Saturday, May 3, 2014

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

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Posted: 03 May 2014 12:56 AM PDT

Few Burmese Migrants Apply for Regular Passports in Thailand

Posted: 02 May 2014 09:53 PM PDT

A Burmese temporary passport, right, and a Thai work permit (Photo: Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — For the past two months, Burmese migrants in Thailand have been eligible to exchange their temporary passports for regular passports, allowing them to travel outside of Thailand, but few people have applied for the upgrade, embassy officials say.

In the past, Burmese migrants in Thailand could not travel abroad due to limitations on their six-year temporary passports. In March, the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok began authorizing regular passports, which last five years.

But to be eligible for these regular passports, migrants are required to show a household registration certificate for their homes in Burma. Many migrants did not bring this document with them to Thailand and are reluctant to return home to retrieve it.

Three offices are now open in Thai border towns to help migrants begin the process of upgrading their passports once their working visas expire. "But we have received few applications," Than Naing, the labor attaché of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok, told The Irrawaddy last week.

"The reason people are not coming is because they have not obtained both a Burmese ID card and Burmese household registration," he said.

The Thailand Department of Labor estimated that about 400,000 Burmese migrants would exchange their passports, but brokers on the ground say that only about a tenth of that number have shown any interest. One broker in the Thai border town of Mae Sot said his office is accepting applications, but there have been few to process thus far.

The regular passport costs 1,600 baht (US$50), not counting additional fees for a two-year visa, a work permit and health insurance.

The Thai government last month agreed that migrants would be allowed to stay in the country for 180 days after their visas expired due to political turmoil in the country that prevented some departments from operating in full capacity.

But many of the estimated 3 million Burmese migrants have stayed even longer past the expiration of their visas, leaving them vulnerable to deportation or abuse at the hands of Thai authorities.

Labor rights activists have criticized the application process for new documents as overly complicated and subject to frequent changes.

Until 2009, Burmese migrants could live and work in Thailand with a one-year work permit, though they were restricted to staying in the area where they earned their income. In 2009, they were able to apply for a six-year temporary passport, a two-year visa and a one-year work permit, paying an extra 10,000 or so baht for these upgrades. In 2012, they were required to apply for new temporary passports—changing their old red books for purple books, at a cost of about 1,000 baht.

In March this year, Burmese migrants became eligible for the regular passports that allow them to travel outside the country. However, many migrants say it makes little sense to pay for the upgrade, since they do not earn enough money to travel abroad.

"Migrants would rather extend visas on their current temporary passport than apply for a new regular passport," said Toom Mauk Harn, a coordinator for the Migrants Assistance Program.

He said it was important for the Thai and Burmese governments to maintain a consistent policy with passports and visas. In 2009, both governments announced that Burmese migrants who had worked in Thailand for four years would be required to return to Burma for three years. Later, they changed the policy, saying migrants could go home for as little as one month before returning to Thailand for employment. In reality, many migrants chose not to go home at all, instead opting to apply for a new passport under a different name. As a result, many lost the social benefits they had received under their old names, Toom Mauk Harn said.

Now, many migrants say they lack the time and money to travel to Burma to retrieve their Burmese household registration certificates.

Kyaw Thaung, director of the Myanmar Association in Thailand (MAT), said this requirement was problematic. "It is not a good plan for the majority of migrants," he said.

He added that many passport agents were corrupt, asking migrants who earn less than $10 per day to pay additional fees during the application process.

"It is understandable to require a Burmese ID [for the passport application], but the need for a household registration document makes many people reluctant," said Htoo Chit, director of the Foundation for Education and Development.

He said Thailand-based Burmese labor rights groups had collaborated with Burmese embassy officials to form a Myanmar Workers Protection Committee, to provide assistance to migrants. However, he said the committee was just "for show," as a means to show the international community that the Burmese government cares about migrants.

"The officials must think about what's easiest for migrants—and that would be a process that is less dependent on labor agencies and brokers," he said.

The post Few Burmese Migrants Apply for Regular Passports in Thailand appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

‘It Should Benefit the People of Myanmar’

Posted: 02 May 2014 08:00 PM PDT

Thilawa, Myanmar, Burma, The Irrawaddy, special economic zone, Japan, JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency

Japanese lawmaker Michihiro Ishibashi, in blue, speaks with a translator while visiting a relocation site for residents displaced by the Thilawa Special Economic Zone. (Photo: Thit Nay Moe / The Irrawaddy)

After being forced off their land, displaced residents continue to request a meeting with the Japanese backers of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Rangoon Division. A Japanese lawmaker, Michihiro Ishibashi, recently visited the relocation site where dozens of families are now living after being kicked out of their homes for Phase 1 of the SEZ development. The Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker is director of a committee in the Japanese legislature that discusses official development assistance to foreign countries, including Burma. He spoke with The Irrawaddy about his impressions of the Thilawa SEZ.

Question: Why did you visit Thilawa?

Answer: The Japanese people are offering development assistance to the people of Myanmar for social and economic development. As members of parliament, we need to make sure that our assistance is used properly and implemented for the benefit of the people.

The Thilawa development is a major form of our assistance to the Myanmar [Burmese] government. As the project continues, I understand that there have been issues of residents being moved to new locations. There were some complaints and concerns raised by people who are affected by the project. I wanted to come and see, to talk to the people who are affected about the problems and the real situation on the ground.

Q: What do you think about the situation, based on your visit?

A: There has been a lack of proper communication between those who have been affected by the project and probably the government of Myanmar, which is responsible for the project, and also with the Japanese government—JICA (the Japan International Cooperation Agency)—which is responsible for providing assistance to the government of Myanmar. As a result, they [affected residents] haven't been able to raise their voices, their concerns. That's why they are still struggling with their livelihoods after being relocated. I understand consultations [with families] on 2,000 hectares of land are starting, and we need to make sure they are done properly.

I am really worried about the conditions here as rainy season approaches—I can see that rainy season is going to be a big problem. The water supply, the wells, have not been developed properly. That's one concern. Another is schooling for the kids. I didn't realize before today that some of the kids had to give up schooling last semester because their old schools were too far away and the schools nearby did not accept them. I understand the next school year is starting in June, and we need to make sure those kids are able to go to school. I will try to demand that JICA holds an immediate meeting with the people here to discuss these issues, including water, water drainage and schooling for the kids.

Q: JICA has not responded to requests by local people for a meeting. What do you think of that?

A: It is surprising that they have not responded. They [residents] have written letters to JICA, they have officially requested a meeting with JICA, but these requests have not been met so far. I need to see why they [JICA] did not respond to the letters, did not respond to the request for a meeting. Then I need to encourage and urge them to do that immediately, and to respond to the letter in a proper manner. As soon as I go back to Japan, I will talk to JICA headquarters to see why they did not respond to the letters. Hopefully they can respond properly as soon as possible.

Q: As a lawmaker, why do you emphasize that Japanese investment in Burma must be done properly?

A: With any project, whether big or small, it's important to ensure that all stakeholders, including people affected by the project either positively or negatively, are involved in the process. Starting from the planning stage, they should be informed, they should be invited to consultations. They should be fully aware and involved in the project. Whatever the project is, it should benefit the people of Myanmar—that's something we should ensure.

The post 'It Should Benefit the People of Myanmar' appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 3, 2014)

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:00 PM PDT

Opportunities Aplenty But Foreign Investors Still Face 'Major Challenges'

Burma offers many business opportunities with annual growth of 7 percent plus predicted over the next five years, but "major challenges" are still faced by would-be foreign investors, a report said.

Despite a new Foreign Investment Law (FIL) and other pro-business regulations, establishing a new business in Burma as a foreigner is "an extremely challenging affair," said analysts Business Monitor International (BMI).

"Contract enforcement remains a gray area in which little historical precedent is available as a benchmark for resolving disputes. At the same time, despite the broad guidelines laid out in the FIL, the establishment of a business is still contingent upon approval from the opaque Myanmar Investment Committee," said BMI.

"[Burma's] extremely underdeveloped banking sector provides yet another hurdle for not only the establishment of a business in the country, but also in terms of trade financing. Banks suffer from both a lack of funding as well as a deficit in operational capacity."

Even so, BMI forecasts GDP growth at an average of 7.4 percent per year to 2018.

Outdated View of Burma Is Barrier to Investment for Thais, Says Envoy

Many potential investors in Thailand have an out-of-date perception of Burma, the Thai ambassador to the country reportedly said.

The wrong impression is a barrier to investing in Burma, The Nation newspaper of Bangkok quoted Pisanu Suvanajata as saying.

"Thai investors still misunderstand the country, holding on to old memories of drug trafficking, ethnic disputes and extreme poverty," Pisanu said, according to The Nation.

The ambassador made the comments to a group of 125 Thais visiting Burma to explore business opportunities. Many members of the group were from the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) who also visited Mandalay and Naypyidaw.

ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn told The Nation said the visit was part of a "learning process" about neighboring markets in preparation for the start of the Asean Economic Community in 2015, which is intended to make cross-border trade between the 10 member countries easier.

Hong Kong Garment Makers Lured by Low Burma Wages

Hong Kong clothing manufacturers will move their factory production to Burma because Burmese wages are only 20 percent of rates in China, an industry report said.

More than 10 Hong Kong-based firms are planning to relocate to the Thilawa Special Economic Zone because costs have become too high in China.

"Hong Kong clothing firms participating in the apparel park aim to benefit from the low cost of production in [Burma] as the cost of labor is only about 20 percent of the wages in China," said the website fibre2fashion.

"Hong Kong entrepreneurs also expect to benefit from the duty-free access enjoyed by Myanmar while exporting to the [European Union]."

The Thilawa factories could be operational by the end of 2015 and employ up to 30,000 people, said the Associated Press.

Burma has "immense potential" to regain its former glory as a leading international garment producer and exporter, Business Monitor International (BMI) said in April.

But a revival will be from a low base, it said, because other countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia had attracted investment during Burma's years of isolation. Burmese garment exports in 2012 were valued at US$909 million but that was only 1.5 percent of GDP, said BMI.

Burma-China Gas Pipeline Pumps 1 Billion Cubic Meters

More than 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas has been delivered to China through the Chinese-built pipeline through Burma, an industry report said.

The pipeline handled 1.076 billion cubic meters over five months from the middle of October to mid April, said Natural Gas Asia, quoting the pipeline's majority owner China National Petroleum Corporation.

The pipeline, which spans about 900 kilometers in Burma from the coast at Kyaukphyu to the border with China's Yunnan Province, became fully operation last October, according to China media reports.

However, the $1 billion pipeline, ferrying gas from the Shwe field in Burmese waters of the Bay of Bengal and supposedly elsewhere, has been operating at only a fraction of its capacity, Interfax Natural Gas Daily reported at the end of March.

The pipeline is supposed to have an annual capacity of 12 billion cubic meters, said the Daily, which should have meant 5 billion cubic meters being pumped in the first five months of operation.

Japan in Technical Study on How to Save Bagan From Tourist Onslaught

The Japanese government is funding a study on ways of improving tourism infrastructure in the Bagan area without damaging the unique ancient monuments.

The work will be carried out by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with Burma's Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, official media reported.

The Bagan area, site of hundreds of temples and pagodas dating from the 10th Century, is Burma's most popular foreign visitor attraction. But there are concerns that the contender for a UN World Heritage site listing could be damaged as tourist numbers mushroom.

JICA is to study the Bagan's infrastructure such as roads, accommodation development and areas in need of special conservation, said the New Light of Myanmar.

Naypyidaw Establishes 'MyanTrade' to Push Burma's Exports Higher

A new government agency has been created to promote Burma's exports.

Known as MyanTrade, the body will operate under the wing of the Ministry of Commerce, according to Commerce Minister Win Myint quoted by Eleven Media.

Much of Burma's export trade has in recent years been raw agricultural produce such as rice, pulses, timber and fish, plus natural gas, but as more investment goes into manufacturing MyanTrade will help guide products into the export market, the report said.

Although exports have grown in the last two years, Burma imports more goods than it sends abroad.

'Major challenges' remain for investors, Thais urged to update their view of Burma and a pipeline pumps 1 billion cubic meters of gas to China.

The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 3, 2014) appeared first on The Irrawaddy Magazine.
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