March 13, 2016

Finland gives 4M Euros to UNDP for Myanmar development

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has received 4 million Euros (approx. US$ 4.4 M) from the Finland government to support the agency’s work in Myanmar in the areas of democratic governance, local development and environmental sustainability.

Jarmo Kuuttila, Chargé d' Affaires of the Diplomatic Mission of Finland said his government looked forward to deepening their partnership with UNDP.

“One of Finland’s development priorities is to support the democratization of political institutions and to improve equal opportunities of all people to participate in political decision-making. Similarly we aim to support the strengthening of public administration and the judiciary to produce better public services that are accessible to people," he said. (Courtesy of Mizzima)

Moving Myanmar’s media industry forward

Although reforms made by the outgoing Union Solidarity and Development Party improved press freedom in Myanmar – most notably by abolishing pre-publication censorship and granting licences to daily newspapers in 2012 – there’s no doubting that much, much more needs to be achieved. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists’ Freedom Index of 2015, Myanmar is the ninth most censored nation in the world.

With the first democratically elected government in 50 years poised to take over the reins on April 1, the country’s media industry is eager – and expectant – that further relaxations will be granted. However a certain level of anxiety exists as to the details of such reforms, and how soon they can be implemented. The National League for Democracy has an overflowing plate of competing priorities to attend to, which may leave the country’s journalists and media house owners champing at the bit. (Courtesy of Mizzima)

Myanmar bid to tap investors

Myanmar is seeking investments from India in various sectors, mainly in pharmaceuticals and food processing.

"Myanmar is a growing agrarian economy with a heavy emphasis on industrial and technological development. Hence, we invite businesses in all sectors but our focus is on pharmaceuticals, food processing and to some extent tourism," said Than Htwe, consul-general of Myanmar, at an event organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce here today. (Courtesy of telegraphindia)

Helping Myanmar to play by the rules

These are heady days in Myanmar as the country emerges from decades of isolation under military rule and the southeast Asian nation gets ready to resume its place in the international community. A handful of Irish lawyers are playing their part in educating Myanmar’s nascent legal community to establish a legal framework.

This emerging country of 53 million people has only 49,000 or so lawyers, and only a few of these have any commercial experience. Many are in their 70s, having studied law before the start of military rule, in 1962.

Myanmar’s legal system, which is descended from English common law, saw little development between independence, in the late 1940s, and 2011, when the reform process under the military leader Thein Sein, who is now the country’s president, started to open up Myanmar (which used to be known as Burma). (Courtesy of irishtimes)

Suu Kyi's ally on track to be Myanmar's president

Mr Htin Kyaw, a respected writer and intellectual who is trusted by Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, sailed through the first round of a parliamentary vote yesterday, remaining on course to become the country's first civilian president in decades.

Mr Htin Kyaw, 69, received 274 votes from 330 civilian lawmakers in the Lower House.

The candidate put forward by army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Dr Sai Mauk Kham, received just 29 votes.

Meanwhile, in the Upper House, ethnic Chin MP Henry Van Thio, nominated by Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) for one of two vice-presidential slots, was also endorsed, leaving the USDP nominee a distant second.

Mr Htin Kyaw, whose friendship with Ms Suu Kyi goes back to their parents' generation, is all but certain to be Myanmar's next president, as a proxy for Ms Suu Kyi. (Courtesy of The Straits Times)