Five-point agreement reached with UWSP

The agreement was made after the talks between the Union Peacemaking Work Committee and UWSP held at the Golden Triangle Command in Kengtung, Shan State on Friday. 

Committee vice-chairman Thein Zaw said the discussion took place in a both brotherly and friendly manner. 

“We discussed how we would approaches towards building lasting peace. We could resolve some difficulties. Problems can occur sometimes at a lower level. We held talks in a brotherly and friendly manner in order to prevent the problems from becoming worse,” Thein Zaw told the Daily Eleven.

All the problems with the southern Wa region also could be solved, he added. 

“All things went well. There was misunderstanding until both sides met personally. When we met, the problems were not that serious,” Thein Zaw said.

Lt- General Aung Than Htut from the Defence Services Commander-in-Chief’s Office told the Daily Eleven that military tension was caused partly because the government army surrounded the Wa outposts in the southern Wa region after they had failed to retreat as commended. 

Wa leaders [through their interpreter] said the discussions  produced good results, but declined to comment further.

“The southern issue is now okay. Further negotiation will come as the next step. We will continue our talks,” said Aung Myint, the spokesman for UWSP.

 

US help expected for road upgrading

The Ministry of Construction expects to receive assistance from the United States in upgrading a four-lane highway connecting Yangon and Mandalay, a chief engineer has said.

“The US already conducted a feasibility test to upgrade the highway. No further reply has come from them yet,” Kyi Zaw Myint, chief engineer of special project team, said. Yangon-Mandalay Highway is currently a four-lane road that connects major cities and towns across central Myanmar. It is 713km long and takes 14 hours to drive along. 

“To upgrade the road to eight lanes, we earlier asked Korea, Japan and the US. But, Korea showed more interest in helping bridge construction, and JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] is already engaged in many other projects here. JICA says they will discuss it with their government,” Kyi Zaw Myint said.

Currently, there are insufficient rest stops along the highway, so more stops and police stations are being set up, Kyaw Lin, a director general from the Ministry of Construction, said. He said at least five new rest stops were planned, with one at Nay Pyi Taw (325km) is under construction now.

 

‘Transparency needed over internal conflicts’ 

Myanmar needs to be transparent about its internal conflicts and communal violence in order to avoid pitfalls when assuming the Asean chairmanship next year, a researcher from the Asean Studies Centre said.

Moe Thuzar, lead researcher at Asean Studies Centre, made the statement in a round-table talk co-organised by Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Germany-based Hanns Seidel Foundation in Yangon on Saturday.

She said communal violence in Rakhine State had not been fixed despite the passing of one year. This affected Myanmar people living in other countries, and was bound to have ramifications for Myanmar’s Asean chairmanship.

“Conflicts occur in southern Thailand too. The important point is, when Myanmar becomes Asean chairman, it should transparently tell the country’s situations to the Asean family and ask their advice for the problem,” Moe Thuzar said. 

“When we discussed such problems at Asean, the minister responsible once threatened to quit the summit if the discussion on the topic continued. But these problems are common to all countries. Myanmar should convince Asean members to reach an understanding on the country.”

Observers have claimed that people who embraced dictatorship were creating religious conflicts between Buddhists and Muslims. However, the government has denied that it or the army were behind the ethnic strife. Than Lwin, an adviser to President Thein Sein said: “Unless Myanmar can resolve and stop those conflicts, the country could face a military coup like Egypt.” 

 

Museums charging fees in local currency for tourists

The National Museum in Yangon has started charging 5,000 kyats for admission for foreigners, the museum head has said. Previously, it was US$5 per foreign visitors.

“[The admission fee] was changed to make it easier for foreigners to pay their entrance fees. As kyats are being used in Myanmar, it is more convenient to collect the fees in Myanmar kyats,” said Ngwe Tun Myint, director-general of the National Museum. Entry fees for archaeological museums in Bagan, Innwa, Takaung, Sale, Beiktthano, Bago, Nyaung U, Thirikhittara, Pakhankyi have also been changed to 5,000 kyats from $5. 

Entry fees for cultural museums and libraries in Sittwe, Myitkyina, Loikaw, Pa-an, Harkhar, Mawlamyaing, Pathein, Taunggyi, and Kyaingtong have also been changed from $2 to 2,000 kyats.

Over 31,000 foreigners and 9,800 locals visited the National Museum in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. The National Museum is a popular tourist attraction. 

 

Hong Kong’s AIA opens office in Myanmar

Hong Kong-based insurance company AIA Group Ltd opened a representative office in Yangon on Saturday, local sources have said. 

The representative office will only work as a consultancy offering insurance consultation but won’t do direct insurance services, according to Simeon Preston from AIA. “Myanmar needs more insurance companies as its economy develops. As a result, local private insurance companies will get operational experience [when working jointly with AIA]. It will also help improve the country’s insurance sector,” Deputy Finance Minister Dr Maung Maung Thane said at the opening.