Burma Related News - Nov 01, 2012.

[BRN]

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BURMA RELATED NEWS NOVEMBER 01, 2012.
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Reuters - World Bank earmarks $245 mln for Myanmar, outlines work plan
AP - World Bank approves new aid for Myanmar, prepares to resume lending
AP - Myanmar says it has evidence communal violence was organized by groups and individuals
AFP - Myanmar MPs approve business-friendly investment law
AFP - Myanmar's neighbours urged to let in refugees
AFP - Myanmar unrest could develop into 'terrorism': govt
Business Insider - The Spike In Myanmar's Opium Production Could Destabilize All Of Asia
IANS - Myanmar to build airport
Boston Globe - Civilians in western Myanmar told to turn in arms
UPI - Myanmar's refugee crisis growing
Bernama - Myanmar's Changes Prompt International Air Links Boom
Bernama - Myanmar Deliberates On Legitimising Permanent Residence For Foreign Investors
Bloomberg News - Silk Road Plans Investments for Myanmar Fund
Global Times - Myanmar hunts for manipulators behind Rakhine riot
Asia News Network - Asean must take a stand on Myanmar ethnic violence
Telegraph.co.uk - Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
The Irrawaddy - Violence Taking Major Toll on Arakan Economy
The Irrawaddy - Thousand Interrogated for Arakan Strife Role
The Irrawaddy - Sir Cliff Enjoys Burmese ‘Summer Holiday’
Mizzima News - Abuses, land grabs ongoing in Burma, says NGO
Mizzima News - Gov't, KIO agree to political dialogue
Mizzima News - Intermediate education: a way to create a young workforce in Burma
DVB News - MP’s associate accuses party chair of defamation during hearing
DVB News - Former Thai prime minister to visit Burma next week
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World Bank earmarks $245 mln for Myanmar, outlines work plan
By Lesley Wroughton | Reuters – 2 hrs 52 mins ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank on Thursday earmarked $245 million in credit and grant funding for Myanmar under an 18-month work plan, the first lending to the southeast Asian nation in 25 years and another sign the country is opening up after years of military rule.

The interim country strategy, endorsed by the World Bank board at a meeting in Washington, will guide the institution's work in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The bank also approved an $80 million grant for community-driven rural projects.

Pamela Cox, World Bank vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, said another $165 million will be made available to Myanmar once the country has cleared its overdue debt to Bank, whi ch totals roughly $400 million.

Talks on how the $165 million will be allocated will take place in coming months, she said.

"Based on the strategy we are stepping up our support for reforms we want to target to creating opportunities for all the people of Myanmar, especially the poor and vulnerable," Cox told reporters on a conference call.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the International Monetary Fund said it will send a mission to Myanmar in early November for talks with Myanmar on a possible staff-monitored program.

The program will not include funding but will help Myanmar's efforts to deal with its debts to the Paris Club of creditors.

After five decades of brutal junta rule, Myanmar has stunned the world with rapid economic and democratic reforms, which has led to an easing of sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union to encourage further reforms.

Myanmar's pariah image has been transformed by the release from house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who in September visited the United States where she received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. She has urged the United States to ease sanctions to support Myanmar's reform process.

It is Asia's second-poorest country, but as it opens up its economy, at stake is influence in one of Asia's last frontier markets rich in natural and other resources.

"I am heartened by the reforms that have been taking place in Myanmar and encourage the government to continue to push forward with their efforts," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said in a statement.

The World Bank's strategy will focus on helping Myanmar improve economic governance and create conditions the country needs for growth and job creation. It will hone in on three main areas: the budget and how public money is spent, regulatory reform to boost transparency, and private sector development.

In addition, the World Bank is involved in analytical studies that include a financial accountability assessment, a public expenditure review and an investment climate evaluation.

Cox said the World Bank's efforts would try to shore up international confidence in Myanmar's reform efforts.

The country is just opening up to the world after nearly 50 years of military rule, with international investors lining up to tap its vast resources. Asian firms, especially from China, Thailand and India, have dominated foreign investment in Myanmar's oil and gas sector, although Chevron and Total also operate there.

"Going forward one of the most important things to do is to establish that there is transparency," Cox said, noting that the government had taken steps to publish its budget earlier this year.

The government has also signed up for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international scheme that helps developing countries better manage their natural resource wealth.
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World Bank approves new aid for Myanmar, prepares to resume lending
By Matthew Pennington, Associated Press | Associated Press – 4 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Myanmar is moving at "warp speed" in opening up after years of authoritarian rule but needs to build institutions to improve transparency and economic governance, the World Bank said Thursday as it approved $80 million in development aid.

Pamela Cox, the bank's vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, said the bank has a further $165 million in loan assistance committed for Myanmar after it clears its $900 million in arrears to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Japan is helping that process, expected to be completed by January.

The World Bank is re-engaging with the country also known as Burma after a gap of two decades as its government undertakes economic and political reforms, shifting from five decades of ruinous military rule that left it one of Asia's poorest nations.

The bank opened an office in the main city Yangon in August, and its board of directors on Thursday approved a strategy for the next 18 months, providing technical assistance and advice to Myanmar's government on management of public finances, regulatory reform and private sector development.

"This is a government moving at warp speed in terms of opening up," Cox told reporters. She said that in its strategy, the bank was focusing on helping build the public systems needed to foster transparency. She also stressed the need for Myanmar's people to quickly see the benefits of the reform process.

The current average annual income in Myanmar is estimated at between $600 and $800, with a quarter of the population living in poverty. Myanmar ranked third from bottom of 182 nations in the nongovernment group Transparency International's corruption perceptions index for 2011. The reformist government of president and former junta member Thein Sein has taken some steps toward openness on economic policy, including the publication of its budget this year, which in the past had been kept under wraps.

Activists remain concerned that as international economic sanctions on aid, trade and investment are eased, the military and its cronies will be first to benefit from the influx of foreign funds.

The bank approved Thursday an $80 million project to provide $25,000 grants to villages in 15 townships across the country, where community councils will identify the kind of help they want, such as roads, bridges, irrigation systems, schools, health clinics or rural markets.

Last month, President Barack Obama lifted the U.S. restriction on international financial institutions like the World Bank lending to Myanmar after Congress passed legislation enabling that step. It was the latest in a series of steps by Washington to reward the country for its democratic reforms.
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Myanmar says it has evidence communal violence was organized by groups and individuals
Published October 31, 2012 Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's government says it has evidence that some individuals and organizations instigated recent deadly violence in the western state of Rakhine, but did not name them.

State television broadcast an announcement Wednesday night from the office of President Thein Sein saying the suspects include a group or groups that previously signed a cease-fire agreement with the government.

The announcement said 89 people were killed, 136 were injured, and 32,231 were made homeless when more than 5,000 houses were burned down in violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims between Oct. 21 and 30. It did not report any new clashes.

Tensions have simmered in western Myanmar since clashes first broke out in June after a Rakhine woman was allegedly raped and murdered by three Muslim men. About 75,000 people who lost homes or fled those clashes still live in camps for the internally displaced.
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Myanmar MPs approve business-friendly investment law
AFP News – 9 hours ago

Myanmar's parliament on Thursday approved a revised, more business-friendly foreign investment bill aimed at boosting the struggling economy as it emerges from decades of junta rule, lawmakers said.

The bill is expected to be signed into law within days by reformist President Thein Sein, who sent an earlier draft back to parliament amid concerns that it was too protectionist.

"I think the law will be quite flexible and easier for foreign investors," Zaw Htay, an official at the presidential office, told AFP by telephone.

"The previous law had restrictions which could be barriers. Even some foreign experts described it as the 'No Investment Law'," he said.

An earlier limit of 50 percent for a foreign investor's stake in a joint venture has been dropped at Thein Sein's request, and the new version allows the investment ratio to be decided by the foreign and local partners, MPs said.

More detailed rules for each sector will be drawn up by the Myanmar Investment Commission.

"The law became more flexible for foreign investors. The former version had many restrictions," said Myat Nyana Soe, a lawmaker with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy opposition party.

The move comes as global corporate giants from Coca-Cola to General Electric line up to enter the impoverished but resource-rich nation, which is emerging from decades of military rule and international isolation.

One of the major complaints of businesses eager to enter the country formerly known as Burma has been the lack of a clear legal framework.

Myanmar is seen by many investors as the next regional frontier market as businesses eye its huge natural resources, large population and strategic location between China and India.

President Thein Sein has vowed to put the economy at the centre of a new series of reforms, following dramatic political changes since almost half a century of outright military rule ended last year.
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Myanmar's neighbours urged to let in refugees
by Dan Martin | Agence-France Presse – 15 hours ago

Myanmar's neighbours should prepare to accept refugees from the country's Rohingya minority who may try to flee abroad to escape bloody communal violence, refugee organisations said Thursday.

Clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine state pitting Buddhists against members of the Muslim Rohingya minority have left at least 180 dead since violence broke out in June, swamped refugee camps and forced tens of thousands to flee the bloodshed.

Rohingya have for years trickled abroad to neighbouring Bangladesh and, increasingly, Muslim-majority Malaysia by boat. The violence has sparked warnings of a potential surge in refugees opting for the dangerous sea voyage.

"We are appealing to countries to keep borders open and to ensure safe access and whatever assistance they can provide," said Vivian Tan, Asia-Pacific spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"The main thing is that they have a safe place to land," she said.

Tan said Myanmar's neighbours also should ensure that the UNHCR is granted access to any Rohingya who have legitimate claims to refugee status.

The Muslim minority, who speak a Bengali dialect in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, claim decades of persecution.

The government views the roughly 800,000 Rohingya in Rakhine as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship.

Bangladeshi police say about 130 people are missing after a boat sank Sunday while carrying Rohingya refugees heading for Malaysia.

Decades-old animosity between Buddhists and Rohingya exploded in June after the apparent rape and murder of an ethnic Rakhine woman sparked a series of revenge attacks.

Human Rights Watch warned this week of a potential "dramatic increase in the number of Rohingya taking to the sea this year" in the wake of the unrest.

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, meanwhile, has warned the bloodshed could leave the Rohingya minority "radicalised and the entire region could be destabilised, including the Malacca Straits", the vital shipping lane between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

He declined Thursday to further elaborate to AFP.

Aid and refugee agencies said the violence does not appear to have triggered a large-scale Rohingya exodus yet, but they urged nearby countries to prepare.

"Countries need to show their generosity and compassion at this time of crisis," said Sharuna Verghis, co-founder of Malaysian refugee help organisation Health Equity Initiative.

The UNHCR in Malaysia has registered some 24,000 Rohingyas as refugees but community leaders estimate actual numbers in the country could be double that.

Malaysia largely turns a blind eye, allowing them into the country but denying them any sort of legal status that would allow access to health care, education, jobs, and other services, activists say.

That leaves many Rohingya like Nur Jahan, 54, on society's margins.

Nur Jahan arrived from Rakhine state four months ago and she and her seven children have scraped out a tough existence scouring through trashbins on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur for scrap items they can sell.

Her husband is sick and going blind.

"Life is very difficult here... We cannot work because we don't have documents. How do we survive? I don't have any hope and I cannot hope to return (to Myanmar)," she told AFP through an interpreter.

Malaysia must prepare for more arrivals and provide access to basic services, said Verghis.

"It is a humanitarian crisis. That's why a regional solution is needed, and part of the solution must be that everyone does their bit," she said.

Myanmar ethnic Rohingya refugee Mohd Alam sorts out metal items to recycle in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. Myanmar's neighbours should prepare to accept refugees from the country's Rohingya minority who may try to flee abroad to escape bloody communal violence, refugee organisations say.

Graphic on the migration of thousands of Rohingya people from western Myanmar. Myanmar's neighbours should prepare to accept refugees from the country's Rohingya minority who may try to flee abroad to escape bloody communal violence, refugee organisations says.

An ethnic Rakhine Buddhist child sits by a rice bag at a camp for internally displaced people in Sittwe, Rakhine state. Myanmar's neighbours should prepare to accept refugees from the country's Rohingya minority who may try to flee abroad to escape bloody communal violence, refugee organisations say.
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Myanmar unrest could develop into 'terrorism': govt
AFP November 1, 2012, 5:29 am

YANGON (AFP) - Communal bloodshed in western Myanmar risks developing into "armed terrorist acts", the government said Wednesday, after security forces were targeted by homemade firearms in deadly fighting.

Myanmar said 180 guns were seized during the new wave of clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine state, which has killed dozens, displaced tens of thousands and seen whole neighbourhoods razed.

It said several people had been arrested on suspicion of making the weapons.

"The clashes between two communities are likely to turn from normal unrest to armed terrorist acts after the security forces were attacked with handmade guns," the government said, in a statement on the president's website.

Decades-old animosity between Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims exploded in June after the apparent rape and murder of an ethnic Rakhine woman sparked a series of revenge attacks.

The latest clashes have caused more than 32,000 people to flee their homes this month, the government said, adding to the 75,000 people already crammed into overcrowded camps after the earlier fighting.

Myanmar said both local and international organisations were "involved" in the conflict, without elaborating on their identities or exact role.

"In order not to face continuous incidents that harm the lives and stability of the people, the government will take serious action against those who incited the people to fight," it said.

The toll from the clashes, which began on October 21, stands at 89 people killed, with 136 injured and more than 5,000 homes reduced to ash in a wave of arson.

Many of the casualties suffered gunshot wounds and authorities have admitted to shooting into crowds of rioters as the fighting intensified.

Authorities have struggled to end the violence, which flared again on Tuesday in renewed clashes that saw police shoot and kill one ethnic Rakhine, according to a government official who declined to be named.

Myanmar's 800,000 stateless Rohingya, viewed by the United Nations as among the most persecuted minorities on the planet, are seen by the government and many Burmese as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.

They face discrimination that activists say has led to a deepening alienation from Buddhists.

But other Muslim communities in Rakhine have also been swept up in the latest violence, including the Kaman, one of Myanmar's officially recognised ethnic groups.

The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday said food, water and medical help are in short supply at camps in western Myanmar that are "stretched beyond capacity".

It raised concerns about getting aid to an unknown number of displaced people in remote areas.

The unrest sparked an exodus of thousands, with many travelling in boats towards the state capital Sittwe in hopes of finding shelter at the camps on the coast near the outskirts of the city.

Bangladesh police and a Rohingya advocacy group on Wednesday said about 130 people were missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees who were headed for Malaysia sank off Bangladesh.

Since the unrest erupted in June, Bangladesh has turned away boatloads of fleeing Rohingya, drawing criticism from the United Nations.

Myanmar has rejected an offer by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to open talks aimed at quelling the conflict, the bloc's Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told reporters in Malaysia on Tuesday.

He had earlier warned that the bloodshed could "radicalise" the Rohingya and destabilise the "entire region", according to reports.
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Business Insider - The Spike In Myanmar's Opium Production Could Destabilize All Of Asia
By Joshua Berlinger | Business Insider – 15 hrs ago

Despite efforts to combat the cultivation opium in Southeast Asia, production of the cash crop has doubled in the last six years and the price has risen dramatically, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

In Myanmar, opium poppy cultivation has risen by 17 percent since 2011. And according to the report, over 300,000 households in the country have engage in opium cultivation in 2012.

But the increase in drug production is only part of a bigger story in the country; the failure of law enforcement to rein in opium production is just one example of the Myanmar government's inability to execute state functions, during a period of democratic political transition nonetheless.

The state also known as Burma is responsible for approximately 25 percent of the world's illicit opium cultivation — second only to Afghanistan — despite the fact that it has been following a 15-year plan to eradicate opium by 2014. "The opium numbers continue to head in the wrong direction", says UNODC Regional Representative for East Asia and the Pacific, Gary Lewis.

The state also lacks the resources to stifle recent civil strife and ethnic violence, which have led to scores of fatalities in recent months . The government claims that the bloodshed in the western region of the state could develop into "armed terrorist acts."

This clear struggle to carry out normal state functions — protect its population, enforce the law — is all the more worrisome based on the current state of Myanmar politics today. The country is on a slow yet steady path towards democracy, instituting key reforms which in turn to have led to the lifting of international sanctions and an influx of international investment.

Myanmar's government is at a crossroads. If the transition to democracy ends up a failure, it could destabilize the entire region. Asian demand for heroin has grown significantly in the last year — China alone has over a million registered heroin users. If the Myanmar government cannot control opium production, the trade itself will only rise in value, destabilizing the path to democracy within the country, and empowering the criminal groups that control the drug trade in the region.

Since opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle (made up of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand) hit its trough in 2006, it has risen from 21,600 hectares in 2006 to 51,000 hectares in 2012 — an increase of 136 percent:
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Myanmar to build airport
By Indo Asian News Service | IANS – 18 hrs ago

Yangon, Nov 1 (IANS) Myanmar is looking at building an airport in Rakhine state, a media report said Thursday.

Myanmar wants to build the airport on Yanbye island as part of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Project, reported Xinhua.

In an initial consultation meeting held recently in Yangon, Japanese firm Nippon Koei was tasked to take up the project, said 7-Day News.

Kyaukphyu, a major town, is located on the northwestern corner of the Yanbye island.
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Boston Globe - Civilians in western Myanmar told to turn in arms
AP / November 1, 2012

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Authorities have ordered people in strife-torn western Myanmar to surrender guns, swords and other weapons to the police within three days or face legal action.

The announcement Thursday in the state-run Myanma Ahlin newspaper said that some groups of people in Rakhine state had used swords and firearms during recent deadly confrontations between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities.

On Wednesday, the government said it had evidence that certain individuals and organizations had instigated the violence. It said 89 people were killed, 136 were injured and more than 32,000 made homeless when more than 5,000 houses were burned down from Oct. 21-30. It did not report any new clashes.

The Thursday announcement from the office of President Thein Sein said 180 homemade firearms had been seized, and the makers of the weapons and their parts detained.

‘‘In order to resolve the conflict peacefully, the authorities ordered people to hand over guns, bayonets, swords, daggers, spikes and all kinds of weapons to the nearest police station as quickly as possible between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3,’’ Myanma Ahlin reported.

Tensions have simmered in western Myanmar since clashes first broke out in June after a Rakhine woman was allegedly raped and murdered by three Muslim men. About 75,000 people who lost homes or fled those clashes still live in camps for the internally displaced. The total number of displaced now exceeds 100,000, primarily from the Rohingya community.

Many displaced Rohingya, at least hundreds, are also thought to be trying to flee by boat to neighboring Bangladesh, which tries to keep them out and houses previous refugees in camps. Many try to use Bangladesh as a springboard for dangerous sea voyages in an effort to emigrate illegally to countries such as Malaysia and Australia.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued a statement Thursday expressing dismay at reports that a boat sank Tuesday off the coast of Bangladesh with an estimated 130 people on board, possibly including refugees from Rakhine.

Three U.N. human rights experts on Wednesday called on the government ‘‘to urgently address the underlying causes of the tension and conflict between the Buddhists and Muslim communities in the region,’’ according to a U.N. statement.

U.N. human rights special rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, independent expert on minority issues Rita Izsak and special rapporteur on human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani voiced ‘‘their deep concern over continuing inter-communal violence in Rakhine state’’ and have called on the government to end violence and protect vulnerable communities there.
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Myanmar's refugee crisis growing
Published: Nov. 1, 2012 at 10:40 AM

BANGKOK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The collapse of a cease-fire agreement in Myanmar's northern state of Kachin left more than 75,000 people displaced, a U.N. agency said.

A cease-fire between the Myanmar government and the Kachin Independence Army collapsed last year, ending 17 years of peace. The United Nations' humanitarian news agency IRIN, citing U.N. reports from neighboring Thailand, said more than 75,000 people remain displaced in the wake of the truce breakdown.

More than half, IRIN reports, are in areas controlled by the Kachin army, making humanitarian assistance difficult. Most of the remaining refuges are scattered in refugee camps operated by the government.

Myanmar received praise from the international community for embracing democratic reforms, starting with general elections in 2010. The country was criticized, however, for its human rights record.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs this week said at least 76 people were killed, thousands of homes and religious sites were destroyed and tens of thousands of people were displaced as a result of fighting between Muslims and Buddhists in the region.

Mohammad Nawsim, secretary of the Rohingya Human Rights Association, a pro-Muslim group, told IRIN he was "begging" for international rights groups to visit Rakhine to get a firsthand account of the situation on the ground.
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November 01, 2012 12:42 PM
Myanmar's Changes Prompt International Air Links Boom

YANGON, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have prompted successive establishment of air links with five countries or regions over the past month when most foreign airlines resumed flights after suspension for a lengthy period.

The five foreign airlines -- Korean Airlines (KAL) from South Korea, Qatar Airlines from the Middle East, EVA Airlines from China's Taipei, All Nippon Airways (ANA) from Japan and Singapore Airline (SIA) from Singapore launched their maiden flights one after another to Yangon in almost a single month's period.

Granted by Myanmar's Department of Civil Aviation, the KAL was launched near the end of September flying between Incheon and Yangon for thrice a week, while Qatar Airways, which had suspended flight for nearly four years since 2008, resumed flights between Doha and Yangon on Oct 14.

Qatar Airways' resumption, which flies three times a week, provides an easy access for visitors travelling from Myanmar to Europe, Africa and Middle East. It chooses A-319 and A-320 as its major air craft model, and a B-777 aircraft will be added due to increasing market demand.

Qatar Airways signed a bilateral airways contract with Myanmar's related departments in 2004 to start operating Doha-Yangon-Doha flight four times a week starting January 2005, and its service was terminated in January 2008.

The EVA airline, which is China's Taiwan's second largest carrier, launched a three-times-weekly direct flight between Taipei and Yangon on Oct 9, with MD-90 jets as its major air craft.

The introduction of the direct flight from the region is expected to bring more than 30 percent of EVA's future clients, most of whom are passengers from North America, to Myanmar via Taiwan.

The ANA, which had stopped its flight for 12 years, re-operated Narita-Yangon-Narita air route on Oct 15 under scheduled flight for three times a week using Boeing 737-700ER aircraft and the charter flight of Tokyo-Yangon, Nay Pyi taw-Yangon-Hanoi-Tokyo will also be launched by using Boeing 767.

The resumption of regular ANA services has facilitated more Japanese entrepreneurs to tap into Myanmar's market.

For the past 12 years, Japanese visitors had to travel to Myanmar via Bangkok or Singapore when the airline suspended its Yangon flight.

Singapore Airlines launched flight services to Yangon starting Oct 28, partly taking over its regional unit Silk Air. Using 323-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft, the SIA operate the daily flights.

Currently, Silk Air operates 16 flights a week to Yangon with single-aisle Airbus A320 and will continue to take nine of the flights after SIA starts its services.

SIA is the latest among international carriers that stretches wings to Yangon.

There are more foreign airlines, including the Hong Kong-based Dragon Air, Germany-based Condor Airlines and Trans Asia Airways, are preparing to fly to Myanmar in addition to the existing foreign ones.

Dragon Air, which is the internationally-recognised best regional operator, is set to operate direct flight between China's Hong Kong and Yangon on Jan 9, 2013, with departing flights on every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's national carrier, the Myanmar Airways International (MAI), is also reported to launch direct flight between Yangon and China's Hong Kong before the end of this year.

At present, besides the Myanmar Airways International (MAI) flying internationally, foreign airlines linking Yangon have been added to 18 so far.

In addition to the 64-year-old state-operated domestic Myanmar Airways (MA), there are also five other private-run domestic airlines in Myanmar, namely Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.

After years of stagnation, change is coming to Myanmar at a rapid pace after the government took steps to liberalize the state- controlled economy and embarked on political reform, with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi winning the nation's parliamentary by-election in April.

In May 2012, the Obama administration decided to ease the ban on investments in Myanmar, a move that followed steps by the European Union and Australia to suspend sanctions, raising the prospect of a foreign investment boom in Myanmar.
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November 01, 2012 14:19 PM
Myanmar Deliberates On Legitimising Permanent Residence For Foreign Investors

YANGON, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- Myanmar is deliberating on legitimising permanent residence for potential foreign investors, service providers, immigrants and intellectuals since the country's existing regulations do not allow dual citizenship, China's Xinhua news agency said quoting official media's report on Thursday.

"Influx of technology, capital, human resources and job opportunities may flow into the country by practicing the permanent residence system thereby contributing to the country's development," Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun told a coordination meeting of the system Wednesday, said the New Light of Myanmar.

"Favourable investment climate effectively protecting the rights of investors must be created to attract the influx of foreign investment," Nyan Tun stressed, calling for enactment of a permanent residence immigration act and formation of a scrutiny supervisory committee for the residence grant.

"The economic landscape has changed along with the change in the political landscape. Now is time when financial capital, technology and intellectual capital are urgently needed in bringing about people-centered development in agricultural, industrial, commercial, financial and monetary sectors for socioeconomic development of citizens," he said.

Since Myanmar's new government took office in March 2011, political process has been changed from authoritarian governance to democratic governance. The government has granted amnesty to prisoners, allowing exiled political elements to re-enter the country with dignity, abolishing censorship for the media and free access to internet, allowing the establishment of labour and employers unions and freedom of participation in political process for people.

Meanwhile, an amended foreign investment bill is being finalised in the parliament and is expected to be promulgated soonest.
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Bloomberg News - Silk Road Plans Investments for Myanmar Fund
By Klaus Wille on November 01, 2012

Silk Road Management, an investor in frontier markets, will take stakes in three Myanmar projects by year-end, the first private-equity deals in Southeast Asia’s poorest nation as it emerges from five decades of isolation.

The Myanmar Human Capital Fund closed in September after raising $25 million from family offices and wealthy individuals from Mongolia, Russia and oil-rich countries in the Caspian region, said Alisher Ali, managing partner at Silk Road. The fund will invest in so-called knowledge-driven industries such as the Internet, information technology, education and health care, he said, declining to identify the companies.

“Myanmar’s gross domestic product may easily double within five years,” Ali said in an interview by phone from Hong Kong on Oct. 31. “And the industries we decided to focus on are going to triple in the same period.”

Investors are focusing on Myanmar’s economic potential after a half-century of neglect left the nation, formerly known as Burma, outside the global financial system. The International Monetary Fund said in September direct foreign investment will rise 40 percent to a record $3.99 billion this year.

The companies Silk Road plans to invest in may need as much as $100 million within three years as they expand, which may require more fundraising, Ali said.

The Ulan Bator, Mongolia-based company also manages the $30 million Mongolia Human Capital Fund, which it said is the first private-equity fund in the country. Mongolia’s MSE Top 20 Index has risen more than tenfold in the past decade, making it the fifth-best performer among 93 global stock indexes tracked by Bloomberg.

First-Mover Advantage

“Investing in Myanmar certainly has a first-mover advantage at this stage,” said Vishnu Varathan, a Singapore- based economist at Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. “There have been credible signs from the government that they want to increase transparency and create a sustainable framework for foreign investment. Having said that, we shouldn’t forget that the political and economic situation isn’t stable yet.”

Myanmar officials are preparing to take control of a financial system largely run on informal cash transactions as companies such as Western Union Co. (WU) and Coca-Cola Co. (KO) announce plans to operate in the country. Foreign-exchange transactions have started to shift from informal markets to banks after a managed float of the currency in April and the easing of restrictions on importers and exporters last month, an official with the country’s central bank said in September.
Irreversible Process

“I believe that the government has a strong will to go through its economic and political reforms,” said Ali, who has more than 16 years of investment management and banking experience in emerging and frontier markets including Mongolia and Kazakhstan. “The process is irreversible.”

Myanmar may expand 6.2 percent this year, the IMF said in its October World Economic Outlook. That compares with 5.1 percent in Vietnam, 4.8 percent growth in the Philippines and 6 percent in Indonesia.

Some of the companies will exceed gains in their respective industries, which are “already turbocharged,” Ali said. The Internet market is expected to post annual growth rates of more than 60 percent in the next three years, based on Silk Road’s estimates, while the media and information technology markets could expand 50 percent. Education and health care are expected to increase 30 percent a year, with telecommunications and the financial industries posting faster gains, he said.

Silk Road started Myanmar’s first property index in October to track real estate prices in Yangon, the nation’s commercial center. The company owns seven equity indexes in Asia, it said on its website.
Investment Banking

Silk Road Finance, the holding company of Silk Road, started Mandalay Capital, a Myanmar-focused investment banking company. The venture, started earlier this year, will connect investors with Myanmar business and help them with fundraising and advisory, it said. Silk Road Finance is run by Ali.

Still, frontier markets are set to underperform shares in developed nations for a second year. The MSCI Frontier Markets Index (MXFM) has risen 1.2 percent so far this year, lagging behind the 10 percent advance in the MSCI World Index (MXWO) tracking stocks in developed economies.

“At present, investing in Myanmar is something to be done by firms with an appetite for risk and those willing to commit in the hope of future returns that might accrue according to any ’first mover’ advantage,” Sean Turnell, an associate professor who researches Myanmar’s economy at Macquarie University in Sydney, said in response to an e-mailed query.

Myanmar said authorities seized weapons and made arrests in a bid to halt almost two weeks of clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya near the Bangladesh border as the death toll increased to 89. At least 5,000 homes were destroyed in the fighting, leaving more than 32,000 people homeless, according to a statement released on President Thein Sein’s website earlier this week.
IPO Path

Companies Silk Road plans to invest in may go public in two to four years as the Myanmar stock exchange becomes “fully functional” by 2015, Ali said. Some of the companies could also have their initial public offerings in markets such as Singapore or London, which have exchanges set up for small-cap stocks.

“For every single company we are looking at investing, we clearly would like to have an IPO strategy, an IPO path,” he said.
Coming Election

Thein Sein has shifted Myanmar toward democracy since he took office last year to end about five decades of direct military rule. He is seeking to create jobs ahead of an election in 2015 that will include former political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.

Western governments are warming up to Thein Sein. The U.S. in July authorized the first investment in the country in 15 years, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who met with the Myanmar president in New York in September, has announced that lifting the import ban signals the next step in “normalizing” their commercial ties.

Myamar was ranked 180 of 183 nations in Transparency International’s 2011 corruption index. Ali also said he’s optimistic the industries his fund is targeting aren’t tainted by corruption.

“Those are areas where there is no scope for corruption,” he said. “It’s all about human capital in terms of the expertise.”
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Global Times - Myanmar hunts for manipulators behind Rakhine riot
Xinhua | 2012-11-1 18:29:33

The Myanmar government is hunting for manipulators behind waves of renewed sectarian riot from Oct. 21 until the end of the month.

Announcements issued by the President's Office have warned that "Individuals and organizations, who were behind the incidents in Rakhine state, will be exposed and legal action be taken against them."

According to an announcement on Wednesday, a total of 180 percussion lock firearms were seized in the violent incidents. Evidences used in making arms were also seized.

"The conflicts between the two communities showed signs of evolving into an armed violence even threatening security forces," the government said in a statement.

"It is found that organization on the other side well prepared their activities with organized arrangements using locally-made arms to commit mob threats, terrorist attacks, and violence and arson attacks," the statement said, adding that "It is obvious that not only political parties and organizations that made peace with the government but also some local and foreign organizations that are on the side of the other organization involved in the incidents."

On Oct. 31, the local authorities issued an ultimatum along with the government statement, setting Nov. 3 as the deadline for handing over all arms, including guns, bayonets, swords daggers, spears, bow and arrow, and other arms to the nearby police stations and security forces.

"Legal action will be taken against those who are found holding these arms from the said day onwards," the ultimatum said.

"It is found that saboteurs are attempting to commit destructive acts so as to undermine the rule of law and peace and stability while the government is speeding up peace and stability and rehabilitation for returning to normal," it said, adding that in some townships in the Rakhine state, groups are attempting to commit robbery and riot with the use of swords, bayonets and percussion lock firearms.

A series of fresh riot in Rakhine state, which recurred for more than a week since Oct. 21, has left 32,231 people homeless.

The death toll rose to 89 with 136 injured as of Oct. 30.

During the riot, 5,351 houses were burnt down in arson fire in addition to 14 religious buildings and eight rice mills.

The statement urged all monks and people to cooperate with the government in addressing the conflicts in a peaceful way.

Moreover, a high-ranking military official from the Office of Myanmar's Army Chief Lieutenant-General Hla Min has urged people in the country to cooperate in restoring stability and development of the riot-hit Rakhine state without being swayed by instigation.

He disclosed that the government is carefully working out the screening process on such status as citizens, should-be-guess citizens and should-not-be citizens in a peaceful way.

Minister of Border Affairs Lieutenant-General Thein Htay also said the government is making strenuous efforts to ensure rule of law, and he said each and every person enjoys equal rights under the same law.

"Anxieties, discontent and revenge are illegal. Only when the country sees peace and stability, should the focus be on socio- economic development," he said.

Although Rakhine state is rich in natural resources, people should not live below the poverty line, he said, calling for an end to the conflicts by solving them within the legal framework and through peaceful means by finding the root cause of the conflict and by holding clear and tolerant view.

Rakhine State Chief Minister U Hla Maung Tin also revealed that combined forces have been formed to ensure stability of the region and they are duty-bound to keep making efforts to accomplish rehabilitation tasks for the victims of both sides after the recent riot.

He stressed the need to form different levels of combined forces to prevent such incidents, warning that such incidents would hinder the development of the state.

The second round of riot, which spread from Minbya to as many as nine areas covering Mrauk U, Kyauk Phyu, Myaebon,Yathedaung, Kyauktaw, Pauktaw, Yanbye and Thandwe, was reportedly put under control on Oct. 27 and the situation there is now returning to normal.

The authorities said that legal actions have been taken against 1,058 people involved in the communal violence from June 8 to Oct. 26 which undermined the stability of the Rakhine state.

A state of emergency has been declared in Rakhine state since June 10 along with imposition of dusk-to-dawn curfew in six already affected townships -- Maungtaw, Buthidaung, Sittway, Thandwe, Kyaukphyu and Yanbye.

The curfew was extended to Kyauktaw on Aug. 8 and then to Minbya and Mrauk U on Oct. 22 bringing the total number of townships under curfew to nine so far.

A series of bloody incidents, which took place in May-June, triggered series of deadly unrest and violence in the Rakhine state starting with Maungtaw township on June 8.

The Myanmar government, on Aug. 17, formed a 27-member investigation commission, aimed at exposing the real cause of the conflict in the western Rakhine state in May-June that have undermined peace and stability and rule of law in the region.
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Asia News Network - Asean must take a stand on Myanmar ethnic violence
Editorial Desk, The Nation
Publication Date : 02-11-2012

More than 170 people have died since June as a result of fighting between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

The clashes broke out following reports of the rape and murder of a Rakhine Buddhist woman by three Muslims in Kyauk-ni-maw, a village on the western coast. It was the scene of Tuesday's incident, in which police shot dead one protester and injured another as they attempted to chase Muslims from the village. The June clashes resulted in the deaths of about 90 people and displaced 75,000 more. Another 84 people were killed and 28,000 displaced in last week's communal strife, which also witnessed arson attacks on 4,400 houses.

Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist, while the Rohingya people are stateless Muslims who have been living along the Bangladesh border for generations, including in Rakhine State. The Rohingya are the descendants of workers brought into the country from Bangladesh during British colonial rule. About 800,000 Ronhingya live in three northern townships.

The communal violence has been a major embarrassment for the government of President Thein Sein, who came to power in March 2011 and is often billed as a reformer, at the forefront of the country's political and economic transformation. Thein Sein has appealed to the Buddhists for restraint, but so far his plea has fallen on deaf ears.

Satellite images provided by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) show extensive destruction of homes and property in the predominantly Rohingya area of the coastal town of Kyauk Pyu.

Among the destroyed properties are 633 buildings and 178 houseboats and barges, all of which were razed.

The government will have to do more to provide security for the Rohingya. There is no easy way out of this situation. It must look at the root causes if it wants to end the violence.

Myanmar must also show true commitment to peace and humanitarian causes. The UN and other international agencies working in the Rohingya area were evicted by the central government in June. Some have been reinstated, but more work has to be done, and more access must be granted, including to international observers, now that the violence threatens to get out of hand.

The approximately 1 million Rohingya in Myanmar were effectively stripped of their right to citizenship with the passage of the 1982 Citizenship Law, even though most of them have been residents of Rakhine State for decades, according to HRW.

Deploying security forces to restore law and order is not enough. All stakeholders in Myanmar need to come together and work for a permanent solution to Rakhine's ethnic problem. The country's leaders should not rule out international assistance, and should allow this issue to be put on the Asean table.

The violence has driven the Rohingya from their homes, onto the sea and into neighbouring countries. This is not the first time the Rohingya have become a regional issue. Thailand made it an Asean issue a couple of years ago after it was revealed that Thai officials had pushed Rohingya boat people back out to the sea - this despite the fact that they were in need of medical assistance.

Nobody, it seems, wants anything to do with the Rohingya, whose plight is nothing less than horrific. If the members of the 10-country grouping that calls itself Asean can't find it in their hearts to do something about the Rohingya crisis, then all their statements about humanitarianism, empowerment, dignity and so on are not worth the paper they are written on.

No political leaders in Myanmar will gain much capital from supporting the Rohingya or the ongoing violence, according to various analysts. All of us want to see reform succeed in Myanmar, banishing forever its former dictatorial military rule. But this is not an excuse to turn a blind eye to the Rohingya.

HRW Asia director Brad Adams hit the nail on the head when he said: "If the atrocities in Rakhine had happened before the government's reform process started, the international reaction would have been swift and strong. But the international community appears to be blinded by a romantic narrative of sweeping change in Myanmar, signing new trade deals and lifting sanctions even while abuses continue."
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Telegraph.co.uk - Burma considers citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor
12:47PM GMT 01 Nov 2012

The government's search for a 'win-win' solution to the conflict between the two groups follows a new outbreak of violence last week in which attacks by Buddhist mobs left 89 dead and forced more than 28,000 to flee their homes. An estimated 130 Rohingya refugees from the violence are missing off the coast of Bangladesh after their boat sank while heading to Malaysia. Bangladesh has refused to accept Rohingya refugees because it believes many are illegal immigrants.

The scale of the violence and the suffering of those forced to flee prompted calls for the Burmese government to intervene and warnings from the international community that its recent democratic reforms would be tarnished if it did not stop the attacks.

In an interview with The Hindu newspaper, Burma's information minister, U Ang Kyi, said his government is working towards a "win-win solution for all stakeholders" and acknowledged that the statelessness of its Rohingya Muslim minority is a key cause of its suffering in the country.

He said local Rakhine people had not intended to cause violence on the scale seen over the last week and that he was confident the conflict will be brought under control. "The local people also have this belief, and from this situation we are going to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders, a solution that will benefit everybody," he said.

"Rohingyas are denied citizenship by Myanmar [Burma] and as a consequence the rights that go with it," he added.

The government is understood to be considering new moves to confer citizenship on several hundred thousand 'third generation' Rohingya who are already entitled to it under Burmese law but who were illegally denied it by previous governments.

Muslims from neighbouring Bangladesh have lived in Rakhine, formerly Arakan, for more than 600 years but their numbers steadily increased under British rule, causing rising resentment among the indigenous Rakhine Buddhists. There have been periodic clashes between the two groups but violence intensified in June this year when 78 were killed following reports of a rape of a Rakhine woman by Muslims.

Diplomatic sources in Burma said the government is now focused on granting citizenship rights on third generation Rohingya, but has yet to decide what to do with several hundred thousand first and second generation Rohingya who are regarded as Bengali immigrants by local Rakhine Buddhists. The government is also understood to be considering whether to accept the Rohingya as a 'national race', but progress is expected to be slow because of Rakhine opposition. "Lots of people are being denied basic rights of citizenship to which they are entitled….and it undermines the rule of law," said one source.
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The Irrawaddy - Violence Taking Major Toll on Arakan Economy
By NYEIN NYEIN / THE IRRAWADDY| November 1, 2012 |

Months of communal clashes in Arakan State have already claimed scores of lives and thousands of homes, but now they’re creating another casualty: an economy that is struggling to recover from the worst outbreak of violence in decades.

Traders in the state say that business has dropped by half since ethnic Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims started attacking each other in June. Unemployment is also rampant, as tens of thousands have lost not only their homes, but also their livelihoods.

Besides the loss of lives, property and jobs, the greatest problem facing the state’s economy now is continuing insecurity, which affects everything from fishing and agriculture to transport and construction.

Transport companies plying the roads linking the state to other parts of the country say they must now travel in convoys, often with security forces as escorts, as they pass through Mrauk-U and Minbya townships, the scene of the latest intense flareup of hostilities.

“It’s taking a lot longer to make the trip,” said Thar Htun Hla, the owner of a shipping company that carries goods from Rangoon to the Arakan State capital Sittwe. “Before it took about three days, but now it takes at least an extra day.”

While trucks continue to bring medical supplies and other necessities to Arakan State to help cope with the aftermath of the clashes, traffic in the opposite direction has fallen off dramatically.

As a coastal state, one of Arakan biggest money-earners is seafood, a product that is consumed in many parts of the country. Now, however, fishermen are too fearful to go out to sea, as tensions between the Buddhist and Muslim communities—which both engage in commercial fishing—remain high.

“There has been a sharp decrease in the supply shrimp, fish and crabs since June,” said Myo Swe, a businessman who regularly travels between Rangoon and Sittwe.

Agriculture has also suffered, as farmers stay away from their fields for fear of being targeted. In Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, where riots first broke out in June, farmers were unable to plant rice, while last week’s violence has prevented many from harvesting their crops.

However, when contacted by The Irrawaddy on Thursday, an official from the state’s Agriculture, Livestock and Breeding Ministry declined to comment on the impact of the fighting, saying the state’s chief minister is still surveying the damage.

Although it’s difficult to put an exact price tag on the effects of more than four months of intermittent mob violence and persistent tensions between the state’s two largest communities, anecdotal evidence suggests that the final tally will be high.

“Several Arakanese businessmen I spoke to said they have already lost about US $3-4 million since the fighting started,” said Aung Naing Oo, a member of a government-appointed commission formed in mid-August to probe the causes of the conflict.

He added that this probably represents only a small fraction of the overall impact. “The amount would be much higher if small- and medium-sized businesses were included,” he said.

Border trade with Bangladesh has also taken a hit. The scarcity of commodities to trade and Bangladesh’s determination to keep out Rohingya refugees fleeing from the violence has brought cross-border commercial activity almost to a standstill.

“I’ve heard that even cow and wood smugglers are suffering, because their illegal trade routes have also been closed,” said Myo Swe.
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The Irrawaddy - Thousand Interrogated for Arakan Strife Role
By NYEIN NYEIN / THE IRRAWADDY| November 1, 2012 |

More than 1,000 people are being detained for questioning regarding the recent sectarian conflict in Arakan (Rakhine) State which so far has claimed at least 89 lives, according to President’s Office Director Zaw Htay.

The government announced on Wednesday that there is evidence of groups and individuals behind the communal violence in western Burma and action would be taken against those found guilty of instigating the unrest.

Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that those responsible would be exposed in due course, but declined to elaborate exactly when that would be. “We will announce the facts when the time comes,” he said. “We have not set any date for how long the investigation will take and when the results will be released.”

The government statement said that the renewed wave of unrest threatened national security as it “showed signs of evolving into armed conflict.” A total of 180 percussion-lock firearms were seized during the strife, which began on Oct. 21 and resulted in 89 deaths, 136 wounded, 5,351 houses burnt down and 32,231 people left homeless, according to official figures.

In contrast, local people said that many deaths and injuries were caused by police and soldiers shooting into crowds.

Meanwhile, the state media ordered “saboteurs” to hand over “swords, bayonets and arms” to local security personnel within three days. Otherwise, the Arakan State Police Force will take legal action against transgressors under section 4 (d) of the Arms Act (1878), which prohibits holding “guns, bayonets, swords, daggers, spears, bows and arrows, arms and things related to arms.”

Naypyidaw has formed several investigation committees regarding the ongoing conflict in Arakan State since violence first flared in June, but no official report has been published so far. The government announcement also accused political parties, ceasefire groups and local and foreign organizations of encouraging local people “to commit mob threats, terrorist attacks and violence and arson attacks.”

Phay Than, a Lower House MP for the Rakhines Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), said the government’s accusation that ethnic parties are behind the violence was nothing new as the former military regime would often blame social unrest on minority groups.

“Our parties did not instigate the conflicts in Rakhine, we are even cooperating with the government to solve the problem,” he said. “We want the investigation in accordance with the law and hope that the government will provide peace and stability in the region.”

“I urge the government to let Muslims travel. They should not be locked only in Arakan State, but should be allowed to travel within the whole of Burma in accordance with the 1982 citizenship law,” added Phay Than.

“Similarly, the conflict will be reduced if the authorities act in accordance with the law regarding illegal immigrants.”

Although the government announcement did not specifically name any party or group, the Arakan Liberation Party is an organization which has recently signed a ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw.

Political parties present in Arakan State include: the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, RNDP, National Unity Party, Rakhine State National Force of Myanmar, Mro National Party, Kaman National Progressive Party, Khami National Development Party, Mro or Khami National Solidarity Organization, which were registered in 2010, and Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), re-registered in 2012.

The ALD, which came in third place during the annulled 1990 general election, also issued a statement last Thursday saying that foreign groups masterminded the recent conflict but did provide any names.
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The Irrawaddy - Sir Cliff Enjoys Burmese ‘Summer Holiday’
By AYE CHAN MYATE / THE IRRAWADDY| November 1, 2012 |

One of the world’s most famous artists, Sir Cliff Richard, left Burma on Thursday after a mellow 10-day vacation touring the country.

The British pop singer arrived in Rangoon on Oct. 22 and visited popular tourist spots such as Bagan in central Burma and Inle Lake in Shan State, Tour Mandalay travel agency, which was responsible for all arrangements during his stay, told The Irrawaddy.

Looking much younger than his 72 years, Sir Cliff met with some The Irrawaddy reporters in his hotel in Rangoon but was unable to give an exclusive interview as he was suffering from a kidney complaint and needed rest.

However, the spritely songwriter did use his Facebook page to praise Burma and revealed that his father was actually born in the country.

“It has been an amazing journey so far … so interesting and full of amazing sights,” he said.
“The people here are so friendly and accepting. I look forward to what each day brings!”

Sir Cliff made his trip with three other companions who are all in their 70s. One of them, a woman, has a bit of Burmese blood. On Wednesday, she visited Thanlyin, a major port city located opposite Rangoon where her relatives currently reside, and the pop singer also accompanied her.

“Coincidently, my wife and the woman are relatives. They suddenly showed up at my house around midday,” said Peter Aung, a member of a social network called Lut Lat Nyein Chan Pan Ye Lan, which roughly translates as “Freedom and Peaceful Road by the Flowers.”

He added that Sir Cliff was very interested in hearing about his group’s activities and offered praise for what they had achieved. On his way back to London, the legendary crooner will reportedly stopover in Vietnam.

Apart from being a pop singer, musician, performer and actor, the “Summer Holiday” star has also been active in philanthropic works.

With a 54-year career still in full flow, Sir Cliff is the third biggest selling singles artist in the United Kingdom of all time after The Beatles and Elvis Presley. He also holds the record for having UK number one hits in five consecutive decades.

Nevertheless, Sir Cliff—who famously entertained tennis crowds during a rain-soaked Wimbledon tournament in 1996 with a spontaneous mini-concert—never matched his success in the United States, despite eight US Top 40 singles including the million-selling “Devil Woman” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
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Abuses, land grabs ongoing in Burma, says NGO
Thursday, 01 November 2012 17:01 Mizzima News

While the political landscape in Burma has undergone noticeable shifts in recent months, human rights violations persist throughout the country, said a Chiang Mai-based rights group in a report on Thursday.

The Network for Human Rights Documentation– Burma (ND- Burma) said in its half-yearly report that issues relating to the civil war in ethnic areas, most notably forced labor, the use of child soldiers, torture and ill-treatment “remain grave concerns.”

Over the period of April-September 2012, ND-Burma said it had documented 114 cases of human rights violations at the hands of the USDP-led government and its supporters, which it said included 27 cases of forced labor, 26 cases of land confiscation and 21 cases of torture.

The report also highlighted the issue of land confiscation and forced relocation by the Burmese government.

“Recent events, including the arrests and beatings of farmers protesting the forced relocation of landowners from 66 villages for the Latpadaung copper mine, underline the ongoing human rights violations by the Burmese government,” said ND- Burma.

Quoting the Asian Human Rights Commission, the group said that land grabbing is a direct result of “the convergence of the military, government agents and business.”

It said that the Asian Legal Resource Centre has also noted the trend when it stated: “Almost daily, news media carry reports of people being forced out of their houses or losing agricultural land to state-backed projects, sometimes being offered paltry compensation, sometimes nothing.”

The 2012 Farmland Law presented an opportunity to address land seizures, ND- Burma said, however, according to the ALRC: “Far from reducing the prospects of land-grabbing, the Farmland Law opens the door to confiscation of agricultural land on any pretext associated with a state project or the ‘national interest.’”

ND- Burma noted that the formation of a Land Investigation Committee by the Burmese government has done little to alleviate concerns.

Ko Phoe Phyu, a lawyer and leading advocate against land-grabbing in Burma, reportedly expressed doubt in an interview with ND-Burma. “In the case of the Parliament’s [Land Investigation] committee, it can’t even decide whether or not the Union Government’s actions are in conformity with the law. I think they are trying to find another solution that doesn’t reflect the reality.”

ND- Burma is an umbrella group of Burma-related NGOs, youth groups and women’s groups based in Thailand. Its members include EarthRights International and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners- Burma, as well as Kachin, Chin, Palaung and Arakan NGOs.
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Gov't, KIO agree to political dialogue
Thursday, 01 November 2012 16:54 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) have agreed to begin political dialogue this coming month, according to KIO spokesman La Mai Gum Ja.

The announcement came following preliminary peace talks on October 30 in the Chinese town of Ruili where a delegation from Naypyidaw led by President’s Office Minister Aung Min met with KIO representatives headed by Kachin politician Sumlut Gam.

“We have agreed to continue political negotiations,” said Gum Ja. “Assuming our central committee agrees to the proposal, we will meet in November at a venue inside Burma.”

He said the two sides have agreed that the next meeting will be held in either Myitkyina or Bhamo in Kachin State or Muse in Shan State.

The nine Kachin delegates at Tuesday’s conference included Sumlut Gam, Lt-Col. Lahpai La, Lt-Col. Ji Nawng, Col. Lahpai Zau Raw, Lt-Col. Zau Tawng, and Marip Naw Htoi from the KIO’s Education Department.

Naypyidaw was represented by 11 delegates, including: Minister Aung Min; Brig-Gen. Tun Tun Naung, the head of Northern Command; Kachin State Prime Minister La John Ngan Sai; Kachin State Minister for Border and Security Affairs Col. Than Aung; and Kachin State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Ohn Myint.

More than 20 reporters from Burma covered the Ruili conference. KIO spokesman Gum Ja said that it was a “fruitful meeting” because agreement was reached to continue talks and to proceed with political dialogue.

Tuesday’s meeting in China’s Yunnan Province was the first such round of negotiations in four months between the two sides following three preliminary meetings in Lweje Township in Kachin State.
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Intermediate education: a way to create a young workforce in Burma
Thursday, 01 November 2012 15:06 Myat Thu Pan

(Commentary) – One of the most cost effective and efficient ways the US creates a young, entry-level labor force is not found in the traditional universities that offer four-year degrees.

It is the ubiquitous community colleges or junior college systemlocated all over the country, in every county and in every state.

They produce an incredible work force of twenty to thirty year olds. It's a two-year diploma course with the opportunity to go on to a four-year college degree if the student makes the grades.

Burma should look at this intermediate US education system, because Burma already has a wide network of regional colleges across the nation and many of them are under used yet piling up expenses.

If some of the underused schools can be converted into a modified version of the community college system and add some vocational training components,Burma, in a short time,could soon have a viable young labor force all over the country.

Courses in these American community colleges run from basic education like English, math, science, biology, etc., but what is most effective is that the colleges have also offer excellent vocational training course such as carpentry, auto mechanics, small machinery and engine repair, agricultural, animal husbandry, forestry, plumbing, how to start a small business, book keeping, accounting and so on.

Many graduates can find entry-level jobs right away because they have already apprenticed with local businesses during the training.

The teachers are university graduates with teaching credentials. These are state-funded colleges and students can also apply for student loans in the US, which they repay with interest when they are employed. Grants from local businesses and scholarships also help students to stay in school.

Burma already has a many regional colleges, which should be able to accommodate two-year diploma courses and develop vocational training courses. The latter will be the most cost effective, as the colleges will serve the lower middle class and young rural population.

To encourage domestic small-scale industries, courses could offer weaving, sewing, food preserving and, homemaking courses for young women. And when the micro financing is in place in most districts these graduates can learn how to set up their own business.

Micro financing in some countries also create cooperatives for women and young men to set up business. The Thai Girl Guides Association has projects in the rural areas helping women set up cooperatives in sewing, food preservations, etc. The same can be done for young people through NGOs in the rural areas.

Linking NGOs and the community colleges could facilitate micro economic growth for the rural population.

The planning for such aventure should start now before the young rural population begins a massive exodus to the mega-industrial zones that are being planned in large cities, which can lead to massive overcrowding and major urbanization problems.
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DVB News - MP’s associate accuses party chair of defamation during hearing
By AYE NAI
Published: 1 November 2012

The sixth court hearing for the defamation lawsuit filed by parliamentarian Khin Shwe’s Zaykabar company against Peace and Diversity Party’s leader Nay Myo Wei convened at Rangoon’s Mingalardon township yesterday.

The Zaykabar company, which has been locked in a legal dispute with farmers in Rangoon division over the alleged confiscation of land, filed the defamation suit on 23 July against Nay Myo Wei, who has been providing the affected farmers with legal aid.

Zaykabar’s manager Myint Zaw testified in front of the court on Wednesday and accused Nay Myo Wei of making speeches and distributing leaflets deemed defamatory by the company.

“Myint Zaw said: ‘Nay Myo Wei only got involved in 2011 so he might not know if there were successful negotiations previously’ and that I said things to the farmers that was harmful to the company’s image and his,” said Nay Myo Wei during an interview with DVB.

According to Nay Myo Wei, his attorney asked Myint Zaw if the company’s confiscation of the farmers property violated the country’s existing land laws.

“He was called to submit evidence that the company didn’t violate the 1953 Land Nationalisation Act and he said it was not possible for now,” said Nay Myo Wei.

The next court hearing has been set for 14 November.

Last year, Zaykabar appropriated 800 acres of land from locals in Hlaingtharyar township to make way for an industrial project. The company offered farmers 300,000 Kyat in compensation per acre.

After receiving several complaints from the farmers, state authorities told the company to suspend their project, but the orders were ignored.

With Burma primed for massive investment following the continual removal of western sanctions, land grabs have been on the rise amid the country’s shaky legal infrastructure that experts say allows for forced relocation to continue.

Currently, most farmers are ostensibly tenants on their land, and are forced to share a portion of revenue with the government. Since the scandal arose, the farmers have lost their tenant status.

However, local farmers are feeling increasingly empowered in the absence of military rule to stand up against development projects that threaten to forcibly remove them off their land.

In July, about 200 farmers took to the streets in Rangoon to protest against the Zaykabar Company’s alleged confiscation of their land after receiving the green light from authorities to rally, in what was the first legal demonstration in Burma since the military coup in 1962.
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DVB News - Former Thai prime minister to visit Burma next week
Published: 1 November 2012

According to a report in the Bangkok Post, former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is scheduled to visit Tachilek, Burma next week.

Thousands of the former leader’s supporters are likely to cross the border to attend Thaksin’s rally. Tachilek resides on the Thai-Burma border and is directly north of Chiang Rai province, a red shirt stronghold.

Thaksin’s legal adviser Noppadon Pattama is set to announce the details of the former leader’s visit to Burma at the Pheu Thai Party’s headquarters on Friday.

After being convicted of corruption and sentenced to two years in prison in absentia, the fugitive former Thai prime minister has held several rallies in neighbouring countries in the last year. Last December, Thaksin met with retired Burmese junta Than Shwe during a visit to Burma.
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