THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Week in Review: Myanmar

Week in Review: Myanmar

USDP unlikely to win Thura Shwe Mann, a member of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, surprised the nation when he said his party had a slim chance of success in the November 8 election.

He did not delve into details but said, nevertheless, he would further serve the country. He also pressed for charter changes for greater peace, stability, development and democratic reforms.
Shwe Mann is known to have good relationship with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He is running in Phyu Township, Bago Region. His main rival is KoKoKyaw, a former personal assistant to President TheinSein, who is standing as an independent candidate.

Govt compared to stale rice
Aung San Suu Kyi came up with a new analogy regarding the election: stale rice will remain bad, even if it is put into a new cooker and eating it will only harm one’s health.
In her opinion, the country desperately needed an international-standard political system, as the current government (stale rice) cannot improve the country as much as it should.

Voter list rigged
The National League for Democracy in Mandalay said extra voters were included in the lists for seven wards in Mahaaungmye Township. The list contains almost 14,000
voters, but NLD counted only 8,725 during a door-to-door survey.
NLD also said 200 naval service personnel were on the voter lists at two naval bases.

Parliamentary session
Myanmar’s Parliament will resume on November 16 after the November 8 election, with 15 bills still under discussion in the Lower House and 30 before the Upper House.
Since the first parliamentary session in 2011, the Parliament has passed 185 bills, including 52 bills in the 83-day 12th session that ended in mid-August.
Minister snubs graft claim Information Minister Ye Htut plans no follow- up action on a critical report by Global Witness on the jade industry. The group released the report saying that Myanmar’s jade industry generated up to US$31 billion in 2014, but much of the money went to the networks of military elites, drug lords and crony companies associated with the darkest days of junta rule.

Land sale efforts thwarted
Thirteen out of 45 government plans to sell state-owned property to the private sector have been stopped for different reasons, said Property Solutions’ research. The government planned to transfer a total of 656.5 acres of land to private companies for development under the build-operate-transfer and build-operate-own arrangements. Thirteen bids covering half of the land were suspended due to violations of zoning laws and regulations on building in public spaces.

$5.8 bn more needed for power
Electric Power Minister Khin Maung Soe said US$5.8 billion was required to power 7.2 million of the nation’s households. Currently, only 3 million households have access to electricity.
Adding to the power shortage woes were accidents. Last week, a fire balloon crashed into a transmission line in Meiktila, shutting off electricity for three hours in Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and other big cities. People in Myanmar were celebrating the Thadingyut full-moon holiday on the day.

Huge haul of timber, forest products
Illegal timber and forest products worth nearly Ks3 billion (US2.3 million) have been seized in the past three years, according to a mobile customs team.
From December 2012 until September, there were more than 600 cases with 332 involving tamalan or rosewood worth around Ks1.83 billion. Most tamalan was seized on its way to China and toThailand. In addition, there have been 187 seizures of gold and jewellery worth nearly Ks7 billion.

Support for hunger striker
Aung Hmaing Hsan, a member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, was put into solitary confinement after beginning a hunger strike on October 23.
His call for the release of all political prisoners has won support from other students and local organisations. AungHmaingHsan is among those imprisoned in Thayarwady prison for protesting against the education laws.
Students and activists wearing shirts reading "Release of all political prisoners" marched in protest along the Mandalay moat.

Census on ethnicity, religion delayed
Lists of ethnic groups and religions compiled in the 2014 nationwide census will be released after the November 8 election, to minimize their impact on the voting. The lists have just been completed.

Bagan expects more visitors
Bagan welcomed 200,000 international visitors in the first nine months of this year, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. The ministry expected 300,000 this year, a 20 per cent increase from 250,000 last year. The
country’s high season starts in September and Bagan’s famous landmarks are now crowded.

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