Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Charges dropped against detained Shan politician
• BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY 30 MAY  
• Burma govt plans to establish Ministry for Youth Affairs
• China, SE Asian govts pledge renewed support for anti-drug efforts

Charges dropped against detained Shan politician Posted: 30 May 2014 05:04 AM PDT Sai Jan, a regional chairman for the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), has been freed from Kengtung prison after being held for almost a month. The politician was arrested in his home in Namt Lin Mai, Kengtung, eastern Shan State, on 5 May by the Burmese army on suspicion of having breached Article 17/1 of the Unlawful Associations Act through alleged links to the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S). That charge, formally pressed on 22 May, was dropped on Thursday. SNLD spokesman Sai Lek confirmed that Sai Jan would not have to face court on 2 June, as was previously slated. "Police earlier today have dropped the charge against Sai Jan – our party officials went to pick him up and are now taking him back home," Sai Lek said on Thursday. "We are all incredibly relieved that he was released." The SSA-S is the armed wing of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), a political party considered an illegal organisation by the Burmese government, despite partnership in a 2013 ceasefire. Related Stories Detained Shan leader charged with unlawful association Raid on SSA-S ‘badly affected’ trust Ceasefire talks underway in Rangoon Pitched battles have raged in Shan State between the SSA-S and the Burmese army in recent months, in breach of that ceasefire. Such battles have contributed to reluctance on the part of the RCSS to join current ceasefire talks between the National Ceasefire Coordination Team — an alliance of 17 armed ethnic groups — and the government. However the paramount reason for reclusiveness on the part of the RCSS is the inclusion of rivals, the Shan State Army-North, among the 17 ceasefire parties, say observers. On 6 May, the day after Sai Jan's arrest, Burmese army troops "raided" the RCSS liason office in Kengtung.

BURMA BUSINESS WEEKLY 30 MAY   Posted: 30 May 2014 03:12 AM PDT   Ups and Downs The Burmese currency continued to fall slightly in value this week; the buying rate finished on Friday at 966 kyat to the US dollar (from 963 last week); while the selling rate rose from 966 to 970 kyat to the dollar. The price of gold has decreased notably: down from 662,700 kyat per tical to 649,800 kyat. Fuel prices remain unchanged: petrol is 820 kyat per litre; diesel 950 kyat; and octane 920 kyat a litre. Rice also remains constant: high-quality Pawhsanmwe rice is selling at 1,300-1,600 kyat per basket while low-quality Manawthukha retails at 900 kyat per basket in most Rangoon marketplaces.   Singaporean oil firm expands in Magwe Gold Petrol, majority owned by Singaporean conglomerate Interra, has expanded drilling projects in Chauk, Magwe Division. Interra announced to the Singaporean stock exchange on Friday that Gold Petrol has expanded drilling to a fourth oil reservoir in the area, having tapped the previous three in March 2013. Gold Petrol hold a 60 percent stake in the Improved Petroleum Recovery Project at Chauk field, with the other 40 percent owned by the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise.   Foreign firms to be contracted for road construction The construction of Burma's roads and bridges can now be outsourced to foreign firms who may also wish to invest in Burma's infrastructure projects, an official from the Ministry of Construction said. Many of the country's highways are deemed sub-standard, he said, and with plans afoot to implement international pan-Asian and pan-ASEAN road networks, the ministry has decided to lift the restrictions. Current and proposed highway projects include routes to the borders of China, India and Thailand.   Japanese industrial firm moves into Burma The Burmese government has approved a large-scale investment project put forward by Japanese multinational corporation Komatsu Ltd. The firm, involved in mining as well as industrial and military manufacturing, intends to construct a power plant and an assembling factory in Pyigyitagon Township, Mandalay. The plan was put forward to the Myanmar Investment Commission, who also approved the company to distribute heavy machinery for industrial use. Komatsu equipment, previously imported from abroad, has been widely used in Burma's mining sector in the past.   Arakan's dismal economy due to unrest, VP says Burma's Vice-president Sai Mauk Kham, in a meeting with Arakanese locals in state capital Sittwe last week, said the steady decline of GDP in Arakan could be attributed to the destabilising outbreaks of communal violence in the region that began in mid-2012. Previously ranked as second least developed state in Burma above remote Chin State, last year Arakan plummeted to the bottom of the list.   Corn production on the rise in Burma DuPont, one of the world's largest chemical and agribusiness corporations, has set up shop in Rangoon, and predicted that corn could become a major crop for Burma. A representative told DVB that based on the company's experience in neighbouring Thailand, raised income will lead to higher demand for meat, which will lead to higher demand for corn feed.   Pulse price up as Burmese farmers turn to mung bean The price of a popular Burmese pulse, green gram, has raised dramatically amid falling production rates, Eleven Myanmar has reported. The green gram is a traditional commodity in terms of Burmese exports to India, where it currently fetches upwards of US$750 per tonne, up by around $100 from prices this time last year. The green gram, also known as mung bean, is a staple of many Chinese diets and has taken over as a preferred crop for Burmese farmers. The Burmese mung bean is currently fetching over $1000 per tonne on the international market.   What a load of rubbish! Firms compete to collect Rangoon's garbage Seven joint-venture companies have submitted tenders for contracts to operate garbage collecting services in Rangoon. Having paid a bidding fee of five million kyat (US$5,000), the companies have until the end of the year to study garbage collection and disposal procedures by the municipality before they make a presentation outlining their proposals for collecting the rubbish of the city's six million residents. The contract winner will be announced in December and operations begin on 1 April 2015.   Foreign banks ready for launch Overseas banks can now register with Burma's Central Bank to apply for various banking services and operations, according to a Bank official who said that a board had been formed to scrutinise foreign bank operations. Thirty-five foreign banks currently have representative offices in the country, a step that is required before licenses can be granted and branches opened. Bank of India, ANZ and various Thai, Japanese, Korean and Chinese banks are among them.   Kunlong dam gets green light from Burma Burma's Ministry of Electric Power has approved the 1,400-megawatt Kunlong hydropower project on the Salween River in northern Shan State, industry news site Hydroworld reported. The project is being developed by a joint venture between Burmese firm AsiaWorld Group and China's Hanergy Group Holdings, a private company. As much as 90 percent of the energy produced is believed to be bound for China. The project is one of six controversial hydropower plants proposed for the Salween, which is among the last and longest undammed rivers in the world.

Burma govt plans to establish Ministry for Youth Affairs Posted: 30 May 2014 02:47 AM PDT The Burmese government is planning to establish a Ministry for Youth Affairs, according to President's Office Minister Soe Thein. Speaking at a seminar in Rangoon on Thursday on the role of young people in Burma's political parties, he said, "Youths have roles in various sectors of the country's reforms – some are focused on the education sector or the health sector, as well as civil society. They also should offer a hand to work in the political arena as a step towards the country's development." The seminar was attended by youth members from various political parties. Sai Kyaw Thu Linn, a youth member of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, said that young people in Burma are more involved nowadays in political activities than they were in the past; however they don't get much opportunity to play a role in the political system itself. "I see that the youth of today, compared to the past, are now more keenly involved in the political world, but they still don't get many opportunities," said Sai Kyaw Thu Linn. "I think this is because members of the older generation lack confidence in youngsters and don't give them the chances to prove themselves." Related Stories DVB Debate: Does cultural exchange mean changing culture? A new approach for a new generation Crony culture stands in our way, say Burmese youths Min Hein, a central youth wing member of the Democratic Party-Myanmar, said: "In my opinion, there isn't much opportunity for young people to play a role in politics, and it may take a while, firstly because the country's reforms are still in their infancy, and secondly because of the poor state of the education system. "Too many restrictions are placed on students – in some schools, they are unable to form students' unions," he continued. "In other schools, officials just turn a blind eye, but they won't offer any encouragement to those who are politically active." Yin Yin Gyi, a young member of the Democratic Party for New Society, said that politics and activism are generally stigmatised by Burmese parents who lived through decades of military rule, and this may contribute to why many of Burma's youths lack the initiative to become involved in politics." Myo Zaw Linn of civil society group The Innovative, which organised the event at the Sky Star Hotel in the former capital, said the seminar was set to continue on Friday. Burma is not the first country in the region to entertain the notion of a Ministry for Youth Affairs or some such similar department – India, Nepal and Bangladesh each have a Ministry for Youth and Sports; Sri Lanka has a Ministry for Youth Affairs and Skills Development; and Singapore has a Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

China, SE Asian govts pledge renewed support for anti-drug efforts Posted: 29 May 2014 08:22 PM PDT Anti-drug officials from China and the five other states of the Greater Mekong Subregion – Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam – stated their intention to improve coordination to tackle growing production, usage and trafficking of opiates and synthetic drugs at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. Liu Yuejin, a high-ranking official from China's National Narcotics Control Commission, pledged "significant Chinese support" for increased collaboration, claiming in a statement that "greater regional cooperation is important as our countries face enormous pressures from drug trafficking.” The announcement occurred at an annual meeting between regional anti-narcotics officials and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Four of the six states have been party to a memorandum of understanding promoting cooperation between them since 1993, with Vietnam and Cambodia joining the framework two years later. A separate, bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation arrangement between Burma and China has been in place since 1992. "The new commitment is intended to improve the long-standing cooperation agreement, but also it needed to be updated to reflect the times and regional dynamic – it was a bit ‎out of date – because like any agreement it got stale," Jeremy Douglas, UNODC's regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, told DVB. Related Stories China loan suspensions hurt Mandalay jade market DVB Debate: Will the ASEAN chair boost Burma? Drugs, land and mining issues plague Shan State "The six states have agreed to cooperative measures in law enforcement to improve information and intelligence exchange and investigations, prosecutions, and even some health and development measures for drug users and vulnerable communities," he said. Afghanistan overtook Burma as the world's largest opium producer in 1991, but the drug still plays a significant role in the country's economy. Much of Burma's opium, which is produced primarily in the rugged hills of Shan State, is exported to China. Last year, UNODC's annual Southeast Asia Opium survey noted a 13 percent increase in cultivation from the year before, with an estimated 57,000 acres of poppy fields countrywide. With global opium prices depressed in the early 2000s owing to a spike in Afghan output, many of Burma's drug syndicates switched to producing synthetic drugs for export, primarily methamphetamine. A UNODC report released this month, which looks at production, traffic and use of synthetic drugs worldwide, claims that "some methamphetamine originating in Myanmar is intended for the domestic market, but most is intended for trafficking to neighbouring countries." The report claims that methamphetamine seizures by law enforcement have "risen rapidly" throughout the region in recent years, noting that "a rapid rise in seizures [has] particularly been reported in mainland China, where detected methamphetamine has risen annually from six tons in 2008 to more than 16 tons in 2012, making up about 45 percent of total methamphetamine seizures for the region that year."

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