Judges prepare shortlist for Myanmar's 'Oscars'

“We expect to complete our evaluation by the third week of July although the deadline is the end of July. Some members of the board are still watching films for the first stage while others have begun reviewing for the next round,” said Sithu Kyi Soe Tun.

A total of 17 films are on the shortlist for the Myanmar Academy Awards 2013. Twelve  have already been shown in cinemas, with the remaining five to be released before year end.

 

Govt ‘must walk fine line in China Sea dispute’

As a close ally of China, Myanmar must walk a fine line in the dispute over South China Sea territory when the country takes up Asean chairmanship next year.

Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Vietnam – all of whom are Asean members – along with China, are claimants to disputed territory in the South China Sea. 

The issue was raised at the recent forum organised by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Germany’s Hanns Seidel Foundation, held at Yangon’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry on July 12 and 13.

Myanmar had enjoyed close ties with China over recent decades, noted retired Myanmar ambassador Nyunt Maung Shein. “The South China Sea dispute is related to the world trade route. The world community is keeping a close watch on the dispute. China is a neighbour of Myanmar, but countries involved in the dispute are members of the Asean family. So the issue is not an easy one for Myanmar,” said Nyunt Maung Shein. The South China Sea is a key trade route, helping to link the markets of the Middle East, the Southern Pacific, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and North America. 

Experts also estimate reserves totalling 17 billion barrels of oil under the South China Sea – 4 billion more than the entire reserves of Kuwait. 

Such high stakes have led experts on South China Sea strategy to predict the territorial dispute could escalate into all-out war between Asian countries, said the former ambassador.

Moe Thuzar, a researcher at Singapore’s Institute of SE Asia Studies, argued that Myanmar should use its chairmanship to back Asean members in any dispute that arose with outside powers.

 

Artist Ang Ko to stage show in Italy

Myanmar artist Aung Ko says he will stage a solo show in October in Milan. The show will be held at Primo Marella Gallery in the northern Italy city, he said.

“The gallery has invited me to do the show as they liked the paintings I showed at ‘Deep S.E.A Contemporary Art Forms Southeast Asia’, held in Italy from November 2012 to February. I am working very hard and feel excited to be creating a solo show in a country so very famous for its arts,” he said.

Aung Ko will show both paintings and sculptures at the two-month Milan show, whose name will be decided by the gallery according to the themes of the works submitted by the artist.