Anti-combat on News of Senate OKs Bill ending US Import Of Myanmar Gems.

I have read news on Senate OKs bill ending US import of Myanmar gems issued on 20^th December 2007 ,Reuters by Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent. He describes that the senate unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday, 19-Dec, blocking imports of Myanmar rubies and timber, and lawmakers stepped up calls for a U.N arms embargo on the military-rulers Southeast Asian country.

I really do not criticize the fact on U.N arms embargo but pertaining to the imports of Myanmar Jewelry and timber. According to his statement the bill must be signed by President George W .Bush in order to become law .In fact, the Western countries have been blocking our country’ economic development since 2003and up now for nearly 5 years.

Myanmar is endowed with natural resources and well-known. As The Golden Land, there is no one to deny the quality of Myanmar Jewelry is perfectly excellent and flawless. It is also obvious among overseas jewelry buyers and for this reason they all usually try to come and purchase our precious stones whenever they get chance. Being so, we never feel concern for any bans on jewelry as there are a great deal of buyers from China, India and Thailand, our regular customers .Furthermore, any trader who will buy things that make profit for them. So who will prohibit not dealing with such valuable jewelry from Myanmar. It’s only ridiculous and ironic that the buyers from the Western indirectly purchase our precious gems from the said countries.

“To Conserve the Environment is Myanmar’s Tradition”

Accidentally, I read the article written by Michael Casey AP on the internet the other day. The summary of the article is that there occur illegal sales of timber logs along Myanmar-China border; 95% of total Myanmar timber exports, which value US $ 250 million a year, sold to China is illegal; there have been sales of animal products such as tiger and leopard skins, bear paws, elephant tusks, and live turtles and they face dangers of extinctions. Moreover, it is said that Myanmar environment laws are only in the books and they have not been used practically.

Then, he mentions that gold and gems mining in Kachin State leads to water pollution in the surrounding rivers; electricity production by dam construction is aimed at distributing electricity to China and Thailand and thereby enforcing thousands of villagers nearby to work. Next, he says that it makes the villagers move away from the place and disturb the fishing business while constructing dam on the bank of Ayeyarwaddy River.

Actually, all these are written unilaterally and extremely. When we look at Myanmar environment policy, we can notice that it is untrue. Myanmar environment policy is “to maintain harmony and balance between people, culture, environment and natural resources.” Myanmar is a natural-resource rich country and the State has been prescribing environment policies and laws to ensure the everlasting of those resources accordingly. Among them, it includes implementing “the nine districts greenery projects” in the dry zone; maintaining the forest resources systematically, nurturing the forest plantations, conserving the natural resources and animals, and maintaining the natural wildlife place and ever-green forests with might and main. As a result, one can see endless lush and green forests in the plain areas and dig water for household use anytime.

Especially, the State has been taking actions strictly on illegal timber loggings and protecting rare species along the border areas. In doing so, it has been signing Memorandum of Understanding with neighbouring countries and wiping out unfair practices cooperatively. In addition, the Border Trade Department under the Ministry of Commerce has been keeping an eye on issuing export licenses for border trade and undertaking supervision activities at Muse 105 Miles trade zone and Kyukote-Pansaing Gates in cooperation with other ministries for the sake of eliminating illegal exports to neighbouring countries. Next, it reveals that gold and gems mining in Kachin State cause river pollution nearby. It is also untrue as the State has been always checking the environment thoroughly with the skillful geologists beforehand whenever it plans to implement a construction project somewhere. Moreover, it prohibits the businessmen officially from deteriorating the natural environment.

Then, the fact that, the construction of dams along the China and Thailand Borders with the aim to distributing electricity to those countries, is also proved to be untrue as it is aimed only for the welfare of local people. In this case, the villagers participate in the project willingly according to the saying “the Government and People help and cooperate with each other,” and it highlights the fact that, the State enforced the villagers in doing so, is untrue. Finally, the facts that, the construction of dam on the bank of Ayeyarwaddy make the villagers nearby move away and disturb the fishing business, are also untrue. This is because the State reallocates the villagers who have been moved away for the construction after the project. Next, the construction of dam will disturb the fishing business in the designated place partly, however, according to the saying, “The Goods and the Bads always go hand in hand”, it can bring about the prosperity of the agriculture business, on the other hand, and it also paves the way for the booming of the fishing business in other places along the River. In conclusion, the practical evidences expose the truth that the expressions of Michael are untrue and I would like to say that “To Conserve the Environment is Myanmar’s Tradition.”

The open letter to my friend Mr. Watermelon

Hey Watermelon,

Because this is a blog of Myanmar business spot-light, I want to tell you about the melon export to China from us. This type of seedless watermelon is grown in Mandalay & Sagaing Divisions. But, in your Bago Division, it hasn’t been sown. The seeds for farm are directly imported from China. Our farmers sow it by means of Chinese technique. The Chinese merchants buy watermelon by measuring in weight. Since its local price is very expensive in comparing with the price of normal watermelon with seeds, the ordinary class doesn’t buy it. You will cost 3000 kyats for 11 kg of a melon. How expensive it is! But its export price is reasonable for exporter. And if you invest 2 million kyats for an acre of watermelon, you can get two times of it within 3 months. So, many companies and traders want to plant it. That is much differed from your Daik-U watermelon. As it is well grown in sandy land and it should be cultivated once again by following other kind of crop, the cultivated land for watermelon changes place to place. I heard the news concerned to the land for melon recently. A media said that the authority didn’t allow sowing watermelon in Mandalay Division. At first, I didn’t believe it because the seedless watermelon may give foreign earning. Thus, I’d asked a friend who works near the authorities’ vicinity. Then, I knew that the farmers had requested to plant melon in the land nominated as summer paddy field. In facts, the paddy soil is not fit for melon cultivation. And the paddy is our political crop. So, the authority would not allow. Later I heard that they permitted 600 acres of cultivable land and the farmers sowed 120 acres of watermelon among the given land. Anyway, I think that the cultivable land for watermelon should be searched and allowed to earn F.E for our country. So, what should we do? Cry out in the air or carry out in the field!

Look on the Sunny Side of Life

May I introduce myself? I become a small businessman from a cultivator due to my luck and my effort. So, I have to study business knowledge, lessons and experiences through every source with high speed. We can easily learn any technique in this IT era through internet and get others' experiences from many blogs. Thank you, Bloggers.

But, sometimes you give us wrong information and poison with bad opinion. If this error will be thin, everything is OK. It would be better if a blogger writes only real experience and knowledge in his post. I want to write my real experiences and simple opinions with my pure heart. Please, point out on my attitude when you find mine is unacceptable.

Some bloggers say, "Today-Burma is lacking in value and the whole society and people join bad habits. Moreover, many families are too poor to feed all their children. There are a lot of restrictions to do business. Country economy will decline in 2008."

All are true or false? I think they are not true at all and not relating to all people. Almost among them are honest but some flow in selfish current. So, we are supervised with disciplines and necessary restrictions. According my positive feeling, we lack skills and experiences in international business communication and so we can't meet great losses due to some rules.

I think our country's economy will develop in 2008. That is why the Government says that its authorized organizations are trying to encourage private sector’s development by giving necessary performances. Is our sector development obviously coming out? Our productivity is increasing surely according to the encouragements. Moreover, value-added production steadily improves and surplus can be exported. There are many resources in the country and great foreign markets wait for our potential products.

A media said the trade volume of Myanmar in 1991-92 financial year stood US$ 1297 million with US$ 446 million of export and US$ 851 million of import in terms of value. It also reported the volume has reached to US$ 8169 million in 2006-2007 financial year. How do you think about the different amount between the two financial years?

Don't worry about our economy. May I share you a good proverb I've heard, "Look on the Sunny Side of Life?"