#Myanmar (Burma) Laying treks to boost tourism in Pyin Oo Lwin

Trekking routes are to be mapped out and constructed as well as regional guide training are to be provided in Pyin Oo Lwin township, Mandalay Region, where locals and foreigners frequent.

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 Environmental conservation groups conduct a field inspection at Yay Pyan Mountain in Pyin Oo Lwin township, one of the initial trekking routes. Sithu Lwin / The Myanmar Times

The program – a joint effort between the Directorate of the Hotels and Tourism and entrepreneurs who run hotels in the Pyin Oo Lwin area – aims to improve the tourism industry there.

Ko Wai Lu, a hotel entrepreneur who runs Mya Nan Daw Hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin, said that the purpose of creating trekking routes in the Pyin Oo Lwin region is to open up job opportunities for locals.

“We have earmarked three routes but these have not been approved yet. We are still analysing what routes to be constructed. We will choose the routes that are for one-day trips.

“We aim for locals to get jobs as well as for the city to be developed. The routes are being chosen so that each will give travelers and trekkers a different experience and taste. One trekking route will include a waterfall scene, another would be through a jungle path, and yet another route will provide experience in the ethnic people’s lifestyle. It will be interesting because trekkers can enjoy the scenery along the trip and then they can also travel by car and rendezvous at a point where they can go trekking again,” Ko Wai Lu told The Myanmar Times.

The routes that have been chosen initially include the Yay Pyan Mountain route, which includes a seven-stepped waterfall and has become popular after The Myanmar Times ran a story about it.

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 Also included in the initial planning is trekking along the Pan Oo Taung village, where there are many Shan ethnic people.

On the Pyin Oo Lwin-Hsipaw trekking route are rendezvous points for both trekkers and tourists who go by car and by foot, according to Pyin Oo Lwin’s hotel zone entrepreneurs.

Local villagers will be given priority when choosing candidates for regional guide training but they have to have a basic level in the English language.

Also, those that contribute enthusiastically to the region’s development will be given preference.

Daw Nan Mon Kham, who owns the Royal Park View hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin, told The Myanmar Times “Although we are doing all this for the township’s development and opening up jobs for local residents, we don’t want the region’s tradition and spirit to be watered down by foreign tourists. That’s why we are educating the locals who live along earmarked routes to have a deep understanding of the local tradition and how to use local products effectively before these routes are constructed.”

Daw Nan Mon Kham said that trekking routes have to be mapped out to highlight tourists spots that will boost the tourism industry in Pyin Oo Lwin.

She said that more foreign travelers are going from Mandalay to Hsipaw directly but the number of tourists who visit Pyin Oo Lwin is decreasing although it has many beautiful places to visit.

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#Myanmar (Burma) - Water taxi scheme details to be announced next week

The company Tint Tint Myanmar has been chosen to run a water taxi on the Hlaing River and Nga Moe Yeik Creek.

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The firm will announce the details of its implementation, said a spokesperson from Tint Tint Myanmar.

In order to upgrade Yangon’s public transport system, the regional government has planned to upgrade the circular train and water taxi services alongside bus transport, according to Yangon chief minister U Phyo Min Thein on July 2016.

The Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) started accepting tender applications on November 21 until December 26 last year. The month-long application period was intended to allow sufficient time for foreign and joint-venture companies to submit their applications. The invitation to tender was issued through a state-owned newspaper on November 16 and 17.

Tint Tint Myanmar won the tender in March and they are currently working on the specifics and details to implement a water transport scheme. 

“All operational details will be done with the company’s budget, including the cost of construction of a jetty.

“This will not be related to the government’s budget,” said project manager U Htun Naing Lin from Tint Tint Myanmar.
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According to U Maung Aung, secretary of the YRTA, the purpose of this water taxi system is for commuters to avoid the congested roads on their way to downtown Yangon. It is hoped that this scheme will save time and will start running in May. 

The company has already bought ships from Australia, Thailand and Jordan.

“We can say all are ready to run but we are still testing – we are focusing on safety.  We will announce plans within the next week on how many ships we will use, how many people the ships can carry, ticket pricing, whether we are charging cash or via a prepaid system, and other details.

“We are in discussions regarding the start date for our operations,” said U Htun Naing Lin.

The regional government has already set rules and regulations that the company must obey, he added.

Taking lessons from the YBS chaos and inconvenience, the government should be more cautious about the procedures and should test them before implementation. They should prioritise the safety of commuters, said MP U Kyaw Zay Ya from Dagon township.  

The idea of introducing water taxis to relieve Yangon city congestion was floated by a regional MP last May. Some, at that time, saw the scheme as a far-fetched proposal to solve the traffic issue.

Daw Thida Maung, who made the suggestion, said the Nga Moe Yeik River that flows though many townships could help alleviate the daily gridlock.

“If water taxis would be a service that runs on time and looks nicely decorated, people will be interested in taking them. Now, 21 percent of commuters in Yangon use buses. This number will then be reduced,” she said.

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Source - mmtimes 

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Travel journal: a trip to Kawthaung, #Myanmar (Burma)

Yes, tour guides ware biased. Very biased. But according to them, Myanmar’s southern islands are far more beautiful than anything Thailand has to offer. 

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 So why are they still so empty?

There’s the most obvious reason – the region was closed-off to the outside world for many years.
But according to Ye Zaw, the southern part of Myanmar is experiencing all sorts of teething problems around catering for tourists, both local and international.
He gave an example – while a beachside bar on a Thai island is all about the natural setting, providing a lost-at-sea ambiance, Myanmar bars down south are more concerned with … air conditioning.
“Visitors have air conditioners in their home, you know. They come to the islands to feel nature,” he said.
On a recent trip to Kawthaung, I visited five islands: Thahtay Island, Zadetkyi Island, Horse Shoe Island, Dunkin Island and Cocks Comb Island.
As with any adventure, preparation is essential. But – in typical Myanmar style – we made the decision to travel in haste.
We planned to stock up on supplies once we arrived, but much to our surprise, every store in Kawthaung has items price-tagged with Thai baht. With the current exchange rate, this made the area surprisingly expensive.
First up we decided to see what was on offer around Kawthaung City. This included a monument to the storied King Bayint Naung (a monarch who assembled one of the largest empires in the history of Southeast Asia) and a five kilometre shoreline that was brimming with mud. Suffice it to say, we indulged in a bit of shopping instead.
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We took a speed boat from Kawthaung jetty to the islands the following morning. An initial warning was a valuable one – our tour guide instructed us not to pick any sea shells as souvenirs because they are an integral part of the ecosystem. Full marks for the environmental awareness.
Then came my very first experience at snorkelling at Horse Shoe Island. As a Yangon native, I’d only ever been in a swimming pool. So I was pretty nervous about the initial jump into the sea.
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But that first plunge into cold seawater was a feeling I’ll never forget.
Once in, the guides directed us around the underwater sights – a kaleidoscope of fish, plants and coral. The 30-minute session was like being in another world.
Our next stop was lunch on Dunkin Island. It was the definition of paradise. The sea was a radiant blue and the white sands were totally unspoiled – not even one piece of trash (perhaps the only such location in Myanmar!).
Then came a very important Myanmar tradition. Lots of selfies.
Nearby Cocks Comb Island is more unique than the others. From the air it looks almost heart-shaped.
The entrance to the island is through the mouth of a cave. This can only be traversed at an ideal tide. The cave walls almost consumed us as we floated through.
Once inside, we admired the geographic features and resident sea urchins while staying on board.
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But the highlight was yet to come. Zadetkyi Island provided the most beautiful underwater sightseeing so far. I could have spent a lifetime floating among the fish under the warm sun.
There were even Nemo-esque clownfish among structural marvels of reefs.
But soon enough our island adventure had come to an end. Was it worth the very hefty K160,000 price tag? In my opinion, yes it was.
As businesses become savvier to the potential down south, the region will likely become a major tourist draw card in the years ahead.
My advice? Get down there now to hang out with those clownfish all by yourself.
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Source - mmtimes

 

Myanmar (Burma) Water festival to help boost tourism

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The traditional Myanmar Thingyan Water Festival this year will be something special, says U Myo Yi, chair of Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association (Mandalay Zone).

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“On display will be Myanmar’s traditional cultural dances, music and food,” he said.

Speaking on March 28, he added that this year, the water festival will be held, for the first time, in the southern part of Mandalay City’s palace moat.

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“We will make it a truly traditional affair with dance performances and musicians who will capture the heart and spirit of Myanmar culture,” he said.

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This year’s traditional Thingyan will be jointly organised with the cooperation of hotel and tourism entrepreneurs, who are members of Hotels and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association.

Also part of the organising team will be tourist guides and the restaurant association (Mandalay Zone) and will contain ethnic traditional pandals, as well as Sadudita (distribution of free food to anyone).

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U Min Naing, chair of Hotel Entrepreneurs Association (Mandalay Zone), added that there will be entertainment provided by pandals located from 67th Street to 69th Street at the southern part of the moat.

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He added that the free food distribution will be carried out throughout the four days of the festival.

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 “Everybody can take part in the water festivities at the pandals. But alcohol will be strictly banned. We will also provide bowls and water pipes for foreigners to splash water on those around them. We also put Thabyay (Eugenia) sprigs in the water bowls.” he said.

The reason of holding Myanmar traditional culture walking-style Thingyan festival is to improve and to develop the tourism industry and for the tourists to enjoy and see the festival, he said.

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U Min Naing said, “We are trying to promote tourism and culture through the traditional Thingyan festival. We will showcase Myanmar tradition in a systematic and organised manner for the world to see and understand.”

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There will also be a singing contest open to all participants with no age limits. And the winners will walk away with prize money from K1 million to K3 million, said U Myo Yi.

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“Everybody can compete. The people can get the forms at the Myanmar Tourism Association at 68th Street between 27th and 26th streets. Professional singers will not be allowed to take part, though. We welcome amateurs. And there will be 10 Thingyan songs that the participants have to sing and compete,” he said.

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Source - Myanmar Times

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Thai soap angers family of Myanmar's last king

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The family of Myanmar's last king hit out on Sunday at a Thai soap opera inspired by the palace intrigue of their ancestors, accusing Thailand of double standards in how it treats another country's royals.

Soe Win, the great grandson of Myanmar's last monarch King Thibaw, told AFP his family were angered by "A Lady's Flame", a new hit prime-time soap that recounts a bloody dynastic power struggle.

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The show is set in a fictional kingdom but almost entirely mimics the final years of the Konbaung dynasty in the 19th century in the country formerly known as Burma.

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It portrays the scheming among a key queen and princesses who orchestrated the massacre of nearly a hundred people to ensure Thibaw had no rivals to the throne following his father's death in 1878.

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While the massacre is historical fact, Thibaw's scions are upset with their family's portrayal by a country that shields its own monarchy from any criticism

"We have asked Thais this, would they accept it if one of our companies here did the same thing about their country," Soe Win told AFP.

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"If no action is taken, we will ask for help from their (Thailand's) royalty," he added.

Neighbours Thailand and Myanmar were bitter rivals for centuries and fought a number of bloody wars.

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One of the most momentous battles saw Myanmar forces attack the city of Ayutthaya, second capital of the Siamese kingdom, and raze it to the ground in 1767, forcing the inhabitants to abandon the city.

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In Thai historical soaps and dramas the Burmese are often portrayed as having villainous or treacherous tendencies, something that has previously caused anger in Thailand's western neighbor.

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Soe Win said he was particularly incensed by scenes in "A Lady's Flame" in which royal family members slapped each other.

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"It's quite insulting, as if we are wild," he said.

For many Burmese the fall of its monarchy at the hands of the British just a few years after Thibaw took the throne was a deep psychological scar.

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He died in exile in India though there are plans to return his remains to his homeland.

His family are playing a much more visible role now that the military who suppressed them have given way to a civilian-led government.

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Source - TheNation

Myanmar (Burma) - Rohingya militants `well-organized

The emergence of a "well-organized and well-funded" Muslim militancy behind attacks on security forces in western Myanmar could further de-stabilize the conflict-ridden region, an international think tank warned on Wednesday.

Harakah al-Yaqin, or Faith Movement, formed by members of the persecuted Rohingya minority, has been blamed for deadly attacks on security forces in northern Rakhine state, including an October 9 assault when hundreds of fighters, armed mostly with swords and sticks, overran three border police bases.
The violence prompted a sweeping crackdown on the Rohingya population, thousands of whom have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks amid accusations of mass killings and rapes. The government denies the allegations.
In its report, the International Crisis Group conducted interviews with members of Harakah al-Yaqin that suggest it is overseen by a committee of Rohingya emigres in Saudi Arabia.

The research also found evidence of ground operations organized by 20 men, experienced in guerilla warfare, who trained hundreds of locals to use weapons and crude explosives.
Crisis Group's Asia programme director Tim Johnston told dpa at least some of the funding is believed to come from private donors in the Middle East.
"There are real risks that if the government mishandles the situation, for instance with the further use of excessive force, it will push more of the Muslim population in that area to support al-Yaqin, entrenching the armed group and a cycle of violence," he wrote in an editorial published by Time magazine.
"It may also create conditions for radicalization that could be exploited by transnational jihadists to pursue their own agendas in Burma."
Rights groups and Rohingya activists cast doubt on some of the findings and said the majority of the hundreds of thousands of Muslims confined to internal displacement camps and villages across Rakhine state did not support the insurgency.
"Villagers are consistently telling us they want rights and want to return home," said Matthew Smith, founder of NGO Fortify Rights. "No one is telling us they want militancy or armed resistance."
Richard Potter, a researcher with the Burma Human Rights Network, said recent contact suggested the militants had run out of ammunition and scattered in recent weeks.
"If there's money that's being gathered for them I can't see where it's going," he said.

Myanmar military chief weighs in on Koh Tao murder case

Buddhist monks and others congregate on the platform of Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon yesterday to advocate for the release of two Myanmar men who were recently sentenced to death in the Koh Tao murder case, in a protest against the verdict of the Thai judge.

 Thai officials say death sentences are not final, as protests loom. 

 MYANMAR'S military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday called for a review of the Koh Tao case in which two Myanmar men were sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers. The verdict had angered his compatriots in the neighbouring country.

"The commander expressed his respect for Thailand's judicial process while stressing the need to avoid a situation in which the innocent rather than the convicted were wrongly punished," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

Last Thursday, a Samui court found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun, both 22, guilty of killing Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, |24, on Koh Tao in September 2014. Witheridge was also sexually violated.

People have demonstrated across Myanmar since the verdict claiming that the two men were scapegoats. 

 Min Aung Hlaing also expressed a belief that justice would be assured because of the mutual respect and friendly relations between the two countries, the Myanmar paper reported.

The message came with New Year's best wishes from the Myanmar top commander to Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Armed Forces Supreme Commander Sommai Kaotira.

It's very rare for leaders in Nay |Pyi Taw to express grave concern |over the plight of ordinary citizens abroad.

A spokesman of the Courts of Justice said the death sentences for the double homicide and gang rape were not yet final.

"It is still possible to appeal the verdict," Suebpong Sripongkul said. 

 "Even after the final ruling comes out, the defendants can seek a Royal pardon." The decision was based on evidence and the summary was now available for everyone to view in both Thai and English, he said.

Pol General Dejnarong Sutticharnbancha, National Police spokesman, said the public could have confidence in Thailand's judicial process because there were effective checks-and-balances mechanisms.

"We work based on the principles of transparency and fairness," he told a press conference held by investigators, forensic officials and doctors to boost public confidence in the police investigation and evidence-gathering process. Pol Colonel Prachum Ruangthong, superintendent of Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, said public prosecutors had asked police to improve the investigation report three times before accepting it.

"We have handled the case very carefully," he said.

He denied reports that the defendants were tortured into confessing and rumours that police had relied on the interpretation services of a |man who had conflicts with the defendants.

"Those reports are groundless. Doctors have examined the defendants' physical health and there |is no sign of torture," he said.

Despite Thai authorities' moves to ease tensions over the guilty verdict for the two Myanmar migrants, more protests against the sentences were planned.

An official at the Thai-Myanmar coordination centre in the Ranong-Kawthoung border area said Myanmar people would stage a rally tomorrow.

Thousands of people have gathered in front of the Thai embassy in Yangon and at border checkpoints since the verdict to express their disappointment and demand that Thailand review the case. 

Source: The Nation.com

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Thais urged to defer travel to Myanmar

AUTHORITIES in the areas bordering Thailand and Burma yesterday warned Thai nationals not to visit Myanmar at this time, as thousands of people held protests across the border after a Thai court’s death sentence verdict against two Myanmar migrants last week.

 Peaceful protests were held in the Tachilek and Taungoo border towns in Myanmar yesterday. And some 60 people continued with their protests for a third day outside the Thai Embassy in Yangon yesterday.

In Tachilek town, across Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, some 2,000 people gathered at a local stadium about two kilometres from the border area. They protested against the Samui Provincial Court's ruling on Thursday handing down death penalties on Myanmar men Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun for the 2014 murders of British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge.

Protest leaders submitted a letter to the Thai border authorities who accepted it on behalf of the Thai government. The letter called for a fair and just trial.

Thai authorities temporarily closed the border checkpoint for safety reasons. The protesters dispersed peacefully later yesterday. The border checkpoint was reopened shortly afterwards.

 At Taungoo town, about 400 Myanmar people protested against the court ruling. Some of the protesters were Myanmar migrant workers from the Thai side of the border.

The protest was peaceful and they dispersed at about 4pm.

Local authorities in Kanchanaburi's Sangkhla Buri district, which is across the border from the Myanmar town, urged Thai tourists in Myanmar to return home urgently and advised those about to cross the border to delay their visit.

 About 60 protesters gathered yesterday outside the Thai Embassy in Yangon, which was closed for the weekend. The demonstration was peaceful and security officials were sent to monitor the situation, according to Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee.

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday that he did not think the protests in Myanmar would worsen and sour ties between the two countries.

He said the Thai government was aware of the protesters' demands. "But we have to let the justice process to take its course anyway. That's an international standard of practice. The Thai court system is acceptable," he said.

The two Myanmar convicts were yesterday transferred from a jail on Koh Samui to the Nakhon Si Thammarat prison. They were moved early yesterday morning to the maximum security prison, which is intended for convicts sentenced to life imprisonment or death penalty.

Meanwhile, the Thai Journalists Association yesterday issued a statement in response to an earlier statement by the Myanmar Journalists Association about the court verdict.

The TJA said it agreed with the MJA that as journalists, "our responsibility is to seek truth and justice". The statement said, "We see the utmost importance of seeking truth and justice, especially in such a controversial case like the tragedy on Koh Tao. The Thai media has already engaged in investigative reporting on this case throughout the judicial process."

Pressure from Mynamar has also come from the National League for Democracy, which won the recent general elections. The party issued a statement urging the Myanmar government to give necessary assistance in filing an appeal on behalf of the Koh Tao convicts. The NLD also welcomed the protest against the court decision outside the Thai Embassy in a way that would not tarnish the country's dignity, Eleven Myanmar reported yesterday.

Source: The Nation

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