
Azman said it was estimated
that NewCo would require a
workforce of approximately
14,000, representing a net reduction of 6,000 or 30 per cent from
the approximately 20,000 current staff.
He said Khazanah would
invest in a Corporate Reskilling
Centre to address the reskilling
of the appropriate MAS staff who
did not migrate to NewCo.
“MAS and Khazanah are committed to helping each exiting
employee minimise the negative
impact to their livelihoods and
quality of life,” he said.
"The combination of measures
announced today will enable our
national airline to be revived,"
said Azman Mokhtar, head of
state investment fund Khazanah
Nasional, which has taken over
the struggling company.
MAS on Thursday posted its
sixth straight quarterly loss for
April-June and forecast more red
ink over the rest of the year, saying the MH370 and MH17 air disasters and associated stigma
have ravaged its bookings.
MH370 went missing on
March 8 after inexplicably diverting from its Kuala LumpurBeijing course.
The Malaysian government
says it is believed to have gone
down in the southern Indian
Ocean, but no trace has been
found and it remains a mystery
what caused it to go missing.
MH17 went down on July 18
over a region of eastern Ukraine
held by pro-Russian rebels.
Western leaders say it was shot
down by the separatists but
investigators have not been able
to ascertain who was responsible.
Meanwhile, Australian deputy
prime minister Warren Truss said
yesterday that the search for
MH3790 would continue, focusing on the southern part of the
existing search area. After a joint
meeting with Malaysian and
Chinese officials, he said authorities were able to obtain new
information after the refinement
of satellite data and information
of a failed attempt by Malaysia
Airlines ground personnel to
communicate with the aircraft
after it went missing.
Malaysia’s Transport minister
Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia had
agreed to share the cost of A$52
million (US$48 million) for contracting an Australian vessel to
carry out the deep underwater
search for MH370.
Liow added that Malaysia had
committed A$50 million (US$47
million)since the search for the
aircraft began on March 8. To
date, more than 87,000sq km of
the sea floor of the 1.1 million sq
km wide area have been surveyed.
THE STAR
Malaysian women must not be
duped into joining the Islamic State
(IS) as “comfort women” for there
is no such concept in Islam, said
women, Malaysia’s family and
community development minister
Rohani Abdul Karim. She said it
was never taught in the religion
that women were objects to satisfy
the sexual need of men and must
put themselves in harm’s way to
fulfil this “duty”.
Police have confirmed that at
least three Malaysian women are
currently in Syria, supposedly to
play a “supporting role” to
Malaysian men who are fighting in
the strife-torn country.
A source in Bukit Aman,
however, said there was no other
information available on whether
they were actually involved in sex
jihad. “All that we know is that they
are already there playing a
supporting role,” he said. Rohani
said it was a shame that religion
had been misused to besmirch the
honour of women.
Students
rejoice as Malaysians
rehearses
Independence Day
celebrations, ahead
of official
celebrations on
August 31. The
country gained
independence in
1957.
EPA
AFP, THE STAR
There’s no
such thing as
a sexual jihad
Social media may not spur diversity of views
THE STRAITS TIMES
The long-held notion that new media
platforms like Facebook and Twitter are
the great leveller of political
participation online has been debunked,
at least according to a new survey.
In a study covering some 1,800 adult
respondents, researchers found that the
spiral of silence - a tendency of people
not to speak up on policy issues in public
if they believe they hold a minority view occurs as much in cyberspace as it does
in real life. In fact, the results suggest
that some people may be even less
inclined to disagree with the majority in
cyberspace than they would in person.
The findings came from a study by Pew
Research that involved asking people
about their willingness to discuss the
controversial leaks from former National
Security Agency contractor Edward
Snowden. Some 86 per cent said they
were willing to discuss the issue in
person, while just 42 per cent said they
would post about it on Twitter and
Facebook.
And of the 14 per cent who were
unwilling to talk about the issue in
person, only 0.3 per cent were willing to
take those views online - an indication
that social media did little to help break
down the walls.
"We found that those people who
have the strongest opinions on an issue
are the most likely to speak out through
social media," Dr Keith Hampton, the
Rutgers University professor who coauthored the study, told The Straits
Times. "In the example of those with a
very strong opinion, this alone is enough
to overcome the spiral of silence. The
tendency is one reason why minority,
and possibly more moderate, voices are
less likely to join the conversation."
The issue of social media's role in
encouraging online discourse and the
ability of netizens to self-moderate hits
close to home for many Singaporeans.
At a dialogue last week, prime minister
Lee Hsien Loong lamented how
information disseminated quickly online
has been known to trigger knee-jerk
reactions."In Singapore sometimes,
when someone says something
outrageous, the next day everybody
knows and expresses great outrage...
Yes, it was outrageous, but do we need
to get worked up every time that
happens?"
The study was conducted from Aug 7
to Sept 16 last year. Researchers said
they chose to poll people on the
Snowden issue because it was clear
from other surveys that Americans were
deeply divided on the matter. They were
careful to note the limitations of the
study and said they did not try to explore
the reasons for the self-censorship
online. Lee Rainie of the Pew Research
Centre, however, offered this theory.
"One possible explanation is that social
media users are more aware of the
diversity of opinions around them especially on an issue where there is
divided opinion... This might make them
hesitant to speak up either online or
offline for fear of starting an argument,
offending or even losing a friend," he
said.
ASEAN+
8
GLOBAL
BRIEFS
Aquino to visit Europe
Philippine President Benigno
Aquino will travel to Europe next
month to seek more investments
and closer diplomatic ties.
Aquino said he will visit
Germany, Spain, France and
Belgium before also travelling to the
United States to attend a climate
change summit organised by the
United Nations. It’s his first trip to
Europe since he became president
in 2010.
"It is our objective to have better
ties with these countries," he said in
a radio interview. "In all of these
countries, we also want to pursue
expanded trade and commerce."
In Belgium, Aquino said he
would also meet with leaders of the
European Union and thank them for
lifting restrictions on the Philippine
airliners travelling to Europe and for
its assistance to the Philippines
after super Typhoon Haiyan
battered eastern and central
provinces, killing more than 6,200
people.
Aquino will share the
Philippines' experience on Haiyan at
the UN climate change summit,
where he would call for developed
countries to do more in dealing with
global warming.
"Those countries that have
bigger carbon footprint should also
have a bigger responsibility in
efforts to reverse the situation
happening now," he said.
- DPA
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
University graduates face
uphill battle in job market
VIETIANE TIMES
WHILE the latest batch of
National University of Laos graduates celebrate their achievement, they are faced with the
sobering reality of low prospects
in immediate employment.
The number of new graduates
this year stands at 8,162, adding
to existing graduates who have
already joined the job market.
There is a growing anxiety
among final year university students about their job prospects,
with some estimates putting the
number of new graduates gaining
immediate employment at as low
as 20 percent, an expert said.
However, new graduates who
received scholarships from the
government have no need to
seek jobs after finishing university because they will be put to
work to develop their communities. Those who have not been
awarded scholarships, on the
other hand, need to look for jobs
by themselves.
Meanwhile, graduates who did
an agriculture degree will also be
given jobs during their studies at
university, according to the university's Academic Affairs
Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr
Khamphong Nammavongmixay.
The main problem for the university's new graduates is that
they want to apply for better
positions with higher salaries
rather than work in lower skilled
positions that don't require tertiary qualifications and are low
paid.
Graduates have been seen to
be working with their families'
businesses for a few years during
their job hunt.
As the public is aware, Laos is
suffering from a shortage of
vocational expertise, notably
technicians.
Many companies and projects
in Laos hire skilled labourers
from other countries as part of
the drive to transform the country into an industrial state.
However, Laos needs to
expand its nationwide skills base
as domestic and foreign investment increases, particularly in
the human resources and technology sectors, to address the
issue.
The Ministry of Education and
Sports is set to continue developing and integrating vocational
training methods into the national education system, with the
aim of expanding and improving
the skilled workforce to meet the
needs of both domestic and foreign labour markets.
Large-scale projects in the
hydropower and mining sectors
are being implemented and there
has been significant growth in
small and medium-sized enter-
prises and private businesses.
Director General of the
National Economic Research
Institute, Dr Leeber Leebouapao,
told Vientiane Times recently
that workers in Laos had not
matched market needs and there
was still a shortage of highlyskilled personnel.
He expressed concerns that
jobs requiring high skills would
be taken up by foreign nationals
in 2015, when the Asean
Economic Community comes
into being. \
This is certain to happen if
Laos fails to properly prepare
and train its workforce, he
warned.
Dr Leeber suggested the government take urgent action and
work closely with businesses and
private education institutes to
identify labour demands in order
to properly train the workforce
based on market demand.
M'sian beach nudists
jailed and fined
Six men who took part in the
“nude sports” at a beach in Penang
have been sentenced to one
month’s jail and fined 5,000 ringgit
(US$1,584) each after pleading
guilty in the magistrate’s court here.
Another man and three women
claimed trial to the charge.
They were separately charged
under Section 294(a) of the Penal
Code with lewd activity in a public
place, which carries a maximum
sentence of three months’ jail, a fine
or both. All 10 are Malaysians.
- THE STAR
Philippine President Aquino on
Thursday urged China to cooperate
in regional efforts to decrease
tensions in the South China Sea, as
he admitted that he remained
concerned over Beijing’s land
reclamation activities in the West
Philippine Sea.
“We hope the other side would
cooperate with us in reducing
tensions instead of intensifying it,”
Aquino said in Filipino.
In a taped radio interview, the
President revealed that intelligence
information had reached him that
there were continuing reclamation
efforts by China to build islands on
the rocks and other land features in
the disputed territories.
“The islands have rights, the
rocks don’t, when it comes to what
is called their boundaries,” Aquino
said.
- PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
AFP
China urged to help
ease tension in
disputed seas
A model dons a space suit at the Luminox Space Roadshow in Singapore which features special time pieces designed for pilots
and passengers of the XCOR Lynx Mark II space shuttle. California-based XCOR Aerospace will begin commercial flights of its
two-seater suborbital Lynx space plane next year.
Haj pilgrims kept in the dark on Ebola danger
THE JAKARTA POST
About 170,000 Indonesians are set
to fly to Saudi Arabia for the annual haj
pilgrim in the coming weeks, but few are
aware of the lurking danger of the Ebola
virus, following the deaths of at least
1,500 people in western Africa over the
past six months. While Indonesia is fully
geared up to handle the virus with
isolation facilities established in around
100 hospitals nationwide, the country’s
preventive measures against the virus
have been questioned.
Indonesian Haj and Umrah Tour and
Travel Union (Kesthuri) and Nahdlatul
Ulama’s Haj and the Umrah Counselors
Association (Asbihu-NU) said recently
that they had received no information
from the health authorities on
precautionary measures against the
virus. “Travel associations were invited
by the authorities for a meeting
following the outbreak of MERS-CoV
[Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus] earlier this year. But until
now, we’ve heard nothing from them in
regard to an awareness campaign on
Ebola,” said Kesthuri deputy chairman
Artha Hanif. The first batch of
Indonesia’s haj pilgrims is slated to
depart for Saudi Arabia on Sept. 1, and
will return in the first week of October.
Aunur Rafiq, a haj counselor from
Jakarta-based haj and umrah (minor
pilgrimage) travel company PT Gema
Shafa Marwa said many of his clients
were worried about the possibility of
being infected with Ebola during their
pilgrimage. “In our recent manasik [haj
rehearsal], many of our clients raised
questions about the Ebola outbreak.
Since there is no guidance from the
government, we could only answer their
questions based on our general
knowledge of the disease,” he said.
Amid the lack of transparency in
Saudi Arabia, the kingdom has insisted
that it was free from Ebola, which has a
fatality rate of 90 per cent, higher than
that of MERS-CoV, which is 60 per cent.
Every year about 3 million Muslims
worldwide perform the Haj in Saudi
Arabia, which is still dealing with the
MERS-CoV outbreak.
In response to the Ebola outbreak,
Saudi Arabia has blocked any haj or
umrah visas for anyone travelling from
the West African countries of Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia.
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
9
ASEAN+
Internet transit hub
Planned in Indonesia
THE JAKARTA POST
INDONESIA'S state-owned telecommunication operator PT
Telekomunikasi Indonesia
(Telkom) signed on Thursday a
consortium agreement with
seven telecommunication firms
to build a US$250-million submarine cable system with the
aim of making the country an
Internet transit hub in the near
future.
Internet traffic transit hubs for
the Asia region are currently
Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan
while the global hub is the United
States.
“With the system, we will have
direct connection to the US and
we can become a transit hub,”
said Telkom president director
Arief Yahya. Seventy per cent of
Indonesia’s Internet traffic flows
to the US.
The submarine cable system
is set to be constructed by a con-
sortium called the Southeast
Asia — United States (SEA-US),
composed of Telkom subsidiary
PT Telkom International (Telin),
Globe Telecom of the Philippines,
RAM Telecom International (RTI),
Hawaiian Telcom, Teleguam
Holdings (GTA), GTI Corporation
(a member of the Globe Telecom
group of companies) and
US-based Telkom subsidiary
Telkom USA.
Telkom will soon negotiate
with Australian telecommunication operator Telstra to join the
consortium.
The company would become
the major shareholder in the
consortium with a contribution of
28.5 per cent of total investment,
or $71.25 million, according to
Arief.
The cable system will connect
five areas and territories, namely
Manado, North Sulawesi; Davao,
Philippines; Piti, Guam; Oahu in
Hawaii, US; and Los Angeles ,
US.
Construction of the cable system will commence this year and
is expected to be completed in
2016.
Directly connecting Indonesia
to the world and making it an
Internet hub was a strategic
move as the country had a huge
amount of data traffic and the
potential to grow, Arief explained.
Communications and
Information Ministry data said 82
million people in Indonesia were
connected to the Internet as of
May, a surge from the 71.9 million throughout 2013.
Telkom will also construct a
submarine a cable system connecting Southeast Asia, the
Middle East and West Europe
(SEA-ME-WE 5) as well as the
Indonesia Global Gateway (IGG)
in the near future, according to
Arief.
“For the SEA-US, SEA-MEWE5 and IGG projects we will
spend around $1 billion,” he said,
adding that Telkom would independently carry out the IGG project. IGG is the Internet traffic
gateway that will be located in
Indonesia, connecting all submarine cables in SEA-US and SEAME-WE5 lines.
Telkom would contribute 40
per cent of cost the three projects, to be financed with internal
cash and external funding, Arief
said.
Telkom will spend around
$75.75 million for the SEA-MEWE5 project, $253 million for
IGG and the remaining $71.25 for
SEA-US.
Telkom has allocated about
$2 billion for capital expenditure
this year, of which 70 per cent
would be for the firm’s cellular
business, 20 per cent for broadband and the remaining 10 per
cent for other infrastructure
development, such as telecommunication towers.
VNS
Vietnam’s General
Statistics Office (GSO)
revealed that the
country imported 6,000
cars worth US$120
million in August, its
highest level since July
2011 when 7,000 cars
worth $122 million were
imported. Cumulative
imports in the first eight
months reached 37,000
units worth $801
million, representing a
71.6 per cent increase in
quantity and 90.7 per
cent increase in value
compared with that of
the same period last
year. Vietnam
Automobile
Manufacturers'
Association (VAMA)
has readjusted its
annual sale target to
130,000 vehicles, an 18
per cent increase over
that of 2013.
GLOBAL
BRIEFS
First bank loan fall in
nearly 5 yrs
Singapore’s bank loans fell for
the first time in nearly five years in
July as a dip in business lending
dragged the numbers down.
Preliminary statistics released
by the Monetary Authority of
Singapore (MAS) on Friday showed
banks loaned out a total of S$597.4
billion (US$478.4 billion) last
month. That marks a dip of 0.05 per
cent compared with the previous
month and also represents the first
month-on-month decline since
October 2009.
Loans to businesses came in at
S$366.3 billion last month, down
0.3 per cent from the previous
month's S$367.3 billion. But
consumer loans continued to grow,
rising 0.3 per cent to S$231.1
billion.
- THE STRAITS TIMES
No fuel price hike yet
Indonesia's outgoing president
has turned down a request by
president-elect Joko Widodo to
raise fuel prices before a power
transfer in October, Joko said
Thursday.
He met outgoing President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono late
Wednesday to discuss the transition
and the possibility of cutting fuel
subsidies to reduce the burdens on
next year's budget.
"He (Yudhoyono) said that the
conditions are not right at the
moment to raise fuel prices," said
Joko, who is due to be sworn in on
October 20. Joko said he was
prepared to raise fuel prices even
though the move is unpopular.
Indonesia has allocated 24.9
billion dollars for fuel subsidies in
the 2015 budget. This accounts for
14 per cent of total spending. Last
year, Yudhoyono raised fuel prices
by up to 44 per cent, sparking
protests nationwide.
- DPA
S’pore observation
wheel finds buyer
Petronas signs $550m Argentine shale deal
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Buenos Aires
The Malaysian and Argentine
state energy firms Petronas and
YPF signed a deal Thursday to
invest $550 million to develop
shale oil in Argentina's massive
Vaca Muerta fields, YPF said.
Malaysia's Petronas will contribute $475 million of the total
investment in the Amarga Chica
block, part of a sprawling shale
oil and gas find in southwest
Argentina that is estimated to
contain the equivalent of 27 billion barrels of oil.
The two firms signed the
deal in Kuala Lumpur after telephone talks between Argentine
President Cristina Kirchner and
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak, YPF said in a statement.
“The two companies will at
the same time evaluate expanding their strategic partnership
to other exploration areas with
potential for non-conventional
resources," said the Argentine
firm. YPF has signed similar
deals with US firms Chevron
and Dow Chemical.
Other American, French and
German companies have independent exploration operations
in Vaca Muerta.
Vaca Muerta is a
30,000-square-kilometre
(11,500-square-mile) geological
formation in the Patagonia
region.
Oil companies are keen to
tap its vast oil and gas deposits
using the controversial technique known as fracking, which
involves shooting a high-pressure blast of water and chemicals underground to release the
fossil fuels trapped between layers of shale rock.
YPF has the rights to more
than 70 per cent of the 180
wells currently being developed
at Vaca Muerta, but is looking
for foreign investment and technical help to develop them.
The financially troubled
Singapore Flyer, one of the world's
tallest observation wheels, has been
bought by a local firm for Sg$140
million ($112 million), more than a
year after being put in receivership.
Straco Corporation said in a
filing to the Singapore Exchange its
subsidiary Straco Leisure is
purchasing the 42-storey high
observation wheel, which at 165
metres tall (541 feet), is 30 metres
higher than Britain's London Eye.
It is located on a 33,700 square
metre (363,000 square feet)
compound in Singapore's prime
waterfront Marina Bay district.
- AFP
ARTS&CULTURE
10
MYANMAR ELEVEN, Friday, August 29, 2014
IN MYANMAR, OLD
GETS NEW AGAIN
Lin Lin Khaing
MYANMAR ELEVEN
“PUT thanakhar on both
cheeks and wear your hair in a
bun,” Myanmarese singer Thar
Thar advised in a recent hit tune.
“You look beautiful in your traditional Myanmar blouse.” It’s not
just the song that was a hit – the
traditional blouse he mentions is
enjoying resurgence in popularity
among young ladies, along with
other traditional items of clothing.
The clothes typically worn
only by middle-aged and elderly
women at weddings and on other
special occasions have made a
comeback in the past two years.
Teenagers have taken to traditional styles in a bid to imitate
their cultural idols – and Aung
San Suu Kyi – though they often
create fresh looks by mixing in
Western apparel.
“Fashion will always change,”
says modelling pioneer Tin Moe
Lwin, founder of the Talents &
Model Agency. “I’ve always followed the trends, but it’s still
best to choose your clothing
according to the situation and
the place.”
Tin sees young people’s invig-
ASEAN FOCUS
HCM City plans National Day festivities
MYANMAR ELEVEN
Streets and parks
in HCM City will be
lighted up with
festivities in
celebration of
National Day.
VNS
Streets and parks in Ho Chi Minh
City will be alive with festivities in
celebration of National Day which falls
on September 2.
A special music and song
programme at the Pink Lotus Stage
located in 23/9 Park in District 1 will
kick off the city-wide festivities this
weekend. Organised by the city's
Department of Culture, Sports and
Tourism and traditional art troupes, the
three-day event will open on Sunday
night and include dozens of music and
theatre performances.
Two exhibitions, one located at the
Youth Cultural House on Pham Ngoc
Thach Street and the other at the Ho
Chi Minh Museum on Nguyen Tat
Thanh Street, will feature photographs
of the late President Ho Chi Minh and
historical events during different
periods of the country's revolutionary
process. The showcases will run
through September 5. As in previous
years, art performances will be
organised at cultural houses in the
rural districts of Cu Chi, Binh Chanh
and Can Gio from August 30 to
September 2. Performed outdoors,
these performances staged by young
singers and dancers and veteran
theatre artists are expected to draw
thousands of families.
Children will be treated to puppet
and circus performances on
September 2 at 8pm at District 12's
Cultural Centre.
Suoi Tien and Dam Sen parks are
now preparing for their business
season, which will attract several
hundred thousand rural youth from
southern provinces on the four-day
holiday. Ho Chi Minh Television (HTV)
will screen Vietnamese movies from
August 30 to September2. Films and
documentaries featuring
revolutionaries, directed by talents
Hong Sen and Pham Khac, will be
highlighted.
To attract young customers,
shopping centers and supermarkets
are offering promotional programmes.
Maximark is offering processed
food from all three regions – the north,
south and central Viet Nam. Dry
foodstuff made from agricultural
products from Bien Hoa, Nha Trang and
Ben Tre are reportedly among the most
sought-after.
The Co.opMart chain, meanwhile,
offers domestically made products of
cloth, shoes and accessories at prices
from VND50,000 to VND200,000
(nearly US$2.2 - $10). These have
been hot sellers, retailers say.
"The lead-up to the National Day
holiday has been marked with
increased consumer spending at
supermarkets that offer Vietnamesemade products and quality services,"
said a resident of Binh Thanh District.
As Saigonese prefer to go out for
dinner during the holiday, restaurants
downtown have introduced different
menus to meet varied demands of
customers, focusing on traditional
Vietnamese cuisine.
In HCM City's Binh Thanh District,
the tourist park Binh Quoi will offer a
buffet of popular dishes in South Viet
Nam, which will attract large numbers
of both local and foreign customers.
orated interest in classical
clothes as “a good change”.
“They look graceful and pretty
when they wear traditional outfits.” Suu Kyi has had a level of
influence on young women’s
clothing choices comparable to
that of South Korean pop culture.
Myanmar’s traditional apparel
has become part of their everyday outfits.
“No matter what people say
about Western and Korean fashion, Myanmar fashion will never
get old for Myanmar women,”
says clothing designer Ma Pont,
whose name translates as “My
Favourite”.
“They look graceful wearing
these costumes on special occasions. Many celebrities wear
them for ceremonial occasions
and, as a result, they’ve become
popular among their fans.
“When our beauty queens
wear traditional costumes while
competing overseas, the whole
world is astonished,” Ma Pont
says. Well, says Nan Khin Zay
Yar, one of those beauty queens,
the traditional apparel “is ‘my
favourite’!”
“I always feel more confident
wearing it. I feel more graceful.
People overseas treat me with
respect. When we had foreign
beauty queens visiting Myanmar
for the SEA Games, they loved
wearing the traditional costumes
– they felt more comfortable in
them too. It’s a style we can be
proud of anywhere in the world.”
CL and Dara of the South
Korean girl group 2NE1 wore the
traditional clothing on a visit to
the Shwedagon Pagoda in
Yangon while they were in the
city to perform. Foreign tourists
often buy the clothes at the
Bogyoke Market. Local designers
invariably draw attention at fashion shows abroad with their outfits of Myanmar silk and cotton.
Designer Ma Myintzu points
out, though, that it will be difficult to export these items due to
a lack of quality control.
“I do expect local cotton and
silks to be marketed overseas,
but we still don’t have highstandard quality control. Even if
we have the knowledge, we need
someone to lead us. If there is
someone to take responsibility
for that, we designers will be
responsible for the designs. Then
we’ll able to enter the world market.”