The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- A Collective Search For Answers
- The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Jan. 3, 2015)
- Rangoon Tea House Gives Haute Burmese Cuisine a Home
| A Collective Search For Answers Posted: 02 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST ![[Mogok] — The open pit of a ruby mine seen in Mogkok in February 2014. (Photo: Reuters)](http://www.irrawaddy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Mogok.jpg) [Mogok] — The open pit of a ruby mine seen in Mogkok in February 2014. (Photo: Reuters) There is still a big wildlife reserve with a triple-canopy forest in the area. But it was a shock to see sizeable streams clogged with the debris and detritus of nearby gem and gold mines. This place is the sinkhole into which the waste of human greed gets poured. Ten thousand acres of paddy land have reportedly been despoiled. The township administration has allocated large sums for dredging the streambeds but the question is: where and how does one dispose of the sludge? I am not an expert in technology or environmental issues, but I encouraged the establishment of a local community-based organization to discuss and help with the expected work. This will be a groundbreaking effort by both political organizations and civil society. In such endeavors, early meetings tend to be introductory then, on the second or third days, people begin to open up. Questions are asked and committed people step forward. A bundled-up teenager had motorcycled in the morning chill from a village over an hour away to be at the land-use and governance consultation held on Dec. 16-18. She was a little unwell as a result and I made note of her name. These meetings are not about populist speechifying—I tell them it is about a collective search for answers. A mountain range stands imposingly between the Mongmit plain and the glitter and litter of the strike-it-rich district in Mogok. On the final day of the consultation, a decision was reached to accompany some of the ethnic Lisu attendees back to their upland village. The Lisu must be among the best mountain motorbikers in the world. Hair-raising bursts of vrooming up gradients I had thought impossible to climb brought us to a place a little below the crest of a mountain. At over 5,000 feet, in the December cold, it was a relief to enter the coziness of a wooden house where a charcoal fire had been lit. Only a Lisu could situate a house with its door open to the north wind, but the legendary hill hospitality more than made up for the chill. One of the reasons I had taken this mountain trail was to see Bernardmyo, or what remains of it. I had not known much about it except that it had been a colonial station above the district town of Mogok, also known as the Ruby Mines District in colonial days.  Khin Zaw Win is the director of the Tampadipa Institute in Rangoon. When I got to Bernardmyo, what greeted me was an ethnic Chinese village on a fairly level plateau, a rather dingy marketplace and the ubiquitous mining pits. One of our party pointed out an overgrown clump which he said was where an old British building had once stood. The only other legible remnant of the British past other than the name (which has been "localized" into Ban Nat) is a forlorn little cemetery almost hidden by weeds. I counted about twenty gravestones left standing with the handiwork of good stonecutters still noticeable. They bore the names of men from four British regiments: the Devonshire, Hampshire, PWO Yorkshire and the Border Regiment. Dates of death on many of the graves were from the late 1800s. I could not help feeling a strong sense of history. This year marks the 130th anniversary of the deposition of King Thibaw in 1885. The men who lie in that graveyard had served their Queen and died in a foreign land. They had been part of the grand imperial endeavor but they are part of this country's history too. Sadly now—a sign of the times—there are two yawning mining pits on each side of this neglected cemetery. Back with the amenities of Pyin Oo Lwin, I felt I had to advise ethnic nationality friends about what I had seen and heard. Western Momeik is multi-ethnic and the ethnic Lisu area has different religions and scripts. I discussed with colleagues the concept of a secular ethnic identity. My ethnic colleague said he had tried googling it but could not find it. He will if he tries hard enough. I might add that secularization is easier said than done—just look at India. And there is some rethinking going on of what a secular state means, or even if it exists at all. With these facts of a tumultuous time brought to light, I almost feel like one of the prophetic Sibyls of ancient Greece who could foresee future events. It does not make for a pretty picture. I recall the depiction of a Sibyl in one of Michelangelo's immortal frescoes. She is holding a parchment, on which is written an account of the future, and is turning to look at the mortal receivers of this destiny. It is one of the most haunting looks I can remember in a work of art. The script on the parchment for Myanmar has not been a happy one these last seventy-odd years. Let us pray to whoever we worship that it is a more blessed one now. The post A Collective Search For Answers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Jan. 3, 2015) Posted: 02 Jan 2015 04:30 PM PST Resentment to Chinese Investment 'Likely to Grow' after Killing The failure of Chinese firms to adhere to social responsibility guidelines drawn up by their own government in Beijing seems likely to foster more anti-Chinese feelings in Burma, a business risk assessor said. "The death of a woman during a protest at a Chinese copper mine [Letpadaung] in north-western [Burma] has underscored inadequate corporate social responsibility (CSR) management by Chinese mine operators, which continues to fuel public resentment against Chinese investment across [Burma]," said Verisk-Maplecroft. "Rich reserves of minerals, gems and metals in [Burma] have attracted large volumes of Chinese direct investment to its mining sector. However, there has been growing opposition in the country to Chinese-led projects, as CSR concerns over land expropriation, resettlement and the environmental impact to local communities remain unaddressed," the Anglo-American risk assessment firm said. China published a set of guidelines on CSR in October for mining companies, but the new scheme lacks teeth because it is not compulsory, Verisk-Maplecroft said. "While large [Chinese] state-owned mining firms may be under [Beijing] government pressure to adopt the guidelines, there is no enforcement procedure to ensure compliance. "Ongoing ethnic conflicts in Kachin and Shan states have resulted in the failure of the state to provide sufficient oversight on mining operations, aggravating socio-economic issues in affected areas." Rangoon Stock Exchange on Course for October Debut Burma has moved a step closer to the Naypyidaw government's target of opening a Rangoon stock exchange in 2015 with a formal agreement with two Japanese financial businesses. The Myanma Economic Bank signed the agreement with the Japan Exchange Group and Daiwa Securities Group which has been helping with the technical infrastructure in establishing the exchange. The agreement, reached in late December, formalises a provisional memo of understanding which had been in place since 2012, said local and international media. Financial observers have previously suggested that 2015 is too soon for an exchange to be put into operation. Daiwa said in a statement quoted by Myanmar Times that the "enactment of related laws and rules takes more time than we expected". Japan's Nikkei financial news agency said Naypyidaw is aiming for October for a formal exchange opening. The government would "soon be issuing brokerage licenses," Nikkei said. "Daiwa Securities Group is currently rounding up companies interested in listing on the new exchange. Around five local companies are expected to list in the beginning, including a bank and a rice seller," Nikkei said. The Japan Exchange Group is the operator of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Lack of Deep Port in Rangoon 'Major Obstacle' to Economic Growth The absence of a deep-water port for Rangoon is a major obstacle to manufacturing development in Burma, a UN agency economic planning adviser has warned. "One of the bottlenecks of manufacturing development in [Burma] is the lack of a deep sea port to serve as a key logistical gateway," said Masato Abe, economic affairs officer at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. A deep-water port is especially essential since Burma's first special economic zone is already under construction at Thilawa adjacent to Rangoon and the river mouth. "Unfortunately, [Rangoon] has no deep sea port and the quick development and integration of the country will benefit greatly from such an investment," Abe wrote in a report from the Hong Kong-based think tank Fung Global Institute. "A deep sea port is particularly crucial for the manufacturing sector because such a port is needed to facilitate the movement of goods for both sales and supplies, serving for export and import operations." Such as port should be a "high priority" for the Burmese government, Abe said. Burma Survives Capex Cutback by Thailand's Gas Developer PTTEP Thailand's state-owned natural gas developer PTTEP is expected to focus on its investments in Burma and Africa after it announced a cut in capital expenditure in 2015 of between 15% and 20%, a Bangkok finance company said. PTTEP operates the Zawtika offshore gas field in the Gulf of Martaban and recently acquired licenses to explore other sites in Burma. The investment cutback will trim about US$3 billion off planned capital expenditure over the next five years, said Asia Plus Securities. "The expenditure reduction is to keep up with the changing situation from the global crude oil price. The capital will go mainly to local projects, while overseas investment venues are [Burma], the Middle East, and Africa, it said. Global crude oil prices have almost halved since last July, forcing many oil and gas exploration firms to curb activities now considered economically unviable because of low returns. Volcanic Lake with Health Tourism Prospects 'Needs UN Help' A rare environmental phenomenon in Burma needs protection and financial aid under the UN's World Heritage Site mantle if it is to survive and flourish as a major visitor attraction, a tourism newspaper said. The Twin Taung volcanic lake near Budalin in Sagaing Division is one of only a few places in the world known to produce a rare species of health-giving algae, but pollution is threatening its survival, said TTR Weekly. "Spirulin is a blue-green freshwater algae that is rich in protein and can help boost the immune system and regulate cholesterol. It is found only in [Burma], Mexico and a few African countries," the Bangkok based paper said. But the algae's survival at Twin Taung is being threatened by outside water seeping into the lake which is encouraging fish cultivation. The Burmese government is considering nominating the lake for World Heritage Site listing along with several other natural and ancient cultural sites which are becoming popular tourist destinations. However, the process for acceptance as a World Heritage site can be a slow one. Naypyidaw's efforts to have the ancient city of Bagan listed will take another two years, the Ministry of Culture said in November, because an application requires detailed proposals for safeguarding its status. The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (Jan. 3, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. | |
| Rangoon Tea House Gives Haute Burmese Cuisine a Home Posted: 02 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST  (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) While growing up in northern England, Burma was the happiest of places for Htet Myet Oo. It's where he spent family holidays, and it's the origin of the food that his mother would recreate in Sunderland. One week after graduating university, Htet Myet Oo returned to Burma, where he is now the proud figurehead and owner of Rangoon Tea House, an upscale teashop in the commercial capital overlooking the lower block of historic Pansodan Road. "A lot of the things my mom did for me as a kid food-wise resulted in this teashop," Htet Myet Oo says about his commitment to using only locally sourced, premium ingredients and to make everything down to the samosa pastry and mohinga broth from scratch. The menu is a pared down version of what you'd find at a standard teashop, including lahpet thoke (tealeaf salad), nan gyi thoke (sometimes described as the Burmese equivalent to spaghetti) and curry platters, all the while seeking to appeal to Burmese cuisine first timers with clever illustrations of the different varieties of lahpet. The setting, meanwhile, strays drastically from the usual array of mismatched plastic stools that spill over onto the pavement. While the antique taxi meters and milk bellies on display are a nod to the teashop's rich presence within Burmese history, the minimalist black and white palette and high ceilings lend the place a spacious, casual feel. The menu and the owner both highlight the inclusive atmosphere of teashops, where everyone can gather to talk and share food. While Htet Myet Oo says that "teashop culture doesn't discriminate; everyone can come here," it's clear that at 2,500 kyats (US$2.50) for a cup of tea, not everyone will. So why pay 5,000 kyats for a bowl of mohinga when it costs 500 kyats down the block? "We're not trying to hide behind numbers. We don't want tourists to come here and pay 5,000 kyats for mohinga because it's a novelty. … We have to charge that amount because of the ingredients we put in, and because of the time and care we put into the food," explains Htet Myet Oo. Indeed, when you hear him talk about the painstaking, months-long process that's behind each of the dishes on offer, it radically increases your appreciation of the subtle tamarind hints in the samosa dipping sauce or of the fact that both fried bean and fried red onion patties are served with each generous bowl of mohinga. Rangoon Tea House might very well be the first restaurant in Burma whose mission is to celebrate Burmese food by refining it; by beginning the journey that takes a homemade bowl of coconut noodles to the level of haute cuisine. In effect, when going out for a nice meal in Rangoon, there are myriad Japanese or Italian restaurants to choose from, but where to go out and splurge on some gourmet samosas and lahpet ye (tea)? It's about time someone took a traditional teashop pork bun, shed off the MSG, and served it up with fresh cucumber, cilantro and honey-glazed pork. With millions of expats and tourists passing through Burma, Htet Myet Oo says that "the last thing I want them to do is come through and think, 'Oh, Burmese food gave me diarrhea.' I want people to come here and leave with the impression that Burmese food is some of the best food they've ever tasted." So how does the food fare? Well, Rangoon Tea House excels when it most deviates from the norm. Even if premium ingredients are used in mohinga that took months to develop, the balance of flavors was too subtle to wow. Meanwhile, when the cuisine strays from the expected, such as with the pork buns, the flavors dazzle. With a new menu debuting this week—highlights include ono kaew soi (coconut milk noodles) and steamed buns stuffed with butterfish—there's an undeniable optimism that as owner Htet Myet Oo and his chef Kyaw Htet continue to develop the concept and the menu, they'll arrive at the ideal combination of premium ingredients and rich flavors that will help Burmese food shine on an international level. The post Rangoon Tea House Gives Haute Burmese Cuisine a Home appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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