The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Military Chopper Crashes, Kills Three
• NLD Looks to Win Parliamentary Seat in Election Reversal      
• Rangoon Division Parliament Demands Crackdown on Drugs
• Details on Suu Kyi-nomics Forthcoming
• ‘Twilight Over Burma’ To Be Reviewed by Censorship Board
• UNFC Proposes More Negotiations Prior to Suu Kyi Meeting
• Cronies Still Deserve Blame for Burma’s Poverty
• Ten Things to do in Rangoon This Week (June 14)
• Jakarta’s Traffic Trials Give Rise to a Tech Success
• Thai Airline Apologizes After Pilot’s Chat About Crashing Plane
• Dalai Lama Urges Suu Kyi to Ease Rohingya Tensions

Military Chopper Crashes, Kills Three Posted: 14 Jun 2016 08:13 AM PDT Police investigate the crash site of a MI-2 in Pegu's Daik-U Township. (Photo: Highway Police) Three Burma Army officers died when an MI-2 military helicopter crashed today in Pegu's Daik-U Township, according to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief. The office's initial report stated that the chopper, having undergone major maintenance at Meiktila air base, took off around 9 a.m. for Tenasserim's Myeik air base. The chopper stopped in Taungoo, also in Pegu, to refuel and then continued toward Hmawbi, in Rangoon Division. Due to bad weather, it crashed before reaching its final destination. The pilot, Maj Yan Naing Htoo, co-pilot Capt Tun Tun Naing and Sgt Tin Tun Lwin were reportedly killed on the spot. There is an open investigation into the cause of the accident. This is the fourth known air force accident in recent months. In February, a Beechcraft airplane crashed near Naypyidaw International Airport, killing all five army officers onboard; in March, there was a runway accident at the same airport due to a mechanical failure; in April another chopper crashed in Mandalay Division. The post Military Chopper Crashes, Kills Three appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

NLD Looks to Win Parliamentary Seat in Election Reversal       Posted: 14 Jun 2016 08:04 AM PDT A civil servant casts a ballot at a polling station during the Nov. 8 election. (Photo: J Paing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An election tribunal on Monday heard statements in an appeal by a Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) lawmaker who is likely to lose his seat to a National League for Democracy (NLD) parliamentary hopeful in an election reversal. In December, Khine Nyi Nyi Kyaw, who ran as an NLD candidate in the November 2015 general election, objected to Shan State's Yatsauk Constituency No. 1 (Lawksawk Township) being called for the USDP's Aung Kyaw Nyunt, who in the election was said to have bested his opponent by a difference of 1,085 votes. According to Khine Nyi Nyi Kyaw, who filed a complaint with the Union Election Commission (UEC), these particular ballot results should be invalidated because votes from ineligible voters were included in the final tally. "Military personnel who were attending a training course at Ba Htoo military camp [in Yat Sauk Township] were included on the voter lists, even though they were ineligible to vote because they were here for only two months," Khine Nyi Nyi Kyaw said. Election law states that a temporary resident is someone who has lived in a different constituency for at least six months and does not intend to return to his or her home constituency. To cast a ballot in the new constituency, this person must also register with local election officials. Khine Nyi Nyi Kyaw said that the final voter lists were received too late to object earlier to the inclusion of military personnel, who should have cast advance ballots in their home constituencies, or in the constituency in which their battalion is based, prior to training. "The election tribunal decided to cancel these votes [in December] at the polling stations where [military personnel] had voted," he said, adding that this saw the USDP lawmaker trail him by a margin of 3,506 votes. Khine Nyi Nyi Kyaw said that during the hearing on Monday, the attorney general argued that Aung Kyaw Nyunt's appeal to the tribunal's decision should be dismissed. Shan State was one of the few electoral bright spots for the USDP in an election that otherwise saw the NLD win by sweeping majorities. The former ruling party won the largest number of seats in Shan State, with the NLD taking third place. If the election tribunal stands by its decision, this will be yet another seat lost by the USDP since the end of the election. In late November, the USDP lost an Upper House seat representing Shan State's Kutkai, Muse and Namkham townships to the ethnic Ta'ang National Party (TNP) after an election sub-commission found that the ballots from six polling stations in Namkham Township had not been counted in the tabulations that led to the erroneous announcement. The election tribunal's final decision will be announced on July 12. The post NLD Looks to Win Parliamentary Seat in Election Reversal       appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rangoon Division Parliament Demands Crackdown on Drugs Posted: 14 Jun 2016 07:40 AM PDT National League for Democracy lawmakers stand in the Rangoon Division Parliament. (Photo: Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — On Tuesday, more than a dozen National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmakers in the Rangoon Division parliament demanded that authorities crack down on big-time drug dealers and smugglers in the city, who keep evading arrest, citing the worsening effect of drugs on Rangoon's youth. The proposal was submitted the previous week by Wai Phyo Han, representing Insein Township (2), and was approved for debate by the parliamentary speaker. Aye Aye Mar, representing Lanmadaw Township (2), presented her constituents' complaints in the Tuesday parliamentary session. These centered on the targeting of university students and other young people by drug dealers. "One of the student's parents bared their souls to me," Aye Aye Mar said. "They told me that first the students consume the drugs but later they became drug distributors." Thit Thit Myint, representing South Okkalapa Township (1), said she had heard of several massive drug seizures in Rangoon but the smugglers behind the shipments were never arrested. Drug distribution is increasing significantly day by day, she said, adding that they can even be bought at betel nut shops and small, unlicensed drinking outlets. Another NLD lawmaker in the divisional legislature, Yan Shin of Mayangone Township (2), said that punishments for dug dealers should be similar to those in China and Indonesia, which include the death penalty. Burma stops short at lifetime imprisonment for the worst drug offenses. Yan Shin thought that appropriately "heavy punishment" would effectively deter drug dealing. However, fellow NLD lawmaker Nay Phone Latt (Thingangyun, 1) said the government should be cautious in terms of whom and what it targets. Yan Shin added that beauty salons, unlicensed massage parlors and karaoke clubs are linked to the narcotics trade. Such businesses are "protected" by low ranking police officers in return for bribes. This collusion makes it harder for counter-narcotics police to get at the big drug traders. Lawmaker Than Naing Oo (Pabedan, 1) seconded these claims about massage parlors and police corruption, and suggested that the government should seek greater professionalization of the massage parlor industry, to bring it all above board. Zin Min Htwe (Dagon, 2) spoke further of police complicity in the drug trade. Last month, the lawmaker said that a police officer had reportedly been arrested with "WY" methamphetamine pills in the Thaketa Township police station; he was allegedly selling them to detainees. Zin Min Htwe added that many young addicts are currently admitted to Rangoon's Mental Health Hospital for treatment. Its 1,200 beds have proved insufficient; three extra buildings, with 100 beds each, are now being used to accommodate the addicts. Lawmaker Thaw Tar Aung (Sanchaung 2) said he had recently witnessed many youths injecting "no.4" heroin on apartment stairwells, and disposing of the hypodermic needles near buildings on Phyapon and Pathein roads. Col Tin Aung Tun, Rangoon Division's security and border affairs minister (a military appointment), told the divisional parliament that 18 large-scale drug traders are currently on the run. He said that counter narcotics police are working with Interpol to arrest them The minister said the drug problem in Rangoon is linked to trade across the border from Bangladesh, Thailand and China. He also cited the involvement of non-state ethnic armed groups in Burma. "It is very hard to solve the drugs problem while non-state armed groups continue to exist [in Burma]," he said. The minister also told the divisional parliament that 717 people had been arrested with drugs within the last six months, a figure he coupled with the detention of 382 sex workers. Lawmaker Thaw Tar Aung responded that "Young women [in massage parlors] are always arrested but the owner is never is." The post Rangoon Division Parliament Demands Crackdown on Drugs appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Details on Suu Kyi-nomics Forthcoming Posted: 14 Jun 2016 07:33 AM PDT Kyaw Win, minister for the Ministry of Planning and Finance. (Photo: Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — The National League for Democracy (NLD) government pledged to support the private sector to drive Burma's economy growth and lower the barriers for going into business, said Union Minister for Planning and Finance Kyaw Win on Monday in Rangoon. The NLD's economic policies will be made public this month, said the minister at a meeting with the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). "The economic policy has yet to be approved [by the cabinet]. But it will be announced soon—before the end of the month. The new economic policy will allow all citizens to start their own businesses," he said. Despite their landslide victory in the elections last November, the NLD's economic policy remains shrouded in mystery. "The minister said the economic policies would be announced soon and they would support the private sector, but he didn't give any details about how they would do that," Maung Maung Lay, vice chairman of the UMFCCI, told The Irrawaddy. "There were different topics raised by various businessmen, but most of them were related to their own self-interest, so I suggested the minister make policies that are good for everyone, not just certain individuals," Maung Maung Lay said. "In the past, previous governments listened to us but in the end no practical support came," he explained. "That's why we hope this government also takes action. For example, the government needs to bolster small- and medium-sized enterprises if they really want to promote the manufacturing industry and exports." It is clear the uncertainty around the NLD's economic policy is causing headaches for many in the business community. Kyaw Thu, secretary of the Myanmar Fruits and Vegetables Producers Association, said: "We were not told what the [economic] policies will encompass. We only know that the policies are being drafted. We need clear economic policies because what we have now is instability." "There must be a robust economic policy and development strategy. Our country is still heavily engaged in the agriculture industry, which does not create a large amount of job opportunities Greater attention should be paid to this," said Dr. Maung Aung, senior economist at the Ministry of Commerce. "The GDP must be increased, but it must be growth that also benefits the lowest income earners." Min Ko Oo, secretary of Myanmar Beans and Pulses Traders Association, said the government should look for long-term strategies to drive economic growth, in contrast with previous governments that focused on short-term policies. "In the past, we never knew what was allowed to be exported because the government always changed the export lists," he said. "The NLD should look out for long-term interests of the country and should cut unnecessary imports and try to concentrate on exports because we have a trade deficit." Burma's trade volume increased annually after transitioning to a quasi-civilian government in 2011. It leveled off in 2016, worrying some observers. The country imported nearly US$16 billion in goods during the 2014-15 fiscal year. Meanwhile, exports totalled more than $11 billion, leaving an estimated deficit of nearly $5 billion. Additional reporting by May Soe San The post Details on Suu Kyi-nomics Forthcoming appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

‘Twilight Over Burma’ To Be Reviewed by Censorship Board Posted: 14 Jun 2016 06:23 AM PDT Film poster for Twilight Over Burma. (Photo: Human Rights Human Dignity Film Festival) RANGOON — "Twilight Over Burma," a film about a Shan leader and his Austrian wife, will be subjected to the scrutiny of the film censorship board before it receives permission to be premiered in Burma at the annual Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival, which starts Tuesday, according to a board member. The film tells the real-life tale of an Austrian woman, Inge Sargent, who became royalty when she married Sao Kya Seng, an ethnic Shan prince—or saopha—from Hsipaw, Shan State. It covers the early days of Burma's independence up to the years immediately following the 1962 military coup, and is based on Sargent's autobiography, "Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess." Sao Kya Seng instituted land reforms and promoted democracy, but was arrested by the Burma Army during Gen Ne Win's coup. He was later killed in prison under mysterious circumstances. Although it was scheduled to be the Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival's first screening on Tuesday at Rangoon's Naypyitaw Cinema, the movie has since been pulled. Phone Maw, a member of the film censorship board and a secretary of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization (MMPO), told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the final decision of the censorship board will be announced on Thursday after the board has its second viewing of the film. He added that the board had already given initial comments on the film but had decided to hold a second viewing as the board members were not yet ready to give permission for a public screening. "The main reason [for the review] is that [the content] of the film could damage the ethnic unity of the state," Phone Maw said. The film censorship board is made up of 15 representatives from different associations including the MMPO and Myanmar Music Association. Ministries such as Home Affairs and Religious Affairs and Culture are also represented on the board. The post 'Twilight Over Burma' To Be Reviewed by Censorship Board appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

UNFC Proposes More Negotiations Prior to Suu Kyi Meeting Posted: 14 Jun 2016 06:10 AM PDT Delegates from the Burma government's peace negotiation team and leaders of the UNFC held a meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand on June 3. (Photo: Saw Yan Naing / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON—The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), an alliance of nine ethnic armed groups, has told Burma's peace delegation that it would like to hold additional talks with lead negotiator Dr. Tin Myo Win before meeting State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. The UNFC's peace delegation, known as Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), reached out on Monday to the government's peace conference preparatory sub-committee 2. The committee is led by Tin Myo Win, longstanding personal physician of Suu Kyi and newly appointed government peace negotiator. Tun Zaw, the secretary of the UNFC, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the DPN had agreed to meet the state counselor, but wanted to first hold additional talks with Tin Myo Win's delegation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. "We didn't deny their invitation. But, we want to pre-negotiate before meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi so that it will be smooth when we meet her. We haven't yet heard a clear response to what we asked during our meeting on June 3," said Tun Zaw, in reference to the UNFC's inquiry during a previous meeting about whether Burma's current government policy aligned with that of the previous government. The former military-backed administration invited only 15 potential signatories to the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA)—eight of whom opted to sign—and excluded the Arakan Army (AA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). The UNFC leaders also asked the sub-committee if they would need to sign the NCA prior to participating in the upcoming "21st Century Panglong Conference," a question which they also claim has yet to be clearly answered. Hla Maung Shwe, member of sub-committee 2 and former senior advisor to the Myanmar Peace Center, acknowledged the DPN's request and stated that they would likely meet again in the coming days in Chiang Mai. He said the committee has explained the government's policy, but would clarify any discrepancies at the upcoming meeting. Under the previous government led by former President Thein Sein, eight ethnic armed groups including the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) signed the NCA. However, other powerful ethnic armed organizations like the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the Mongla Army, did not sign. There are two government sub-committees tasked with preparations for the upcoming peace conference. One is led by Burma Army official Lt-Gen Yar Pyae and is responsible for negotiating with current NCA signatories. The other, led by Tin Myo Win, is in charge of meeting with non-signatories and intends to meet with the UWSA and the Mongla Army in the near future. The post UNFC Proposes More Negotiations Prior to Suu Kyi Meeting appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Cronies Still Deserve Blame for Burma’s Poverty Posted: 14 Jun 2016 03:47 AM PDT A forest in Karen State that suffered from extractive logging practices in 2015.(Photo: Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy) Burma was subjected to military rule for nearly five decades between the late dictator Ne Win's coup in 1962 and former Snr-Gen Than Shwe's abdication in 2010. Everyone says the country was destroyed by the authoritarian rulers. Generally speaking, they are right. The military is not supposed to govern the country or manage the people. It is supposed to protect the country against external dangers and provide emergency rescue and relief in case of natural disasters. But in the case of Burma, the country descended into chaos because of the military elite's gross mismanagement in politics, the economy, education, social policy, health care and diplomatic relations. What's worse is former dictator Than Shwe adopted and carried out a policy of producing rich Burmese nationals. Dubbed by many as "cronies," they achieved success during the dark era of the military junta, especially from the 1990s to the early 2000s. They won lucrative no-bid contracts from government ministries and accumulated wealth out of the country's coffers. Some even amassed substantial fortunes and became billionaires. Most cronies, however, did not build up their fortunes through their entrepreneurial flair or years of hard work in a fair business environment. Quite the contrary, they became wealthy by exploiting the country's natural resources and forests. Meanwhile, the country and the people today are still suffering from the consequences of over-exploitation of natural resources. The most prominent example is deforestation in northern Burma caused by the excessive logging carried out by companies close to the military and previous government. As a result, several upcountry regions faced unusually extreme floods last year, and more severe flooding is expected this year. Cronies included generals in their business dealings, further entrenching their monopolies over key government industries. The generals also pulled some of the cronies into politics, like Yuzana's Htay Myint and Zaykabar's Khin Shwe. Both became lawmakers in 2010 on the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) ticket. Htay Myint represented Myeik in Tenasserim Division where his company had been running a massive palm oil plantation. Khin Shwe represented townships like Kawhmu and Kungyangon in southern Rangoon, where his Zaykabar company was building and operating roads under a government concession system. Under Thein Sein's government, which ruled from 2011 to 2015, the situation was not very different from the military regime. The cronies still had their place and some who were close to then-president Thein Sein were granted even more business concessions—from introducing international debit cards to nationwide television and radio broadcasting. As a result of this nefarious collaboration, the country has spiraled downward into abject poverty while the generals and cronies have amassed wealth for themselves and their offspring. Burma, which was once expected to become an Asia tiger in the 1960s because of its great economic potential and quality education system, must not forget the reason behind its position today. While we need to have more clarity on the economic policies of the National League for Democracy (NLD), we also need to recognize that many people have misappropriated the country's funds and resources over the past few decades. It is not wrong to say the cronies are among those who are mainly responsible for Burma's grinding poverty today. The post Cronies Still Deserve Blame for Burma's Poverty appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to do in Rangoon This Week (June 14) Posted: 14 Jun 2016 01:43 AM PDT The Irrawaddy picks 10 interesting events happening in Rangoon this week. Human Rights Film Festival The biggest human rights film festival in Asean, organized by the Human Dignity Film Institute, is coming to Myanmar—the first time an international film festival has done so. The festival this year is held in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is considered instrumental in elevating human rights. The festival's awards ceremony will fall on her birthday, June 19. There will be a number of different awards commemorating the students who died in the 1988 student uprising and other human rights champions. Where: Naypyidaw Cinema, Junction Square Cinema and Junction Mawtin Cinema When: Tuesday, June 14 to Sunday, June 19 Yangon Job Fair                                                 A job fair will be held on June 19, organized by the online job website MyJobs.com.mm. Positions are open at top local and foreign employers such as Unilever, CB Bank, MPT, Shwe Taung and Coca Cola. Where: Myanmar Event Park, Shin Saw Pu Street, Sanchaung Tsp. Tel: 09-31349834 When: Sunday, June 19, 9am to 4pm Trivia Night Put your brain to use at Father's Office for their bi-monthly trivia night. With ever-changing categories that include historical places, pop culture, geography and more, there is sure to be a topic that every team member can contribute to. Test your skills against some of Yangon's nerdiest residents as you and your team compete for trivia glory and a 30,000 kyat prize while kicking back two-for-one cocktails during happy hour. Where: Father’s Office, 291 Bo Aung Kyaw Street, Botahtaung Tsp. Tel: 09 45021 8080 When: June 15, Wednesday, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm Human Rights Tattoos To underline the importance of human rights, the Human Rights Tattoo project will tattoo all 6,773 letters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 6,773 people around the world. The group will tattoo 120 letters on participants in Burma during the Humans Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival. Partakers do not select the letter, but do choose the font and area for the tattoo. After the tattoo is done, a photo and statement from each person will be published on the group's website. Where: Pansodan Scene at the corner of Pansodan Street and Mahabandoola Street When: Friday, June 17 to Saturday, June 18, 10am to 6pm Bodybuilding Contest Organized by Myanmar Bodybuilding, Physique Sports Federation and NatRay Company Ltd., the Mr. NatRay & Ms. Real bodybuilding contest will be held at the Myanmar Convention Center (MCC). Where: Myanmar Convention Centre (MCC), Min Dhamma Street, Mayangon Tsp. When: Saturday, June 18, 12pm 'Thunder' Art Exhibition An art exhibition entitled 'Thunder' will be showcased at Lokanat Galleries. More than 40 works from 16 artists will be up for grabs, with prices ranging from $100 to $2,000. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Wednesday, June 15 to Saturday, June 18 Watercolor Exhibition More than 75 watercolors from 15 artists will be showcased at an exhibition called '8th to the Sea' at Hninzi Myaing Gallery, with prices between $100 and $2,000. Where: Hninzi Myaing Gallery, Hinzigon Home for the Aged, Bahan Tsp. When: Saturday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 15 Lokanat Galleries Exhibit Artist So Hnin Aung will exhibit his second solo show called 'Untitled' at Lokanat Galleries. A total of 26 paintings will be featured with prices between $100 and $2,000. Where: Lokanat Galleries, 62 Pansodan St, 1st Floor, Kyauktada Tsp. Tel. 095-1382-269 When: Sunday, June 19 to Friday, June 24 Ayerwon Watercolor Show Eight artists will exhibit their work at Ayerwon Art Gallery's watercolor show. There will be more than 80 paintings for sale. Where: Ayerwon Art Gallery at No. 903–904, U Ba Kyi Street, 58 Ward, Dagon Seikkan Tsp. Tel: 09-45005 7167 When: Saturday, June 18 to Wednesday, June 29 Myanmar Traditional Artists and Artisans Show The 'Ottara Laynyin' exhibition of more than 100 works by 31 artists will be showcased at Bogyoke Market, with prices ranging from $100 to $1500. Where: Myanmar Artists and Artisans Association, Bogyoke Market When: Wednesday, June 15 to Sunday, June 19   The post Ten Things to do in Rangoon This Week (June 14) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Jakarta’s Traffic Trials Give Rise to a Tech Success Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:06 PM PDT Rush hour traffic is seen next to a construction site for a light railway in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 11, 2016. (Photo: Darren Whiteside / Reuters) JAKARTA — The Indonesian capital's reputation as one of the most congested cities is typically not an advantage with investors. But one company has become the country's most visible technology success with an app that relieves some of the pain of its maddening traffic. The ride-hailing apps that are now part of daily life from New York to New Delhi and London are usually used to summon cars. Jakarta, the world's sixth-largest urban sprawl and by some measures the most car-clogged, needed something different. In hindsight, the Go-Jek mobile app for hailing rides on motorcycles, to dodge and weave through traffic, was a no-brainer. But its sudden success over the past two years took even its founder by surprise. The app's name is a play on "ojek," the Indonesian word for freelance motorcycle taxis, now a rare sight in Jakarta after many drivers joined Go-Jek's green-jacketed, GPS-coordinated ranks. "We really had no idea it would be adopted so widely and so quickly," said Nadiem Makarim, who admits the company and its app struggled to keep pace when tens of thousands began downloading it. Makarim believes Jakarta's carmageddon had arrived at a "pain point" of huge unmet demand for a solution. "Smartphone penetration was at an all-time high in Jakarta, traffic was at an all-time high," he said. "Getting yourself or your things from A to B in the quickest way possible could only be achieved by motorcycles." As by far the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, making up a third of the region's gross domestic product, Indonesia has also attracted Uber and Go-Jek's fiercest competitor, Malaysia's Grab, which is headed by Makarim's Harvard classmate Anthony Tan. Analysts say both Uber and Grab have greater scale and resources than Go-Jek, crucial for sustaining losses in the transport app industry's early stages and for sustaining investments in the behind-the-scenes technology that makes the apps easy for people to use. Go-Jek has built on its strategy of providing rides to introduce a slew of additional Go- services to the app, including delivering food, groceries, cleaners, massage therapists and beauticians to homes. The Go-Send document pickup and delivery service and Go-Food are the company's two biggest businesses after rides, Makarim said. Go-Food, he said, has become the biggest food delivery business in Southeast Asia by number of transactions. "Go-Jek's vision is to escape competition by creating an on-demand platform for anything our consumer wants," he said. "We're not stuck on our identity based on what we think it should be. We let the market decide what they want us to be." Florian Hoppe, a partner at consulting company Bain who specializes in technology, said Go-Jek's approach is "fairly unique" but fits the situation in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities where service businesses are hobbled by transportation problems. "It's hard to predict where this will be going," he said. "In the long-term, specialized services will likely have an edge but Indonesia has enough uniqueness, market protection and scale, that [Go-Jek] could be very successful in the long-term too." Makarim dreamed up Go-Jek for an independent study project while at Harvard Business School and started it as a sideline business when he returned to Indonesia in the summer. For its first three years, it operated like a call center. It became a mobile app after Makarim turned his attention to it full-time from mid-2014. Like elsewhere, ride hailing apps are drawing an angry backlash from taxi drivers as their incomes drop. In March, a protest by thousands of taxi drivers that paralyzed the capital turned violent, with cabbies brawling in the streets with green-jacketed drivers from Go-Jek and Grab. Go-Jek says it has more than 200,000 drivers around Indonesia but the pain for taxis seems most acute in Jakarta, where all the ride hailing services are battling fiercely for customers, pushing fares to rock bottom. Since a Go-Jek trip within the city costs only about 12,000 rupiah ($US.90) outside of peak hours, the company is burning through its investment cash because in Jakarta the fares are lower than what it pays drivers. Yet the apps have proven so useful to people in a city where officials estimate congestion causes losses of $3 billion a year that attempts to ban them on the basis of claims of unfair competition have failed. When the transport minister issued a directive last December banning app-based ojeks, the public outcry was such that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo quickly overruled the decision. The nationalistic appeal of a home-grown tech success is also a potent advantage for the company. "We want to make Indonesia proud that this is a uniquely Indonesian company that was started here," Makarim said. "We have a huge competitive advantage as the first mover and from a sense of growing nationalism and pride that we are the tech brand of Indonesia right now." The post Jakarta's Traffic Trials Give Rise to a Tech Success appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Thai Airline Apologizes After Pilot’s Chat About Crashing Plane Posted: 13 Jun 2016 11:02 PM PDT Passengers wait to check in at Nok Air counters for their flights at Don Muang International Airport in Bangkok, June 20, 2013. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters) BANGKOK — An airline in Thailand has apologized after friends of a pilot joked in a group chat about crashing the plane he was going to fly with a former prime minister on board. The screenshot of the chat, conducted on their phones Sunday, somehow was leaked on social media, provoking widespread criticism of the airline, Nok Air. In response, Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin said in a tweet that "this kind of behavior is intolerable." "I will personally call Yingluck and apologize, Nok Air has no politics, I won't stand this," he said. Yingluck Shinawatra came to power in a landslide election victory in 2011, but her government was ousted in a coup in 2014 after protracted political turmoil. She remains popular in the countryside but many people in cities remain opposed to her family, especially her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who also was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He now lives abroad in self-imposed exile. On Sunday, Yingluck was walking on the tarmac toward the Nok Air aircraft in the provincial town of Phrae when the first officer on the plane took her picture. He posted it on a group chat with the comment: "There's a prey on board." A friend commented: "Oooh, go for it." A second friend then said: "please do a CFIT" and a third person chimed in by saying: "Very Very Important Person, land safely." CFIT is aviation jargon meaning "controlled flight into terrain," or a controlled crash. It was not known if the first officer's friends were also pilots or in aviation. The acronym CFIT, however, is normally used by those in the business. On her Facebook page Monday, Yingluck said she hoped this incident would be an example of "not bringing in personal attitudes into professional services. Especially when it is about life and safety." Nok Air also posted an apology on the company's Facebook page, which attracted hundreds of comments. The post Thai Airline Apologizes After Pilot's Chat About Crashing Plane appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dalai Lama Urges Suu Kyi to Ease Rohingya Tensions Posted: 13 Jun 2016 10:57 PM PDT The Dalai Lama speaks at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, June 13, 2016. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters) WASHINGTON — Aung San Suu Kyi has a moral responsibility to try to ease tensions between majority Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims, her fellow Nobel laureate, the Dalai Lama, said on Monday. The Tibetan spiritual leader said he had stressed the issue in meetings with Suu Kyi, who came to power in April in the newly created role of state counselor in Burma's first democratically elected government in five decades. "She already has the Nobel Peace Prize, a Nobel Laureate, so morally she should … make efforts to reduce this tension between the Buddhist community and Muslim community," he told Reuters in an interview in Washington. "I actually told her she should speak more openly." Violence between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in recent years has cast a cloud over progress with democratic reforms in Burma. Rights groups have sharply criticized Suu Kyi's reluctance to speak out on the Rohingya's plight. The Dalai Lama said Suu Kyi, who won worldwide acclaim and a Nobel Peace Prize as a champion of democratic change in the face of military persecution, had responded to his calls by saying that the situation was "really complicated." "So I don't know," he said. There is widespread hostility toward Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority country, including among some within Suu Kyi's party and its supporters. More than 100 people were killed in violence in western Arakan State in 2012, and some 125,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are stateless, took refuge in camps where their movements are severely restricted. Thousands have fled persecution and poverty in an exodus by boat to neighboring South and Southeast Asian countries. The Dalai Lama said some Buddhist monks in Burma "seem to have some kind of negative attitude to Muslims" and Buddhists who harbored such thoughts "should remember Buddha's face.” "If Buddha happened, he certainly would protect those Muslim brothers and sisters," he said. The new Burmese government announced late last month that Aung San Suu Kyi would lead a new effort to bring peace and development to Arakan State. The announcement offered no details on how the group would go about addressing the state's multitude of problems. Suu Kyi said during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry last month that the country needed "enough space" to deal with the Rohingya issue and cautioned against the use of "emotive terms" that she said were making the situation more difficult. The post Dalai Lama Urges Suu Kyi to Ease Rohingya Tensions appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

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