Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Bullet Points: 22 August 2014
• Politicians, activists criticise Thein Sein’s address on corruption
• Manhunt on for army deserter who murdered hilltribe child
• Telenor discovers child labourers on its sites
• Miss Myanmar aims to learn from past contestants
• DVB talks to Petter Furberg, CEO of Telenor in Burma

Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:32 AM PDT On today's edition of Bullet Points: Man hunt on for a Burmese army deserter, alleged to have killed a 14 year old boy in a Mae Sot home robbery. Intermittent water shut offs have been felt Rangoon this week, as residents complain of filthy water plumbed into their homes. Telecoms company Telenor admits they have uncovered Burmese children working in hazardous conditions for their subcontractors. Burma-China rice trade returns to normal. You can watch Bullet Points every weeknight on DVB TV after the 7 o'clock news.

Politicians, activists criticise Thein Sein’s address on corruption Posted: 22 Aug 2014 03:48 AM PDT Burmese President Thein Sein urged officials on Wednesday to eliminate the endemic corruption that plagues the country's civic sector during the remainder of his presidential term, state-run media reported this week. According to Mynama Ahlin on Thursday, Thein Sein called for an end to "chronic bribery and corruption in the civil service sector" during his opening address to representatives of the union government at a quarterly meeting in Naypyidaw. According to a UN-commissioned survey, corruption is a top concern for businesses and foreign investors in Burma, with over 20 percent of 3,000 firms surveyed saying that corruption is a "very severe obstacle" to their operations. About half of the firms said that they paid $500 in extra "facilitation fees", while a dozen said extra fees exceeded $10,000. Khin Maung Swe, the National Democratic Force Party's chairman, said that getting rid of bribes or taking action against corrupt civil servants are not the only actions needed to fully stem corruption – and even that would be impossible to do within a single year. "It is probably not possible to completely eradicate corruption within a mere one year of President Thein Sein's remaining term," Khin Maung Swe said. "Civil servants are taking bribes, not because they love money, but because the whole socioeconomic structure collapsed during the dictatorial military rule, and they are unable to rebuild their livelihoods through honest means." Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Bullet Points: 21 August 2014 Bullet Points: 18 August 2014 He pointed at rising inflation and increased cost of living as factors that the government seems unable to get a handle on. This all contributes to the corrupt motivations of low-paid civil servants, he said. "Even if the civil servants are paid a sufficient salary, the government cannot put a cap on rising commodity and land prices," Khim Maung Swe said. "Moreover, there are issues with land price hikes, the inability to increase manufacturing, a lack of legal protection, transportation woes, an absence of crop insurance, and joblessness. "Around eight million people are unemployed, and I think it would be a bit too ambitious for U Thein Sein's government to eradicate bribery within a short time as it is connected to all other issues." Social issues, such as land confiscations and homelessness, were also themes in Thein Sein's speech. The president called on the government to fast-track solutions to the homeless issue by implementing affordable housing projects in more cities besides Rangoon and Mandalay. He also disavowed responsibility for the land confiscation the country suffers from, which he said was perpetrated by the previous military regime and that his administration is attempting to resolve. Upper House member Phone Myint Aung said that Thein Sein's remarks did not reflect reality, and did not directly address the real obstacles plaguing the development of low-cost housing projects. As the majority of land is now owned by military generals of the former regime, or to people linked to them in some way, large sums of money must be provided in order for any project to get off the ground. "The cause of the real estate price hike in Burma is because the majority of land is owned by military generals of the former government. One has to please them – for example, by paying enough money to get permission to construct a building," said Phone Myint Aung. "So with a situation like this, there is no chance the real estate prices will ever go down. Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Bullet Points: 21 August 2014 Bullet Points: 18 August 2014 "There is basically no opportunity for anyone to develop a low-cost housing project now because the land is not owned by the country, but has already been distributed to the children of powerful figures." Tun Myint Aung, farmland coordinator for 88 Generation Peace and Open Society group – a pro-democracy group formed by the students who were behind the 1988 uprising — criticised Thein Sein for pushing off the blame for rampant land confiscations to the previous regime, saying that Thein Sein's role and the people in the higher echelons of his administration are implicated. "They are basically the same people from SPDC and SLORC governments and so, they should accept responsibility for the issues and they shouldn't try to dodge it by saying it happened in the past," Tun Myint Aung said. "If it was unjust in the past, then they should try to change it during this democratic transition, bring about justice, and see that the people's interests are addressed. "Otherwise, they will not be regarded as a 'clean government' that represents and works in the interests of its people." Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Bullet Points: 21 August 2014 Bullet Points: 18 August 2014

Manhunt on for army deserter who murdered hilltribe child Posted: 22 Aug 2014 03:42 AM PDT Thai authorities have launched a manhunt for a Burmese army deserter suspected of stabbing two children, one of whom died, while robbing a home in the border town of Mae Sot, Thai-language website Manager Online reported on Friday. Police say the prime suspect in the murder case has been identified as Hla Min Aung, 25, said to be a deserter from the Burmese army. It is alleged that he broke into a home of an ethnic hilltribe family in the village of Naung Nam Khio on the evening of 17 August while the parents were out. He allegedly stabbed the two brothers before making off with 24,000 baht (US$800) in cash. Fourteen-year-old Dasu died from knife wounds to his face, stomach and limbs, while his 12-year-old brother was also injured in the attack. A combined force of local police, soldiers and border guards on Friday put four villages on lock-down while searching for Hla Min Aung. Citing local residents, the Manager Online reported that the Burmese man and his wife are suspected of taking refuge in an area with cornfields. Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Bullet Points: 7 August 2014 Eight Chinese 'militants' jailed for weapons raid

Telenor discovers child labourers on its sites Posted: 22 Aug 2014 03:30 AM PDT With a roll-out across Burma of mobile phones, Internet packages and other telecommunications devices scheduled for next month, Telenor announced on Thursday that it has discovered cases of underage labour in its supply chain. In a corporate webcast, Telenor said it had uncovered three situations where a total of six underage workers were employed by the group's partners or sub-contractors, and that it had taken steps to remove the young people from the sites. "We have a strict policy on underage labour," Telenor spokesperson Hanne Knudsen told DVB on Friday. "All our partners in Myanmar [Burma] sign the Supplier Conduct Principles, which states that nobody under 15 years will be employed directly or indirectly for Telenor business. This is in line with recognised international ILO conventions. Additionally, Telenor Group has defined the age requirement for tower construction sites as a minimum of 18 years as we consider some aspects of work on construction sites as potentially hazardous." In its webcast, Telenor said that it had discovered two workers – one aged 17, one 17 and a half – who had been contracted at one of the company's tower construction sites in Pegu [Bago]. Both young men were removed from the site, it said. Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 DVB talks to Petter Furberg, CEO of Telenor in Burma Ooredoo's services lacking, customers say At a site in Mandalay, a sub-contractor reported to Telenor management that three children – two of whom were 12 years old and one 13 – were assigned to excavation work. The three were immediately removed from the site and an investigation launched, Telenor said. A third case, also in Mandalay, uncovered a 15-year-old who was engaged in potentially hazardous work. As his father was also working on the site, the boy was transferred into the office to work. "We recognise that despite our efforts to safeguard, there will always be a risk for violation within our supply-chain," said Knudsen, adding that the Norwegian firm was working with a long-term focus on preventative measures. Other workers' issues covered in Thursday's webcast included corruption, land issues, health and safety, and community outreach. In an interview with DVB last Friday, Telenor's Myanmar CEO Petter Furberg said that the company was readying to launch "sometime in September" and that it was looking to cover all regions of Burma within the first year of operations. He stressed however, that due to inaccessible and remote areas, it would take five years before everyone in Burma had access. Telenor is one of just two foreign firms to be granted licences to operate telecoms services in the potentially lucrative Burmese market. The other international company, Qatar-based Ooredoo, rolled out its product last week. Several teething problems were reported, and amid much public criticism regarding service and charges, Ooredoo announced this week a series of changes to its mobile service packages.

Miss Myanmar aims to learn from past contestants Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:22 PM PDT Preparation is key to bringing home the crown for the Miss International 2014 pageant, said Miss Myanmar International Khin Wai Phyo. Speaking during a press conference at Rangoon's Kandawgyi Palace Hotel on Thursday, 18-year-old Khin Wai Phyo, the newly crowned Miss Myanmar International, said that she is studying the experiences of her two predecessors in order to bring home the coveted tiara in the Miss International 2014 pageant, which will be held in Japan in October. "I will carefully learn from the experiences of my two seniors – their advantages and disadvantages – to prepare for what is necessary," Khin Wai Phyo said during the press conference. She will be the third Burmese contestant to participate in the Miss International pageant, after Gonyi Aye Kyaw in 2013 and Nan Khin Zayar in 2012. Khin Aung Tun, secretary of Myanmar Tourism Federation – which hosted the Miss Myanmar International 2014 on Tuesday at Rangoon's National Theatre – said that having Burmese contestants in beauty pageants would boost tourism to Burma. Related Stories Burmese beauty queen arrives home after victory in Seoul "Whether it is Miss Universe, Miss World or Miss International pageants, having Burmese contestants in these international events involving many other countries around the world can draw a lot of interest to Burma, and will contribute to our tourism," Khin Aung Tun said. After about half a century of absence from international beauty pageants, Burma made its first appearance on the international stage with Nan Khin Zayar as Miss Myanmar International 2012. In 2013, Burmese contestant Moe Satt Wine competed in the Miss Universe 2013 pageant. In June, 18-year-old Burmese beauty May Myat Noe became a national icon following her victory in the Miss Asia Pacific competition in South Korea. Arriving at Rangoon airport, she was mobbed by fans, media, family members, friends and representatives of the fashion and modeling businesses.

DVB talks to Petter Furberg, CEO of Telenor in Burma Posted: 21 Aug 2014 08:45 PM PDT Telenor, the Norwegian telecoms giant, would appear to have been overshadowed this week by an announcement by its rival, Ooredoo, that it had begun rolling out mobile phone and internet services across Burma. Telenor and Ooredoo were the two successful candidates from a host of big-name international players who bid for telecommunications contracts in Burma last year. However, speaking to DVB’s Khin Maung Win last Friday, Myanmar CEO Petter Furberg seems unfazed. “We will launch some time in September,” he said, detailing how Telenor’s 2-G and 3-G networks would benefit people in Burma from all regions and all walks of life. He also promised Burmese customers international calls at affordable prices. He said his firm would launch initially in Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw, but would expand quickly to over every region within the first year. He predicted that it would take five years to access to the entire country. Related Stories Bullet Points: 22 August 2014 Telenor discovers child labourers on its sites Ooredoo's services lacking, customers say

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