Democratic Voice of Burma |
- Bullet Points: 20 August 2014
- Rice wine remains perfect tonic for Karenni farmers
- Karenni State villagers ask Min Aung Hlaing to let them farm
- Ooredoo’s services lacking, customers say
- Farmers sentenced 8 months for Mandalay plough protest
| Posted: 20 Aug 2014 05:06 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: Burma's health ministry has confirms that a Burmese man is being screened for the Ebola virus. Calls for international effort to stem Southeast Asia drug trade. Karenni villagers retain traditions in face of global liquor imports. You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news. |
| Rice wine remains perfect tonic for Karenni farmers Posted: 20 Aug 2014 05:02 AM PDT As brands of Burmese alcohol compete with recently approved foreign liquor imports, Karenni villagers are fighting to retain local brewing customs. Family businesses are keeping to their traditional techniques for distilling sticky rice to make wine. Khao Yae, as it is known in eastern Burma, remains the drink of choice for Karenni connoisseurs, despite an array of choice in a rapidly expanding Burmese liquor market. Recently granted government liqueur production licenses now allow foreign companies like Carlsberg and Thailand's ThaiBev to brew in Burma. They're posing a threat to domestic producers such as Myanmar Brewery Ltd — Burma's biggest alcohol company — operated in part by the military-owned Union Of Myanmar Economic Holdings. Despite the reach of both multinationals and large domestic firms, family businesses in Karenni state continue to employ centuries-old practices to create a product they believe to be one of a kind. Muda, of the ethnic Gheko subdivision of Karenni people, explains that four different types of sticky rice are used to brew Khao Yae, in a time-consuming process achieved by varying methods between local groups. The rice is either boiled down before it is pot fermented, or distilled using a steaming method. After detailing the process for perfecting her drop, Muda explained that techniques differ from area to area. "In Hanpyu and Lahta areas of Karenni State," she said, "people use the same methods as they do across Burma, cooking the sticky rice like cooking normal rice before they add yeast." "However, we use the Gheko traditional method of adding yeast to the rice before steaming it." Karenni rice wine is not only popular among locals looking to wind down after a day in the fields. Locals say the elixir serves as a medicinal tonic, used to soothe joints and cure ailments. It is even used by mothers weaning breastfeeding children. "It replenishes the body's strength, drink a little each day and you'll stay healthy," said one local man who warns of the potency of the brew. "When I run out of Khao Yae, I take a break from working for the day, or look for a place to buy some," he admits. Bottles of the brew sell for around 2,000 kyat (US$2) at local markets. As foreign brands continue to flood the Burmese market, traditional Karenni rice wine may play an important role in preserving local culture.
|
| Karenni State villagers ask Min Aung Hlaing to let them farm Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:29 AM PDT Local villagers in Karenni State's Hpruso Township sent a letter to Burma's military chief Min Aung Hlaing for permission to farm on land that was allegedly seized from them by the Burmese Army in 1993. Residents of Solyaku village in northern Hpruso Township said that the 531st Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) seized more than 1,200 acres of their farmland, prompting them to stage a "plough protest" in the land, which has been cordoned off. The battalion then tried to sue Thae Rah, one of the leaders of the protesting farmers, for trespassing, but Hpruso Township court dismissed the lawsuit, citing a lack of evidence. The villagers sent a letter to Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday requesting that they be allowed to farm on the disputed land. Copies of the letter were also sent to the regional chief minister, the land management committee, local government authorities and the 531st LIB. "The letter highlighted the LIB-531's confiscation of land in the village and their attempt to prosecute villagers who protested," said Htoo Reh, a resident of Solyaku. "We requested that the military commander-in-chief officially let us return to work on our farmland." The Solyaku villagers said they have sent a similar letter to Burmese President Thein Sein and relevant government departments, as well as to the Karenni State Progressive Party last year, but have received no responses. Hpruso's Land Management Department said that they have previously held talks with local- and union-level parliament representatives regarding this dispute, but no decision has been reached.
|
| Ooredoo’s services lacking, customers say Posted: 20 Aug 2014 02:04 AM PDT Despite promises of better voice connection and access to the Internet, mobile phone users in Rangoon say that Ooredoo's services are falling short of high expectations. Launched in Rangoon on 2 August, Ooredoo is the first foreign company in Burma's telecoms sector, which previously had state-run Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) as the sole telecoms provider. For the last few years, the cost of MPT SIM cards ranged from US$50 to hundreds of dollars, making mobile connectivity a rarity in Burma. With only one other foreign competitor, which has not yet launched, Ooredoo appeared poised to take over a large part of the market share with its allure of low-priced SIM cards starting at about US$1.50. But less than three weeks on, customers are already disillusioned. According to Ko Aye, the owner of a mobile phone and services shop in Tamwe Township, he has sold 1,200 Ooredoo SIM cards since the launch, but has decided to stop due to non-stop complaints from customers. "Everyday, customers complain. We stopped selling it because they have been complaining to us a lot," Ko Aye said. "There is no connection at all when they call other people." Kaung Satt, a pharmaceutical representative, travels throughout Rangoon daily for his job, and said that phone reception is unpredictable and often appears to depend on his location. "The connection is good downtown but sometimes bad in Kyimyindaing," he said. "Before, I was hoping to throw away my MPT card once I got Ooredoo. But I might do it the other way around now." When there is a connection, Myo Min, a resident from Hlaing Tharyar Township, said the quality is abysmal. "The reception is not clear and there are interferences," he said. Ooredoo PR officer Thiri Kyar Nyo defended the quality of the company's services, explaining that it will improve as time goes on. "Since 2 August, we have erected over 20 towers in Rangoon; we chose the locations for these towers based on customers' feedback," she said. "As the tower installations are being done every day, we expect our network in Rangoon will gradually get better." She added that reception in the country's capital, Naypyidaw, and in Mandalay is "very clear", and customers are able to watch videos without disruptions because of the high-speed Internet. "As for Rangoon, we are currently filling the blanks by erecting towers and are gradually closer to completion," she said. Burma's other foreign entrant in the telecoms scene, Telenor, is expected to launch in September and the company is hopeful that many of the issues that plagued Ooredoo's launch would be resolved due to their "extensive testing", said Hanne Knudsen, vice president of the Norwegian provider. "As with any commercial launch, one can expect some issues during the initial period but we are confident that our testing has gone a long way to eliminate some of the problems commonly experienced," she told DVB in an email. Knudsen was unconcerned that Ooredoo would gain the upper hand with its early launch, adding that "healthy competition in the mobile industry will benefit consumers". For now, customers are taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to who their chosen service provider will be. La Myat, a Tamwe Township resident who has both MPT and Ooredoo SIMs, said that he no longer tops up his Ooredoo card since his calls never go through. "I can't call another Ooredoo phone with my Ooredoo phone, and I can't call an MPT phone either," La Myat said. "So I am not filling it up anymore because that's 5,000 kyat that I cannot use." "Telenor is coming also, so I will try that as well," he said.
|
| Farmers sentenced 8 months for Mandalay plough protest Posted: 19 Aug 2014 11:24 PM PDT Local farmers from Mandalay Division's Sintgai Township were sentenced to prison terms of up to eight months on Tuesday under charges of trespassing and destroying property while staging a plough protest in May. More than 1,200 acres were confiscated and handed over to the Burmese Army in 1989, who began renting it out to private companies. In May 2014, hundreds of villagers began ploughing the disputed land to signify that they had original ownership. Because of this, 15 farmers from Sintgai Township's villages of Palate, Ywarthir, Seeson and Tatmyaw faced charges for involvement in the protest. According to their lawyer, Thae Su Wai, the Sintgai Township court found 14 of the defendants guilty, and sentenced ten of them to eight months of imprisonment each. The remaining four received four-month prison terms, while the 15th person had his charges dismissed because of a lack of evidence. Related StoriesThae Su Wai added that she is preparing to appeal the verdict at the Kyaukse District court on behalf of her clients. Soe Win, a local farmer in the area who joined the protest in May, said that about 400 farmers took part. He blamed the authorities for neglecting to address the protestors' claims. "We started the seven-day plough war on 16 May and up to about 400 locals joined us on some days. We continued working the land after seven days because there was no response or mediation from the authorities," Soe Win said. During the military regime, farmland was routinely confiscated by the government for state use, and since 2011, farmers have appealed to the nominally civilian government of Burmese President Thein Sein for the return of their land. Because of this, plough protests have become an increasingly popular form of demonstration for disgruntled farmers.
|
| 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 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.