Illegal logging and more + SUOMI osio
Illegal logging at northern border
China (and several other neighboring countries) has been cutting mainly TEAK trees for years illegally with the locals support in the border areas. Myanmar has one of the largest teak forests, still intact, in Asia but as the more developed Asian countries has lost their own teak forests, they have turned their interest to Myanmar's vast forest reserves.
To complicate the matter further, several border areas are still controlled by by local militia / armies. Northern part has KIA, Kachin Independece Army (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Army), North-east has several small armies run by areal warlords. End of last year many fighting opposition forces has signed a peace agreement with Myanmar tatmandaw but there was as many who didn't agree to sign and so the civil war continues at border areas.
Here are some of the signed and not signed contract groups;
| Signatories (Pro-Government) | Non-Signatories (Opposition) |
| * All-Burma Students’ Democratic Front | * Arakan Army |
| * Arakan Liberation Party | * Kachin Independence Organization |
| * Chin National Front | * Karenni Natl. Progressive Party |
| * Democratic Karen Benevolent Army | * Lahu Democratic Union |
| * Karen Natl. Lib. Army – Peace Council | * Myanmar Natl. Democratic Alliance Army |
| * Karen National Union | * Natl. Soc. Council of Nagaland – Khaplang |
| * Pa-O National Liberation Organization | * New Mon State Party |
| * Shan State Army – South | * Ta’ang National Liberation Army |
| * United Wa State Army |
So the illegal activities continues at many rural areas. Other big business is drug manufacturing and smuggling, general goods smuggling and people crossing borders without legal rights and illegal fishing.
Just now Tatmandaw (Myanmar army) has started some operations to stop lot of these illegal activities.
Opium farming
Just recently the following statement was made at the 4th Myanmar Opium Farmers’ Forum held in Loikaw, Kayah State on 9 May 2016.
“We, opium farmers and representatives of Kayah, Kayan, Shan, Pa-O, Lahu, Ta-ang (Palaung) and Kachin opium farming communities from Kayah State, Southern, Eastern and Northern Shan State, and Kachin State, came together in Loikaw, in Kayah State in Myanmar, to discuss the challenges we face in our lives, and to share experiences and find ways to solve our problems.
We would like to make the following recommendations to the new government of Myanmar:
....
This goes on about few pages of text. My point here is that as long as the golden triangle (Burma, Laos, Thailand border corner) has existed, big part of the drugs coming from this area are grown at Myanmar. The farmers in the area has generally tried to just survive and has been farming opium by the pressure from local militias as well as getting better income from it, comparing to any other product.
As long as there is no better source for money for them, the problem continues. New government is very busy with developing Central area and these rural border areas will unlikely get any attention for long time, except the local war...
Swedish minister visits Myanmar at 30.April 2016
The Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Isabella Lövin, visited Myanmar to meet with development partners and ministers in the new government, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi over the last two days.
Ms Lövin wrote the following editorial about her country’s relationship with Myanmar and future engagement.
“The relationship between Sweden and Myanmar has a long history. Sweden’s first Ambassador to Burma was appointed in 1955 and resident in New Delhi. Since the mid 1990’s, Sweden has provided support to Myanmar’s democracy movement. More recently, we have expanded our support to the people of Myanmar to include the improvement of health, engagement in the peace process, and the protection of human rights.
I am very pleased to visit Myanmar for the first time as Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation. Now that Myanmar has a new Government based on a solid mandate from the people, I look very much forward to working with this Government and with the people of Myanmar.
During my visit, I will meet with development partners in Myanmar, and I will learn more about the challenges that the new Government is facing. I believe there are many areas where Sweden and Myanmar can learn from each other, and Sweden is ready to listen to the priorities of Myanmar. We would also be happy to share our own experiences, for example in the area of public administration.
The current Swedish Government is the world’s first feminist Government putting women's rights and gender equality is at the core of all policies including development cooperation. This means that all areas of our support to Myanmar have a strong focus on gender equality and the fulfillment of human rights for women.
In particular, we are actively contributing to the international agenda for Women, Peace and Security. This is, I believe, highly relevant for Myanmar in the current peace process. Conclusions from international research and experiences from a range of other countries show that women’s participation helps ensure that peace agreements are actually concluded and that peace becomes sustainable. I therefore strongly believe that the peace process in Myanmar would benefit from the participation of women.
Other examples of our commitment to fulfill women’s rights are our support to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as maternal health in Myanmar. We are also supporting projects aimed at enhancing women’s political participation.
On the international arena, we want to work with the new Government on the important global challenges that we collectively face. Sweden attaches great importance to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. I welcome a strong partnership with Myanmar in working towards these goals. With Agenda 2030, I truly believe we share a common agenda.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to warmly congratulate the people of Myanmar on the positive steps taken towards democracy in recent times. Sweden is ready to support Myanmar in its endeavor to achieve a resilient, inclusive, fair and prosperous society, where democracy flourishes and where everyone can have their voices heard.”
Latest visit was done by Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at beginning of the month. As the foreign minister arrived in Nay Pyi Taw, the United Nations issued a statement thanking Japan for its US$31.7 million donation to their operations in Myanmar.
Myanmar Stock Exchange
Early this year Myanmar launched the stock exchange. So far there has been just one company listed as testing process. Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings, the developer of Thilawa Special Economic Zone, is preparing to list on the Myanmar Stock Exchange at the end of May, the second company to go public.
The company has completed preparations to list, and the Yangon Stock Exchange is expected to give it the green light, according to the Nikkei Asian Review on April 29. The company was established in 2013 by nine local companies, including real estate developers. It is building a roughly 400-hectare industrial park in Thilawa, southeast of Yangon, with Japanese trading houses Mitsubishi Corp., Marubeni and Sumitomo Corp.
Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings does not plan to issue any new shares when going public but will have the option of doing so to raise funds in the future.
The more interesting news will be when all major companies in Myanmar joins the stock exchange and the actual share trading starts. As in the history the rush for mining the "stock gold" will probably be huge but the hangover might hit hard eventually, like in China recently.
SUOMI OSIO - Myanmar matkailu
Viime talvena ollessani pääosin Yangonissa, päätin tehdä muutaman kierroksen keski ja etelä Myanmariin nähdäkseni maata turistin silmin. Kiertomatka Pagan-Mandalay-Inle lake avasi silmiäni Myanmarin todella vanhaan historiaan ja kulttuuriin. Matkani etelään Kawthaung kaupunkiin Thaimaan rajalla avasi ranta turismin mahdollisuudet Myanmarissa. Maalla on vielä satoja kilometrejä valkoista hiekkarantaa etelässä ja lännessä ja turismia ei ole siellä vielä käytännössä ollenkaan.
Kawthaung satamasta pääsee myös helposti paikalliseen Kasino saareen, jonne virtaa uhkapelaajia Myanmarista ja Thaimaasta mutta myös Kiinasta.
Mielestäni Myanmar on vierailemisen arvoinen paikka nyt vielä kun kaikki vanha ei ole modernisoitu ja ihmiset elävät edelleenkin vanhojen perinteiden mukaan. Historiallista nähtävää on paljon mutta rantamatkailussa kannattaa ehkä odottaa muutama vuosi.
Kirjoitin muutama vuosi sitten pari kuukautta blogia Yangonin vierailustani ja jos se joitakuita vielä kiinnostaa, löytyy se osoitteesta:
Minulta myös löytyy kiertomatkani aikataulu jonka laitan jossain vaiheessa myös tänne mutta jos joku suunnittelee matkaa Myanmariin jo nyt niin ottakaa yhteyttä ja voin antaa vinkkejä.
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