Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Kanbawza Bank is country’s highest taxpayer, says Finance Ministry
• Australia to deport over 100 Rohingya asylum-seekers
• Brothers in alms
• Thai, Burmese military chiefs conclude talks in Bangkok

Kanbawza Bank is country’s highest taxpayer, says Finance Ministry Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:57 AM PDT The Kanbawza Bank has been declared the highest payer of income tax in Burma for the 2012-13 fiscal year, according to a list of the top 500 taxpayers in the country released by the Ministry of Finance and Revenue. Chaired by Aung Ko Win, Kanbawza Bank's has more than 2,000 employees and its main source of revenue is from its transfer and loan services. Myanmar Brewery Ltd was the highest contributor to the country's coffers in terms of commercial tax, according to the report. Min Htut, director-general of the Ministry of Finance and Revenue, said Kanbawza Bank earned over 10 billion kyat (US$10 million) last fiscal year with tax levied at 25 percent on net profits. He noted that, according to regulations laid down by the Internal Revenue Department, private companies should pay 25 percent of their total net profits in tax; however private firms netting over 30 million kyat profit are liable to pay 30 percent tax. The department previously announced a list of the top 100 tax payers for 2011-12. Min Htut said the increase in the listing of various firms' tax responsibilities would allow for greater transparency and facilitate smoother international cooperation. "Announcing the top taxpayers signifies greater transparency – it allows international business groups to look up the credentials and the amount of tax paid by the companies they are interested in making joint-ventures with," said Min Htut. "And it will encourage domestic companies to follow tax regulations." He said the ministry is also looking to review the current tax laws with assistance from international banking experts. Related Stories Investment, discretion and Burma's future economic development Private collectors raise vendor tax Bogalay authorities demand construction tax The top 10 companies on the list were (in order): Kanbawza Bank; Myanmar Brewery Co Ltd; Int'l Beverages Trading Company Ltd; Myanmar CP Livestock Company Ltd; Shwetaung Development Co Ltd; Cooperative Bank Ltd; Max Myanmar Construction Group; Dagon Beverages Co Ltd; Black Gold Co Ltd; and Asia World Co Ltd. On 28 August, Kanbawza announced the opening of its 120th branch, located at Naung Cho in Shan state. It has been awarded the "Best Commercial Bank in Myanmar" and "Best Banking Group in Myanmar" awards for year 2013. However, comparing Kanbawsa's net profits to many international banks puts matters into perspective; while Kanbawza declared US$10 million in total net profits, UK-based Barclay's Bank declared US$1.65 billion and JPMorgan Chase Bank in the USA declared US$857 million in net income. Japan's largest bank, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, which in January announced a partnership with Burma's Cooperative Bank, announced last year a net income of some US$10 billion. However, it was this year fined US$250,000 million by the state of New York for illicit laundering transactions with countries under sanctions, including Burma.

Australia to deport over 100 Rohingya asylum-seekers Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:55 AM PDT Australia is set to deport over 100 Rohingya asylum-seekers to detention centres in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru in the coming weeks, in spite of accusations that the move would breach international human rights law. It follows a decision by the former government in July to redirect all asylum-seekers to its poorer Pacific neighbours in an effort to stem the influx of boat people to Australia – which the newly elected Conservative prime minister has vowed to uphold. All new arrivals – of which 1,585 were recorded in August – will be sent onwards to Nauru or Manus Island in PNG where they will be resettled if successful, despite allegations of mistreatment and abuse at local detention facilities. According to a local campaign group, at least 100 Rohingyas fleeing conflict and persecution in Burma's western Arakan state are among those to arrive in Australia since the government announced its new policy. A spokesperson for the Department of Immigration confirmed to DVB on Wednesday that 72 Burmese nationals and 284 stateless individuals – which is likely to include some Rohingyas – were set for removal. Although he would not lay out a concrete time frame, he said that "regular transfers" of asylum seekers had taken place since July, with exceptions only being made for those with urgent medical needs. "Everyone who's arrived since 19 July is subject to transfer – initially to processing on Christmas Island and then onwards to either PNG or Nauru," said the spokesperson. Meanwhile Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was sworn into office on Wednesday, has moved to implement an even more draconian immigration policy by authorising the navy to intercept and physically drag boats back to their country of origin, usually Indonesia. “It’s so important that we send a message to the people-smugglers that from today their business model is coming to an end,” Abbott said at his inaugural ceremony. Part of the AUS$440 million (US$397 million) scheme includes buying old fishing boats from Indonesia in a bid to prevent traffickers from using them, which activists say raises serious safety concerns for Rohingya refugees fleeing Burma. Chris Lewa from the campaign group, the Arakan Project, described the plan as "totally ridiculous", adding that it will only punish the victims and not the traffickers. "It's definitely not going to stop [the boats] that's for sure," Lewa told DVB on Thursday. "Here I'm asking [Rohingya] people in Malaysia if they are still planning to go to Australia, and they say ‘yes’." More than 300 Burmese nationals have arrived in Australia this year, along with nearly 2,000 stateless people – who are all counted as one group but include Rohingyas, Kurds, Palestinians and others. Earlier this week a group of Australian lawyers vowed to challenge their government at the current UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, after criticising Abbott's policy as tantamount to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment". Related Stories Shans fear repatriation to Burma Burma blacklists two US-based reporters for covering Rohingya crisis Burma and the politics of ASEAN slogans It follows reports that G4S, the security firm responsible for running the detention facility on Manus Island – under a scheme that will cost Australian taxpayers up to AUS$1 billion (US$950 million) – has been implicated in serious abuses against inmates, including rape and torture. A recent investigation by The Guardian exposed "serious" gaps in the government's oversight mechanisms for the company's management of the Manus Island facility. But Australia has already laid out expansion plans for the centre, including cramming 10,000 more tents onto the island. The UN Refugee Agency has accused Australia of subjecting asylum-seekers to "arbitrary detention that is inconsistent with international human rights law" and identified "significant shortcomings" in PNG's protection mechanisms for processing refugees. Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, Australia is obligated to assist victims of political oppression. But a spokesperson for the Refugee Council of Australia (RCA) told DVB that the government – from both sides of the political spectrum – has actively "pursued policies to deflect responsibility for people seeking protection from persecution" over the past year. "This not only contravenes Australia's international human rights obligations, it undermines efforts to improve refugee protections in the Asia-Pacific region," said Andrew Williams, Communications Manager at RCA. "The treatment of Rohingya, who are often treated as ‘illegal’ or unwanted in their country of birth and in other places they seek asylum, highlights the need for much better answers and greater sharing or responsibility for refugee protection." It is unclear whether Rohingya refugees who are accepted in Nauru will ever be able to obtain citizenship status, while the Christian-majority PNG is considering adopting a bill that would prevent other religions from being openly practiced. Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship in Burma, have fled the country since two bouts of communal clashes with Buddhists last year, which left nearly 140,000 displaced and 200 dead.

Brothers in alms Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:27 AM PDT More than 100 Buddhist monks joined local Rangoon residents to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the 2007 Saffron Revolution on Wednesday. Six years ago the military cracked down on anti-government protestors, many of whom were monks, killing dozens and arresting thousands. At Sardu monastery in Rangoon, the monks called for the Burmese government to apologise for the violent suppression. “For the future of the country, so that we can build our country peacefully, we want the government to apologize to us,” said former political prisoner and Buddhist monk, Sandar Siri. Related Stories Police arrest villagers during pre-dawn raid on monastery in Monywa Animal lovers fight to keep dogs off the menu Explosion at radical monk's event injures 5: police Since the crackdown, many monks have refused donations of alms from the military and stopped providing religious services for them. The monks at Sardyu monastery said they would not end the alms boycott until they receive an official apology. Since President Thein Sein‘s nominally civilian government took over in 2011, political, economic and social reforms have swept the country. Many activists say the Saffron Revolution helped bring about those changes. “Because of the Saffron Revolution, our country was able to reform quickly. Although we’re not satisfied with the present situation, we have freedom of speech and so we can set up a meeting like this today. This is because of the 2007 Saffron movement,” said 88 Student Generation leader Min Ko Naing. Peaceful anti-government protesters led by Buddhist monks launched demonstrations on 18 September 2007 in response to a 500% overnight increase in fuel prices. The demonstrations escalated in the following days and weeks until hundreds of thousands of protesters had taken to the streets all over the country. The anniversary marks only the second year that the public can officially commemorate the Saffron Revolution following government reforms.

Thai, Burmese military chiefs conclude talks in Bangkok Posted: 18 Sep 2013 11:53 PM PDT A senior-level meeting between Thai and Burmese military chiefs concluded on Wednesday at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing led a delegation of some 20 military officers from Burma while his counterpart Gen Thanasak Patimaprakorn headed a team of 40 officers from the Thai defence forces. According to a Thai official at the meeting, who spoke to DVB anonymously, the two-day meeting included negotiations on sea and land demarcations; security; narcotics; human trafficking; arms smuggling and illegal migrants. He said they also discussed administrative duties for the continuation of bilateral talks at a senior military level. The official said that no specific issue was disputed or forced a change in policy, but that the delegations agreed to hold another round of talks in the near future in Rangoon. Formerly, Thai-Burma military coordination committees existed only at town, regional and liaison levels. The senior-level committee was only formed six months ago. Related Stories Than Shwe disciple to head Burma's intelligence Army chief officially replaces Than Shwe On Tuesday, Min Aung Hlaing was quoted in the Thai press as saying that relations between Thailand and Burma are at their most cordial in the two countries' history when he met Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House in Bangkok. According to a Thai government spokesperson, the Burmese commander-in-chief said that Burma welcomed Thai businesses to invest in the country and issued an assurance that his country was politically stable. With regard to the Dawei deep-sea port project, the spokesman said that Min Aung Hlaing assured the Thai premier that President Thein Sein recognises the importance of the project and wanted to cooperate with Thailand in ensuring its success. Yingluck reportedly agreed that the Dawei scheme is a massive infrastructure project and that the two countries would need to cooperate closely to complete it successfully.

You are subscribed to email updates from DVB Multimedia Group | DVB Multimedia Group To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610