The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- FFSS’s Kyaw Thu Reflects on a Life of Healing the Living and Burying the Dead
- Experimental Gallery Pops Up, Pushes Boundaries in Rangoon
- An Arakanese Pagoda Festival through the Lens
- Burma Business Roundup (June 1)
| FFSS’s Kyaw Thu Reflects on a Life of Healing the Living and Burying the Dead Posted: 31 May 2013 09:22 PM PDT   Kyaw Thu points to photographs showing his Free Funeral Service Society in action on the streets of Rangoon. (Photo: JPaing / The Irrawaddy) After providing free funeral services to more than 120,000 of Burma's deceased, the founder of Rangoon's Free Funeral Service Society (FFSS), Kyaw Thu, says he is no longer afraid to face his own mortality. The renowned former actor, now in his 50s, told The Irrawaddy that having once feared the prospect of hell, today he is ready for anything after more than a decade of personal sacrifice and fruitful service. "After witnessing and experiencing many happenings in life, I've come to understand more about the value of life. Whether you are rich or poor, famous or infamous, you will have to walk this way without your attachments, your wealth and your popularity. All that you can bring along is good merits," Kyaw Thu says. Founded in 2001, the FFSS these days not only offers funeral services free of charge, but also provides a free health care clinic to those in need. The organization has inspired many and has encouraged an interest in charity work among young people. The former Myanmar Academy Award-winning actor says the seeds of compassion that brought about his social work were planted after 10 years of fame on screen, as he reflected on a life of accomplishment that he felt was lacking. "During one summer holiday at a Buddhist literature camp, my daughter asked Aung San Sayardaw where actors and actresses would go after they died, heaven or hell? To which Sayardaw answered that they would go to hell, and I was terrified. Sayardaw explained that we, actors and actresses, make people cry, angry and laugh, which are misdeeds," he recalls. Inspired by a charity group from Mandalay named Bhramaso, which offered free funeral services to the poor, Kyaw Thu's wife Myint Myint Khin Pe wanted to establish a similar charitable endeavor in Rangoon. Meanwhile, the prominent Burmese film director Thu Kha would find similar inspiration after he was hospitalized due to illness. Upon being discharged from the hospital, Thu Kha felt called to action after witnessing the many poor who had lost loved ones but could not afford the funeral charges. In many of these cases, the bereaved abandoned their dead family members, whose bodies were later disposed of in mass cremations. Moved by the situation, Thu Kha consulted with Kyaw Thu and the pair established a funeral service together in Rangoon. The FFSS has been winning over the hearts of people ever since, but not everyone has been impressed. In September 2007, Kyaw Thu was barred from his beloved film industry because he and fellow entertainer Zarganar offered alms to the Buddhist monks who had taken to the streets of Rangoon in protest of the military regime. "I was angry at first. But when I look back, I have to thank them for banning me from filming because, from that, I got more time to serve at FFSS," he says. As FFSS celebrates its 12th year, with about 400 volunteers and 100 staff in tow, Kyaw Thu is no longer just a provider of funerals. People now call on his organization for free ambulance services, health care and education. Others are simply seeking potable water. The organization's free health care unit receives hundreds of patients from near and far every day. Physicians, eye specialists and many other doctors volunteer at FFSS. Moreover, a library named after the late director Thu Kha, and free education services covering tuition for matriculating students and offering basic training in IT and the hospitality industry, are all aimed at enriching Burma's younger generations. "There are two sisters, whose parents are very poor and couldn't give them further education, who came to us and attended the hospitality training. They passed the class with flying colors and are now working at an international hotel abroad," Kyaw Thu says proudly. And when the country has suffered severe drought over the last few years, Kyaw Thu's FFSS launched another initiative digging wells in drought-hit areas and distributing clean water to the areas in Rangoon, all at no cost to the beneficiaries. Despite the country's widely lauded transition to democracy, government scrutiny of the organization persists, at times preventing some of FFSS's charitable works. In one recent example, the organization sought to pick up trash littering Rangoon's streets and in the process educate residents about the environmental virtues of proper garbage disposal. That plan was prohibited by the city's Municipal Committee. "If people are gathering and doing something, the authorities still think that they might do bad things that will defame the government. To pick up trash in the city is not with the goal of condemning the Municipal Committee but just to tell the people to keep the city clean," Kyaw Thu says. "We are not political parties, nor will we carry out the political agitation that they are afraid of. We are just giving services to people in need. If we can't do these small little activities, how can the other social groups join hands with the government in the transition of the country?" he asks. Having dedicated much of his life to serving FFSS, Kyaw Thu admits that it has been at the expense of his family life. "When I'm engaged with FFSS, I become a full-time social worker. I can't even go back home but stay instead at the FFSS office. I'm grateful that I have an understanding wife and children who support me and encourage me always," he says. Despite the sacrifices made by Kyaw Thu, he says the words of his wife have helped him soldier on. "She proudly told the children: 'We no longer own your father. Before, your father belonged to his fans, but now, he belongs to the people.' I was sad but later satisfied knowing my wife and children are very proud of my dedication to society," he says. "Some people have said that I must not die, for I'm essential and important to society. I do not believe that. If I die, there will always be someone who will take up these duties. I believe many clones of Kyaw Thu will be born. I'm not essential. I'm just a human being like you." | |
| Experimental Gallery Pops Up, Pushes Boundaries in Rangoon Posted: 31 May 2013 09:21 PM PDT   The main gallery in 7000 Padauk, a temporary experimental arts space in Rangoon that showcases an array of work by local and international performance artists, painters, photographers, musicians and actors. (Photo: Dani Patteran / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON—Heavy articulated trucks trundle down a congested road by Rangoon's industrial port, throwing up dust and fumes onto a noisy sidewalk. This is an incongruous setting for an art gallery. Yet for April and May, a small, dilapidated building set right here on the main street has become a center for Burma's vibrant experimental arts scene. Named after the padauk flower that blooms once a year in April, 7000 Padauk has hosted an astonishing array of work by local and international performance artists, painters, photographers, musicians and actors. "We didn't just want somewhere to hang paintings, but wanted something more, something challenging, and to have some artists who would challenge themselves," said co-founder Mrat Lunn Htwann. Originally from west Burma's Arakan State, Mrat Lunn Htwann is a poet and performance artist who created the experimental space together with American Nathalie Johnston, who moved to Burma to study Burmese performance art. After meeting three years ago, Mrat Lunn Htwann and Johnston had long talked of setting up an art space like 7000 Padauk. But with strident censorship laws under the former military government, and no space to host the exhibits, this has been an impossible dream until now. A stroke of luck—in the shape of Mrat Lunn Htwann's uncle, who owns the building on Kanna Road and agreed to let them use it until its demolition in June, coincided with the recent relaxing of Burma's censorship laws as the country transitions from military rule. The idea of 7000 Padauk was to create a free space for artists. "No curators, no text on the walls, no formal invitations. Just a come-and-go, to each artist his/her own, uncensored, experimental art space," says Johnston. As Mrat Lunn Htwann explains, "[People] have been trained to self-censor, so we wanted to see how artists react to this freedom." "At first we were worried that no artists would want to work," he said with a laugh, but as it turned out, there was so much enthusiasm for the idea that they were able to expand beyond the initially planned one month, to also include May. For photographer and painter Thurein, this was his first opportunity to create an installation of this size. Thurein's installation "End to End" featured clippings of hundreds of obituaries taken from Burmese newspapers and layered carefully over the walls of the house. Though it may be possible to glue newspaper clippings on the walls in other galleries, Thurein says putting up obituaries would likely be seen as an insult. "It's like creating a house of death," he says. Thurein, like Mrat Lunn Htwann, is keen to push boundaries with his art, and says that though there is now more freedom to do so, many artists remain hesitant to take the opportunity. "Fear is ingrained in our minds," he says. 7000 Padauk has represented both Burmese and international artists, and was able to provide financial support for artists traveling to Rangoon from other states. San Naing, a Muslim artist from Arakan State, traveled to create five large, colorful abstract paintings, now on display in the upper floor of the gallery. His piece "Praying for Peace" is particularly evocative, given the recent inter-communal violence in Arakan. Perhaps the most fascinating exhibit was "Roses are Red," an anonymous collection of vintage Burmese erotic photographs, emailed to 7000 Padauk with instructions detailing how the images should be displayed. The beautiful black and white pictures are at once challenging and dreamy, and provoke questions around the nature of sexual freedom in Burma. Despite the clear success of the gallery and enthusiasm from both artists and the public, creating an uncensored space like 7000 Padauk means coming up close against local authorities. For the founders and artists at 7000 Padauk, this is as much an experiment in creativity as it is an experiment in finding out what they can and can't do under the new government. Pushing against these boundaries is not without consequences. When 7000 Padauk was first set up, there were threats and advice not to go ahead, and a group of police officers visited the gallery last Saturday to photograph and document the art works. Even so, Mrat Lunn Htwann and Johnston are resolute to continue what they see as a vital project. "It was always worth going ahead, no matter the risk," says Johnston. "We had to test the boundaries of this 'Reformation' in Myanmar." 7000 Padauk is open until the first week of June, and upcoming events will be announced via the gallery's Facebook page. A documentary about the local area and community of 7000 Padauk will screen at Rangoon's River Gallery on Tuesday. The photographer Nyi Myo Wai, who has documented the birth and short life of the art space, will exhibit a selection of his prints in the last week as a finale to what has been an extraordinary project. When asked their plans for the future, both Mrat Lunn Htwann and Johnston say it they would like to find another space. An online platform Myanmar Art Evolution has been set up to announce contemporary Burmese art events, and a catalogue of the exhibitions is being produced. But for now, they will take things step by step and, as Johnston says, "7000 Padauk will crop up in other creative ways in years to come." | |
| An Arakanese Pagoda Festival through the Lens Posted: 31 May 2013 09:19 PM PDT 
Every year, the Arankanese host pagoda festivals in the former capital, and the Shite-thaung (also spelled Shitthaung)Buddhist temple festival is popular among visitors for its traditional long boat race and wrestling activities. The festival usually falls on May 23 and lasts five days. This year, to festival-goers' dismay, there was no all-night traditional dance troupe performance due to an evening curfew in the area that has been imposed since the outbreak of communal violence between Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim Rohingyas several months ago. The Irrawaddy's photojournalist Steve Tickner recently traveled to the old capital and documented how locals still managed to enjoy the festivities. | |
| Burma Business Roundup (June 1) Posted: 31 May 2013 09:18 PM PDT Blacklisted Tay Za Takes Over Import-Export Services at Rangoon Airport A company owned by former Army regime crony and US-blacklisted Burmese businessman Tay Za has been given control of all import and export cargo handling services at Rangoon International Airport. Mingalardon Cargo Services, a subsidiary of the Htoo Group of Companies, was awarded the concession by the Civil Aviation Department, which said there had been bids from three companies. Mingalardon was already handling export cargo at the airport and the director general of the Civil Aviation Department, Tin Naing Tun, said this week that it would be more efficient if the same company handled imports as well. A state enterprise had been processing imports until now. "If we separate the two functions, complications will arise in balancing the business and investments," Tin Naing Tun said in a media statement. The concession is likely to be carried over to the new Hanthawaddy International Airport after its scheduled completion in 2017, Tin Naing Tun said. The Htoo Group's business interests are growing under Burma's economic reforms and now include mining, farming, hotels, an airline and banking ventures. Tay Za was placed on a US government blacklist for his close links with the former military regime of Than Shwe. In the past, he has been accused by the United States of involvement in weapons and drug trafficking, and money laundering. Chinese Firm Renews Interest in Sagaing Coal Power Station One of China's big five state-owned electricity firms, China Guodian Corporation, has renewed its interest in building a coal-fueled power plant in northwest Burma. Guodian won a concession in 2010 to develop a large 600-megawatt power station in the Kalewa area of Sagaing Division, plus a hydroelectric dam at Mawlaik. There has not yet been any development on either project, with the local authorities canvassing for support for the coal power station. However, according to the local National League for Democracy (NLD) office, no environmental impact assessment studies have been conducted for the projects. A coal mine at Kalewa operated by a Burmese government agency produces about 13,000 tons per year, according to a recent US Geological Survey. Industry analysts say this would not be sufficient to fuel a 600-MW capacity power station. Tourism Boom Leaves Burma Short of Skilled Hotel Managers Burma is facing a shortage of experienced middle- and senior-level hotel management staff as the country's tourism expands faster than anywhere else in the 10 Asean countries, a senior industry official said. "Representatives from [Burma] and Cambodia have urged other member countries to supply professionals in the hotel segment to play a training role as well as fill vacancies in mid to top management," the president of the Thai Hotels Association, Surapong Techaruvichit, was quoted by the travel trade publication TTR Weekly as saying during an industry meeting in Bangkok. Surapong said similar but smaller problems were being felt throughout Asean and called for closer cooperation between countries to avert a region-wide skills shortage. He urged travel agency associations in Asean countries to avoid doing business with illegal hotels—those not registered with national health and safety agencies. Industrial Revolution in Burma 'Could Bring 10 Million in from the Fields' Burma has enormous economic potential but will need to embrace massive change, including bringing in up to 10 million people from the fields to fill jobs in factories and become a leading workshop of East Asia. That's the conclusion of a study by the US business consultancy McKinsey Global Institute, which suggests that Burma's economy could quadruple in value over the next two decades—provided the country moves away from its agrarian base and embraces 21st century technologies. It forecasts that Burma's economy could quadruple to an annual value of more than US$200 billion in 2030 compared with $45 billion in 2010. Burma's gross domestic product (GDP) is currently only 0.2 percent of Asia's overall GDP—that's about the size of cities such as Delhi and Johannesburg. "For much of the 20th century, [Burma] largely missed out on the spectacular growth seen across most of the global economy and most recently in its Asian peers. It now has the potential to be one of the fastest-growing economies in emerging Asia," said Richard Dobbs, a director of McKinsey, quoted by CNBC news. Manufacturing industries will be a key part of economic growth and could create 10 million jobs, McKinsey said. The manufacturing sector has the potential to expand sevenfold by 2030 to contribute $70 billion a year to the gross domestic product. Kyaukphyu Oil Storage Bigger than Burma's Annual Refining Capacity The oil terminal being built by a Chinese state company at Kyaukphyu to tranship crude from the Middle East and Africa to southwest China will have storage capacity for 7.6 million barrels when completed. That's more than Burma's three dilapidated refineries can process in one year. The China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) said it is building 12 large storage tanks at Kyaukphyu on Burma's central coast, which will hold crude oil brought in by giant ocean bulk tankers. The oil will be transferred to a pipeline currently being built across 950 kilometers from the coast to China's Yunnan province and due for completion by the end of this year. Reuters quoted CNPC saying the oil pipeline construction, and a twin pipeline that will carry natural gas from Burma's Shwe field in the Bay of Bengal, is proceeding as scheduled. The firm denied reports that ethnic conflict in northern Burma was delaying the pipelines' completion. |
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