Myanmar morning news for May 2, 2019

French to help finance Myanmar’s hydropower upgrades
Myanmar is set to receive a €35.7 million (K60.2 billion) loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) to upgrade to five hydropower plants, President U Win Myint said in a message to the Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw).
— Myanmar Times

Soft loan agreement signed for national electrification plan
Soft loan agreement for National Electrification Plan in collaboration with the Italian government was signed at the Department of Rural Development on 30 April.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Asean should back EU’s sanctions on Myanmar
Regional bloc has the power to help end military atrocities that have killed thousands.
— The Nation

Financial services reforms to take centre stage in 2020 report on Myanmar
A new report by the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) will map out Myanmar’s ongoing efforts to open up its economy to the outside world, and the legislative and regulatory reforms that are being implemented to accommodate the nation’s plans.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar Army Rounds Up Hundreds of Rakhine Villagers For Questioning
Myanmar’s military has rounded up several hundred people in several villages in Rakhine state for question on their ties to the Arakan Army (AA), holding 275 men after releasing women, children and the elderly, local sources told RFA’s Myanmar Service on Wednesday.
— Radio Free Asia

Myanmar reporters remain among ‘10 most urgent’ cases of press freedom violations
Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were again included on a list of the 10 most urgent cases of journalists whose global press freedoms are being abused. The list, which is updated monthly, was put together by the One Free Press Coalition, a new group formed by news organizations to spotlight journalists under attack.
— Reuters

Controversial aquaculture projects threaten Myanmar’s remaining mangroves
Myanmar has lost 80 percent of its original mangrove cover; much of what remains is located in the southern province of Tanintharyi. But in addition to illegal logging of mangroves for charcoal and firewood, aquaculture is a recent development that also threatens mangrove ecosystems.
— Mongabay

State Counsellor visits Angkor Wat, Bayon temple; arrives back in Nay Pyi Taw
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her entourage who are on an official visit to Cambodia, arrived in Siem Reap from Phnom Penh at 9:30 am yesterday. They were welcomed there by the Siem Reap Province Governor Mr. Tea Seiha, and wife and the officials at the Siem Reap International Airport.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

UEHRD holds second coordination meeting for 2019
The Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UEHRD) held its second coordination meeting with Task Forces for 2019 at the meeting hall of Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

New four-lane asphalt concrete road opened on Kalaw-Taunggyi highway
A section of the Meiktila-Kalaw-Taunggyi highway in southern Shan State was upgraded into an asphalt concrete road and formally opened with a ceremony yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

How to operate companies after establishment
By Maung Ti Kar Myanmar Companies Law The Myanmar Companies Law signed by the President which was released on 6 December 2017 came into force starting from 1 August 2018.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Dragons and wizards fired up at Myanmar rocket festival
Clad in elaborate headdresses representing dragons and wizards, Myanmar’s ethnic Pa’O fire huge, homemade rockets into the sky — an annual call for plentiful rains and a chance for a windfall of cash.
— France 24

Forest fire destroys plantations in Myanmar’s Yangon region
A forest fire has destroyed over 100 acres ( 40.5 hectares) rubber and bamboo plantations in Yangon region, according to the country’s Fire Services Department late on Tuesday.
— Xinhua

Workers, employers in Myanmar urged to work for raising productivity with harmony
Myanmar President U Win Myint on Wednesday urged workers and employers in the country to work for raising the productivity with harmony and mutual understanding, while the government is placing emphasis on conducting policy changes for improving the livelihood of workers step by step.
— Xinhua

Free speech comes at a price in Myanmar
Myanmar has more freedom of speech than ever before but a lot of online content on social media is divisive or even incendiary, say observers and rights advocates.
— UCA News

How policy, not price or quality, is destroying Myanmar’s steel industry
Perhaps because Myanmar is a relatively recent convert to free trade it is keen to show its commitment to it. The more Donald Trump talks about making America great through slapping tariffs on China, the more we want to appear internationally-minded and progressive. But if we want to make the most from free trade, we have to be able to recognise some hard realities.
— Myanmar Times

Opium, coffee and the politics of foreign aid
The nascent coffee sector has been lauded for weaning smallholder farmers off opium planting, but in Shan State two donor-backed projects have been fighting bitterly over farmers.
— Frontier Myanmar

Bonded warehouse programme set to provide boost to Myanmar industries
The Customs Department, Ministry of Planning and Finance, and the DaNa Facility, a UK aid funded programme, yesterday launched the Developing Custom Bonded Warehouse programme to introduce customs officers and relevant stakeholders to the potential of a bonded warehouse system in supporting the local industry.
— Myanmar Times

NETS Group signs MoU on payment technology
The NETS Group has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Myanmar’s national payment network to establish a Payment Technology Exchange & Development Programme Finextra reported.
— Mizzima

Myanmar Digest: Golden Myanmar Airlines to invest $28.96m; InfoCorp, Mandalay Capital tie up
Golden Myanmar Airlines gets permission to foray into jet fuel business and plans to invest $28.96 million in the sector. Meanwhile, in the financial service space, InfoCorp Technologies from Singapore has partnered with Mandalay Capital, a financial service company from Myanmar, to provide livestock-backed loan to farmers.
— DealStreetAsia

Military Extends Ceasefire in Kachin, Shan for 2 Months
Announcement comes amid ‘constructive’ peace talks with Northern Alliance; bilateral peace deals to be discussed this month.
— Irrawaddy

Four pillars of democracy discuss balanced cooperation for accurate news dispersal
Representatives from the four pillars of democracy — the legislative, the administrative, the judiciary, and the media — took part in a workshop yesterday in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss ways to promote balanced cooperation between the media and the three other pillars in order to provide reliable.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Opium, coffee and the politics of foreign aid
The nascent coffee sector has been lauded for weaning smallholder farmers off opium planting, but in Shan State two donor-backed projects have been fighting bitterly over farmers.
— Frontier Myanmar

Media’s Unfair Coverage Exhausts Military’s Patience: Spokesperson
Defamation lawsuits necessary because penalties under the media law are not harsh enough, Brig-Gen.
— Irrawaddy

VP U Henry Van Thio inspects road, bridge construction in Chin State
Vice President U Henry Van Thio who was in Haka Town to inspect status of regional development works went to inspect the construction of Haka-Hatha-Taungkinram road and Dongva Creek Bridge yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Large Corporations Dominate ‘TiME’ Transparency Ranking
Private sector views online disclosure as good for business and beneficial to overall reform efforts, MCRB’s latest assessment shows.
— Irrawaddy

Arakan Army chief cries out in Myanmar
Myanmar’s upstart Arakan Army (AA) has intensified its insurgent operations in recent months, opening a new front of instability in the nation’s long-running ethnic civil wars.
— Asia Times

Pyidaungsu Hluttaw discusses Yen 82.273 bln loan from JICA
The Second Pyidaungsu Hluttaw 12th regular session’s second day meeting was held yesterday in Pyidaungsu Hluttaw meeting hall, where the meeting starts with Hluttaw representatives discussing Yen 82.273 billion loan from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency).
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Renewed EU Sanctions Don’t Affect Us: Military Spokesperson
The renewal of sanctions comes just days after the commander-in-chief’s latest Russia visit during which he toured military facilities across the country.
— Irrawaddy

Union Minister U Thaung Tun attends signing ceremony of Loan Agreement on Pay Taw Village Layer Farm Project
Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun attended the Signing Ceremony of Loan Agreement on “The Pay Taw Village Layer Farm Project” –a joint undertaking of the Pay Taw Village Development Fund Association, Ayeyarwady Bank and Myanmar CP .Livestock Co.,Ltd.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar and China may have no choice but to scale back and move their troubled dam project
The government has been weighing the advantages and disadvantages of ending the deadlock on the Myitsone project and in recent months appears to be reaching a conclusion.
— South China Morning Post

Taninthayi Region: Keeping pace with developments throughout entire region
From the 2016-2017 FY to 2018-2019 FY, the regional government has executed 351 border developmental projects using K36,990 million from the regional government funds Taninthayi Region Chief Minister U Myint Maung.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

CityMart replaces FMI to rank first in Pwint Thit Sa corporate disclosure report
Familiar names featured among the top companies in the latest Pwint Thit Sa report, which for the first time assessed state-owned economic enterprises.
— Frontier Myanmar

Myanmar’s vice-riddled China frontier
Bentleys and BMW convertibles roll up to the “Venetian Casino” in Mongla on the Myanmar-China border, a melting pot of sex, drugs and gambling on a frontier that has also become a “supermarket” for illegally traded wildlife.
— The Asean Post

The Day the First Train Pulled out of Yangon Central
May 1, 1877 saw the launch of Myanmar’s first railway line creating a better strategic connection with British India, European markets and unconquered parts of the country.
— Irrawaddy

Episode 75: Anger remains for Letpadaung villagers
Villagers affected by the Letpadaung Copper Mine discuss their concerns about the project, including land confiscation and environmental damage.
— Frontier Myanmar

State Counsellor holds separate meetings with Cambodian King, Queen Mother, Prime Minister
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and party who were in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on a goodwill visit laid a floral tribute of honor at the Independence Monument yesterday morning.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Leading the way in male-dominated Myanmar society
As Myanmar has strived to become a democratic country, many young women activists have emerged. Some, like Ma Thinzar Shunlei Yi, stand up for their beliefs and express their desires to those in power without fear, despite the threat of arrest.
— Myanmar Times

Dragons and wizards fired up at Myanmar rocket festival
Myanmar’s ethnic Pa’O fire huge, homemade rockets into the sky, an annual call for plentiful rains and a chance for a windfall of cash.
— Frontier Myanmar

Feature photo Reuters

This week’s Myanmar morning news photo features World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Myanmar morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Myanmar news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.