Democratic Voice of Burma

---

• Burma too busy for by-elections, says Election chief
• Locals protest Latpadaung mine resumption
• Thai airline encouraged to spread its wings in Burma
• Young artists shine at Hong Kong contemporary art show

Burma too busy for by-elections, says Election chief Posted: 12 Oct 2013 05:13 AM PDT The chairman of Burma's Union Election Commission (UEC) has stated that the state is too busy—and the seats in question too few—to consider holding by-elections ahead of the 2015 general election. He pointed to Burma's chairmanship of the ASEAN bloc next year, the country's preparations for the SEA Games in December, and the logistics involved in conducting a census in 2014 as major responsibilities that Burma must undertake in the meantime. Speaking at a meeting involving representatives of 32 political parties at the Rangoon regional government office on Friday, UEC Chairman Tin Aye said that only 3.07 percent of seats in the Lower House remained vacant while just 2.38 percent of seats in the Upper House had no constituents. Related Stories NLD lawyer fined for ballot tampering allegations Burma expels Rohingya members from political party NLD spokesperson stands trial as lawsuits pile up During a parliamentary session in June, Tin Aye said there were 15 vacant seats in total: six in the lower house; four in the upper house; and five in state and regional assemblies. However, Khin Maung Swe, the chairman of the National Democratic Force, said his party had already invested money campaigning and preparing for by-elections, especially in Kachin State where security concerns had prevented elections being held previously in many constituencies. In 2010, the UEC postponed by-elections in some 300 villages nationwide due to conflict and security concerns, the majority of townships affected being in Kachin, Shan, Mon, Karen and Karenni states. "All our money, human resources and spiritual strength have been in vain if by-elections are suspended again," said Khin Maung Swe, though he did acknowledge that the UEC chairman's reasons for denying elections in these areas are hard to deny. In his speech on Friday, Tin Aye warned political parties not to seek support abroad and promised to hold the 2015 election in conformity with the law and under free and fair conditions. He said that no date had yet been scheduled for the next general election.

Locals protest Latpadaung mine resumption Posted: 12 Oct 2013 03:46 AM PDT Nearly 150 local residents from villages around the Latpadaung area held a protest on Friday as mining activities recommenced at a controversial copper mine project in Sagaing division. Speaking to DVB, some of the demonstrators including Buddhist monks said that gunpowder explosions marked the resumption of the Chinese-backed project which was suspended after an incident last November when riot police brutally put down a peaceful protest at the site injuring more than 100 activists, some of whom were severely burnt by incendiary devices fired by the police. Related Stories Jailed anti-mine activist Naw Ohn Hla transferred New prisoners, same cages The face of defiance A commission headed by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was subsequently formed by the Burmese government and in March it recommended that operations at the copper mine project be allowed to recommence much to the displeasure of activist and local farmers. Speaking to DVB on Friday, Ar Thaw Ka, a monk from nearby Zee Taw village, confirmed that explosions were heard on Thursday near a Buddhist ordination hall and temple built by revered monk Sayadaw Lete [Lete Abbot]. Last month, the Sagaing division government's religious affairs minister promised that the historical site would not be affected by the continuation of work at the copper mine site after some 70 activists and monks set off on a 120-km march from Amarapura in Mandalay division towards the Latpadaung copper mine to demand that the ancient Buddhist site be protected. San Maung, one of the protesters on Friday, called on the mining companies involved to consider the livelihoods of local residents and the potential impact on the environment. The copper mine project is a joint venture between Chinese company Wanbao and the Burmese military-backed Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings.

Thai airline encouraged to spread its wings in Burma Posted: 11 Oct 2013 11:23 PM PDT Burma yesterday urged Nok Air to expand its footprint in the country to cover the major cities of Naypyidaw, Mandalay and Bagan. Burmese Ambassador in Thailand Tin Win said Burma would like to encourage the Thai budget carrier to expand beyond Rangoon, where it will land from Nov 1. Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin said covering those Burmese cities may be possible but did not offer a specific time frame. He said he wants to see the Bangkok-Rangoon jet service and two other shorter routes – from Mae Sot to Moulmein and Rangoon, recently launched by its Nok Mini affiliate – become well established. “Let’s get our three Burma routes right first before we move on to other places,” he told the Bangkok Post. Related Stories New Mae Sot flight brings business to Moulmein Japanese airline buys 49 percent share in Asian Wings MAI flights cancelled at short notice Nok Air’s Burma strategy focuses on emerging secondary routes linking Thai provinces with Burma cities not served by any airlines with turboprop aircraft. Thai Airways International and its budget subsidiary THAI Smile, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways already serve Rangoon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw. In addition, Burma Airways, Air Bagan and Golden Burma also operate flights between the two countries. Mr Patee said the Bangkok- Rangoon route has fast-growing demand and can accommodate an additional player such as Nok Air. Nok Air has chosen the route for the resumption of its international jet service after an interval of six years. It will gradually increase the frequency of flights on the route, starting with four flights a week before moving to daily and twice daily from next year. Shares of NOK closed yesterday on the SET at 24.90 baht, up 10 satang, in trade worth 42.3 million baht. This article was first published in the Bangkok Post on 12 October 2013.

Young artists shine at Hong Kong contemporary art show Posted: 11 Oct 2013 11:02 PM PDT With artwork sprawled on queen-sized beds, hung in front of television sets and even placed on toilet counters, Hong Kong’s Asia Contemporary Art Show has an unusual take on what constitutes an art gallery. Hosted in a luxury hotel, the bi-annual fair caters for emerging artists hoping to break into global markets and the unorthodox venue is an attempt to reduce costs in a city fast becoming known as an international arts hub but where sky-high rents pose a challenge for artists and galleries. Thousands attended the four-day show, which emphasises young and mid-career artists and is the city’s second-largest art fair after the Hong Kong edition of the prestigious Art Basel. Collectors moved from room to room inside the five-star JW Marriott hotel where more than 70 galleries showcased paintings, sculptures and photography from around the Asia region and the world. “The informality of the hotel is one of the characters of the art fair,” the show’s director Mark Saunderson told AFP. Related Stories Graffiti artist invited to leave his mark in Naypyidaw Art: A form of protest in Rangoon Burma prison art tells story of repression “It’s a bit of a journey of discovery from room to room,” he said, adding that the hotel format of the fair also helps to cut costs. “The whole spirit of what we are trying to do with the show is obviously to offer an opportunity for work to come to Hong Kong, which otherwise would probably never be seen,” he said. Galleries in the city deal with many costs including expensive rents, making them adopt a selection process that excludes many potential artists, Saunderson said. However, experts say that South-East Asian artwork has a major advantage: its price tag, with Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malaysian pieces popular on the international scene. “You can spend HK$50,000 – HK$100,000 [$6,400 - $12,900] and buy a very good quality artist,” said Saunderson. With the value of Vietnamese works having increased tenfold over the past 15 years, new artists are seeking more global exposure. “The most important thing is that young artists like me have a chance to show their works,” Vietnamese artist Dang Thao Ngoc told AFP. Dang, from Hanoi, is known for using colourful oil paintings to depict family members and also to represent life in Vietnam. “In Hong Kong, a lot of people come and see the artworks. They care about the artworks a lot,” she said, adding that this was not the case for her back home in Vietnam. Newly reforming Burma is also seeing more galleries open up as the art world catches on to its artists, with dozens now selling successfully. "Chinese painters paint very quick, and they paint quantity. The Burmese artists don't do this. They tend to paint less paintings, but at much higher quality" said Sidney Cowell, director at the Asia Fine Art Gallery. The art on offer ranges from the traditional to the more eclectic. In one room belonging to a Japanese gallery, a comical sculpture of a bald Asian man wearing a schoolgirl’s uniform was on display, his arms open and ready for an embrace. Another installation featured ultra-wide photographs shot from ground-level depicting the high density of Hong Kong’s buildings. The art fair showcased works ranging from HK$30,000 [US$3,900] to HK$200,000 [US$25,800] and generated over HK$18 million [US$2,321,300] in transaction sales during its previous May edition. The boom in Hong Kong’s international art market has been driven partly by the fast-growing wealth of mainland Chinese buyers. Over 3,000 international artists from 245 of the world’s leading galleries were displayed in May at Art Basel in the southern Chinese city. Gagosian, White Cube, Acquavella, Lehmann Maupin and Galerie Perrotin are just some of the big-name galleries to have arrived in the city in the past two years.

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