MYANMAR MATTERS Vol 16Vol :12: January June - July 2017 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WEWIN WISH IN MYANMAR OUR READERS A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH AND PRIVATE STUDY. FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY TAblE Of CONTENTS India’s Act East Policy Will Provide A Strong Link 5-6 FOREWORD To ASEAN Myanmar Shifts Gears To Drive Growth In Small 8 Business BUSINESS Ms. Suu Kyi May Overlook Qualms With Japan And 9 Give Japanese Firms Chance To Move In Japan Pledges US $ 7.73 Billion For Myanmar’s 11 Development INVESTMENT US Quasar Resources Looks To Invest Up To $ 400 12 Million In Myanmar's Power Sector TECHNOLOGY Telenor Shifts Myanmar Focus To Internet Services 14 Myanmar Probes Whether To Resume Construction 16 Of Controversial Chinese-Backed Dam NATION NEWS Swiss Government To Launch Vocational Training 17 In Burma A Visit To Myanmar Temples: Experience Holiness 19-20 RELIGION And Thanaka PEOPLE AND Myanmar's Explosive Fire Balloon Festival 22 LIFESTYLE THAILAND India, Myanmar And Thailand Friendship Motor Car 24 CONNECT Rally, 2016 Flagged-Off On November 13 INDIA CONNECT Assam State Power Sector Incurs Rs 3,700-Cr Loss 25 for contributions, feedback & inquiries -NORTH EAST- on advertising opportunities in Myanmar BUSINESS Matters, please contact : INDIA CONNECT Demonetisation: The Short And Long Term Effects [email protected] - NORTH EAST- On North East And The Rest Of India 26-27 www.myanmarmatters.com FINANCE Profiled & published by Globally Managed Services - www.gms.net.in INDIA CONNECT Assam Safari Express Set To Roll In February 28 - NORTH EAST- Motor Sport Event Held In Tura, Meghalaya To 29 TOURISM Promote Adventure Tourism Founding Chairman : Ranjit Barthakur INDIA CONNECT Railway Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu States Rail 30 Editor in Chief : Wishu Sindhu - NORTH EAST- Network Will Make Northeast India A 'Destination' Advisory Board Members: CONNECTIVITY Manipur Gets Country's Longest Safety Rail Tunnel 31 l Nicholas Claxton 2.1 Billion Yen Grant For Bhutan 33 l Kamal Nain Pandya BHUTAN India And Bhutan Sign New Bilateral Trade 34 l Kalpesh Popat Agreement l Kaustuv Bhadra Bangladesh Hopes To Recover $ 30 Million More 36 From Cyber Heist l Akash Chandra BANGLADESH Damodar Valley Corporation Eyes Selling Power To 37 l Prabudha Barua Bangladesh l Varsha Wadhwani Advertisement Kaziranga Guidebook 38 CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (3) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR FOREWORD FOREWORD CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (4) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR FOREWORD INDIA’S ACT EAST POlICY WIll PROVIDE A STRONG lINK TO FOREWORD ASEAN day visit in October, 2016. During the meetings that took place during this visit, ample indications were given by both sides that they want to improve bilateral ties even further and establish a mutually beneficial developmental relationship with each other. Mr. Modi has announced India’s commitment to invest US $ 1.75 billion in Myanmar. He has further stated that this investment will be ‘people centric’ which means that the main focus will be the welfare of the people of Myanmar. With such statements coming out of the Prime Minister’s office and looking at all the infrastructure development projects that have been initiated in ASEAN NATIONS flAGS IN JAKARTA the North Eastern region, it is clear India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra can serve as a potential link to that the ‘Act East’ Policy holds a Modi started laying emphasis on the ASEAN. This region shares a 1,640 very important place in India’s new development of India’s North Eastern km long land border with Myanmar international strategy. By focusing on improving connectivity in the region soon after he assumed office. and through Myanmar India is North East, India is showing its Since then, the Government of India hoping to gain access to various determined intentions to boost has taken several concrete steps to other countries which lie further commerce, connectivity and cultural not only develop North East but also ahead. Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Act ties with ASEAN. However, in the to improve its connectivity with the East’ policy got a big boost when long run India is eyeing an even rest of the country. This policy has Myanmar’s State Counselor and more ambitions target. It is looking been named ‘Act East’ Policy and it Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Aung to extend the connection even states that India’s North East region San Suu Kyi came to India for a four further south to countries such as CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (5) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR if properly tapped can give rise to huge trade possibilities and as a result the currently sluggish and almost stagnant economy of India’s North Eastern states can get a great chance to develop and flourish. Myanmar is the only ASEAN country that directly borders India and it does so in the North East region. So, the bridge from India to ASEAN and beyond just can’t be built without proper development of the North Eastern states. India understands this and has started working on various plans to make this dream a reality. Work on some of the transnational road and rail connectivity projects has already begun. India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, a 1,360 km highway joining Moreh in Manipur (India) to Mae Sot in Thailand through Bagan in Myanmar; Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Facility, connecting Indian ports on the eastern seaboard and Sittwe Port in Myanmar and then through riverine transport and by road to Mizoram (India), thus providing an alternate route for transport of goods to North East India; another rail link from Jiribam in Manipur to Hanoi in Vietnam passing through Myanmar, and revitalizing the Stilwell Road, linking Assam with China’s Yunnan province are some of the other important projects INDIA’S PRIME MINISTER MR. NAREDRA MODI IS lAYING GREAT EMPHASIS initiated by India. Good progress ON THE ACT EAST POlICY is being made without doubt but South Korea, Australia, Japan, and However, if these difficulties are one of the things to keep in mind Mongolia. overcome by focusing on developing is that local governments and the people of North East are important India’s North East has a very all possible means of transport such stakeholders in these projects and rugged terrain which does pose as roadways, railways, airways, and Central Government should work some difficulties which are further waterways then it can open a whole on properly engaging them so that enhanced by the fact that it is new era of development for the they can take full advantage of these connected with mainland India region. This region shares a total of connectivity projects. only by the narrow 22 km Siliguri over 5,400 km of borders with five corridor. This corridor is located neighbors, which besides Myanmar Ranjit barthakur, in the state of West Bengal and include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Founding Chairman, is called the ‘Chicken’s Neck’. China and Nepal. These borders Myanmar Matters CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (6) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR BUSINESS BUSINESS CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (7) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR BUSINESS MYANMAR SHIfTS GEARS TO DRIVE GROWTH IN SMAll bUSINESS U.S. PRESIDENT MR. bARRACK ObAMA lIfTED All SANCTIONS fROM MYANMAR Myanmar’s State Counselor Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi The United States decided to drop the sanctions is promoting an overhauled investment law to a new because it saw Myanmar moving towards becoming a generation of smaller businesses. She hopes one complete democracy. This was the result of years of day these small businesses will be able to dilute the struggle by Ms. Suu Kyi and various other supporters influence of Myanmar’s old military-linked oligarchs. of her cause which resulted in National League of This new strategy and planning is aimed at leveling the Democracy to win the elections in Myanmar and come market field so that local businesses of Myanmar are to power. Many investment and government officials able to stand up to the foreign companies and survive worked hard to design the new streamlined law in and thrive alongside them. This new law was signed on order to make it easier and faster for smaller, local October 18, 2016 after the United States President Mr. businesses to obtain operating permits. Myanmar’s Barack Obama formally dropped all the remaining U.S. economy is expanding rapidly and it is hoped that local imposed sanctions on Myanmar. businesses will be able to provide a big boost to it. CONTENT COMPILED AND EDITED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PRIVATE STUDY. CIRCULATION ONLY MYANMAR MATTERS (8) Vol 16: January 2017 Vol 12: June - July 2015 CELEBRATING DEMOCRACY’S WIN IN MYANMAR MS. SUU KYI MAY OVERlOOK QUAlMS WITH JAPAN AND GIVE JAPANESE fIRMS CHANCE TO MOVE IN Myanmar’s State Counselor Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has Some experts believe that she is trying to find a balance slammed Tokyo for providing economic assistance to in getting along well with both Japan and China at the the country, which was at the time ruled by the military.