The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- ‘I Don’t Like to Endorse Clichés’: Leading Lady Michelle Yeoh
- Burma’s New Auto Policy to Promote Manufacturing, Say Experts
- ‘We Truly Believe That the Arts Can Change People’
- The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 30, 2015)
| ‘I Don’t Like to Endorse Clichés’: Leading Lady Michelle Yeoh Posted: 30 May 2015 02:21 AM PDT  Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh in Rangoon on May 29, 2015. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) Best known in Burma as Aung San Suu Kyi's body double, Michelle Yeoh is one of Asia's most prolific and popular film stars. Hailing from Malaysia, she has played leading roles in films produced all over the world, often as characters that challenge stereotypes about women. She's been a geisha, a warrior, a Bond girl. Yeoh starred in Luc Besson's 2011 drama "The Lady," which told the story of Suu Kyi's return to Burma, her time under house arrest and her marriage to British academic Michael Aris. The Irrawaddy recently spoke with Yeoh about what it was like to play the role of the Nobel laureate, her impressions of Burma and her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated industry. The actress has been to Burma several times, and returned this week to attend the Memory! International Film Heritage Festival, a 10-day program on view at the Nay Pyi Taw Theater in Rangoon. On Sunday she will attend a screening of the wuxia blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," in which she played a female warrior. All festival events are free of charge and open to all. Obviously, we want to know what it was like to play The Lady. It was an amazing experience. To be able to walk in the shoes of someone who is so dignified, so disciplined, you walk away from the character hoping that you bring a lot of the goodness with you. It makes you a better person. It definitely made me stronger, and made me sit up more straight! It was a beautiful experience. It was quite tough some of the time, because, as you know, at that time, Aung San Suu Kyi was still under house arrest when we started the research. Rebecca [Frayn, who wrote the screenplay] took about five years to write the script and do the research. By the time I received the script, they had Luc Besson on board [as the director], and it was three years before we started to film. We came in with a camera and we did some of the shots here, but then of course we made the movie in Thailand, where we built the house exactly the way it was. Even which way it faced the sun, because the house was very much a part of her character; during that time, she spent all of her time in that house. Have you asked her what she thought of the film? I never did. Honestly, we didn't make the movie for her to watch, we made the movie for the rest of the world, to get to know Burma at that point in time, and what happened to a couple. I mean, it was an incredible love story. It wasn't so much about politics, but really about her and her husband, and what they were willing to sacrifice. It's a very sad story, and when I was playing that role I understood: you know the pain but you have to keep it inside to inspire others to be strong, rather than just give up or collapse into tears. I would think it would be painful [for Suu Kyi to watch] because it would bring up a lot of memories. So I never asked her. I wouldn't dare. When the movie was released in 2011, it was right around the time Burma was changing politically. Have you been surprised by what has happened here in the past few years? I'm not. I would have been surprised if it didn't open up, if [Burma] remained stoically in the past. It's obvious, times have to change. You also have a new generation growing up, are they willing to stay in the dark? I don't think so. But I must say it has opened up in a gradual way, and I think it's very healthy when that happens. If you open up your doors too quickly and everything comes charging in, I think it can destroy a lot of good things here. Like all emerging nations, it's not easy. There will be times when it will get harder before it gets better. What are some of those good things, things you like about this country? The place is beautiful, and there are so many places I haven't had a chance to visit. I want to go to Inle Lake, last summer I went to Bagan and Mandalay. I like to go the more historical, the older places, where you see the culture and the heritage. I have some very good friends here, so I get together with them when I'm here. It reminds me a bit of Penang, it has that sort of colonial heritage. And the food is also so good. I don't know what it's called, the noodley, soupy… Mohinga? Yes! You often play strong, subversive, but elegant leading roles. What kind of characters do you like to play, and what roles do you avoid? It's true. I don't like to endorse clichés. For example, in the old days, if you did an American movie, if you took a role of a Chinese woman she would either be a waitress that works in a Chinese restaurant or a prostitute, something like that, with a really funny accent. I don't like to endorse that. So in the past I've been very conscious about only choosing roles where women are strong. They don't have to be bitchy or dominating, they just have to be smart, respected, not treated like objects. Do you face challenges as a woman in the film industry, and, if so, are those challenges the same in the West and in Asia? All the time. I think all actresses will say the same thing. They never get the good roles, because the roles are predominantly written for men. There's also a big gap in the salaries. Even in Hollywood, and that's a market that's extremely developed. But the next big market will be China, and so far there seems to be more equality over there. What's the film culture like in Malaysia? It's hard. The language, Malay, is only spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia, not anywhere else in the world, so the industry is small, but our government is trying to support it. I'm trying to do my part, we just started a production company there. It's hard in a place where the box office is small, you have to hope [your films] will get picked up in Singapore, or hopefully in China, to get into the market. Can you tell us a bit about your martial arts experience, and what it's like to train as a fighter? Well, I'm a movie martial artist. There are people who have trained since they were four years old, getting up at five in the morning, training for championships. But I was a ballerina before, so when I went into the movie business I used my dance training and kind of converted it for use in the martial arts. So I don't have the traditional training of a martial artist, but I know how it works. My dance background has helped tremendously, and it's made my style a little different from the boys, a bit more fluid. I do train very hard, every day. You have to know the basics: the front kicks the round-house kicks. The only way you can do it is by staying in shape, because on set it's not just one take. You have to do it over and over until you get the perfect shot. Lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring actresses and female filmmakers in Burma? They have to just keep going at it. Raising funds and making movies is hard anywhere in the world, there's just no easy way. It's very important to have film festivals like this, to get the exposure. Something like this brings in directors and producers from the outside world, and they can meet and learn about aspiring actors and filmmakers here. The Memory! International Film Heritage Festival will continue through June 7 at the Nay Pyi Taw Theater on Sule Pagoda Road between Bogyoke and Mahabandoola roads in Rangoon. All events are free of charge, and the full schedule is available at www.memoryfilmfestival.org. The post 'I Don't Like to Endorse Clichés': Leading Lady Michelle Yeoh appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Burma’s New Auto Policy to Promote Manufacturing, Say Experts Posted: 30 May 2015 02:17 AM PDT  A man rides his motorbike past parked Hyundai cars ready for shipment at a port in southern India. (Photo: Reuters) RANGOON — Domestic and foreign car industry experts will convene over the weekend to hash out details of a new automobile policy geared toward streamlining Burma's ownership, manufacturing and import practices. The Myanmar Automobile Policy Conference will take place at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce (UMFCCI) in Rangoon on May 31. Aung Myint, vice president of the Myanmar Engineering Society and a member of the Automobile Policy Drafting Taskforce, said the conference will mark the first time foreign auto experts will participate in the automotive policy reform process in Burma. The new policy, which was proposed in 2013 and will replace the current Myanmar Automobile Law, is meant to be a comprehensive sector reform package that will create new regulations for imports, sales tax, vehicle registration, public transit and investment in car manufacturing. Aung Win, vice president of the Authorized Automobile Distribution Association, told The Irrawaddy that the new policy will prioritize support for domestic manufacturing. "The old law is based on importing used cars. It is an unacceptable law for rebuilding the sector in Myanmar, so we need to change it," Aung Win said. "The law should attract foreign investment, we also need to discuss tax. We need to finish it soon because [the lack of a clear policy] is delaying sector development." Members of the task force said the draft will be finished by the end of 2015. Aung Win said that Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Chevrolet and Land Rover will all be represented at the conference. Ford's Country Manager Khin Htun confirmed that his company will participate, but could not offer any details about the role foreign actors would play in drafting policy. President Thein Sein's reformist government in 2011 began easing long-standing car import restrictions that had put foreign vehicles out of reach for the vast majority of Burmese. The three years since have seen imported cars flood the market, the vast majority of which have been used vehicles. Only about three percent of Burma's households own a car, truck or van, compared to the 21.3 percent that own bull-carts, according to newly released results of the 2014 census. The post Burma's New Auto Policy to Promote Manufacturing, Say Experts appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘We Truly Believe That the Arts Can Change People’ Posted: 29 May 2015 04:40 PM PDT
This week on Dateline Irrawaddy, we will be discussing how the over-exploitation of mineral resources has negatively impacted the environment. Cartoonist Ko Lai Lone, and Ko Saw Poe Khwar will join us for this discussion. Lai Lone recently organized a cartoon exhibition titled "For Who?" focusing on natural resource governance in Burma. Ko Saw Poe Khwar is a reggae musician who sings songs about the earth, the environment and peace. I'm Aye Chan Myae, editor of the Irrawaddy Journal, Burmese edition. Aye Chan Myae: Ko Lai Lone, you organized a cartoon exhibition titled "For Who?" which focuses on natural resource governance. More than a dozen well-known cartoonists, including Saya Awe Pi Kyal [commonly referred to as APK] and Win Aung, exhibited their works. Could you tell us how this exhibition came about? Lai Lone: I also work for a social organization called Spectrum. I've been wanting to emphasize the conditions of natural resource governance in Myanmar [Burma] together with like-minded peers. Mainly, we wanted to underscore the situation to foreigners from foreign companies and embassies rather than Burmese people, because Burmese people are already aware of the situation as it has been a topic that comes up a lot. So we organized the event, mainly targeting those who don't know about it yet. Twenty cartoonists took part in the exhibition; each contributed three works for a total of 60. ACM: I saw Ko Saw Phoe Khwar at the event. Ko Lai Lone invited you, right? Ko Saw Poe Khwar, you sing songs about the earth. What do you think about the exhibition and about the exploitation of natural resources? Saw Poe Khwar: I think of it simply. I view the earth as a home. We enter into it and then we leave it. What shall we do for the earth while we are alive? We are guests. Likewise, our country is our home. What can we do for our home? There should be such an exhibition, because it sends us a message. Natural resources are related to peace. Just looking at the surface, it seems natural resources are not related to peace. But in fact, the two are related. ACM: Ko Saw Poe Khwar, how long have you been involved in reggae music? Can you tell us a bit about the genre? I mean, rock has its own signifiers, and so does hip hop. What's reggae all about? SPK: Personally, I think there is a link between reggae and natural resources, because reggae musicians always say that reggae is not only music—it also has a message. In other words, it informs. Again, it gives us willpower and courage. Speaking of natural resources, education is of critical importance in natural resource governance. There have been many examples of people doing the wrong things because of ignorance. There are many cases of people cutting down trees or burning the forests for farming because of ignorance. Such things put the earth in harm's way. Since reggae music gives a message, there must be a connection. ACM: Speaking of education, I often see cartoon books by Ko Lai Lone. You have made some books about a young hunter named Key Marn, which educate children about the importance of the environment. Environmental education should be geared toward children because it's harder to instill environmental awareness into adults. So there should be many such books. How did you come up with the idea to draw them? LL: We truly believe that the arts can change people. For example, if you fall in love with a girl, you just can't say "I love you" bluntly, you need to take a romantic approach to touch her heart. What I mean is that we need to touch people's hearts. Arts, whether it's a cartoon or a painting or music, should touch the hearts of people. No matter how much we read or how much we work, there won't be real change unless our hearts are touched. My books are not only for children, but also for parents. I also intend to educate the parents through their children. I think it's easier to attract attention with pictures. So far I have drawn seven cartoon books about environmental conservation. ACM: Environmental conservation concerns everybody. We can't neglect it just because we are not affected yet. We can't say that because we are living here [in Rangoon] that the construction of the Myitsone dam in Kachin State would not concern us. I notice that Ko Lai Lone is from Chin State. Ko Saw Phoe Khwar is Karen and I am Bamar. This makes me think about the relationship between exploitation of mineral resources and the peace process. What do you think? SPK: Some ethnic people have a natural [resentment toward Bamar people], which has led to negative consequences. To be frank, Karen people are taught from birth, in our history lessons, not to trust the government. We are largely racially brainwashed. While some are rational enough to distinguish between right and wrong, and to identify fact, some people don't have that rationality. In the case of the latter, many good things are destroyed. As I have said before, there are many cases of causing damage because of ignorance. Regarding peace, some people think that ethnic groups do not want to make peace because they don't want to share their resources. For example, Kachin State has gems, and other ethnic regions have this or that resource. So some people think ethnic armed groups and the government are fighting for control of those resources, and they are concerned that the fight will drag on forever. But I don't think the current fighting is related to resource sharing indeed. Many, many things have led to current situation, I reckon. ACM: As far as I'm aware, only certain people in the leadership are greedy for mineral resources. It can't be that the entire population is crazy about natural resources, since they are not the ones who get the benefits from those resources. SPK: If the mineral resources got into the hands of those who can systematically manage them, I am sure the country would be prosperous. Everyone says that our country has vast deposits of mineral resources. As you have said, those resources are managed only by a handful of people, and that group of people only cares about themselves. It is wrong. They deplete our resources without understanding the consequences. When it comes to the exploitation of natural resources, it is the people who share the consequences. LL: I am from Chin State, and we have a joke there. We don't have valuable mineral resources. Taro, tubers, that's all we have from the earth. ACM: If there was peace in the country, and mineral resources got into the hands to those who can systematically manage them, they would belong to the entire country. Then again, if people across the country could share their resources, there would be peace. SPK: Yes, these things are interrelated. LL: Again, speaking of resources, there is another kind of resource—human resource. We don't have a lot of mineral resources in Chin State, but the people are in real hardship. They have to migrate to other places for survival, and therefore their livelihoods are not secure. When we talk about peace, we are talking about stopping war, ending the fighting. But I think we should also be thinking about inner peace and peace of mind. ACM: I really like the song "The World is Our Home," which Saw Poe Khwar sang at the "For Who" exhibition. If you don't mind, could you read some of the lyrics for us? SPK: The intro is like this: 'The world is our house. Yes, the world is our house.' We know that the world is our house. We enter the world for a while and we are guests. I mean we get into this world and we do this and that and years elapse unnoticed. We forget that we are living in a house and we forget why we have come for. This is the main part of the song. And, the song ends like this: Will our house become infested, decay and collapse because of negligence under the influence of ego, ignorance, and greed? Shall we leave a bad legacy? Think about it and serve together the Mother Earth with your own awareness. As I have said, the idea is simple. ACM: It's a really great song. We're not all environmentalists, and we don't all have a deep knowledge about the environment. We think simply and we take simple actions. You two are artists. Ko Lai Lone educates children with his cartoons and Ko Saw Poe Khwar writes songs about the earth with simple lyrics. Thank you very much for your participation in this discussion. The post 'We Truly Believe That the Arts Can Change People' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 30, 2015) Posted: 29 May 2015 04:30 PM PDT  The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China will be one of two foreign banks reportedly set to open in Burma next week. (Photo: Carlos Barria / Reuters) South Korean Media Reports Rumored Daewoo Sell-Off South Korean company Daewoo International may be looking to offload its offshore gas interests in Burma, according to reports emerging from Seoul this week. Reports in two newspapers both said that the company might be trying to sell its 60 percent stake in the Shwe gas field amid corporate restructuring at the firm, which is majority owned by South Korean steel giant POSCO. The gas field in Burmese waters of the Bay of Bengal reached full production in late 2013, and feeds the Chinese-backed Shwe gas pipeline. The pipeline had begun transporting gas from the Arakan State coast at Kyaukphyu to China's Yunnan province. The project is reportedly projected to generate more than $350 million a year for Daewoo. The company is the lead developer of the Shwe Gas Field—in which India's ONGC Videsh, the Gas Authority of India Limited and South Korean firm KOGAS also have interests—and also holds a stake in another offshore block known as A-3. "As POSCO is seeking to sell Daewoo International's gas field in Myanmar by equity spinoff, there are growing concerns that it could undermine the corporate value of Daewoo International," Business Korea reported on Wednesday. The same day, the Korea Times said that POSCO had been forced to comment on the rumors by the Korean stock exchange. "POSCO said it has been reviewing a wide range of steps to improve its financial soundness, adding that it hasn't decided whether to dispose of Daewoo International's natural resources business," the Korea Times said. "The steelmaker said it will make a decision on the matter in June." The same report also quoted a Daewoo International spokesman denying the plans of a sale, but admitting that the parent company had been studying "measures to enhance its financial health." Japan's Marubeni to Build Burma's Biggest Gas Power Plant Japanese trading company Marubeni Corporation has signed an agreement with the Burmese government to begin work toward what would be Burma's largest gas-fired power station. The company said in an announcement on Thursday that it had agreed with the Ministry of Electric Power to conduct a feasibility study on the proposed 400 megawatt plant in Rangoon's Thanlyin Township. It would provide power to the Thilawa Special Economic Zone and the grid serving Burma's biggest city, where electricity supply is struggling to keep up with rapidly growing demand. The deal involves Marubeni forming a consortium with local tycoon Chit Khaing's Eden Group and Thailand's Global Power Synergy Public Company. "This project will be the largest gas-fired power plant in Myanmar," the statement said. "Installing new power generation capacity is an urgent issue in Myanmar because of its rapidly increasing electricity demand due to recent economic growth. "Especially, in the Yangon region, which is the largest commercial region in Myanmar, the shortage of electricity will increase in severity due to the entry of many companies and factories." Sheraton Hotel Group Announces New Rangoon Site The company behind the Sheraton hotel chain is set to open a 375-room hotel in the center of Rangoon, according to a statement. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will operate the Sheraton Yangon Hotel in Tamwe Township close to Kandawgyi Lake under an agreement with the hotel's owners, Family Business Group Hotel Limited. This year has also seen new hotels in Rangoon opened by international chains Novotel and Best Western, as investors look to capitalize on growth in both business and tourist arrivals in Burma's economic hub. "Sheraton Yangon Hotel will open during an exciting period in the country, spurred by a major investment from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism that has encouraged 4 million international arrivals in 2015 alone," the statement said, citing the government's targeted arrivals figure for this year. "We are delighted to partner with Starwood to introduce the company's first hotel in Myanmar and are eager to continue the relationship by targeting additional development opportunities across the country," Family Business Group Hotel Limited CEO Ko Ko Latt was quoted in the statement saying. Ko Ko Latt is also an active member of Burma's Muslim community and is the founder of the Myanmar Muslim Business Entrepreneur Association, according to his LinkedIn page. Two More Foreign Banks Set to Open Branches Next Week Thailand's Bangkok Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) are both reportedly set to open branches in Rangoon on Tuesday next week. Four banks have already opened their doors to customers in Burma's biggest city in recent months, although they are currently limited to providing certain non-retail banking services. Reuters reported that Bangkok Bank had received its license from the Burmese government and will open on June 2. "The new branch will provide a full range of financial services and connect to the bank's international network to support customers doing business in Myanmar," Reuters said, citing a statement from Bangkok Bank President Chartsiri Sophonpanich. The Myanmar Times reported that ICBC has also been issued permission to open the same day, citing a statement from the Central Bank. Of the nine overseas banks awarded licenses to operate in Burma—the first foreign banks allowed in the country for more than 50 years—Australia's ANZ, Mizuho of Japan and Malaysia's Maybank are still to open branches. State-Owned Firm Seeks Partner for LPG Terminal The state-owned Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE) is inviting private-sector bids to be involved in a project to build a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) terminal to serve Rangoon. State media reported Friday that the company run by Naypyidaw's Ministry of Energy called on local and foreign companies to submit expressions of interest to enter a joint venture for the project. MPE wants to build a new terminal at the current site of its No. 1 Refinery in Thanlyin, Rangoon Division, and a prospective partner would also have to develop a supply chain business in Burma "encompassing importation, storage, wholesale distribution and marketing, the ministry said," according to the Global New Light of Myanmar. "According to the ministry's announcement, investors must have extensive experience in the LPG industry," the report said, adding that the ministry also planned to set up a laboratory providing services to the petroleum and petrochemical industries. CAPTIONS: The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (May 30, 2015) appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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