A two-day convention of some 200 monks in Myanmar ended on Friday 14 June, with no mention of the previously unveiled proposed law of restricting interfaith marriages between Buddhist women and Muslim men. It seems as though the monks have backed down from the proposed legislation, but the proposal had received harsh criticism for violating human rights.
Five new foreign businesses, four completely foreign owned and one joint venture, were granted permission to invest in Myanmar on June 12, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC). The joint venture is between UAE’s Gecko Holdings Ltd and Myanmar’s Kyaw Win Phyo Co to establish a hotel business, while the four wholly foreign-owned are a Thai-owned garment factory, a Chinese footwear factory, a British cruise trip business and an Indian fine wood factory.
The United Kingdom’s Trade and Investment Minister Stephen Green, on his first visit to Myanmar, identified corruption and lack of transparency, physical and technological infrastructure inhibiting free flow of information, under-developed banking systems and insufficient qualified labour as the four key areas Myanmar needs to improve to receive more foreign investments. Lord Green visited Myanmar on June 13 and 14 as the last destination of his Southeast Asia Tour to promote UK businesses. He was accompanied by a trade delegation including representatives from major British companies Arup, JCB, Standard Chartered and Crown Agents.
The US Department of State announced that it had formed a partnership with Naypyidaw to achieve greater transparency and good governance in Myanmar’s extractive industries. Washington will provide political support and technical assistance for the implementation of international best practices in oil, gas, and mining sector management and oversight, financial accountability, and safety and environmental stewardship, it said in a press release.
European Union lawmakers have condemned violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority and called on authorities to protect them. The European Parliament said it “deplores … the failure of the government to protect the Rohingya from organised violence”, and passed a motion that “condemns the grave violations of human rights” and has called on authorities to do “everything in their power to protect Rohingya Muslims from violent actions”.
Shwe Mann, chair of the ruling USDP party, said on 12 June that he does not rule out a coalition government with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He made the comments to the press during a visit to Washington with a multi-party delegation of Myanmar lawmakers. Both Shwe Mann and Aung San Suu Kyi expressed their interest last week in running for president in the 2015 elections. Shwe Mann was a trusted lieutenant of junta chief Than Shwe but is now viewed as a committed reformer and is reportedly closer to Suu Kyi than the current President Thein Sein.
US senators have filed Senate Resolution 167 on Monday, condemning China’s aggressive approach towards the Philippines and Japan in the West Philippine Sea and Senkaku Island dispute. After a series of events whereby the Chinese have encroached upon the disputed territories, the resolution is asking for the US senate to condemn the use of coercion, threats or force in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.
South Korea plans to discuss signing an investment pact with Myanmar next week, officials said 13 June, in Seoul’s latest attempt to make inroads into the country. A high-level South Korean delegation led by Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok will meet with the Myanmar government in Naypyidaw on 19 June, but the meeting comes eight months after the leaders of the two countries agreed to negotiate a possible investment guarantee pact, which will lay the foundation for a greater economic cooperation.
A Fangchenggang city’s historical port in Southern China was built in the late ‘60s. This port served the purpose of providing supplies to its war-torn neighbour at the time, Vietnam. As of now, Fangchenggang is a quaint but developing city that is said to be a gateway to the ASEAN nations. Another important city towards the China-ASEAN connection is Nanning city that has been the host of the China-ASEAN expo since 2004. This makes Nanning one of the forefront cities for China’s foreign connections. China’s ties with the ASEAN nations may be strengthened with the development of these cities.
With China producing one-fourth of the world’s carbon-dioxide pollution, the country has begun to make efforts to curb emissions. China is planning to test a cap-and-trade system to reduce emissions in seven of its cities by 18 June. More than 630 industrial and construction companies will be given CO2 emission quotas. The trial is expected to cover 864 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2015. If the trial succeeds, it will be implemented nationwide. However, this scheme is not as straightforward as it seems and barriers will indeed exist in the system.