The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Japanese Firm Picked to Draft Transportation Plan for New Yangon City
- Abe Vows Further Support for Gov’t on Democracy, Rakhine
- Mrauk-U Youths Released on Bail
- USDP Campaign Sign Vandalized in Mandalay
- Armed Groups Meet to Decide Peace Summit Attendance
- Inspection Report to Recommend Canceling Controversial Hotel Project at Inle Lake
- Yangon Govt Sues Eleven Media for Offenses Against the State
- As Unusual Drought Hits Eastern Nepal, Farmers Migrate to Get By
- China’s Urumqi Takes Aim at ‘Extremist’ Religious Practices
- Blow Away Your Stress and Chill at ‘Blow’
| Japanese Firm Picked to Draft Transportation Plan for New Yangon City Posted: 10 Oct 2018 06:49 AM PDT YANGON — A Japanese company has been chosen as the transport planner and traffic impact assessment consultant for a massive new city development slated for the west bank of the Yangon River. New Yangon Development Company (NYDC), the developer of New Yangon City, which is still in its planning phase, announced on Monday that it selected Oriental Consultants Japan Co., Ltd. last week. The Tokyo-based company provides services in the fields of urban and regional planning and road transportation and renewable energy development, among others. NYDC says it aims to provide a strong public mass transit system and keep traffic congestion to a minimum. "The goal is to ensure that all citizens have 100 percent access to the public transportation system, and that it is located within a five to 10 minute walk from home," Serge Pun, the CEO of NYDC, said in his weekly blog on the NYDC’s website. Under the close watch of NYDC's planning team, Oriental Consultants Japan will work with Singapore-based AECOM to develop the designs and urban master plan for New Yangon City, Pun said. AECOM was selected from among 14 firms that expressed interest in developing the project’s urban master plan. Last month, NYDC released a socio-economic master plan for New Yangon City drafted by the US management firm McKinsey & Company and financed by the British government. According to that plan, the new city’s public transit system will include trams and electric buses connected to Yangon by rail and road, with all the roads to have sidewalks and tree cover. The first phase of New Yangon City is expected to cover 20,000 acres and include five townships, two bridges, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants and a 10-square-kilometer industrial zone. NYDC says the initial infrastructure work for the first phase will cost more than $1.5 billion. The project's location has come under criticism due to the low-lying topography. With a maximum elevation of just 5 meters above sea level, it is prone to flooding. NYDC says it has begun a flood-risk assessment of the site in cooperation with a Dutch consultancy, Royal HaskoningDHV. Blessed by the Yangon Region government, NYDC was founded in March. Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said at the time that the company was fully owned by the government and that the new city would create some 2 million new jobs. But the government was recently accused of abusing its power by investing 10 billion kyats ($6.5 million) in the project without the local legislature’s prior approval. The post Japanese Firm Picked to Draft Transportation Plan for New Yangon City appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Abe Vows Further Support for Gov’t on Democracy, Rakhine Posted: 10 Oct 2018 06:24 AM PDT YANGON—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday pledged Japan's continued support for Myanmar's democratic transition and its efforts to resolve the Rakhine crisis. Abe made the comments at a joint news conference following a bilateral meeting with Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the State Guest House in Tokyo. "Although this is a complicated and serious issue, Japan will work together with Myanmar and support the Myanmar government's efforts to resolve it," Abe told reporters regarding the Rakhine issue. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she and Abe had discussed the conditions in Rakhine. Describing Japan as a good friend to Myanmar, she said she believed Tokyo wants to see a peaceful Rakhine that can enjoy long-term sustainable development. The State Counselor stressed that she appreciated Japan's open, "straightforward" discussion of its concerns about Rakhine State. "If we discuss the problem in a straightforward way, the problem will be resolved quickly," she said. In 2017, the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) launched a clearance operation in Rakhine following a series of attacks on security posts there. The operation drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh from western Rakhine State. The Myanmar government and U.N. agencies have since signed a repatriation agreement to facilitate the return of the Rohingya to Myanmar. The U.N. has described the military's actions as "ethnic cleansing", and human rights groups have pushed the U.N. to prosecute the military's senior leadership at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. In July, the Myanmar government formed the Independent Commission of Enquiry for Rakhine to investigate allegations of human rights violations and related issues. The body includes two international experts—former Japanese Ambassador to the U.N. Kenzo Oshima and Philippine diplomat Rosario Manalo. Abe stressed during the meeting that the commission needed to take a correct and precise approach, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. She added that she believes "It is vital that the independent panel conduct a correct and appropriate investigation." The commission has been given "extensive powers" to investigate the issue, she said. The State Counselor has been on a six-day visit to Japan to attend the Mekong-Japan Summit, which wrapped up on Wednesday. The Tokyo summit was also attended by the leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. After the summit, all of the Mekong leaders held individual meetings with Abe. At his bilateral meeting with the State Counselor, Abe promised that the Japanese government and private sector would help Myanmar with its transition into a democratic nation.  Abe said during the bilateral meeting, "We highly value State Counselor [Daw] Aung San Suu Kyi's effort over two-and-a-half years to carry out economic reforms, achieve peace in the country and improve the situation in Rakhine State." Daw Aung San Suu Kyi replied: "As Prime Minister Abe just said, we put priority on the economy, peace and the Rakhine State issue. Our effort must be sustainable; we appreciate Japan's cooperation in dealing with those issues." According to Kyodo News, Abe promised more than 70 billion yen (about USD618 million) in low-interest loans for development projects to improve sewage, drainage, traffic, roads and sidewalks in Yangon. The two leaders also discussed about 800 billion yen in assistance that Tokyo has been distributing since 2016. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi added that her meetings with Japanese investors during the trip promised to be of benefit to the Myanmar people. "We discussed Japan's development projects, which are showing progress. These projects are giving much support to our country's development," she added. The two leaders did not take questions from reporters during the conference, according to Kyodo. Supportive role Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, is struggling with international criticism from Western officials and human rights activists over what they see as her insufficient response to crimes committed against the Rohingya in Rakhine State. However, Japan is playing a mediator role in the repatriation processes and is closely working with the Myanmar government to solve the problems in Rakhine state. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has visited Myanmar twice this year; his trips have focused on discussions of the resettlement of Rohingya and humanitarian aid to Rakhine state. In January, Tokyo extended Emergency Grant Aid of 330 million yen (USD3 million) to Myanmar to assist displaced persons returning from Bangladesh. "I appreciate the stance of Japan" Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said. She visited Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday to tour a farm and learn about possible solutions to the serious shortage of farm workers in Myanmar. On Monday, she attended the Myanmar Investment Conference in Tokyo, and invited Japanese investors to seek opportunities in Myanmar. She referred to Japan's deep understanding of the country's struggle to resolve the Rakhine crisis and advance the peace process.  In an exclusive interview with Japanese national broadcaster NHK on Saturday, she offered appreciation for Japan's understanding and help at a time when tensions have been mounting between Myanmar and the rest of world. "It's the understanding that's more important than the actual help. Help that is meaningful comes from a true understanding of the situation," she said. She was hopeful that Japan's support would help bridge the gap in understanding between Myanmar and the international community. Recently, the Canadian Parliament decided to strip Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship due to what a spokesman described as her "persistent refusal to denounce the Rohingya genocide." During the interview with NHK, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, "I don't care about prizes and honors as such. I'm sorry that friends are not as steadfast as they might be. Because I think friendship means understanding; basically, trying to understand rather than to just make your own judgment. But prizes come and prizes go." The State Counselor added that there is no quick fix for the Rakhine crisis, saying, "There are many people who do not even realize what the situation in Rakhine State alone is like. Let alone in the whole of Myanmar. But these days, it's always quick fixes and instant gratification. Everything has to be done immediately and quickly. But we can't afford to do that, because we have to cope with the consequences in the long run." Tokyo Strategy 2018 On Tuesday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi participated in the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting in Tokyo. Led by the Japanese prime minister, the leaders of five Southeast Asian nations—Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos—attend the summit, which has convened annually since 2009. The discussion focused on Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to counterbalance China's growing influence in the region via its Belt and Road Initiative. The strategy is aimed at promoting quality infrastructure development in countries along the Mekong River.  During the summit, the leaders adopted the Tokyo Strategy 2018, according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The strategy's goal is to create a strategic development partnership between Japan and the Mekong River region that strengthens connectivity, boosts human resources and increases environmental protections. The main objective is to develop high-quality infrastructure in the Mekong Region by 2030. According to The Japan Times, the Mekong leaders agreed that Tokyo's strategy was beneficial for both Japan and the Mekong countries. "Myanmar itself …. [has] benefited from over 16 bilateral projects and 100 multilateral projects as part of the Mekong-Japan cooperation," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said during the leaders' joint press conference after the summit, according to the newspaper. According to a joint statement, Japan has invested more than 2 trillion yen in the region during the past three years. Japan will continue to support the development of quality infrastructure in the Mekong region through public funds, overseas loans, investment and official development assistance, it said. The post Abe Vows Further Support for Gov't on Democracy, Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Mrauk-U Youths Released on Bail Posted: 10 Oct 2018 05:10 AM PDT SITTWE—Eight Arakanese youths detained in connection with a protest in Rakhine State's Mrauk-U in January were released on bail on Tuesday. On Sept. 24, the eight were pronounced guilty by Sittwe Township Court for breaching Article 6 (1) of the Penal Code for allegedly destroying government property and public assets, and were sentenced to eight months in prison. They were later released as their detention period was deducted from their prison term. However, later the same day they were re-arrested by police under Section 16 of the Union Flag Law which carries a maximum of three year's imprisonment and/or a fine of no more than 300,000 kyats ($195). The eight were remanded in custody and at a trial on Oct. 9, the Mrauk-U Township Court ruled that they should not be tried under Section 16 of the Union Flag Law. However, they were only released on bail by the police who said that there are other charges filed against them, defense lawyer U Tun Aung Kyaw told The Irrawaddy. "The police have also charged them under Sections 332 and 333 [of the Penal Code] so bail was granted according to police procedures and they were released," explained U Tun Aung Kyaw. Section 332 of the colonial-era Penal Code describes the offense of causing harm to a public servant on duty, while Section 333 describes causing grievous harm to a public servant on duty. "Police have released them on bail so that they can detain them again anytime," U Aye Maung Thein, father of one of the detainees, told The Irrawaddy. A legal support team from the Arakan National Party is acting on behalf of the eight Arakanese youths, said U Tun Aung Kyaw. Lawyer U Tha Zan said that it is not in line with the law to arrest and charge the eight again after they were released. Thousands of Mrauk-U residents staged a protest on Jan. 16 after officials canceled a memorial event to mark the 233rd anniversary of the end of the Arakan Dynasty. Local police opened fire on the crowd, killing seven and wounding 12. The eight youths released on bail today sustained serious injuries during the police crackdown and were transferred to Sittwe Hospital before being charged under Article 6 (1) in February. The post Mrauk-U Youths Released on Bail appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| USDP Campaign Sign Vandalized in Mandalay Posted: 10 Oct 2018 02:39 AM PDT NAYPYITAW—An election campaign sign for the opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Mandalay's Myingyan Township was vandalized on Sunday. Portraits of the party's chairman, U Than Htay, and Dr. Than Win, a USDP candidate for a seat in the Lower House of Myanmar's Parliament in next month's by-election, were ripped out of the sign. "My picture was just torn, but U Than Htay's picture was also blackened [with ink]. I think I know who did this. But I won't file a complaint, nor let the party file a complaint," Dr. Than Win said. The candidate said he was still confident of winning the by-election despite this very public show of dislike for him. The seat in the Lower House representing Myingyan Township was left vacant upon the death of National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker U Paw Khin in March. The USDP described the destruction of an election poster as a disgraceful act that undermines democracy. "Democracy is about competing fairly with dignity. So, we strongly condemn those who did this," USDP spokesperson U Thein Tun Oo told The Irrawaddy. The USDP, NLD, Public of Labour Party and Democratic Party for a New Society will contest the Lower House seat representing Myingyan Township in the Nov. 3 by-election. Across the country, a total of 13 legislative seats—four in the Lower House, one in the Upper House and eight regional parliament seats—will be up for grabs on Nov. 3, according to the Election Commission. The NLD will contest all 13 vacant seats, while the USDP will only field candidates in constituencies outside ethnic regions. The four vacant Lower House seats are in Chin State's Kanpetlet Township, Shan State's Laihka Township, Mandalay's Myingyan Township and Yangon's Tamwe Township. The vacant seat in the Upper House is in Kachin State's Constituency 2. The vacant regional parliament seats are in Chin State's Matupi Township, Sagaing's Tamu Township, Bago's Oktwin Township, Rakhine State's Rathedaung Township, Magwe's Minbu Township, Yangon's Seikkan Township, Mandalay's Thabeikkyin Township and the ethnic Shan constituency for Mandalay's Regional Parliament. The post USDP Campaign Sign Vandalized in Mandalay appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Armed Groups Meet to Decide Peace Summit Attendance Posted: 10 Oct 2018 02:30 AM PDT CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Leaders of the ethnic armed groups signed up to Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) are meeting in Thailand to decide whether to join an upcoming summit with Myanmar’s government and military aimed at reviving the country’s stalled peace process. The Peace Process Steering Team is meeting in Chiang Mai today and Thursday to review its talks with the Myanmar government earlier this month and weigh the pros and cons of joining a summit with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing tentatively set for Oct. 15 in Mandalay. If they do decide to join, they also want to arrive with a common position. "There are huge gaps in our political positions, and we have to negotiate to try to bridge them through informal talks," said General Saw Mutu Say Poe, chairman of the Karen National Union (KNU) and head of the Steering Team. The KNU, which has signed the NCA, stressed that any steps it takes must align with the ceasefire deal. "We stand on the NCA path and we have to evaluate whether all sides are following the NCA principles," Gen. Saw Mutu Say Poe said. The peace process has recently stalled over the military’s demands that armed groups promise not to secede from the union as a precondition to any deal and that Myanmar have only one army. The Oct. 15 summit was called for the government, military and armed groups to find a way to break the deadlock, review the current structures of the peace process and make it more inclusive. In a statement on Friday, the KNU said the armed groups needed more time to prepare for the summit and that the scope of discussion should be broadened. On Wednesday, KNU Secretary-General Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo told The Irrawaddy that the government and military should have consulted with the armed groups before setting the date and agenda. “Negotiations cannot take place based on one side’s decision; they have to be agreed by all sides," he said. But other members of the Steering Team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were anxious about asking for the summit to be delayed since they had asked for such a meeting in the first place and did not want to be labeled as inconsistent. A meeting with the state counselor and military chief has been a longstanding request of the NCA signatories. The post Armed Groups Meet to Decide Peace Summit Attendance appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Inspection Report to Recommend Canceling Controversial Hotel Project at Inle Lake Posted: 10 Oct 2018 02:24 AM PDT NAYPYITAW—Authorities have conducted a field inspection at the location of a proposed hotel project at Shan State's Inle Lake by Myanmar Naing Group Co. Ltd. owned by U Tun Naing Shwe, son of former Snr-Gen Than Shwe, after locals voiced their opposition to it. A group of government officials, including representatives of the Shan State government and concerned ministries, launched the inspection on Oct. 3, and is now writing a report to be submitted to the President's Office, said U Thein Zaw Moe, lawmaker of Yawnghwe Township in the Shan State parliament. "It is now unlikely that the hotel project will proceed. We have remarked that it should not be allowed and that the area should be kept as a natural area," U Thein Zaw Moe told The Irrawaddy. In September, the President's Office received a petition from locals opposing Myanmar Naing Group's plan to build a hotel on a 90-acre piece of land in Mai Thaut village at Inle Lake in Shan State's Yawnghwe Township. "The President's Office then instructed representatives of the state government and the concerned ministries to do an inspection on the ground in line with the law. They are doing the inspection but have not yet presented their report," spokesperson for the President's Office, U Zaw Htay, told reporters. The company acquired the 90 acres of land on the lakeshore, while former president Snr-Gen Than Shwe was in office, with the intention of building an international-standard hotel on it. However, they didn't move forward with the project until five years later—in 2016 the company submitted an application to build a hotel on the land, in line with official procedures, and was met with objections from local residents. In June this year, they reapplied for permission to use the land for hotel construction, and that was when locals submitted their official complaint. "During that period, the company didn't apply for land ownership or permission to build a hotel. Only recently did it make the hotel project announcement in line with procedures. That's when locals staged a protest," he said. Locals sent their petition to the President's Office, the State Counselor's Office, the Upper House Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Committee and the concerned ministries. The natural resources and environmental conservation ministry, in its reply to the upper house committee, remarked that the land should be turned into a wildlife sanctuary as demanded by locals. According to locals, there are 14 hotels in and around Inle Lake and a number of land disputes in connection with those hotels. In June 2015, Inle Lake was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and became the first ever Biosphere Reserve in Myanmar. The lake became the fifth Wetland of International Importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention in Myanmar last month. The post Inspection Report to Recommend Canceling Controversial Hotel Project at Inle Lake appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Yangon Govt Sues Eleven Media for Offenses Against the State Posted: 10 Oct 2018 12:07 AM PDT YANGON — Three journalists from Eleven Media Group were arrested on Wednesday after the Yangon Regional Government filed a lawsuit against them for committing an offense against the State for publishing "incorrect information" about the government. Managing editors U Kyaw Zaw Lin, Nari Min and chief reporter U Phyo Wai Win were summoned to Tamwe Police Station for testimonials on Wednesday morning before being brought to the township court to be charged under Article 505 (b) of Myanmar's Penal Code. Following the hearing, they were sent to Insein Prison. If found guilty, they could receive sentences of up to two years in prison. According to the court hearing on Wednesday, the Yangon government office director U Aung Kyaw Khaing filed the case against Eleven Media on Monday, complaining about an analysis in The Weekly Eleven published that day. The story, written by U Phyo Wai Win under the pseudonym Phyo Wai, criticizes the Yangon government for wasting public money due to mismanagement, citing examples including a government loan without Parliament's approval from two private banks to buy school buses and irregularities in the government's Yangon Metropolitan Public Company, where more than 60,000 shares are under the regional planning and finance minister's name. The Yangon government owns 51 percent of shares in the company and the 64-billion-kyat (US$41.6 million) investment was approved by Parliament. The company's board of directors includes the Yangon government's Electricity, Industry, Roads and Communications Minister Daw Nilar Kyaw, and Yangon's Planning and Finance Minister U Myint Thaung. Currently, the Yangon government is facing criticism for abusing its power to use public money without Parliament’s approval following the auditor general's report on the regional government's budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. The Wednesday lawsuit between the Yangon government and Eleven Media is not the first. In 2016, its CEO U Than Htut Aung and Editor-in-Chief U Wai Phyo were sued by Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein for accusing him of corruption. But later Eleven Media Group issued an official apology and a retraction of the editorial that led to the libel case. The post Yangon Govt Sues Eleven Media for Offenses Against the State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| As Unusual Drought Hits Eastern Nepal, Farmers Migrate to Get By Posted: 09 Oct 2018 09:40 PM PDT AANGNA, Nepal — Ravi Ale has worked the family's two hectares of land in eastern Nepal since he was old enough to help his father. But after a lean harvest this year, and with his cash running out, he will leave next month to look for work in India, along with five of his friends in the village. The problem is drought – one that has lingered for more than a year in a region only rarely previously hit by dry conditions. "Paddy (rice) and maize almost failed to grow as the monsoon brought no rain,” said Ale's wife, Sunita, sitting outside her home in Aangna, a village of about 570 households. "After a long winter drought we had expected a fair monsoon rain but the drought still won't go." She said she earns some money working as a seamstress in a nearby market, but with the family's harvests so poor her earnings can't sustain the family of five. Climate change is bringing tougher times for many farmers around the world, including those in eastern Nepal. A prolonged winter drought hit tea production in the region, and a weak monsoon season means vegetables and other food crops are expected to fail in many areas, farmers said. "Water scarcity and drought were something alien to us a few years ago but they have become a new normal now," said Ale. Agricultural experts and local officials say they are worried by the increasing severity of drought in a region with only limited previous problems with it. "Such successive spells of drought in a district ranked low in drought vulnerability is a surprising fact," said Ananta Prakash Subedi, an environmental science professor at the Agriculture and Forest University in Chitwan. He said Nepal's National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) had ranked Panchthar district as one of the less-drought-vulnerable districts in a 2010 vulnerability mapping exercise. And drought is just one problem facing the district, he said. Unusually high temperatures, which have brought worse-than-usual pest and disease problems, also are damaging crops, Subedi said. "Even drought-resistant crops cannot stand as a strong option in such conditions as they are consumed by pests if not by drought," he said. Limited Help The local district government has been providing relief grain and other food in drought-hit areas since August, said Narahari Niraula, an agriculture officer at the Panchthar District Agriculture Development Office. But villagers worry the support won't be sustained, and say it covers only a small percentage of their losses. "For a month or two we can make a go with it but then we have to struggle," complained Ale, who said he has never previously needed to migrate to find work. Niraula said that many local people have used up their reserves of food and animals and now fear worsening hunger, particularly if the kind of drought seen over the last year becomes more frequent. Making villages more resilient to worsening climate stresses will require changes, from more harvesting and storage of water to better pest management and the use of field schools to teach farmers new techniques, Subedi said. Such changes are already underway in a range of villages in Nepal, and harvests are improving in those areas, residents say. But the techniques have not yet reached Panchthar district, Ale said – in part because no one knew that they would be needed. As a result, in Aangna, a growing trickle of farmers are now looking to migrate to tide them over until the next rains. "I want to live here with my family but at the same time I can't see my children go hungry," Ale said. The post As Unusual Drought Hits Eastern Nepal, Farmers Migrate to Get By appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| China’s Urumqi Takes Aim at ‘Extremist’ Religious Practices Posted: 09 Oct 2018 09:21 PM PDT SHANGHAI — Urumqi, capital of the largely Muslim Chinese region of Xinjiang, will crack down on activities that blur the boundary between religion and secular life and encourage “extremism," the local government said. During a meeting on Monday, local Communist leaders said they would also require government officials and party members to firmly believe in Marxism-Leninism and speak standard Mandarin Chinese in public, according to a notice posted on the official Wechat account of the Urumqi procuratorate. China has been subject to heavy criticism from rights groups and foreign governments amid reports of a punitive crackdown that has seen the detention of as many as 1 million mostly Muslim ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang. But Beijing has denied accusations that it is systematically violating the rights of Xinjiang’s Muslims, saying it is only cracking down on extremism and “splittism” in the region. Urumqi is currently taking action against the so-called “pan-Halal tendency”, a name given to the demands by Muslims that products such as milk or toothpaste comply with Islamic rituals. The official Global Times said on Wednesday that the “demand that things be halal which cannot really be halal” were fuelling hostility towards religion and allowing Islam to penetrate secular life. Chinese citizens are theoretically free to practice any religion, but they have been subject to increasing levels of surveillance as the government tries to bring religious worship under stricter state control. Beijing has repeatedly cracked down on unauthorized religious activity, and last month issued new draft guidelines to crack down on the illegal online dissemination of religious information. The post China’s Urumqi Takes Aim at 'Extremist' Religious Practices appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Blow Away Your Stress and Chill at ‘Blow’ Posted: 09 Oct 2018 08:19 PM PDT YANGON—Smoking shisha is a growing fashion among young people in Yangon in recent years, and a fun and sociable activity to do while with a group of friends Shisha originally comes from the Middle East, though some say it has history in India and others say it comes from the ancient Persian empire. In Yangon, it started to become popular around 2014. More and more bars are offering shisha as a main menu option.  To smoke shisha, flavored tobacco is put at the top of a tall glass water pipe or hookah and covered with metal heat retainer, roasting atop hot charcoal. The body of the hookah contains water flavored with shavings of fruits such as melon, lime or apple, herbs like mint or simply ice, depending on what you choose from the menu. When you inhale the smoke deeply and slowly, it passes through the water chamber, gathering a pleasingly smooth fruity flavor. The higher the quality of the hookah, the more it costs and the better it tastes.  In January 2017, a local young entrepreneur, Ko Chan Nyein Soe, opened a bar dedicated to high-quality shisha on the fourth floor of Myanmar Plaza, and called it Blow Rooftop Bar and Lounge. This open-air bar is where you can find the highest quality and most expensive "luxury shisha" in the city. "Yangon doesn't have shisha bars and my boss wanted to try opening something different so he brought this luxury shisha option to the city. This is the first ever bar in Yangon to specialize in shisha," said Ko Zayar Aung, general manager of Blow.  The reason they call it "luxury shisha" is because of the bar's efforts in ordering handmade, futuristic glass hookahs from the Czech Republic which costs over $4,000 each. "The taste is obviously different when you change the hookah," he said. As well as high-quality hookahs, the tobacco is also a top brand ordered in from the UAE. When you enter the bar, the air is filled with pleasant-smelling shisha smoke. The trendy space has two different seating options: premium shisha lounges decorated with colorful neon lights and designed as separate square boxes and regular seats in the main seating area. In the premium lounge, you can only order from the "luxury shisha" menu.  On our visit to Blow last week, we tried the "Meduse Beach" shisha which is a harmonious tobacco mix with melon, lime, coconut and pineapple flavors with an optional shot of Malibu on the side. Its costs 50,000 kyats with the shot and 45,000 kyats without. One order of shisha in enough for a small group for around one and a half hours. The handmade glass hookahs at Blow are uniquely beautiful and have two mouthpieces. The smell is so refreshing and pleasing and the taste is smooth. It may feel like you're floating in a cloud of relaxation. The shisha takes about 20 minutes to prepare and the staff members at Blow are willing to explain the culture of shisha and how to smoke it properly. One of the staff members told us, "If the tobacco is over burning, it is not good for the smokers. That's why we frequently check and balance the charcoal heat."  They also have small shisha and hookah options and they cost between 25,000 and 35,000 kyats. The bar offers a choice of beers and wine on the drinks menu priced from 2,000 to 8,000 kyats per glass. From the food menu, what we enjoyed the most were the grilled king prawns with lemon butter sauce (11,000 kyats). The prawns were very fresh with a mouthwatering smell and went perfectly with the sauce. Another famous dish at Blow is the grilled pork chops (14,500 kyats). The pork is imported from Thailand and grilled to perfection. With this dish, the chef marinates the meat in a Japanese-style sauce and grilled until the taste is sweet. The meat was very soft and the whole dish was perfect. A cold cut platter (12,000 kyats) is another offering which includes cuts of imported beef and pork with cheese, candied fruit and garlic bread. This is the perfect bite for wine lovers.  Another of our favorites was the Greek salad (6,000 kyats) which is not normally a top choice when eating at a bar-restaurant but Blow's version has a great mayonnaise-based dressing and crispy fresh ingredients. Despite being a dedicated shisha bar, the food served at Blow is also top quality, tasty and worth the price. All of these factors add up to a great experience which keeps the bar at the top of the list of favorite places for Yangonites to hang out and why it's packed with customers every weekend. An important fact to note here is that shisha contains nicotine and can be addictive. The World Health Organization has reported that one hour of smoking shisha could be the same as smoking one hundred cigarettes. The post Blow Away Your Stress and Chill at 'Blow' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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