Military opposes 436 changeSenior Tatmadaw MP speaks out against the proposed removal of the militarys veto on constitutional change, dimming hopes that the first of two amendment bills will be approved at a vote in parliament on June 25. NEWS 3

WWW.MMTIMES.COM DAILY EDITION ISSUE 71 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

500Ks.

HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

NEWS 3

Government calls on Kokang to surrenderMinister for the Presidents Office U Hla Tun conveyed a surrender offer during a visit to Laukkai on June 20, while peace negotiators have met in Yangon in an attempt to restart stalled nationwide ceasefire talks.

NEWS 6

Kachin group considers ICJ over teacher deathsThe Kachin Baptist Convention has threatened to lobby the International Court of Justice over the deaths of two Kachin teachers in January, as a government investigation appears to have ground to a halt.

BUSINESS 8

Global Treasure Bank stays above waterTwo years after transitioning to private ownership, the former Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries Development Bank is modernising and taking advantage of its large branch network.

BUSINESS 9

Military officers back Save Shwedagon campaignThe campaign against five property projects near Shwedagon Pagoda has reportedly received support from two high-ranking military officers, but developers say they are still awaiting official notice from the government.

Is the sun setting on Bagans hot-air balloons?

One of Bagans most popular attractions is under threat, with the culture ministry requesting the Presidents Office to ban flights in the area due to concerns of possible collisions with pagodas, despite none having been reported since flights

began more than a decade ago.

FULL REPORT NEWS 4

A hot-air balloon rides high above Bagans temples in February 2014. Photo: AFP

Former white-card holders cut from Rakhine voter lists

RAKHINE State electoral officials have posted voter lists for public inspection ahead of the November general elec-tions and, as expected, several hundred thousand Rohingya Muslims who hold only temporary ID documents had their disenfranchisement confirmed.

Sittwe district election sub-commis-sion chair U Oo Tun Thar said yester-day the electoral rolls did not include former white-card holders.

In the past they had been permit-ted to vote in both elections [2010 gen-eral election and 2012 by-election]. But now they are no longer allowed to do so. Thats why we dont include them in the eligible voter lists, he said.

In February, the government de-clared the documents invalid from March 31 under pressure from Bud-dhist nationalists, while parliament has since amended electoral laws to remove voting rights for white-card holders. The Constitutional Tribunal has also ruled that temporary ID hold-ers cannot vote.

In Sittwe, election officials with loudspeakers and public announce-

ments urged residents to turn out and check that their names and data were correctly presented on the lists.

But Ko Soe Naing, a Sittwe resident, said public interest seemed to be low. We are fed up with the political par-ties self-interest-oriented politics. That may be a reason for less people out there checking their lists.

But he also said ethnic Rakhines were keeping an eye on the lists to ensure that former white-card hold-ers were excluded. Many people are interested in that matter. If they are included, that could be manipulation, he said.

Disenfranchisement of the Rohin-gya community could help the Rakhine National Party, dominated by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, achieve its goal of sweeping all seats in the state in No-vember, both for the national parlia-ment and the state assembly.

The National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has little support in Rakhine, where it is seen as representing the interests of the coun-trys Bamar majority. While she is criti-cised internationally for not speaking out about abuses against the Rohingya, she is conversely seen in Rakhine State as being too sympathetic to the Ro-hingya cause.

The ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party is also widely dis-trusted but won some seats there in

2010, largely by rallying Muslim voters to its side.

Most of the white-card holders in Rakhine State are stateless Muslims who identify as Rohingya, but are offi-cially referred to by the government as Bengali. When it announced the can-cellation of the white cards, the govern-ment also ordered that all temporary ID holders in the country should hand in their documents by May 31 to be

eligible to apply for citizenship if they fulfil the legal criteria. The government had said there were 666,831 white

cards issued in the state.One former white-card holder in

a camp in Sittwe for Muslims driven from their homes in inter-communal violence in 2012 said he did not believe his name would be on the voter list.

As the Constitutional Tribunal had decided that granting white-card hold-ers a voting right was unconstitutional, I dont have much expectation over the voter lists, the man, who requested anonymity, told The Myanmar Times yesterday.

Leaders of the Arakan National Party were active in parliament in ensuring the disenfranchisement of white-card holders in a direct rebuff to President U Thein Sein, who had proposed earlier in February that they should be granted voting rights in a planned constitutional referendum.

The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based NGO, said in April that stripping them of their eligibility sev-ers the last link that many Muslims in Rakhine State feel they have with po-litical life, with potentially serious im-plications for medium-term stability in that region.

Rakhine was one of several states and regions, including 21 townships in Yangon, to post electoral rolls on June 22 for a two-week period when the pub-lic can check their names and data are entered correctly. Corrected lists will be issued again in August for inspection.

LUN MIN MANG

lunmin.lm@gmail.com

We are fed up with the political parties self-interest-oriented politics. That may be a reason for less people out there checking their lists.

Ko Soe Naing Sittwe resident

An Aung Mingalar resident checks for his name on the voting list at the ward administration office in Sittwe on June 22. Photo: Kaung Htet

UEC rejects call for more time on voter lists

THE Union Election Commis-sion has rejected calls from the National League for Democracy to extend the period for voters to check electoral rolls are accurate, insisting the two-week window is long enough.

The rolls went on display in ward offices across 10 states and regions on June 22, and voters will have until July 5 to ensure their accuracy. Errors can be corrected by submitting the rel-evant form to the ward office.

But U Tun Tun Hein, who leads the NLDs committee for analysing voter lists, said yester-day that more time was needed.

We cant fix all the mistakes within 14 days because there are just so many, he said. It is time-consuming work. We are asking questions to get the real data by going door to door.

On June 3, the NLD released an open letter to the UEC saying voter lists that went on display in the second phase of the electoral roll project featured error rates ranging from 30 to 80 percent.

Mistakes across the 22 town-ships included about 600 people from two wards being left off in Kyauktan township, while 70 peo-ple in Hlaing Tharyar township were listed at the same address.

But UEC member U Win Kyi said 14 days was enough.

In the 2010 and 2012 elec-tions we gave only seven days. Now, we are giving more and it is only the provisional list. We will announce the final list after the election date is announced and voters will have another chance to correct it, he said yesterday.

Its up to the people to cor-rect the voter lists themselves. If we announced that instead of putting voter lists on display we were going to give out mobile phones, you can be sure there would be plenty of people at the ward offices jostling each other.

While lack of time is an issue, Ma Shwe Yee Win, founder of the voter education NGO Peace and Justice Myanmar, said the biggest problem was lack of interest from the public.

U Win Kyi said voter lists for military and police personnel and their families would only be released after the election date is announced in August. He de-clined to say why they had been excluded from the current voter list display program.

KYAW PHONE KYAWk.phonekyaw@gmail.com

News 3www.mmtimes.com NEWS EDITOR: Thomas Kean | tdkean@gmail.com

Government calls on ethnic Kokang rebels to surrender

Tatmadaw soldiers march along a deserted road in the border town of Chin Shwe Haw, in the Kokang self-administered zone of northern Shan State, on February 16. Photo: EPAExpectations

dip as army MP opposes loss of veto

A PROPOSAL to scale back the mil-itarys grip on the constitution hit a roadblock yesterday during the first of three days of debate, with a military MP objecting to a plan that would see the threshold for amend-ments lowered from 75 percent of MPs to 70pc.

The opposition from Brigadier General Tin San Naing suggests that the military bloc is likely to vote against the bill on June 25, although some MPs still expressed

hope that they could convince their Tatmadaw counterparts to vote in favour of the changes.

NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was less optimistic, saying after the debate that the militarys oppo-sition to amending section 436 had been expected.

I have already said that we have a different view [from the mili-tary], she said. The military repre-sentatives had said they would not change section 436 and now they discussed as they said.

Earlier, Brig Gen Tin San Naing said that if the military gives up its veto it will allow civilian MPs to introduce repeated changes that will destroy the essence of the 2008 constitution.

I would like to propose not mak-ing any changes to the threshold for constitutional change, he said, adding that this was necessary to maintain the order and stability of the state and to protect the national interest in the democratic transition period. Myanmar still has no ma-ture democratic practice, he added.

The comments came amid ro-bust debate over the amendment bill, which was submitted to parlia-ment on June 10 by senior members of the Union Solidarity and Devel-opment Party (USDP).

The bill focuses on sections 436 and 59(f), which state the process for amending the constitution and eligibility requirements for the presidency. If approved by parlia-ment, the changes would also re-quire the support of at least 50pc of all eligible voters at a national referendum. It also contains chang-es to 60(c) that would require the president and vice presidents to be

selected from among elected MPs. A separate bill containing changes to sections that require only parlia-mentary approval will be debated at a later date.

Thirty-nine MPs were approved to take part in three days of debate before the June 25 vote. Of these, 15 took the floor yesterday, including four from the USDP, five from the NLD, five from ethnic minority par-ties and one from the military.

Representatives from the USDP supported lowering the threshold to 70pc, while NLD and ethnic mi-nority MPs suggested it be reduced to two-thirds of all MPs.

The NLD also called for the an-nulment of section 59(f) in its en-tirety a move that would make Daw Aung San Suu Kyi eligible for the presidency.

U Win Myint, the partys MP for Pathein, said no such restrictions for presidential candidates were includ-ed in either the 1947 or 1974 consti-tutions, and section 59(f) had been included with the intention to bar someone from the presidency.

He added that there should be more flexibility to amend the constitution, and that failure to make the necessary changes to the charter could put the country in danger. We cannot say we are mov-ing toward democracy and will not be able to be a unified state unless 59(f) is deleted and changes are also made to section 436, U Win Myint said.

USDP representative U Tin Maung Oo said the constitution was essentially written 12 years ago and no longer suitable for Myanmar.

Despite the support of the USDP, which controls a majority of seats in parliament, the bill will still re-quire military support.

As civilian MPs debated what form constitutional change should take, Brig Gen Tin San Naings com-ments were a stark reminder that the fate of the amendment bill is solely in the hands of the military.

Most MPs agreed after the de-bate that 436 was unlikely to be amended on June 25 an outcome that would have significant implica-tions when other proposed amend-ments are debated.

It mainly depends on the will of the military, said U Tin Maung Oo. If we look back at todays discus-sion, we can see it is very difficult to change. We understand that our suggestions may have no effect dur-ing this parliament that the 25pc of military MPs will remain here, and the threshold for constitutional change will not be lowered but we want to change [the constitution] step by step.

U Aye Maung from the Rakhine National Party was more bullish, saying that only change would save what the Tatmadaw had created.

The Tatmadaw should accept that change is needed to save the 2008 constitution, he said.

The debate will continue today with 18 more MPs taking the floor, while remainder will speak prior to the vote on June 25.

THE government has called on eth-nic Chinese insurgents in the Kokang region to lay down their arms and surrender in exchange for an offer of peace talks.

The tough response to the rebels June 11 unilateral ceasefire declara-tion came amid signs of a possible revival of the stalled nationwide cease-fire process as the governments chief negotiator met in Yangon for the first time with members of a new negotiat-ing team representing 16 armed ethnic groups.

Demands by ethnic leaders that the three groups fighting in Kokang be in-cluded in a nationwide ceasefire pact have been one of several factors block-ing progress with the government since a draft agreement was signed on March 31.

But U Zaw Htay, director of the Presidents Office, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that peace talks on the Kokang conflict were possible only after the insurgents sign a surrender treaty.

We will not offer a peace deal to Kokang rebels. We have no pressure from China. They have no authority to put pressure on us. But China does put pressure on the Kokang rebels, he said.

The Tatmadaw has continued of-fensives against the Myanmar Na-tional Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) since the groups unilateral ceasefire declaration on June 11. More than four months of intense conflict in northern Shan State has sent tens of thousands of mostly ethnic Chinese

civilians fleeing into China. The MNDAA said at the time it was

responding to intense requests by the Chinese government for stability on the border and the need to allow people to take part in Novembers gen-eral elections.

U Kyaw Ni Naing, the Pyithu Hlut-taw MP for Kokangs Laukkai town-ship, said the governments call on the MNDAA to lay down its arms was con-veyed by U Hla Tun, a minister in the Presidents Office, during a meeting with about 1000 civilians displaced by the conflict in Laukkai on June 20.

U Hla Tun is chair of a recently formed government committee on

resettlement and development in Ko-kang, which was a self-administered area until martial law was declared on February 17.

In order to restore the original conditions in Kokang self-adminis-tered area and for developments of the area, it needs peace. Thats why the minister urged the Kokang armed group to consider peace, said U Kyaw Ni Naing, who is a member of the committee.

In Yangon, meanwhile, talks on the nationwide ceasefire brought together three members of the armed ethnic groups new negotiating team, which was formed on June 9. The trio met Minister U Aung Min, who is chair of the governments Union Peace-making Work Committee, along with Minister for Immigration and Population U Khin Yi and Minister for Border Af-fairs Lieutenant General Thet Naing Win.

After nearly 18 months of talks with the ethnic leaders previous ne-gotiating team, the government had initially indicated its reluctance to meet the new 15-strong delegation, some of whose members are regarded as hardliners.

Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win, one of the ethnic negotiators, told The My-anmar Times that the meeting, held on June 22, had discussed 15 amend-ments to the nationwide ceasefire ac-cord (NCA) proposed by the ethnic groups. The amendments have not been made public.

Some of the text needed to be re-phrased, some deleted and two facts needed to be added, he said. Word-ing needs to be clear and specific.

He did not give details of the facts to be added, except that they would strengthen the agreement in the in-terim period.

The previous contents were not so strong. We are just enhancing the contents of the [nationwide ceasefire] with the intention not to create con-troversies in future, he said.

He said the mandate of the old Na-tionwide Ceasefire Coordination Team was not much different from the new senior delegation team, which was appointed mainly to coordinate the 15 proposed amendments.

We will not offer a peace deal to Kokang rebels. We have no pressure from China.

U Zaw Htay Presidents Office

The question of Kokang inclusion has been a major stumbling block in the peace talks

LUN MIN MANGlunmin.lm@gmail.comYE MONyeemontun2013@gmail.com

EI EI TOE LWIN HTOO THANT

CONSTITUTION

Military representatives say they worry civilian MPs will destroy the essence of the 2008 constitution

39MPs who will debate proposed

changes to sections 436 and 59(f) before a vote is held on June 25

4 News THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 24, 2015

Chief Executive OfficerTony Childtonychild.mcm@gmail.comEditorial Director U Thiha Saweditorial.director.mcm@gmail.comDeputy Chief Operating Officer Tin Moe Aungtinmoeaung.mcm@gmail.com

EDITORIALEditor MTE Thomas Keantdkean@gmail.comEditor MTM Sann Oosannoo@gmail.comChief of Staff Zaw Win Thanzawwinthan@gmail.comEditor Special Publications Myo Lwinmyolwin286@gmail.comEditor-at-Large Douglas Longdlong125@gmail.com

News Editor MTE Guy Dinmoreguydinmore@gmail.comBusiness Editor MTE Jeremy Mullinsjeremymullins7@gmail.comWorld Editor MTE Fiona MacGregor, Kayleigh LongThe Pulse Editor MTE Charlotte Rosecharlottelola.rose@gmail.comSport Editor MTE Matt Roebuckmatt.d.roebuck@googlemail.comSpecial Publications Editor MTE Wade Guyittwadeguyitt@gmail.comRegional Affairs Correspondent Roger Mitton rogermitton@gmail.comSub-Editors Peter Swarbrick, Laignee Barron

Chief Sub Editor MTM Aye Sapay PhyuBusiness & Property Editor MTM Tin Moe Aungtinmoeaung.mcm@gmail.comTimeout Editor MTM Moh Moh Thawmohthaw@gmail.com

MCM BUREAUSNews Editors (Mandalay) Khin Su Wai, Phyo Wai KyawNay Pyi Taw Bureau Chief Hsu Hlaing Htunhsuhlainghtun.mcm@gmail.com

DIGITAL/ONLINEOnline Editors Eli Meixler, Thet Hlaingelimeixler@gmail.com, thet202@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHICSDirector Kaung HtetPhotographers Aung Htay Hlaing, Thiri, Zarni Phyo

PRODUCTIONzarnicj@gmail.comArt Director Tin Zaw HtwayProduction Manager Zarni

MCM PRINTINGPrinting Director Han TunFactory Administrator Aung Kyaw Oo (3)Factory Foreman Tin Win

SALES & MARKETINGads.myanmartimes@gmail.comDeputy National Sales Directors Chan Tha Oo, Nay Myo Oo, Nandar Khine, Nyi Nyi TunClassifieds Manager Khin Mon Mon Yiclassified.mcm@gmail.comBusiness Development Director Stuart Alan Becker

ADMIN, FINANCE & SYSTEMSChief Financial Officer Mon Mon Tha Saingmonmonthasaing@gmail.comDeputy HR Director Khine Su Yinkhinesu1988@gmail.comDirector of IT/Systems Kyaw Zay Yar Linkyawzayarlin@gmail.com

Publisher U Thiha (Thiha Saw), 01021 Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd. CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTIONYangon - subscribe.mt@gmail.comMandalay - mdydistribution.mcm@gmail.comNay Pyi Taw - nptdistribution.mcm@gmail.com

ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIESTelephone: (01) 253 642, 392 928Facsimile: (01) 254 158

The Myanmar Times is owned by Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd and printed by Myanmar Times Press (00876) with ap-proval from MCM Ltd and by Shwe Myanmar (P/00302) with approval from MCM Ltd. The title The Myanmar Times, in either English or Myanmar languages, its associated logos or devices and the contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the Managing Director of Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.

Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd.www.mmtimes.com

Head Office: 379/383 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar.Telephone: (01) 253 642, 253 651, 392808Facsimile: (01) 254 158, 392 928

Mandalay Bureau: No. 20, 71st Street, Between 28th street and 29th Street, Chan Aye Thar San Township.Tel: (02) 24450, 24460, 65391. Fax: (02) 74585.Email: mdybranch@myanmartimes.com.mm

Nay Pyi Taw Bureau: No (15/496) Yaza Htarni Road, Paung Laung (2)Q, Pyinmana.Tel: (067) 25982, 25983, 25309, 21426Email: capitalbureau@myanmartimes.com.mm

Culture ministry deflates firms offering balloon rides in Bagan

THE image of balloons over Bagan could be at risk if the Ministry of Cul-ture has its way. The ministry has asked the Presidents Office to stop the hot-air balloons from flying low over the citys fabled pagodas in case they do damage.

No balloon-pagoda collisions have occurred, at least in the past 10 years, say local hoteliers and operators, but the ministry is still concerned at the apparent risk.

The bud-like ornament above the vane of the pagoda could be damaged by a balloon flying low above it, as customers sometimes request. Thats why we prefer to set flight patterns that do not pass over the pagodas, the deputy director general of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library, U Thein Lwin,

told The Myanmar Times.He said no reply had yet been re-

ceived from the Presidents Office to the request from his ministry to ban overflights.

U Myo Win Nyunt, director of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, said his ministry was in discussions with the Ministry of Culture, the Depart-ment of Civil Aviation and ballooning

companies over possible regulation of the airspace above the pagodas.

He said the compliance of balloon-ing companies with such regulation would be a requirement of their licence, once the rules had been laid down. The regulations will be announced be-fore the high season, he said.

The new rules would primarily af-fect three companies: Balloons Over Bagan, which has been operating flights in Bagan since 1999; Oriental Balloon-ing, which launched in late 2013; and Golden Eagle Ballooning, which began flights in November last year.

Curtailing the balloon rides would be a major blow to the local tourism industry, as balloon flights have been a popular and lucrative activity for visitors to Bagan.

All three companies receive high customer ratings on Tripadvisor, de-spite charging hundreds of dollars for each flight.

Balloons Over Bagan did not re-spond to requests for comment by deadline, but Daw Ni Ni Khaing, opera-tions manager at Oriental Ballooning,

said discussions were continuing over the possible rule change.

We are still discussing it with the Ministry of Culture, the DCA and the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. We cant say yet what will happen, she said, adding that her company had not had any incidents in its three years of flying at Bagan.

U Zaw Weik, secretary of the Bagan Hoteliers Association, said there had been no ballooning accidents over the city in the past decade. But I cant say it wont happen in the future, he said, adding that the association would not object to tighter regulation.

The ban reflects a new assertive-ness from the Ministry of Culture to protect ancient heritage sites, after years of laissez-faire development in which well-connected developers were allowed to build hotels in sensitive her-itage areas.

As The Myanmar Times reported in May, the ministry has decided to take action against hotels built illegal-ly within the ancient city and temple complex during military rule.

EI EI THU

91.eieithu@gmail.com

Hot air balloons hover over Bagan on February 4, 2014. Photo: AFP

METEOROLOGISTS are predicting that El Nio could gather momentum in the coming months, intensifying from moderate to strong and in-creasing its influence on weather pat-terns in Myanmar and elsewhere.

El Nio is characterised by a warm-ing of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean that occurs once every four to seven years and affects weather across the globe.

Australias Bureau of Meteorology released a statement on June 23 not-ing that El Nio was consolidating

and continuing to strengthen. According to the statement, cen-

tral and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature indices are more than 1C above average for the sixth consecutive week, and interna-tional climate models surveyed by the Bureau of Meteorology indicate fur-ther consolidation is likely.

However, it added that El Nio events typically strengthen during the second half of the year and it is not possible at this stage to determine how strong this El Nio will be.

The World Meteorological Organi-sation (WMO) said on June 15 that the tropical Pacific atmosphere and

ocean are currently at moderate El Nio levels.

The majority of international El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate models suggest that tropi-cal Pacific temperatures are likely to continue warming, and possibly reach strong El Nio levels, in the coming months, it said.

However, model outlooks made at this time are not as accurate as those made during the second half of the year, and hence more confident esti-mates of event strength will be avail-able after mid-year.

U Kyaw Lwin Oo, director of the Department of Meteorology and

Hydrology, said in mid-May that a strengthening of El Nio in the com-ing months would mean that My-anmar would see drier-than-normal conditions during the post-monsoon, 2015-1016 winter and 2016 summer seasons.

On June 11, the weekly ENSO up-date of the Climate Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and At-mospheric Administration (NOAA) said that there was a greater than 90 percent chance that El Nio will continue in the northern hemisphere through the autumn 2015, and around an 85pc chance it will last through the 2015-2016 winter season.

El Nio could bring dry conditions to MyanmarAYE SAPAY PHYUayephyu2006@gmail.com

The bud-like ornament above the vane of the pagoda could be damaged by a balloon flying over it.

U Thein Lwin Department of Archaeology, National

Museum and Library

6 News THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 24, 2015

Two die in police chase

TWO men died in an incident in Tarm-we township on the night of June 21 which reportedly involved police cars chasing a motorbike. Two others were injured, and are now in Yangon Gen-eral Hospital undergoing emergency treatment.

As of June 22, Yangon Regional Police Force Media Unit were declin-ing to comment on what claimed to be an eyewitness report circulating on social media that suggested a collision had occurred in Awayar Road, outside Tarmwe tax-free market, involving the bike and up to three police cars.

Yangon Polices social network page said a police patrol had witnessed the motorbike crashing into a concrete light pole, apparently in an effort to avoid pursuit.

An unnamed person claiming to have witnessed the incident posted that the driver of the motorbike and one of the passengers died at the scene.

The four men on the motorbike were yesterday named as Ko Myo Min Htut, 25, Ko Soe Moe Thu, 22, and Pyae Phyo Shan, 20, all from Mingalar-don township; and Ko Aung Thu from Nay Pyi Taw.

Ko Myo Min Htut and Ko Aung Thu died at the scene. The other two have reportedly told police the four had been drinking beer in Shwe Pyi Thar township prior to the accident.

Tarmwe police said an investiga-tion was continuing.

Translation by Khant Lin Oo

TOE WAI AUNGlinnhtet.lt@gmail.com

MANDALAY

Local, foreign doctors to offer scoliosis treatment

YOUNG people suffering from spinal complaints could receive free treat-ment under a program launched by Mandalay Orthopaedic Hospital. The scheme is offered in collabora-tion with a team of French spinal surgeons.

The program is for the benefit of patients with scoliosis, a disease that entails distortion of the spine, and will focus on sufferers aged 14 to 20.

Eligible patients are being invited to register at the Lumbar Spinal Sur-gical Ward in Mandalay Orthopaedic Hospital in order to undergo surgery in mid-October, said associate profes-sor Dr Zaw Min Han.

We will perform the operations in collaboration with lumbar spinal surgeons from France, said Dr Zaw Min Han.

The condition requires a prelimi-nary CT scan and MRI. Most of the funding will be provided by donors, especially from France.

Registration is open on Wednes-days and Thursdays from 10am to 4pm, but not all patients applying will be selected for the operation.

French surgeons have been com-ing to Yangon and providing treat-ment twice a year for the past eight years. But this will be the first time they will have come to Mandalay. Our hospital treats lumbar bone problems resulting from injury or from TB, he added.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun

PHYO WAI KYAWpwkyaw@gmail.com

A doctor looks at a CT scan of a patient with a spinal injury. Photo: Phyo Wai Kyaw

Frustration grows over the governments inability to solve the case of two Kachin women murdered in January

Kachin group considers ICJ case

FRUSTRATED at the slow pace of the official investigation, the Kachin Bap-tist Convention intends to lay a com-plaint before the International Court of Justice over the rape and murder of two female volunteer teachers in Muse township last January 19.

The threat to file the case in the international court came as a member of the government investigation team conceded that it faced many restric-tions accessing potential suspects, in-cluding six from the military who it is currently seeking to interview.

KBC secretary Reverend Samson Hkalam told The Myanmar Times yesterday that his organisation would consult with lawyers in the coming week to prepare a case file for possible submission to the ICJ next month.

We think the government investi-gation commission cannot solve this case. They have made little or no pro-gress, and just tell us they are still in-vestigating, he said.

In the wake of the murders, the Shan State government launched an inves-tigation by forming a team comprising

two local police officers and staff from the General Administration Depart-ment and a local Peoples Militia.

The KBC formed its own investiga-tion team, composed of 15 Kachin le-gal experts and religious leaders.

Shan State police, government in-vestigators and the KBC team met in Muse June 22 to discuss the course of the investigation.

KBC spokesperson U Zaw Ra said yesterday that they had pressed for the interrogation of two army driv-ers, an officer and three soldiers of the Tatmadaws 503rd Light Infantry Regiment, which was camped just a few hundred metres from where the murders took place.

They are suspects. Those men left the crime scene at Kaung Khar vil-lage on the morning of January 20. We have already told the government team to question them, but they have

failed to do so. We consider this suspi-cious, he said.

A senior member of the govern-ment team said yesterday that it would seek to interview the six men in question.

We will negotiate with the Tat-madaw to interrogate these six people. We have no authority to interrogate them [without Tatmadaw permis-sion], he said.

He added that his team had faced many difficulties investigating the case.

The first is that this happened late at night, and then the crime scene was changed because it was touched by the villagers, he said.

The second is we have many re-strictions when we interviewed the villagers and [Tatmadaw] troops. The third is that we have limited security.

We have evidence and we know

the defendant but if we inform the KBC about the defendant, there could be religious conflict.

The team has previously said that DNA testing has cleared all Tatmad-aw soldiers who were in the area of involvement.

During a meeting with Kachin In-dependence Organisation leaders in March, armed forces commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the Tatmadaw was blameless in the matter, but promised to get to the truth.

The two female volunteers, Maran Lu Ra, 20, and Tangbau Hkwan Nan Tsin, 21, were working for the KBC in Kaung Khar village teaching children whose education had been disrupted by persistent fighting. Their naked bodies were found with stab wounds and head injuries after villagers re-ported hearing screams in the night.

YE MONyeemontun2013@gmail.com

If we inform the KBC about the defendant, there could be religious conflict.

Senior member, government investigation commission

Shwe Min Tha Foundation to launch disability project

A PROJECT to help disabled people receive more assistance and play a wider role in their communities has been launched in areas that have the highest proportion of disabled peo-ple in the country. U Myat Thu Win, president of the Shwe Min Tha Foun-dation (Myanmar), says the three-year project will also raise public awareness of the problems faced by people with disabilities.

The European Union is providing funding averaging US$120,000 for each of the three years, he said.

Most people are not aware of the difficulties disabled people face. They dont know how to help, he said.

The project will be implemented in Danubyu and Yegyi townships in Ayeyarwady Region, and Patheingyi and Amarapura townships in Man-dalay Region, until 2017.

The aim is to support equal ac-cess to basic social services and local policy-making for people with dis-abilities, he said.

The project will help communi-ties to better understand the condi-tion of disabled people. Ayeyarwady Region has the highest population of

disabled people in the country. We also want to raise public awareness in upper Myanmar, said U Myat Thu Win.

The project will advise disabled people how to receive government services, while training people in how to help the disabled.

Communities are trying to be-come more inclusive, and public at-titudes toward disabled people are changing. But disabled people still lack confidence. There are so many challenges involved in developing the lives of disabled people in soci-ety, U Myat Thu Win said.

U Kyaw Swar, a spokesperson for

the foundation, said the training will cover both the disabled and their

families. Government staff and some local residents will also receive training in how to help the disabled, he said.

According to the 2014 census, 2.311 million people or 4.6 percent of the total population of 51.491 mil-lion live with a disability. After Aye-yarwady Region, the area with the second-highest population of disa-bled is Chin State.

Disabled people face discrimina-tion in accessing job opportunities, education and healthcare. Social barriers are the worst, because the discrimination is often based on su-perstition, U Kyaw Swar said.

MYINT KAY THImyintkay94thi@gmail.com

The three-year plan, funded by the European Union, will be implemented in four townships in Ayeywarwady and Mandalay regions

The project will help communities to better understand the condition of disabled people.

U Myat Thu Win Shwe Min Tha Foundation

News 7www.mmtimes.com

ViewsThe NLD duped again on constitution

THE submission to parlia-ment of two draft bills to amend the 2008 constitu-tion on June 10, two years after the amendment process was launched, has attracted much interest. However, what has been less discussed is the National League for Democracys role, and how it was duped into supporting the bill.

It is odd that NLD representatives supported the submission of the bill, yet had no idea of the contents. They then found that it contained nothing of what they had proposed. But how did it happen?

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD were the first to demand constitutional change, and have done so continuously since then. During campaigning for the April 2012 by-elections, the NLD pledged to make constitutional reform their first priority after entering parlia-ment. Last year, the NLD launched a national campaign to amend sections 436 and 59(f ) and managed to at-tract more than 5 million signatures for a petition.

But the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) got the jump on the NLD by submitting its own proposal to amend the constitu-tion first. Parliament began working on the amendment in mid-2013 with establishment of a 108-member com-mittee that invited suggestions from civil society groups and the public on how the charter should be changed. After examining these suggestions, the committee submitted its report to parliament on January 31, 2014.

After that, parliament set up the 31-member Constitutional Amend-ment Implementation Committee. Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann issued a set of directives to the committee on February 18, 2014, that contained two particularly important points: that the president,

vice president and ministers should be drawn from elected MPs; and that the constitution amendment bill should be approved at least six months ahead of the 2015 election.

We now know that the bills could only reach parliament with the election less than five months away. The bills still need to be debated in parliament that process got under way yesterday and in some cases a referendum held. It means that Thura U Shwe Mann has failed to keep his promise that the bill will be approved at least six months before the election.

Even though the bill is now in parliament, its very different from what Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD had proposed. In particu-lar, section 59(f ) will still prohibit the NLD leader from becoming president, while section 436 will be tweaked slightly constitutional amendments will need approval from at least 70 percent of MPs,

instead of more than 75pc.The way in which these bills were

submitted was unusual. Section 435 of the constitution clearly states that if 20pc of all Pyidaungsu Hluttaw representatives submit a constitution amendment bill it will be considered by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.

But when signatures were collect-ed from MPs to support the submis-sion of the bills, their contents was not divulged. That means that the 38

NLD representatives who signed the petition in support of the bill to-gether with 233 MPs from the USDP did so without knowing what they were in fact supporting.

Is that it? No. When USDP rep-resentative U Thein Zaw submitted the bills, he only spoke of how much time had been spent on it and how many changes it would bring about. He didnt read it out in parliament. Instead, he told parliament that the proposal to submit the bills had re-ceived support from more than 43pc of MPs, including representatives from each political party.

After the submission concluded, Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann told MPs that copies of the bill would be distributed at the end of the meeting. There is no doubt this action was dishonest and did not follow proper parliamentary procedures. Never before has a proposal been submit-ted to parliament without MPs being told of its contents.

Once NLD representatives saw the bills, they began to panic. They made hurried phone calls to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who had already returned to Yangon for her visit to China. They also came up with expla-nations for the media as to why they had signed off on the bill.

This outcome should not be a surprise. On November 28, 2014, an amendment to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw By-laws was approved by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The law af-fected the procedures for implemen-tation of constitutional amendments, particularly sections 133 to 143 of the by-laws.

In section 136, it was amended to remove the provision that the bills and recommendations of the Joint Bill Committee will be provided to MPs at least seven days in advance of the discussion.

Instead, the section now states that they will be distributed to MPs in advance of the discussion in ac-cordance with a means specified by the Speaker.

As a result, Thura U Shwe Mann, U Thein Zaw and some USDP of-ficials drafted the bill secretly and kept it hidden until the submission.

Its not clear whether the NLD and ethnic parties would have sup-ported the proposal to submit the bill if they had been given the chance to read the contents of the bill.

This is not the first time that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD have been duped like this. In recent months, USDP representatives have blamed the hold-up on constitutional reform on President U Thein Sein and Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

As a result, parliament called for the six-way talks, saying they were needed to ensure military representatives support proposed amendments.

Because of this, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD saw the president and the commander-in-chief as villains. But Thura U Shwe Mann, Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Aung Myint, U Thein Sein and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing all have the same attitude toward Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the amend-ments that she wants. The events surrounding the submission of the constitutional amendment bills have already made this clear.

Translation by Zar Zar Soe

SITHU AUNG MYINTnewsroom@mmtimes.com

National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at her partys central committee meeting in Yangon on June 20. Photo: EPA

Never before has a proposal been submitted to parliament without MPs being told of its contents.

8 THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

Business

GLOBAL Treasure Bank plunged into more than a new name in 2013, when it shed its former iden-tity as the state-owned Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries Develop-ment Bank and began building it-self as a private-sector bank.

Still, re-orienting from being a state-run bank under the Min-istry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development to one that is privately owned is a constant challenge.

It inherited a wide and growing network of branches, but has been pushing to change into electronic banking, said U Zaw Win, deputy managing director. It claims 106 branches at present, aiming to reach 150 during the 2015-16 fis-cal year.

The banks head office is a roughly renovated two-storey building, on the corner of Shwe Bon Thar Street and Merchant Road in Pabedan township the citys former financial hub, where many banks still have a strong presence. The building itself dates from the Socialist era. It is the for-mer home of the Myanmar Invest-ment Commission, and is rented from the Livestock Ministry.

The Yangon office is larger than most of Global Treasures branches, which are often rela-tively small and initially designed around remittances. Its branches, in Yangon and outside the city are often quite modest, with about 12 staff in a smaller room on the ground floor of an apartment or building.

As our largest income comes from remittances, we are extend-ing our branch network as we can. But from now on, we will empha-size the quality of the bank, which means upgrading IT systems, staff numbers and services, said U Zaw Win.

Global Treasure is looking to introduce card payments, elec-tronic banking, as well as a core banking system, but the process has not been simple.

One challenge for the banks digital plans is attracting the state to push this expansion.

We recruit IT experts and oth-ers to implement this vision, as our staff moved to large banks previously, he said.

The banks legacy is tight inte-gration with fisheries businesspeo-ple, a situation stemming from its days under the Ministry. U Zaw Win says about 30 percent of the banks loans go to the fishery sector.

More recently, the bank is at-tempting to broaden its customer appeal.

When the bank became public,

many of the shareholders come from various sectors. But we have strong connections with fisheries businesspeople, he said.

State-owned Rural Develop-ment Bank has become the main government-owned institution for fisheries businesses, but many of them are keen on private-sector banking as well.

Global Treasure is still moving beyond its legacy as a public bank.

All our activities are now pre-sented to our shareholder. Its dif-ferent from when we worked for the ministry, or when we were a semi-government bank, said U Zaw Win.

Global Treasure Bank is also preparing for the new rules that will come into force if the draft Fi-nancial Institutions Law is passed.

It had about K54 billion (US$48 million) in paid-up capital, as of March 2015, and is working to in-crease the amount to K70 billion. It also has 19 directors at present, which will have to be winnowed down to five to eight directors, ac-cording to the draft law.

The bank is also looking to ad-dress some of its internal prac-tices, notably its non-performing loan rate, which was 7.26pc last fiscal year. They are working with their clients to reduce this, said U Zaw Win.

Global Treasure was also the fifth-highest income tax payer in 2013-14.

Among banks it was lower only than KBZ, and higher than some of the other institutions including CB and Apex banks.

Global Treasure Bank deputy managing director U Zaw Win. Photo: Thiri Lu

Global Treasure Bank swims into private sector competition

AYE THIDAR KYAW

ayethidarkyaw@gmail.com

MYANMA Posts and Telecommu-nications (MPT) is considering reducing its airtime costs before the end of the year, a senior offi-cial said.

At the basic level, one minute of a voice call using MPT costs K35 with its Swe Thahar plan, except to three specific numbers where the cost is K25.

Telenor and Ooredoos fees per minute have been slightly lower so far than MPTs.

The telcos also offer package deals with different quotas of in-ternet and calls which allows for

some lower prices.Speaking at the opening of the

MPT shop in Nay Pyi Taws Myoma market on June 21, MPT official U Thein Hote said the price reduc-tion is still being discussed.

We cant say now by how much we will cut the calling rate because we dont want to alert the other two operators. But we will aim to satisfy our customers, he said.

MPT plans to open more brand shops in Yangon and Mandalay, as well as the rest of the country. The MPT shops offer the full range of services, including sales of SIM and top-up cards, as well as ac-cepting applications for its fixed-line services such as internet. The

shops also help replace lost or sto-len numbers.

We will provide service for missing or lost SIM cards to be finished within a day, he said.

For applications for fixed phone and internet lines, service depends on things like checking whether there is a telephone line, how far it is, and so on.

He added that the charge for installing a telephone line will also be reduced soon, though monthly subscription rates for in-ternet lines would not be cut soon.

About 2500 towers for mobile phone use have been built across the country, and MPT says it has sold about 9.5 million low-cost

SIM cards since last September. MPT was Myanmars only mo-

bile service provider for over a decade, until the introduction of Telenor and Ooredoos service last year.

Since then, MPT, Telenor and Ooredoo have been tightly com-peting for customers.

MPT currently has the most subscribers in Myanmar, though its two competitors are also grow-ing rapidly. It also has a joint op-erations agreement with Japans KDDI and Sumitomo, which was signed last year in an effort to modernise service at the state-owned telco.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun

NAY PYI TAW

MPT mulls pricing cuts in telecoms raceHSU HLAING HTUNhsuhlainghtun.mcm@gmail.com

IN BRIEF

Agreement inked to improve accounting practicesThe Myanmar Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and Ger-man development-focused company GIZ signed an agreement to cooper-ate in building the capacity of the countrys accounts and auditors.

The deal, inked on June 19, is part of efforts to improve the skills of cur-rent professionals as well as those that are new to the field.

While the memorandum of under-standing was signed last week, the institute and GIZ have been work-ing together since 2012. MICPA has more than 600 members and has trained over 3000 certified public accountants in the country.

With this framework we can have appropriate framework for our cooperation, said Thomas Foerch, head of project at GIZ. The increase knowledge on accounting and finan-cial reporting will lead to stability in the financial sector and benefit the economy.

U Kyaw Tin, MICPA chair, said GIZ supports capacity building through workshops and training for account-ants and banks.

Aye Thidar Kyaw

Chinese bus company continues its local pushHiger, a Chinese brand of bus intro-duced to Myanmar in 2011, is con-tinuing its efforts to wrest business from other countries brands.

We can say to entrepreneurs, we started introduced brand new Higer buses to Myanmar, accompanied by spare parts, said Ko Win Myo Chit, chief executive director of Greater Man International Trading. Most owners assume and believe that Japanese buses are the most suit-able for public transportation. They are not impressed by other brands. But we broke this rule and penetrate the market with these brand-new Higer buses.

Ko Win Myo Chit said bus lines such as JJ Express have been using the two-plus-one seat Higer buses since 2012.

Its latest model is the KLQ 6148 K, another two-plus-one seat luxury bus. It can seat 33 passengers, re-tailing for US$210,000.

Aye Nyein Win

IFC signs agreement with Ministry of CommerceThe International Finance Corpo-ration signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Commerce outlining its support for the countrys investment climate.

The policy and regulatory reforms will make it easier to do business in Myanmar while stimulating private sector growth and attracting sustain-able foreign investment, it said in a press release.

The agreement includes the IFCs work with the Trade and Business Promotion Task Force, which is chaired by Minister of Commerce U Win Myint, to develop and implement a reform action plan aimed at the ease of doing business indicators. The World Banks most recent Doing Business Report ranked Myanmar 177th out of 183 countries around the world.

Ninety percent of Myanmars economy is private-sector-driven, so only when there is private develop-ment can the economy and country benefit, said U Toe Aung Myint, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce in the press release.

Staff

9BUSINESS EDITOR: Jeremy Mullins | jeremymullins7@gmail.com

Exchange Rates (June 23 close)Currency Buying Selling

EuroMalaysia RingittSingapore DollarThai BahtUS Dollar

K1249K296K824

K33K1116

K1269K308K838

K36K1119

Japanese investor to join large-scale Indian solar farm

Radar trouble keeps Kiwi airplanes grounded

BUSINESS 10 BUSINESS 13

TRADE MARK CAUTIONDeckers Outdoor Corporation of 250 Coromar Drive, Goleta, California 93117, USA, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of following Trade Marks:

TEVAReg.No.IV/3493/2009Reg.No.IV/3072/2012Reg.No.IV/6550/2015

UGGReg.No.IV/3494/2009Reg.No.IV/3073/2012Reg.No.IV/6551/2015

used in respect of all goods in Class 25.

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt according to law.

Khine Khine U, AdvocateLL.B, D.B.L, LL.M (UK)For Deckers Outdoor Corporation#205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd., Yangon. Dated. 24 June 2015

TWO senior military figures have lent their voices to the Save Shwedagon campaign, which is aimed at forcing five developments near the famous pagoda to alter their plans or stop al-together, according to officials from the campaign.

The two military officials, Yangon Region Commander Major General Htun Htun Naung and Yangon Re-gion Minister for Border Affairs and Security Colonel Win had met with the campaign in an effort to clear up mis-understanding between the committee and the military, said Dhammacakka U Maung Maung, a leader of the Save Shwedagon campaign.

The Myanmar Times could not reach either military officer to independently confirm U Maung Maungs account.

Five projects in Yangons Dagon township have been temporarily sus-pended since late January, follow-ing concern they may impact nearby Shwedagon Pagoda, either through blocking the view or affecting the pa-godas foundations a concern which the companies have rebutted.

Company officials say they are in strict compliance with the law and the advice of experts, and are waiting for a formal notice from government officials on their decision.

U Maung Maung, also a member of Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, commonly known by its Myanmar-language acronym Ma Ba Tha, also said the two military officers

had requested during the meeting that the group hold off for two weeks on some planned protests, such as sending letters.

They requested us to stop the ac-tivities in the meantime as they dont want a misunderstanding between citi-zens and the military, he said. The five projects are to be built primarily on for-mer military land.

U Maung Maung said the two mili-tary officials had met the committee at Aung San Taw Ya monastery on June 20, adding they had urged the need to proceed on a step-by-step basis. He added the committee will wait for ac-tion and will continue its activities if it does not see results.

We will wait for two weeks and see if there are changes in the projects. If [an official statement] does not come out, the committee will continue to do what it has been doing.

The organisation also issued a press release calling only on Dagon City 1 to stop work, though there are five pro-jects covered by the temporary suspen-sion. After questions from reporters, the committee clarified that they meant all five projects should stop and had made a mistake in the press release.

Government officials are now dis-cussing the projects future.

U Nay Win, deputy director of Yan-gon City Development Committees Department of Engineering (Building), said the committee is now waiting on the results of a master plan being put

together by planning officials and the Myanmar Engineering Council, outside the departments direct control.

If they order us [our department] to permit the project, we will permit it, and if they say no, we wont give the permit. Our department is not now di-rectly responsible, because we are not putting together the Integrated Master Plan, he said.

He added that the five projects are still suspended by authorities and no of-ficial with control over the situation has said the suspension will be permanent.

No authorised person has ordered it to stop [altogether], he said. If someone talks about stopping it, ask them, dont ask us.

The Integrated Master Plan is the study to address the complaints. Ex-perts from the Myanmar Engineering Society visited the sites earlier this year to conduct their assessment.

But the Myanmar Engineering Soci-ety also said they are no longer directly working on the master plan. Ma May Myat Noe, secretary to the societys chair, said it had been responsible only for the technical analysis on the five projects and is no longer involved.

The Myanmar Engineering Soci-ety has given its findings to Myanmar Investment Commission for consid-eration, she said. The Myanmar Invest-ment Commission could not be reached for comment on the suspension.

Dagon City 1 and 2 are the most prominent of the five paused projects. Myanmar company Thu Kha Yadanar is the local partner for Dagon City 1, which is led by a team of international businesspeople from Hong Kong, Aus-tralia, South Korea and Britain. Thu Kha Yadanar is the main developer for nearby Dagon City 2.

Thu Kha Yadanar chair U Thoung Htike Min said he is still waiting for the

final results of the Integrated Master Plan, adding it has not received an of-ficial order from the government.

Now we have paused our projects and temporarily stopped sales while waiting for results to come out. We hear work on the Integrated Master Plan is ongoing, and we are just listening for the results, he said. U Thoung Htike Min added that as far as he knows the master plan is being completed by YCDC, though he did not know by ex-actly what department.

Marga Landmark, the developers of Dagon City 1, also said they have not received any official announcement re-garding the project, as it understands the relevant authorities are still review-ing and finalising the integrated plan for all five projects.

We have been doing all the prepara-tions in strict compliance with current laws and recommendations from engi-neering, geo-technical and architectur-al experts, the firm said in a statement.

We have undertaken due diligence and care to address all the concerns of the public. We understand that the rel-evant authorities have not made a final, official decision. Once the final decision is made, we understand that a formal notice will be sent to us from the au-thorised, official channel.

Monks listen to a speaker at a Save Shwedagon seminar. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

Shwedagon campaign talks to high-ranking military officers

aungkyawmin.mcm@gmail.com myatnyeinaye11092@gmail.com

AUNG KYAWMIN

MYAT NYEIN

AYE

MYAT NYEIN

A TOTAL of 52 local and interna-tional companies have shown inter-est to partner with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) to develop a base for resupplying offshore oil and gas businesses.

State-owned MOGE invited com-panies interested in the venture to Nay Pyi Taw to submit proposals between May 25 and June 12. It an-nounced the list of 52 contenders on June 22.

The interest of private com-panies has been very high, said MOGE general manager U Kyaw Nyan Tun. We are meeting them to learn their capabilities, as we need a new supply base.

The interested companies come from Myanmar, as well as Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Ma-laysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sin-gapore, Thailand, UK, US and Vietnam.

The companies are now to meet with MOGE to discuss whether they are capable of the job.

Regarding our meetings with these companies, no everyone is qualified. Some companies do not have enough experience or the fi-nancial capabilities, or technol-ogy, said U Kyaw Nyun Tun. We will ask them to submit detailed proposals for the project through a tender process. It is likely to hap-pen at the end of July.

The selected private company will be tasked with developing land for use of a supply base in the prom-ising areas of the country. There is expected to be a rapid increase in demand for supply services follow-ing the signing of 19 production sharing contracts for offshore oil and gas blocks earlier this year. A total of 13 international oil and gas companies are expected to start seismic acquisition campaigns at the end of the year, and are now

running their environmental and social impact assessment surveys, an officials said.

Currently, Myanmar has only one state-owned offshore supply base, located in Yangon. The Ministry of Energy, MOGEs parent government ministry, is keen to develop new bases to provide offshore services.

Experts said that Yangon, Da-wei in Tanintharyi Region, Pathein in Ayeyarwady Region, Mon State and Rakhine State are all possible homes of offshore supply bases, though the ministry has not yet specified the locations it is inter-ested in.

There is huge potential in the offshore oil and gas sector. A lot of local and international companies are going to be busy with the part-ners and contractors for the award-ed oil operations, said a separate MOGE official, who requested ano-nymity as he is not cleared to speak to the media.

Interest high in MOGEs offshore baseAUNG SHINkoshumgtha@gmail.com

No authorised person has ordered it to stop [altogether]. If someone talks about stopping it, ask them, dont ask us.

U Nay Win YCDC official

10 International Business THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

JAPANS SoftBank Corp will tie up with Bharti Enterprises and Fox-conn Technology Group in a US$20 billion solar power venture in In-dia, as the nation seeks to expand clean energy output about fivefold by 2022.

The project will aim to add 20 gigawatts of solar generating capac-ity, SoftBanks billionaire founder Masayoshi Son said at a briefing in New Delhi on June 22. He spoke alongside Bhartis Sunil Mittal, who said SoftBank will control the ven-ture, with Bharti and Foxconn hav-ing minority stakes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis goal is for India to have 100 giga-watts of solar capacity to curb black-outs and pollution, up from 4.1GW now. The challenge is finding the US$94 billion needed to pay for a clean-energy overhaul that reduces Indias reliance on dirty, coal-fired plants. Mr Sons venture, if success-ful, would account for one-fifth of Mr Modis objective.

The question is whether Japa-nese investors can get comfortable with the Indian market, where local companies have been bidding ex-tremely aggressively in tenders, and there are risks around land owner-ship and transmission build that may not be what SoftBank is used to in Japan, said Vandana Gombar of Bloomberg New Energy Finance in New Delhi. Still, there is no short-age of opportunity in India.

Mr Son said he will aim to invest $20 billion over the next decade, with the pace depending on the co-operation he receives from Indias central and state governments.

India has two times more sun-shine than Japan and construction costs for solar parks that are half those of Japan, Mr Son said. Twice the sunshine, half the cost; that means four times more efficient, Mr Son said. So it makes a lot of sense to create large scale solar

power generation.The new venture will look at

potential sites in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh states, Mr Mittal said. It also will aim to manufacture solar panels in India.

The intention is to start the first project in 12 to 18 months, Mr Mit-tal said.

Finding good projects is a challenge for every developer, and spending $20 billion on good pro-jects may not be easy, Mr Gombar said.

Mr Son said SoftBank can bring its experience of the solar industry in Japan to India, adding the com-pany has invested $1 billion in Asias third-largest economy in the past nine months.

Japan is the second-largest mar-ket for solar cells, after China.

Modis solar ambition encom-passes both rooftop projects and utility-scale plants. Adani Enterpris-es, Reliance Power and SunEdison are among those pledging invest-ment. Trina Solar said last week that

it plans a $500 million solar plant with Indias Welspun Energy.

Telecommunications firm Soft-Bank set up a unit in 2011, SB En-ergy Corp, to develop clean energy projects following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan the same year.

Mittals Bharti Airtel is Indias biggest wireless provider. SoftBank has stakes in more than 1000 com-panies, including an Indian chat ap-plication venture with Bharti.

Bloomberg

Indian workers give the finishing touches to solar panels in Patan district, 250 kilometres from Ahmedabad. Photo: AFP

NEW DELHI

Japan joins India solar venture

KAZAHKSTANS president hailed the new horizons opening up to his country after the former Soviet state completed nearly two decades of talks on June 22 on joining the World Trade Organisation.

The energy-rich nation of 17 million people began accession talks in 1996 but the negotiations were complicated by its membership of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union which also includes Armenia and Belarus.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev hailed the completion of talks, say-ing his government would continue supporting agriculture even after the country formally becomes the WTOs 162nd member in December.

This is a historic event for us, the 74-year-old said in a video address to the nation.

Membership of the WTO will pro-vide our enterprises with access to foreign markets, and consumers with a wide selection of goods and servic-es, said Mr Nazarbayev, adding that 90 percent of Kazakhstans trade was with WTO members.

Talks on Kazakhstans entry con-cluded at a Working Party meeting on June 10 in Geneva, with members of the Working Party celebrating the end of one of the most challenging nego-tiations in the international organisa-tions history.

Speaking on June 22 after the coun-trys accession package won members formal approval, European Union Am-bassador to the WTO Angelos Pangratis congratulated the Kazakh negotiating

team for behaving diligently and pro-actively during the process.

Kazakhstan is now expected to ratify the accession agreement by Oc-tober 31, the WTO said.

Some experts believe accession could be a bumpy ride for an econo-my that has struggled on the back of depressed prices for its key crude oil export and economic trouble in sanc-tions-struck neighbour Russia.

Kazkhstanis are apprehensive about accession as a whole. Results for our neighbours Russia and Kyrgyzstan have been mixed, said economist Tulegen Askarov.

Mr Askarov, who is president of the Biz Media business journalism centre based in the countrys largest city Al-maty, said Mr Nazarbayev was right to be cautious over the countrys agricul-tural sector, which is already extreme-ly vulnerable to foreign imports.

People understand our economy is

not ready to withstand strong interna-tional competition. Even membership of the Eurasian Economic Union, a relatively small bloc, has shown that.

He added however that member-ship could be a boon for the countrys growing services sector responsible for over half of GDP.

Rakhim Oshakbaev, deputy chair of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan, noted that the countrys business community is still waiting to learn the conditions under which the country is entering the organisation.

But membership of the WTO is a signal that tells current and future investors that Kazakhstan is prepared to engage in open, civilized interna-tional trade in correspondence with accepted rules and principles, said Mr Oshakbaev.

Kazakhstans key trade partners Russia and China have been members of the WTO since 2012 and 2001 re-spectively.

Politicians in the vast country, which is expected to be represented at a WTO ministerial conference in Ge-neva in December, have ambitions to see the country among the worlds 30 most developed economies by 2050.

Last month Mr Nazarbayev, who won a five-year term with almost 98 percent of a presidential vote in April, unveiled an ambitious plan dubbed the 100 Concrete Steps to boost economic growth and make government more accountable, among other objectives.

AFP

Former Soviet state to join WTOASTANA, KAZAHKSTANMANILA

People understand our economy is not ready to withstand strong international competition.

Tulgen Askarov Economist

THE Philippine capitals decrepit train network will start issuing certificates of delay to tens of thousands who are late for work because of daily break-downs, the government said yesterday.

With only seven trains for half-a-million passengers, Manilas Metro Rail Transit (MRT) is a commuters nightmare, and creaking locomotives stop mid-track increasingly frequently.

This is a transparency measure. People deserve to know what prob-lems occurred, anything that could cause a stoppage from a broken rail to air-conditioning that stopped work-ing, said transportation department spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal.

The incident report, however, will only certify the cause of the delay and will not be worded as an excuse letter for tardiness, Mr Sagcal said.

Its up to the requesting individual how to use it, he said, when asked if the document could be used as an ex-cuse letter.

Commuters walking on overhead rail tracks several storeys high beside stalled trains have become a common sight in the packed city of 12 million people.

The decaying MRT is also dan-gerous. In August last year, dozens were injured after one train overshot its track and rammed into a busy highway.

A multi-billion dollar infrastruc-ture overhaul plan by President

Benigno Aquino has moved painfully slowly, and only one year remains be-fore he steps down next June.

When it opened in the late 1990s, the MRT had 20 running trains, each with three cabs, but years of neglect, aggravated by wrangling between the government and its private partner, have reduced this number to seven.

We understand the frustration of the public ... We are doing the best we can but solutions are not overnight, Mr Sagcal said.

A prototype of the 48 new trains that the government plans to install by next year will be tested in November and rust-eaten rails will be replaced within the year, he said.

But regular MRT riders are not im-pressed with the new plans.

Instead of issuing late notes, the government should just focus on re-pairing the train line, said Francin Cruz, a 25-year-old advertising art director.

Ms Cruz stands in line for up to three hours every night for a 25-minute train ride from work to her house. She has given up taking the train during the morning rush hour.

I will not fall in line again with the same number of people just to get an excuse slip, Ms Cruz said.

The left-wing opposition group Bayan called the governments move downright insulting.

AFP

Railway hands out delay certificates

THAI AirAsia X (TAAX) has decided to terminate its Sapporo flights from Au-gust 1 amid mounting concerns about Thailands aviation safety.

The countrys first long-haul low-cost carrier opted not to seek any more extensions to a reprieve granted by Ja-pan that will end on July 31.

TAAX director and founder Tas-sapon Bijleveld blamed the backlash from the significant safety concerns raised by the UNs International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for dampening the business outlook for the service, causing load factors to plunge.

There was too much uncertainty and anxiety over how much longer we could continue with the Sapporo flights. Its better to retreat, said Mr Tassapon. TAAXs decision to suspend the daily scheduled Bangkok-Sapporo service came a week after the UN agen-cy in charge of global aviation stand-ards publicly flashed a red flag against Thailand.

The red flag appeared on the ICAOs website, thus putting the country in the spotlight over its shortcomings.

Thailand became the 13th country, along with the likes of Botswana, Haiti and Angola, to be red-flagged by the ICAO among the list of 187 whose avia-tion standards have been audited by the UN body.

The red flag came after a 90-day grace period during which Thailand failed to correct flaws detected dur-ing a January audit. Mr Tassapon said TAAXs load factor on the Bangkok-Sapporo flight had slipped to just over 60 percent, relatively low by budget air-line standards, as travellers confidence over the fate of the TAAX service was eroded by circumstances surrounding the ICAO troubles. Bangkok Post

Airline safety a worry for AirAsia X

BANGKOK

International Business 11www.mmtimes.com

PHNOM PENH

PHNOM Penh special economic zone, Cambodias most-developed SEZ, says the land deal for its planned SEZ in Poipet will be con-cluded before PPSEZ lists on Cam-bodias stock exchange.

Hiroshi Uematsu, CEO of PPSEZ, said that 53 hectares of land near the Thai border had already been acquired by the firm and were in the process of transferring owner-ship to a new company, which will be a full subsidiary of PPSEZ.

It will happen before [the] IPO, he said.

Mr Uematsu said the cash from PPSEZs listing, which is expected to raise US$15 million, will be used to develop infrastructure on the land.

He added that fully acquiring the land was a small step in the Poipet SEZs development, as the SEZ would expand further beyond its initial 53 hectares.

PPSEZ has said previously that it planned to list on Cambodias stock exchange which only has two companies to date by mid-year, although Mr Uematsu declined to give a more specific date.

The Cambodian Stock Exchange has yet to receive the full listing application.

Hiroshi Suzuki, president of the Business Research Institute of Cam-bodia, said an SEZ near the Thai border could help lure in Japanese companies established in Thailand.

The majority of the 77 compa-nies in the 357-hectare PPSEZ, lo-cated on the outskirts of the capital, are Japanese.

Although Thailand ranks as Ja-pans second-largest foreign direct investment destination in Asia, higher wages could balance the equation.

From the viewpoint of the Japanese manufacturing sector in Thailand, Cambodia has two major advantages: One is low labour cost, second is good connectivity with Thailand, Mr Suzuki said.

Mr Suzuki added that lower-end product assembly done by Jap-anese firms in Thailand could be shifted to Cambodia, from which products could then be re-export-ed for more complex assembly to Thailand.

The Phnom Penh Post

SEZ shores up land before CSX listing

A model shows off Epsons new Moverio Pro BT-2000 business-use smart headset during a press preview in Tokyo yesterday.

IN PICTURES

Photo: AFP

TRADE MARK CAUTION

CISCO Technology, Inc. a Company incorporated in California, USA at 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, California 95134, is the Owner and Sole Proprietor of the following Trade Marks:-

CISCOReg.No. 4/7579/2002 Reg.No. 4/8662/2006Reg.No. 4/9335/2011 Reg.No. 4/6266/2015

used in respect of Computer hardware and software for interconnecting, managing, securing and operating local and wide area networks and telephony systems; telephones; telephone headsets; electronic communication devices; wireless communication devices; cellular and wireless telephones; telecommunications equipment; telephony systems; computer hardware and software for storage.

Reg.No. 4/8663/2006 &Reg.No. 4/9336/2011Reg.No. 4/6267/2015

used in respect of Class 9:Electrical and scientific apparatus; computer hardware and software for interconnecting, managing, securing and operating local and wide area networks and telephony systems; telephones, telephone headsets; electronic communication devices, namely, personal digital assistants, pagers, and mobile telephones; wireless communications devices, namely, wireless LAN hardware and software for the transmission of voice, data, audio, and video; call processing software for the transmission of data, video, and voice traffic; downloadable instructional materials, namely, manuals, guides, test materials, and magazines in the fields of network communications, and managing, operating and using local, wide and global networks, and cable television systems; televisions; stereos; DVD players; CD players; consumer electronics; routers; gateways; switches; network access range expanders; internet video cameras; print servers; communication terminals comprising computer hardware and/or software for providing video, audio, data, video game, and telephone communications and/or transmissions;

Reg.No. 4/8664/2006 Reg.No. 4/9337/2011Reg.No. 4/6268 /2015

used in respect of Class 16: Books and manuals regarding the interconnecting, managing and operating of local and wide area networks; computer manuals for computer networking; printed instructional materials, namely books, manuals, guides, test materials, and magazines in the fields of network communications, managing, operating and using local, wide and global networks, and cable television systems; technical manuals; packaging; labels.

Reg.No. 4/8665/2006 Reg.No. 4/9338/2011Reg.No. 4/6269/2015

used in respect of Class 38: Telecommunications services; broadcasting programs via computer networks; providing telephone conferencing services; providing video conferencing services; electronic voice messaging, namely, the recording and subsequent transmission of voice messages; providing telecommunications services, namely, web conferencing services; telephony services; on line services, namely, providing information via local and global computer networks in the field of telecommunications and telephony.

Reg.No. 4/8666/2006 &Reg.No. 4/9339/2011Reg.No. 4/6270/2015

used in respect of Class 41: On line services, namely, providing information via computer networks in the field of computer networking; educational services, namely, conferences, training courses, testing, workshops, and

Reg.No. 4/8667/2006 Reg.No. 4/9340/2011Reg.No. 4/6271/2015

used in respect of Class 42: Customer support services in connection with computer hardware and software for use in interconnecting, managing and operating local and wide area networks, namely, computer network design, computer consultation services, updating of computer software, computer systems analysis, cable television systems, and engineering services; providing technical consultation in connection with computer hardware, computer software, computer networking equipment, telephony systems, telecommunications equipment, IP telephony, telecommunication systems, computer network design, storage design, security of networks, and voice and wireless communications; application service provider (ASP), namely, hosting the software applications of others; computer consulting services; computer network design for others; on line services, namely, providing information via computer networks in the fields of computer networks, computer systems, cable television systems, on-line commerce, technical consultation and research, and systems design; application service provider (ASP) featuring software in the fields of audio conferencing, electronic messaging, document collaboration, video conferencing, and voice and call processing; computer consulting.

Reg.No. 4/8668/2006 &Reg.No. 4/9341/2011Reg.No. 4/6272/2015

used in respect of Class 45: On line services, namely, providing information via computer networks in the field of computer and network security; monitoring of computer systems and computer networks for security purposes.

Any fraudulent imitation or unauthorized use of the said Trade Marks or other infringements whatsoever will be dealt with according to law.

KhineKhine U, Advocate LL.B, D.B.L, LL.M(UK)For CISCO Technology, Inc.#205/5, Thirimingalar Housing, Strand Rd., Yangon.Dated. June 24, 2015

network storage devices, comprised of computer hardware and/or software; interfaces for interconnecting computers, projectors, stereo systems, game consoles, home appliances and/or other electronic devices; devices for recording, organizing, transmitting, and reviewing audio files; computer hardware; network interface cards; network cables; computer network adapters; servers; computer hardware containing network security functionality, including firewalls, data encryption, and/or interoperability with network security protocols; computer software and hardware for sending, storing, managing, integrating and accessing text and voice messages via telephone, electronic mail, pagers, personal digital assistants, and internal and global computer networks; digital video recorders; set-top boxes; cable television units; hardware and software for use in cable television systems, content distribution systems, and communication systems.

distributing course materials in connection therewith, all in the fields of computer networking, broadband networks, computer systems, telecommunication systems, IP telephony, cable television systems, security and storage.

12 International Business THE MYANMAR TIMES JUNE 22, 2015

JPMORGAN Chase and BlackRock disagree about Chinas stock bub-ble. The former says last weeks 13 percent share plunge is a reason to buy; the latter sees things deflating quite rapidly.

So whos right? JPMorgan is cor-rect in the very short run. President Xi Jinpings government has fuelled Chinas bull market and it will do all in its power to sustain it. But in the months ahead, the odds favour BlackRocks take, which is based on the Warren Buffett school of finan-cial analysis.

The tide is going to go out, and theres going to be a lot of people without their swimming trunks on, strategist Ewen Cameron Watt of BlackRock told Bloomberg Televi-sion, borrowing from Mr Buffetts observation about investors caught swimming naked when markets get shaky.

Considering the sudden wave of sell orders in Shanghai and Shenz-hen, were about to witness a surge of investors caught skinny dipping. The math behind Chinese stock markets more than US$6 tril-lion surge over the past 12 months makes less sense by the day. Shares on mainland exchanges are trading at an average of about 256 times reported earnings, making Chinas market mania of 2007 look rational by comparison.

The question is, can Beijing put a bottom under historys biggest eq-uity bubble? As JPMorgan strategist Adrian Mowat sees it, policymakers

will step in if the market correction gets beyond a comfortable level. I would imagine if the correction continues [this] week you will hear something reassuring. Hes not nec-essarily wrong for the moment. Chi-na will indeed throw everything it has at the market: central bank rate cuts, tweaking margin-trading rules, slowing the pace of initial public of-ferings, talking up share prices, you name it.

What is wrong, though, is the be-lief that China can prevent the crash of a market already defying the most wildly optimistic of economic sce-narios. Beijing cant do it any more than Tokyo could in 1990, Seoul in 1997 or Washington in 2008.

China is reaching the limits of its ability to prolong a rally that turned 928 days old on June 19. Beijing has encouraged companies to pursue splashy IPOs in order to sustain the excitement on stock markets, and lure Chinese house-holds to open trading accounts. The thought is that if average Chi-nese feel wealthy, theyll buy into Mr Xis vision of a China Dream and the legitimacy of the Commu-nist Party.

But the market bubble has grown to unsustainable proportions. The median stock, for instance, has a price-to-earnings ratio of 98, while the Shanghai Composite, which has a heavy weighting toward low-priced bank shares, is valued at 23 times. The reason bank shares are so depressed, of course, is Chinas dueling bubble in debt. China has $28 trillion of public and private debt; then theres the un-

precedented $363 billion of margin debt thats supporting shares.

It doesnt help that Chinas eco-nomic fundamentals have turned for the worse. As Bloomberg In-telligence analyst Kenneth Hoff-man detailed in a report on June 18, Chinese demand for steel is collapsing. On June 18, Bloomb-ergs steel profitability lost $37 per tonne, hitting a record low. Chinese manufacturing activity, Mr Hoff-man wrote, could be in for a major decline, even if Beijing ramps up its stimulus programs.

That may explain the breadth of last weeks selloff. Among 10 in-dustry groups in the CSI 300 In-dex of the biggest Chinese shares, technology, phone and industrial companies plunged most at least 15 percent. The ChiNext Index of small-cap stocks slumped 5.4pc on June 19 alone, extending losses to 17pc since a record high on June 3.

The selloff suggests Chinas stim-ulate-growth-via-stocks plan may be approaching an endgame. The gov-ernment will surely try to backstop the market: Mr Xi needs to main-tain the aura of Chinese government omnipotence. But there will come a time when the tide turns and the market gets away from Beijing, prov-ing that the worlds most exciting stock rally has no clothes. It may soon be upon us.

Bloomberg

William Pesek, a Bloomberg View columnist based in Tokyo, writes on economics, markets and politics in the Asia-Pacific region.

TWO more high-ranking officials from Thailands Revenue Department have been ousted, while a third has been forced to resign for serious misconduct due to involvement in a fraudulent val-ue-added tax (VAT) refund scam that cost the government 4.3 billion baht (US$127 million) in lost revenue.

Pompetch Witayarak, a special-ist at Regional Revenue Office 8, and Payu Suksodkiew, head of the Revenue Departments Pattani office, have been sacked for VAT refund fraud while they worked in Samut Prakan provinces Area 1, Finance Minister Sommai Pha-see said.

Both Mr Pompetch and Mr Payu are among the first batch of 45 officials re-cently removed under Section 44 while being investigated for corruption by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Sathit Rangkhasiri, a former finance chief inspector-general and who was transferred from director-general of the Revenue Department on suspicion of being connected to the VAT refund scam, is also among the 45 officials.

Mr Sommai said Kusak Chada-raratch, chief of the Revenue De-partments Yasothon office, has been forced to quit. He was revenue techni-cal officer in Samut Sakhon provinces Area 2 when the falsified VAT refunds emerged. Last month, Siripong Riya-karntheerachote, whose former name was Supakij Riyakarn, was fired after the Finance Ministrys disciplinary committee found he caused hefty losses to the state while chief of the Revenue Departments Bang Rak district office,

where VAT fraud reportedly took place from 2012-13.

The ministry launched the probe in 2013 and found 30 juristic persons had set up bogus metal export companies and filed falsified documents with the Bang Rak district and Samut Prakan Area 1 offices to claim VAT refunds. Damages from the VAT refund fraud in the latter area amounted to 1.14 billion baht.

When Mr Pompetch was chief of Samut Prakan Area 1, he cancelled a probe into whether the metal compa-nies were real businesses and proposed the VAT refunds be sent to those firms, while Mr Payu approved the VAT re-fund, Mr Sommai said. He said Mr Kusak also ordered the end of exami-nations of fake VAT refunds when he was chief, but the ministrys investiga-tion found no clear evidence of deliber-ate malfeasance.

Bangkok Post

Thai VAT scam probe catches three more

BANGKOKOPINION

China swimming in stock bubbleWILLIAM PESEK

TOKYOS benchmark Nikkei index climbed 1.87 percent yesterday to close at a new 15-year high on hopes for a Greek bailout deal.

The Nikkei 225 index soared 381.23 points to end at 20,809.42, after bust-ing through 20,700 for the first time since April 2000.

The Topix index of all first-section issues was up 1.69pc, or 27.79 points, at 1676.40.

The gains followed rallies in Euro-pean and US markets.

Advances in the Greek situation are behind the flow of funds into US and European stocks, Toshihiko Matsuno, chief strategist at SMBC Friend Securi-ties, told Bloomberg News. Its difficult to judge without knowing the proposals contents in detail, but the market ap-pears to be seeing it as a step forward.

Greece on June 21 offered an 11th-hour proposal of economic reforms in exchange for the last payment of 7.2 billion euros (US$8.1 billion) from its current aid program.

Eurozone leaders said they hoped to finally seal a deal this week to save Ath-ens from default and a possible messy exit from the euro, but Germany warned that more hard work was needed.

The euro declined to $1