CONTENTS
TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR Andreas Sigurdsson andreas@myanmore.com
EDITOR Bob Percival editor@myanmore.com
CONTRIBUTORS
San Lin Tun Tet Ka Tho Soe Moe Naing Bob Percival Chit Chan Cho Bob Borbala Kalman Tom Vater Mimi Wu Cliff Lonsdale
COVER PHOTO Swe Zin Htaik with statue of Win Oo, a famous multi-talented actor. Photo by Gerhard Jörén www.gerhardjoren.com
PHOTOGRAPHY & ARTWORK Gerhard Jörén Hong Sar Salai Suanpi Singapore Biennale Bobbala Kalman Aroon Thaewchatturat
ART & PRODUCTION Kyaw Kyaw Tun
PUBLISHER U Myo Aung (Permanent No.00315) InDepth MYANMORE Magazine 1st Floor, Annex Building, Strand Hotel, 92 Strand Road, Yangon
PRINTER Shwe Naing Ngan Press Permit No: 05745 No.90(C), Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd., Bahan Tsp., Yangon.
SALES sales@myanmore.com 01 375 680. Contact us on indepth@myanmore.com
DISCLAIMER No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the Managing Director. All details are deemed correct at the time of print, the editor, employees and contributors can not be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that might occur.
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STREETS OF YANGON 30th Street – old Indian family mansions, polaroid bikini girls, and the exquisite Moghul Shiah Janmay Marjid mosque
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ART An unusual and fascinating encounter with one of Myanmar’s leading contemporary artists, Po Po
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Sacred Skin – Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos, a new book exploring Thailand’s sacred tattoos
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COVER STORY Grace (Swe Zin Htaik) talks about her award-winning acting career, and what needs to
be done to resurrect Myanmar’s independent film industry
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PHOTO ESSAY The UNEARTH project – six documentary photographers provide a visual record of Myanmar’s resource sector
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TRANSLATION The final episode of the original Shwe U-Daung story, The Scorpion's Traitor – starring the Burmese Sherlock Holmes, San Shar
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IN FOCUS A look at Building Markets, who match small and medium-sized businesses with international corporations
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BISTRONOMY Omai Vietnamese Restaurant and Le Petit Comptoir
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BUSINESS Myanmar’s fine food purveyor, Marbled Black Co
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HOROSCOPE
Chit Chan Cho looks at The Spies in our lives
In Myanmar astrology, star signs are determined by which day you were born. Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing predicts your fortune for January.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
ABOUT MYANMORE MYANMORE® is a registered brand, produced by Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited and the leading lifestyle platform in Yangon. In addition to InDepth®, MYANMORE® provides www. myanmore.com, city maps, a privilege card, the Weekly Guide, EnjoyIt® and KnowIt®. The mission is to create great content and experiences for visitors and residents of Yangon.
DISTRIBUTION Find InDepth at Jasper House, Manhattan Fish Market, Chatime, Yoogane (Pearl Condo), Yangon Bakehouse, Summit Parkview Hotel, Pun Hlaing Golf Estate, Harley´s and many more places in Yangon and hotels around Myanmar. Contact us to have it distributed to your doorstep every month.
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 3
WHAT'S ON EVENTS
9 - 10 JANUARY 1st Korea Myanmar Exchange K-classical Concert | Art & Stage A Concert hosted by Myanmar National University of the Arts and Korean Classical Music Professor Association. Free Entry. National Theatre - Myoma Kyaung St, Dagon Tsp | FROM 6:00 PM
12 JANUARY Men’s Night Out - Men’s Revolution | Nightlife Making the world a wonderful place for the boozers and making things right. Men get free drinks! Why? Until 12th January no bar in the world has given drinks free at the entrance, except for ladies. So they thought of turning the tables. Do you like playing cards, drinking games, watching football, Retro music, jumbo 3litre cocktails, shisha? The go and join this event! Contact details: 01397 865 or hotel63ygn@gmail.com. Retro Bar (Hotel 63) - Merchant Road Between 62nd & 63rd st, Botahtaung Tsp | FROM 6:00 PM
12 - 13 JANUARY 4th Offshore Convention: Myanmar 2016 | Business In the past 3 annuals, OC Myanmar has been strongly supported by Ministry of Energy and MOGE and attracted 1,000+ participants from key industrial players contributing knowledge and expertise to support the development of Myanmar's booming offshore sector. The 4th OC Myanmar is back in January 2016 with focus on development opportunities after the signing of offshore PSC contracts. The event is a good networking platform for industrial players to looking for business development opportunities and to identify reliable partners to
expand in Myanmar. Inquiries: brigitte@neoventurecorp.com. Sule Shangri-La Hotel - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd (opposite Sakura Tower) | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
15 - 17 JANUARY Japanese Film Festival in Yangon | Activities The Embassy of Japan in Myanmar presents ‘Japanese Film Festival. It will feature 5 films of “youth pure love story” with English subtitles, screened after 2009 in Japan. Entry free. Contact: 01549644. Nay Pyi Taw Cinema, 224/228 Sule Pagoda Rd (Opposite to Traders Hotel) | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
16 - 17 JANUARY Work.com.mm 2nd Recruitment Days 2016 | Activities The 2nd Recruitment Days by Work. com.mm connects job seekers and employers recruiting top talent in Myanmar. During this event, you can meet with both local and international companies and score an interview. There will also be Lucky Draws and other fun games. Don't forget to bring your CV. MICT Park - Hlaing Tsp (Next to Yandanarpon Teleport Compound) | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
17 JANUARY Yoma Yangon International Marathon 2016 | Sports As the largest running fiesta in Yangon and the city’s only marathon event, YOMA aims to inspire athletes and connect communities, both local and international. Weaving through the unique blend of modern and rustic Yangon, the runners will be treated to a visual feast for the senses. Given the involvement of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of participants and the highly-enthusiastic
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home crowd, the Yoma Yangon International Marathon is set to be the key highlight in the global running calendar. Thuwanna Indoor Stadium - Wai Za Yan Tar St, Thingangyun Tsp | FROM 5:00 AM
Challenge to Myanmar Champion | Sports Organized by Myanmar Lethwei Association there will be the following fight matches: Naing Lin Tun Vs Shan Nyi, Ou Daung Min Vs Saw Thurein, Kyaw Win Aung Vs Tun Lwin Moe, Nay Ruby Vs Soe Maung Oo, Yan Taing Kyaw Vs Myo Man Thit, Saw Thel Oo Vs Kyer Ba Hein, Shan Ko Vs Ye Ta Gon and special match Tun Tun Min Vs Saw Gaw Mudo. Tickets are available at Aung Myanmar Mobile & Money Changer, No.61, Ground Floor, Yay Kyaw Main Rd (Near YMBA). Ticket prices are 10,000/ 20,000/ 30,000 Ks. For more information call 09-781999204, 09781999205. Thein Phyu Sport Ground - Thein Phyu Rd (Near Kandawgyi Lake) | FROM 2:00 PM
23 JANUARY Burns Night | Social Celebrate Scotland's national poet with an evening of Scottish food, poetry and dancing! Cost: US$75 per person. Dress code: smart or national dress. Tables will seat 8 people. Reserve your place now by emailing: britchammyanmar@gmail. com with the names of your guests and any dietary requirements. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis. The British Club - Gyoe Phyu St, Alan Pya Pagoda Rd | FROM 6:30 PM
23 - 24 JANUARY AcroYoga Workshops with MARC BAUCHET | Workshop Join Yangon Yoga House for a weekend of fun & empowering partner
NEW OPENINGS
MOJO After having done a renovation that gave the Yangon party crowd a lot fewer options for a good night out, MOJO is now back. MOJO was established in 2011, and became a landmark in Yangon's F&B scene. Winner of a dozen of awards and accolades - including 5 Myanmore awards. As Jean Curci say's himself: "MOJO is a melting pot, a fusion between East and West, Industrial and Chic . It's a mutating place, great for a business lunch or an afterwork drink that might transform into a lively dinner then can finish by dancing on the tables." Opening Hours 11:00am to 11pm (11.00am to midnight on weekends). Contact Details 135 Inya Road (Corner of Dhammazedi Road), Bahan township, 11201, Yangon. Call: 01 511 418 or Mobile: 09 45152 4858
The Clubhouse Modeled as a reincarnation of The Pegu Club, a long lost Victorian Member's Club, The Clubhouse is the latest addition to Yangon's club scene. Located in the former Members Club premises at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel. The Clubhouse is designed by Bangkok based architects Mr Preecha and Mr Peeti Sastrawaha, and aims to become "the place in Yangon where the cool and connected, the bold and beautiful gather to play and mingle". Opening hours: Wed-Sun: 9:00 pm - 3:00 am
WHAT'S ON acrobatics. From martial art and scientific backgrounds, Marc now travels the world sharing his love for both ancestral and modern practices of yoga. Fees: Each 2.5 session: $30, all 3 workshops (7.5 hours): $75. No acroyoga or handstand experience required! All levels welcome, partner not necessary. While the workshops are designed around a common theme of partnership in yoga, each workshop can be taken separately. Reserve your spot by emailing yangonyogahouse@gmail.com
January. With an extra day, more films, more performances, more discussions, more parties and a lot more glitter, they will transform the French Institute into the &PROUD festival site.
Yangon Yoga House - Near Ariyamaggin Monastery Yankin Lan Thwe (1), Room 4, Yankin Tsp | 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Kids Fair 2016 | Activities
28 - 29 JANUARY 6th Myanmar Oil & Gas Exhibition | Business The Myanmar Oil and Gas Exhibition is a forum for oil and gas professionals either currently working in Myanmar or who are new to the country. The event will bring together thousands of attendees involved in Myanmar’s Oil and Gas Industry: The key decision makers from government, international oil and gas companies and global service providers will be in attendance for two days of conference presentations, networking and workshops covering all aspects crucial to the development of Myanmar’s oil and gas sector. If you are interested in exhibiting at the event please contact at info@ oliverkinross.com. Sedona Hotel - 1, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp (In front of Mya Kyun Thar Garden) | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
28 - 31 JANUARY 2nd &Proud Yangon LGBT Film Festival | Art & Stage &PROUD organises the yearly &PROUD Yangon LGBT Film Festival and the &PROUD LGBT Photo Exhibition. Following the fabulous first edition of the &PROUD Yangon LGBT Film Festival in November 2014, &PROUD is excited to announce that they are back this
French Institute - 340, Pyay Road, Sanchaung Tsp (Close by Hanthar Waddy Bus stop)
29 - 31 JANUARY Organised by EMG Marketing group this particular Kids Fair hope to attract many young kids and their parents not just because of gathering varieties of children's products, but also letting the kids enjoy the opportunity to play different games. EMG plans to promote traditional games that can rarely be seen in urban areas such as Yangon. This would create a fun and engaging dynamics for children to participate in games with other kids and potentially create team spirits and make friendships. Tatmadaw Hall - U Wisara Rd (Next to Minder Ground), Dagon Tsp | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
30 JANUARY Ultimate Frisbee Tournament | Sports 6 v 6 Coed Ultimate Frisbee tournament hosted by Yangon International School. Max 14 people to a roster and a 20,000 Kyat entrance fee per team. Teams can register by emailing their team name and roster to jjoiner@yismyanmar.com. Registration deadline is 15th January. South Dagon Industrial Zone 2, Yangon | FROM 8:00 AM
4 FEBRUARY Myanmar Supply Chain Summit | Business Learn the latest and best practices for improved supply chain and logistics performance in Myanmar.
CINEMA
The Revenant
PROMOTIONS
German Frühschoppen on January 10th
A frontiersman named Hugh Glass on an fur trade expedition in the 1820s is on a quest for survival after being brutally mauled by a bear.
The 2nd German Frühschoppen! White sausages, sweet mustard, pretzels, potato salad, cabbage salad, free flow of German beer! All you can drink and eat for 32,500 Ks! Bavarian music and coziness all inclusive! To book a table, ring or send an email to reservation@mahlzeit-myanmar. com.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter
Mojin: The Lost Legend
Mahlzeit - 84 Pann Hlaing St, Sanchaung Tsp | 10:00 AM 3:00 PM
Mojin: The Lost Legend (English: Touching Gold: The Lost Legend) is a 2015 Chinese action adventure fantasy thriller film based on the novel Ghost Blows Out the Light. A mysterious client hires treasure hunters to explore ancient tombs in China.
High Tea Buffet at the Peacock Lounge Relive the old world charm of English afternoon high tea every Sunday at Sule Shangri-La! Enjoy a buffet of selected items with free flow of coffee and tea for US$ 12.00 nett per person from 3pm – 5pm.
Director: Wuershan Cast: Chen Kun, Huang Bo, Shu Qi, Angelababy, Xia Yu
Sule Shangri-La, Yangon 223, Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon Myanmar
Point Break
This summit will draw upon the experience of leading companies to explore how a cross-functional supply chain team can enhance company results in Myanmar. Along top experts, high-profile speakers from leading companies will also be invited to share their views on managing supply chain, procurement and logistics in Myanmar. EARLY BIRD RATE - US$250 per person. Lunch buffet, coffee/tea breaks and refreshments are also provided throughout the day. For any questions related to the event or the registration process, email us at myanmar@chainmedia. com. Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Rd, Kamaryut Tsp | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thrill-seeking criminals perform a series of daredevil stunts to steal money and gems, only to give it away to the poor and less fortunate. Training for a job with the FBI, young recruit Johnny Utah suspects that only extreme athletes could pull off these heists. As Johnny experiences the rush of their lifestyle, his superiors fear that his loyalties are being tested. Director: Ericson Core Cast: Luke Bracey, Édgar Ramírez Review Credit to imdb.com For complete cinema schedules on http://www.myanmore.com/yangon/ category/cinema/
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 5 Magazine 5
STREETS OF YANGON
30TH STREET Bob Percival heads downtown, discovering old Indian family mansions, polaroid bikini girls, and the beautiful Moghul Shiah Janmay Marjid mosque.
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t’s early morning and the sun is burning hot. The temperature is 30 degrees. This is what they call winter in downtown Yangon. My friend, Marilyn, who’s helping me translate, wishes for the cold crisp mornings of Taungyyi, her home town, but admits that Yangon can offers the chance to experience all that is new and exciting. We are at the corner of Strand Road. Across the road, closer to the river we can hear the roar of the toll road, owned and operated by a mainland Chinese consortium, it carries it’s load of container trucks, working their way up and down the docks of Yangon River. It is going to be very difficult to reclaim the area along the river for public space, as it was originally planned by the British early last century. This is another battle that needs to be fought if downtown Yangon is going to be a people friendly space. In the bottom block, near Strand Road, there are a variety of early morning eateries serving breakfast to the locals on their way to work. Here, there is a cool breeze, lots of shade, and time to enjoy mohinga (300 Ks), read the newspaper over a cup to tea (100 Ks). Of you have 50 Ks left over you an buy some corn to feed the pigeons and receive a bit of good karma. Up on the corner of Merchant Street is the beautiful old Myanmar Economic Bank. In the lower middle block there are stalls selling fresh flowers, 100 Ks for a lovely yellow rose, and if you are still using charcoal, a small bag for 500 Ks. On the left is a building with the sign ‘1911 N. JAMNADASS – NO ADMITTANCE’ hidden behind an old shop canvas. This is one of quite a few family mansions that
were built by Indian traders in the early C20th along this street. There is large family residences a bit further along at No. 29-31 and No. 58. No. 78 there is the more modern Fashion store selling sunglasses at 25,00 Ks. The owner is only to happy to escort you inside, where, once you are wearing his special polaroid glasses, you can see an image of a girl in bikini unfold before you eyes, an old trick still very impressive! At No. 91 there is the exquisitely beautiful Moghul Shiah Janmay Marjid mosque, with its impressive minarets and beautiful inside dome. Women are allowed to enter if appropriately dressed. It’s well worth a look. Crossing Mahabandoola Road we are in the upper middle block, where you can buy everything electrical: fans, air compressors, pumps, cable, and of course the most over-thetop range of chandelier lighting that seems to be unique to Myanmar. At No. 131 there is the architecturally inspired 1945 old head office of CoOp Bank [CB Bank since 1963]. At No. 165 there is the establishment of Ma Aye for 25 years has been selling bulk cooking oil, palm oil peanut oil here. You can also pick up some salt. Across Anawratha Road we enter the top block. Here you can pick up some delicious street stall samosas for 100 Ks. This is also where you should come to get a good tailor, wedding invitations, window glass, even a new guitar at 30th Street Music. At the top of the street, we find the one and only KFC store in Myanmar. Actually, just outside, an Indian lady and her mother sell snacks of deep fried potato as well as onion, and banana. They are cheap and very delicious. Try some!
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Photos: Hong Sar
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 7 Magazine 7
A ROAD PAVED BY SOLID CONCEPTS MEETING ARTIST PO PO BY BORBÁLA KÁLMÁN
An unusual and fascinating encounter with one of Myanmar’s leading contemporary artists, better known today outside of his country than in his own – Borbála Kálmán meets conceptual artist Po Po.
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thick sketchbook opens up with drawings of wild, colourful, and monumental “landscape installations”. Some pages could easily be taken from a scene of a 1970s sci-fi novel. They are part of the several projects that actually exist, but only in the mind of Yangon-based artist Po
Po. Artworks locked for decades inside the paper-sheets, impossible to realize when he was a young artist. Fortunately, the sketches survived and some could even come to life. One of them, created for outdoors and life-size, Road to Nirvana, was displayed on the occasion of the Sin-
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gapore Biennale in 2013. The string installation uses the simplest material but truly awakens the viewer’s senses and stimulates the air around – especially as the work glows in the dark, and small bells accompany the visual journey that can follow a wind’s hectic mood. The Singapore
Biennale wasn’t Po Po’s first artistic appearance outside Myanmar. Since 1999 he has participated in various events and group shows throughout the world. Road to Nirvana was an idea that Po Po first conceived in 1993. Exactly twenty years have passed until the moment its final
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physical realisation, and with it has come a whole new strength.
A Personal Understanding Unfolds Timeless wisdom emanates from Po Po’s words as he talks about the path that has led him to where he stands today in the art world. His artistic achievement is the result of his selftaught past, says Po Po. But technically speaking, he’s not a “common self-taught” artist. Born in 1957, he did study art for five consecutive years at the summer courses of his Pathein high-school, three months a year. He learnt about perspective, lines, big and small-scale compositions, colours. His teachers introduced him to the notion of nature and its connection with art. Even as a teenager, Po Po was fascinated by the mechanics of his environment, building sculptures out of elements found in the repairing atelier of his friend’s father. He then continued his studies at the Pathein University’s Botany Department through which he gained a quite unique understanding of life’s circle. The veritable aspect of Po Po’s self-taught artistic approach is the intellectual, an advanced conceptual knowledge from which he completed his technical skills. He read intensively everything about philosophy, Western included. Plato, Socrates and Albert
Po Po's artwork 'Road To Nirvana', first conceived in 1993 and finally realised at the 1993 Singapore Biennale Photo: Singapore Biennale
An early work by Po Po in 1994, 'Sailing (2)', monotype on paper. Image: Magic Art Art Gallery
Camus were on the list. Words and ideas opened his mind and lead him to explore wherever he wanted. All this living in a small town in the 1970s’ Myanmar, isolated even from what was happening in the closest region. Po Po eventually tried his luck in Yangon around 1980; becoming a graphic designer. Parallel to this work, his artistic endeavours developed dynamically. It required endurance though: sometimes artists need months or years, and substantial money, to create even one work. “There was neither bourgeoisie nor a market, so the artist was against neither. He lived in an emotional condition and stood for ideas alone,” writes curator Nathalie Johnston in Po Po’s 2015 Singapore solo exhibition catalogue. In the early 1980s, Po Po took part in the annual Gangaw Village exhibitions, displaying an unusual group of artists. His works didn’t really fit the general aspect of the shows. Moreover, some of his fellow artists deeply misunderstood him, thinking that his art was only different because he aimed to become popular. In actuality Po Po was driven by a unique conceptual thinking that was not being well-received. He had always wanted to create something unrelated to traditional art. Repeating everyday actions and depicting the surrounding environment on the canvas didn’t differ much, he thought, from the cave-paintings of thousands of years ago, hence following an already known path would only been preserving the pictorial traditions already existing. Po Po believed that the genuine resided in the new – he had to choose another way. His first solo show opened in February 1987, in a painting shop at Bogyoke Market. Not quite the type of environment that was fitting his works – but the challenge was within reach. The results of Po Po’s experimental process conveyed his own perception and understanding of “concepts” such as Buddhism – his paintings were abstract not because of the geometrical elements they contained, but because the painter’s approach was philosophically founded. In the case of his paintings
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A double page of Po Po's sketchbook with a draft for his work 'Narcissus' (1987-1994). Photo: Borbála Kálmán, 2015
Pathavi, Apo, Tejo, Vayo, Akasa, he reinterpreted the fundamental nature of Buddhism through art. These works are today in the Mori Art Museum of Tokyo, one of the most recognised contemporary art museums of Asia. Another series dealt with the time-frame of one single day through twelve paintings; there was also the ultimate “immaterial” work: Painting for the Blind, not ironic at all. Revered artist Ba Kyi sincerely congratulated the young Po Po’s visual research after the show, a big endorsement for an unusual artist of this kind.
Immaterially Rational Around the time of the 1988 uprising, Po Po’s career reached a crossroad – the complex situation which surrounded him, resulted in a sort of “tabula rasa” in his art. He felt excessively limited, and had to step out of his own frame. He had thoroughly read a number of books, among them Wassily Kandinsky’s Concerning The Spiritual In Art (1912), which gave him a positive élan; Po Po made a definite break from the genre of painting and set his mind to dis-
covering further dimensions. For a few years, he created art only using material found in nature, and acted “unconsciously” while creating art. These “autokinetic drawings” became a new chapter in his life. Po Po is one of the few artists of the independent Myanmar contemporary art scene who, despite the isolated nature of the country during the dictatorship, could still manage to build his own concepts that transgressed temporal and spatial borders, elevating him to an outstanding figure in the region’s scene. His first appearance abroad (Japan) happened thanks to his second solo show at the Judson Church Centre in 1997, titled Solid Concepts: it reflected a new period in his life, characterised by works – mostly installations – that held a distorted mirror to different sociological phenomena, including his own memories. Since this time his works have constantly expanded and embraced larger and larger and bigger aspects of his environment, such as the “land art” intervention he generated in Singapore, by planting paddy seeds in 3000 lunch boxes, and disseminating them throughout the town,
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He felt excessively limited, and had to step out of his own frame.
while at the same covering an entire roof with them (Terrace, 2010). Po Po was analysing the relationship between the living and its environment, trying to find a usable “spiritual space” that could be implemented anywhere, anytime. His two solo shows in Myanmar, in 1987 and 1997, were not censored – however it wasn’t a cup of tea for the officials, the board delegates couldn’t connect to what they saw. Po Po never tried to explain his theoretical approach in these cases, he preferred only to say that his art embodied what Beauty meant for him – hence he wasn’t much bothered. The boxes of his “Peep Show” in-
stallation (#1 / 1995–97) could have been actually very easily banned. Not because of its sexual content but because of the deeply personal and reflective – “dangerous” – aspect of the works. His third solo show – Out Of Myth, Onto_Logical – came eighteen years after the second, this time in Singapore. In collaboration with the artist, curator Nathalie Johnston, “revisited” the works created twenty to thirty years beforehand, to discover that they were still absolutely relevant in today’s artistic milieu – the concepts they conveyed were solid enough to be able to speak decades later. Po Po is an artist who observes, contemplates, relates, and only then creates. His works are meticulous realisations of long intellectual processes – the element that makes a contemporary artwork different from the traditional, that which generates the new. Questioning the most basic aspects of life can lead to unexpected new visions. Po Po’s art is able to work as a revelation for the Myanmar art scene, through a deep approach that doesn’t fear to step beyond the visible.
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THAILAND’S SACRED TATTOOS A SECRET TRADITION GOES GLOBAL TOM VATER Toh, devotee and spriti medium: “A supernatural power informs me that I can help people who have problems with black magic.” Photo: Aroon Thaewchatturat
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 11 Magazine 11
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n a sultry Monday morning, Ajarn Neng Onnut’s studio, known locally as a samnak, which sits tucked away in a quiet back street on the eastern outskirts Bangkok, is packed. Monday is the most auspicious day for women to see a tattoo master and to receive a sak yant, a sacred tattoo. The visitors believe that the tattoos will afford them protection from accidents or enemies, increase their attractiveness, help them get rich, or simply calm their troubled minds. For Thai men, this tradition goes back hundreds of years. For women, it’s a sign of changing times. Ajarn Neng is not surprised by the increase in female devotees. “A decade ago, sak yant culture was very different. Few women got tattooed then. People have more money and more independence nowadays. As a consequence the perception of sak yant has changed from having predominantly protective powers to bringing good luck. This makes sak yant more acceptable amongst the general population.” Sak is the Thai word for tattoo. In India, yantras - geometric patterns and diagrams - have been drawn or carved on a variety of materials – cloth, wood, paper or stone – for thousands of years. The diagrams are used to focus the mind and they are said to have magic powers. From the 3rd or 4th century onwards, the yantras moved east. Brahmin priests worried about Buddhist domination on the Indian subcontinent during the reign of Ashoka arrived in southern Thailand, along with increasing maritime trade, and spread knowledge, commerce and a different culture. Other theories hint that Hindus exported yantras from India directly to Cambodia’s Angkor Empire which ruled much of Southeast Asia from the 10th to the 13th century. When the Siamese plundered Angkor in 1431, they may well have taken the yant tradition with them. It’s uncertain when the magic symbols were first worn on the skin, though stories from the kingdom of Ayutthaya, which ruled today’s Thailand from the 14th to the 18th century, suggest that Siamese soldiers lost their jackets, embroidered with protective yant, in battle so often that they began to ink sacred spells and images onto their bodies.
Koy, devotee, chef: “When my sister was attacked by her hus-
The mantras that accompany the sacred images, known as kata, are no longer written or spoken in Sanskrit but in Khom, an old Khmer script. The incantations tattoo masters pronounce before, during and after the application of a yant are in Pali, the liturgical language of Buddhism. Any tattoo master worth his salt must be a master of both languages. Alongside sacred diagrams from India, local Buddhist charms, Burmese spells and assorted traditional images both sacred and profane are used as yant. Each yant has a different purpose – to help the wearer get wealthy,
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band, I lost my mind. My tiger Yant took over and I bit him in the shoulder. He was paralyzed.” Photo: Aroon Thaewchatturat
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increase his chances to find a partner or protect his health. Both Buddhist monks and ajarns - tattoo masters who work in small studios in local communities - apply sak yant and act as moral guides. Says Ajarn Neng, “Sak yant are a powerful reminder for us to stay on the right path.” Indeed, all sak yant devotees are given a set of rules, starting with the five basic Buddhist precepts, which they must follow if their yant are to retain their magical powers. Traditionally, sak yant have largely been the domain of the working classes. Thailand’s rural population finds little space to express itself in mainstream culture. In media, up-country folk are routinely portrayed as buffoons. The sacred tattoos are one form of expression that has been mostly theirs. Soldiers, policemen and gangsters are also known to be partial to the sacred tattoos as some promise protection from knives, bullets and other forms of aggression. Consequently, Thailand’s middle class has long turned its nose at the tradition. But this has been changing in the past decade.
Chinese people love my tattoos because they think they will make them rich. Sak Yant are very popular there.
Num, one of Ajarn Neng’s devotees, his entire back covered in yant is part of the new type of devotees the tradition attracts. The 28 year old civil engineer sees himself on the forefront of change. “My generation will make sure that sak yant will filter into all social classes.” Ajarn Neng once made his money as an interior architect. But the 38 year old gave up this first career to become a tattoo master after he’d met another ajarn who was to become his mentor. He had picked the right moment. “The public image of Sak Yant is definitely changing and the sacred tattoos are finding increasing local acceptance as well as international acclaim.” Ajarn Neng and many other tattoo masters now travel around the world to dispense sacred diagrams and incantations. “Chinese people love my tattoos because they think they will make them rich. Sak Yant are very popular there. I don’t get many Japanese devotees though. I understand tattoos have a bad reputation there because of their association with organized crime. I have noticed that when I visit a Japanese temple, people look at me in a critical way because I have many sacred tattoos.”
Num, devotee, civil engineer: “My generation will make sure that Sak Yant will filter into all social classes.” Photo: Aroon Thaewchatturat
Sacred Skin – Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos (Tom Vater & Aroon Thaewchatturat) is available for US$32.50 from Amazon Books. Published by Visionary World.
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 13 Magazine
COVER STORY
Swe Zin Htaik
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Photo: Gerhard Jörén
COVER STORY
FULL OF GRACE SWE ZIN HTAIK BY BOB PERCIVAL
A
s I approach Swe Zin Htaik’s modest bungalow, set in the tranquil and leafy confines of Golden Valley, a trio of dogs bound up the driveway, barking and growling. At the same moment, Grace emerges from a small building at the back of the property. She shoos the dogs away with good humour, and enthusiastically greets myself and writer friend Sanlintun, and warmly invites us into the cool confines of her family home. The lounge room is filled with books and movie memorabilia. Grace is open and generous; her eyes bright and inquiring. This is probably the hundredth interview Grace has giving over the years but she is still enthusiastic and expansive. I tell her that we are same age, only three months apart. She laughs, and there is an instant bond. In her acting career Grace has made more than two hundred films, in the decades spanning the 70s and 80s. Her debut film was Say Lo Yar Say (As You Wish) [1971]. She was only 17 years old. Her last film was released in 1991. During this time she won a Myanmar Academy Award for Best Actress and nominated five times. Since retiring from acting she has dedicated her time to promoting Myanmar’s film heritage and trying to activate its latent resurgence. She is also dedicated to raising awareness of issues relating to HIV AIDS in Myanmar. I asked Grace what had led her to starring in a film at such a young age. “I was pushed by my mother to go into acting,” she answers with good humour. “My mother’s good friend was producer and director U Kyaw. He was determined to make a film with solely fresh faces. My real goal was to be an educated woman. My mother didn’t even finish tenth grade, but she had a strong concept for women – that women should at least complete a degree and have a
good job. I still don’t understand why she wanted me to be an actress!” she laughs loudly. In the early 60s Grace and her family were living a very good life in Sanchaung. In 1962, with the intervention of the military regime, everything changed. “Under nationalization our well-off lifestyle dropped to being part of a mid-level community,” Grace explains. “Before then our parents were rich and had factories. We were living in a two-storey house that was completely full of teak, the furniture, the walls, the floors, everything. We went on vacations to Bago and other places nearby. My first real trip away was with Say Lo Yar Say.” I wondered whether she ever went to the teahouses downtown, as did the revolutionary poet Aung Cheimt and his student contemporaries. “Oh no, to our times, we never went to the teahouses. That was definitely only for boys. We only went to the teashop at the College and then straight home! That’s how it was,” she laughs. From the age of thirteen to sixteen, Grace attended acting classes conducted by U Kyaw, In their first year, this batch of young ‘fresh’ actors discussed and watched films only, in the second year they read dialogue, in the third year they acted in front of the camera for the first time, and finally in the last year, they learnt the script of the film they were to star in, off by heart. “That is why I have stamina,” she says with pride. “Now actresses only have three months of training for a movie which is then made in two months”. “My first movie was made along the Chinwin River, from Monywa up to Homalin. It was a love-triangle ad-
My real goal was to be an educated woman. My mother didn’t even finish tenth grade, but she had a strong concept for women – that women should at least complete a degree and have a good job.
venture story based around illegal logging, which is totally happening now! It gave me a chance to see places I never would have otherwise. The whole film shoot felt very familiar, not a new experience, as we had done so much training. As it turned out, all the sequences on the boat had to have new sound put in during post-production because of the engine noise. You couldn’t hear a thing! The film was shown in Monywa, Mandalay, Yangon and across the country. It was a big success.” It was around this time that Grace met her ex-husband, Sein Myint. It was a very tumultuous time for her. She was only in ninth grade at school. “I was taken to a radio-play
reading by my mother.” Grace explains, “The Man With the Stripe Hat and Brown Horse”, I think it was called. Sein Myint was attracted to me, and on that day he saw that I wore a pink earring. He later tried to find me through that earring, but it really belonged to my older sister Daisy. He tried to arrange a visit to my mother through Daisy and later sent me messages.” “He became jealous later, when I started making movies. He made us elope. There was trouble with the police. He should have been in trouble but his family argued that he was the ‘breadwinner’ who took care of six siblings, so the story was changed that I was the one who eloped. That was my first mistake through kindness to his family. Then we had to marry. I was 17. We were married for only 8 years. He met another girl who he wanted to make into an actress, but she failed.” Grace and Sein Myint kept good communication with each other after their divorce as they shared a daughter, who is now 43, and lives in San Francisco, making documentaries. In the time Grace and Sein Myint were together they formed a film company and made a version of Chaplin’s film The Kid, A Phay Ta Khu Thar Tahku, which won Best Actor, Best Child Actor, and Best Movie awards. Grace also completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce during this time. In the 1970s the movie industry in Myanmar blossomed despite the government’s heavy censorship and intervention. In 1973-74 Grace was making five movies a year, and in the 80s she made up to 20 movies a year. “One year I filled out tax return for 24 movies” says Grace, still amazed by this output. “I would get up at 5am, do the first shoot from 8.30am to 11am, a second shoot
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 15
COVER STORY
Grace taking a break and doing some local shopping at Inle Lake, in the early seventies during shoot of one of her early films. Photo: Courtesy Swe Zin Htaik
from 12pm to 6pm and then back for an evening shoot from 7.30pm to midnight. There were times when each shoot was for a different movie! It was slow and hard work, as the equipment and cameras were very heavy and cumbersome.”
seven-day film shoot. The actors hold all the power and can exert control over all aspects of the film, including direction and script. The actor Kyaw Hain, who was often my leading man, introduced this power of the actor. This still holds true today.”
“These days, the industry makes a 1000 celluloid movies a year, with a
The local movie industry suffered strict controls by the government,
16 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
both post-1972,“ when the socialist regime underwent a reformation and films were charged with the sole purpose of promoting the socialist agenda,” and after 1988,when the film industry again became heavily politicized. During this period the military junta used the creative industries solely for propaganda. Movie houses were privatized and
sold off, and the censors imposed strict controls. There was no quality control. An attempt was made by some filmmakers and actors to revitalize and reform the industry, but it was impossible. After retiring from acting, Grace took up the role of attempting to revitalize the country’s decimated
COVER STORY
I did a series for government MTV in 2001 and 2002 called Glimpses of Myanmar Movies, promoting history and culture of Myanmar film, but the regime closed it down. This was the first attempt to develop film culture in this country.
Grace (far right) at early 1970s Myanmar Academy Awards ceremony.
School. One of their films, Nargis, has already won awards.” “Recently there was a feature film being made here called Twilight Over Burma. They could not find a local actor of good enough quality to play the lead role of the Shan Prince. I had to agree. It will take a long time to produce a quality feature film here because of the poor infrastructure. We need to train cinematographers, sound people and such, and just get a full set of good quality equipment!” “We have to cross our fingers and hope for the first quality Myanmar feature film for international market to be made by 2020, in time for the 100 years celebration of filmmaking in this country. I would love it to be a major film festival, including master classes and international guests.”
appreciation of local film culture. “I did a series for government MTV in 2001 and 2002 called Glimpses of Myanmar Movies, promoting history and culture of Myanmar film, but the regime closed it down. This was the first attempt to develop film culture in this country.” [A few episodes of this series are currently available for viewing on YouTube].
Her second attempt was taking up the position of Joint Secretary of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization and formed International Relations Committee in 2005. Later in 2005, Grace helped set up and support Yangon Film School, which has just celebrated its 10 years anniversary in documentary filmmaking. It will be from Yangon Film School, that the country’s first independent feature film will most likely emerge. “Feature films have very little chance of infiltrating the international scene because the quality of films here is so hopeless!” says Grace. “There is more chance with documentary film, especially through Yangon Film
As well as her work within the film industry, Grace maintains a high profile raising awareness of HIV AIDS in Myanmar. In 1991 she worked with UNICEF, at a time when it was first put on the table that NGOs should be established in Myanmar. This led Grace to working with PSI, which produces all those brightly labeled condoms that are for sale on the sidewalks of Yangon and beyond. HIV AIDS has a very strong personal connection for Grace, as many of her friends in Myanmar have died the disease. “In the early 90s I noticed that some of the gay men who worked as beauticians in the film industry were getting very sick, with coughing, losing weight and other terrible
symptoms. At that time we had no idea what was causing this sickness. Some years later UNICEF asked me to participate in an AIDS workshop and offered US$60,000 to conduct an AIDS campaign but I did not know what to do with it.” “Then, in 1999 I decided to join PSI and we produced a ten-part miniseries for TV that was shown in 2001. This was one of the most beautiful things I’ve participated in.” It was always going to be a hard sell to the government but Grace got around this by letting government officials take the credit. It proved to be a very successful tactic. “I told them that I am acting as a responsible citizen, so I do not need the credit,” she adds with a mischievous grin. The interview seems to be coming to a closure as Grace is receiving more and more calls on her mobile, and there is now another meeting for her to attend. I have time to ask Grace if she ever wanted to direct a film. “In 1983 I was assistant director to Kyaw Thu in the film “The Lover From Space”, which was shot in the Kayah State. I know that we desperately need female directors in what is such a male dominated industry. Even now it is considered very risky, as the distributors are male, and very reluctant to deal with female filmmakers. Since 2005 I have heavily promoted the need for a gender balance in this industry.” She stops talking for a moment, smiles to herself, and with a childish glee concludes with, “I am biased of course – I am a woman!” We all laugh, there is nothing more to be said.
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 17
18 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
PHOTO ESSAY
UNEARTH M
yanmar is Southeast Asia’s second-largest country and its diverse landscapes hold rich natural resources, from oil and gas reserves to vast gemstone and mineral deposits, rivers with huge hydropower potential and some of the region’s largest intact forests. Many of these resources, however, are located in its rugged periphery, in ethnic minority areas that have long been the stage for conflicts. During the last few decades exploitation of resources was largely unregulated and associated with human rights abuses and heavy social and environmental impact. Since a quasi-civilian government took over in 2011 and initiated a democratic transition, increasing
Miners with torchlights on their heads go over a pile of company mining waste in Hpakant, Kachin State, looking for raw jade stones. The job is incredibly dangerous, but the possibility of finding that one stone which will change your life forever draws men from all over the country. Photo: Minzayar/NRGI
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 19
PHOTO ESSAY
In many hotels in Yin Jiang county in Yunnan province, China, jade traders from the black market have rented rooms long-term, where the stones smuggled from Myanmar through the border are kept until their buyer collects. Most of these shops are run by Chinese traders. Photo: Minzayar/NRGI
Ko Maw Gyi, a former miner from Chuangyi village, holds up his x-ray to show the lung infection he has suffered from for close to two years. He says that he is infected with "gun disease," and may have also contracted tuberculosis. He experienced exhaustion, severe weight loss, difficulty breathing, fever and night sweats. After being treated for TB with two courses of medication his fever and night sweats vanished. However, he is still unable to gain weight and cannot breath properly or work due to continued weakness. No one knows exactly what "gun disease" is, though there is a distinct possibility that it is silicosis, an extremely common disease among miners who breathe in silica dust. It mimics the symptoms of TB except for fever and night sweats, and also makes the infected very susceptible to TB. This would explain Ko Maw Gyi's reaction to the medications and inability to fully recover. Ko Maw Gyi's situation is far from unique, though most of the miners infected with gun disease have passed away, locals estimate well over 100 deaths in the past few years. Since then, miners have stopped working in areas thought to cause gun disease, though there is the possibility of a second outbreak as silicosis can take anywhere from 5-15 years to become symptomatic depending on the concentration of silica. Photo: andre_malerba/NRGI
20 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
transparency and sustainable management of extractive resources has become a government priority. Myanmar is keen to improve the sector’s image to attract foreign investment, and in 2014 it became a candidate country for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Countries can join this voluntary global initiative, which obliges governments to publish natural resource revenues and Myanmar is scheduled to produce its first EITI report in January 2015. EITI requires government, private sector and civil society
to cooperate, creating an opportunity to also work on improving social and environmental impact standards. Whilst Myanmar’s EITI membership is a significant step towards cleaning up the sector, there is still a long path ahead that will require ongoing independent research, documentation and monitoring of extractive projects. The UNEARTH project began in 2015 as a collaboration between six documentary photographers and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) in order to provide a
visual record of Myanmar’s resource sector. The site is a platform for an expanding collection of stories from independent photographers, filmmakers and writers shedding light on extractive industries in Myanmar at a time of unprecedented change in the country’s history. UNEARTH is a project managed by Myanmar Deitta in Yangon and supported by NRGI. The UNEARTH project was made possible by the support of the Natural Resource Governance Institute
www.resourcegovernance.org There will be a launch of the new Myanmar Deitta website on the weekend of the 9th-10th January. Myanmar Deitta | Supporting Documentary Photography and Filmmaking in Myanmar 3rd Floor, Number 49, 44th Street, Botahtaung, Yangon. www.deitta.org | +95 (0) 931 736154 | contact@deitta.org
In Sintku township, Mandalay division, a massive open-pit mine was started in 2012. Nearby residents say the mine was originally slated to cover twenty acres, though it has since expanded to an unknown size allegedly without their knowledge or approval. The open-pit mine is reportedly owned by Myanmar and Chinese business interests, on land with some of the richest gold deposits in the area. Local families had been sluicing and digging for gold by hand at this site for approximately fifty years, and are now forced to sneak into the openpit mine to eke out a living alongside the heavy machinery. Falling rocks and landslides cause injury and occasionally deaths. The small groups that try and earn $5.00 per day are often reported to the police and forced out. Heavy monsoon rains wash a huge amount of sand down the sides of the mine and into surrounding villages and farmlands rendering an agricultural lifestyle near impossible. Yay Myit, a small village at the base of the mine, now sits on top of six feet of sand where once it stood on grass and fertile soil. Photo: Andre Malerba/NRGI
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 21
TRANSLATION
THE SCORPION'S TRAITOR
SAN SHAR - THE BURMESE SHERLOCK HOLMES Episode Five: San Lin Tun takes us into the world of famous detective San Shar in 1930’s Rangoon, with his translation of Shwe U-Daung’s Thiksabauk Kinmyigauk (The Scorpion’s Traitor).
P
Shar." San Shar smiled and took out his pistol suddenly. But, the one near him had a swift hand, and hit the gun so that San Shar lost it, and they tried to catch him. Then Ko Ohn Pe fired his gun and quickly said, "Hold up your hands. If not, I'll shoot." They looked up at the ceiling, and saw our gun barrels, so they held their hands up one after another. We jumped down from the ceiling, and tied them up in pairs, put them in the car and left for the city. On the way...
ostman Lar La Khan has suddenly disappeared on his mail run. On investigating, San Shar finds that all of Lar La Khan’s deliveries have been made but that he has not been seen again since heading towards a house, in Hteetan Street in Kyi Myin Taing, which is supposedly haunted by a poltergeist. The owner of this house, an Indian named Muhammed, tells San Shar that he has recently rented another house nearby. Muhammed gives San Shar the keys to house to investigate. In the house they find the postman propped against the wall dead. They left the body where it was and that night lay in wait for the murderer to return. They shoot him in the leg but he escapes. An Indian man is questioned about his involvement. He is a known member of the Scorpion’s Association. After a thrilling car chase, members of the gang escape from San Shar.
I:" How did you manage to gather them?"
Cover of 'The Memoirs and Records of Shwe U-Daung'.
KoThain Maung, San’s Shar’s Dr. Watson, tells the story ... San Shar told Oebo Police Station Master, Government Inspector Maung Ohn Pe and myself that tonight all the members of Scorpion Association would be arrested. San Shar brought us to a small house in a compound that lay half a mile off the road. Inside there were eight chairs surrounded the large round table. In the middle of the ceiling was a manhole. San Shar got us to climb through, and when on the ceiling, he ordered us not to fire until his order. That was near ten o'clock and we poked our heads out from the hole, and with our pistols we waited for our enemies. As soon as it struck twelve o’clock, we heard a car stop outside, on Pyi Road. We heard approaching steps, so we waited with cocked guns. After a while, some people ascended the steps to the house, and a person turned on the table lamp. We saw four people draped in black robes from head to
ankle. They sat silently in each chair. One person occasionally took out a watch, and looked at it. The others sat still like statues. Five minutes later, we heard the second car pull up on the street. After a while, another robe-draped person brought in an Indian whose hands were tied behind his back. Then one of the men asked the Indian in English, "Mukargyi. You know how we deal with a traitor?" "Yes." "You tried to escape us, could you do that?" "Couldn't." "You planned to rob the important paper on the way, didn't you. And ou killed the postman to get the paper, right?"
22 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
"Yes." "That night we tried to kill you, but it was your accomplice Sannaelbarbu who died. Do you want to die with gun like Sannaelbarbu or by our association’s tradition?" "I prefer tradition." "Okay, we'll deal with you later. The man who caught you isn't known to us, and we haven't seen his face yet. All right, friend. Let us know your name to record in our association." He replied, "Banargyi." Then, the one who asked the question told him: "We want to see your face rather than knowing your name." Then, that man stood up suddenly and revealed his hood. The man was not any other person but our friend San Shar. We were flabbergasted, and unanimously exclaimed, "It's San
Shar: "Not so hard. I managed to catch Mukargyi who killed Lar La Khan. He was also an old member, but had a problem with betrayal. And I thought that it'd better if I caught the whole gang when I caught him. So, I persuaded him to disclose secret facts about their gang. I myself became a member and I told them I'd catch Mukargyi. I sent them a letter with, day, time, house and place. They came here according to the schedule. " Pe: "Just wait. Are they all of their members?" Shar: "Not all. I've caught them before. This time four persons. I think there are six left." Pe: "So, why didn't you make an appointment to bring them all?" Shar: "They don't even know who they are. But, don't worry. One day they will fall into our net." Shwe U-Daung (1889-1973) was a pro-Burmese writer and translator, who in the 1930s adapted many of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, placing them in the setting of the author’s Rangoon. Next month, we start another original San Shar story, ‘Murder On Pansodan Street’.
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
THE SPIES BY CHIT CHAN CHO
W
ith information technology and Facebook right in people’s faces, one would inadvertently assume that information would be floating about and easily available for one’s asking. Yet the choicest bits of information rest latent behind the latched doors and peeling gates, where eyes that have seen too much, ears that have heard aplenty and skins that have known too little ultraviolet light, lay await. In the shadows these ladies lay staring and collecting knowledge without a squeak, and my god, do they know. One would be most disappointed, if the former paragraph has led them to believe that these ladies in question are fashioned on the lines of Mata Hari. They could be, but for the most part they are not. They are none other than the self-same long-suffering personages that one classifies under the heading of Attacks When Riled with sub-headings listing mothers, sisters, aunts and relatives who keep the house and our lives pristine and morally upright. It is purported that there is a dwindling in the number of these housewives around the world but in Myanmar, they still run rampant and wield considerable muscle. They might not know of the so-andso who is looming large in Wall Street, but in their streets, no one can walk past without them doing Sherlock Holmes business in their heads. Everything occasions a remark and is noteworthy of noticing. They are the very devils to watch out for when one is skipping class or wooing another pretty lass or doing anything that these ladies deem unsavory for public consumption (which is much). Such information, once garnered will by no means be kept to the confines of the household, it must be shared most delicately and in a timely fashion to administer maximum damage upon the perpetrator. If the knowledge contains elements of a more pressing nature, it will be directly delivered to the concerned party with the right admixture of shyness, concern and authority of a seminary priest.
A destroyer of peace of mind, they leak with the milk of human kindness, and any appeal to be less helpful will only be met with a raking-up of old sores and a grand parade of family skeletons. Knowledge is indeed power when they have a collection of one’s personal mishaps that they no doubt keep in their storage boxes for timely injury later. Nominally, the breadwinners, aka the men of the houses, stand as the masters of the house and are as such entitled to exercise the Presidential Veto but in practice the hysterics of these ladies are always law. They can make every meal, keep the house clean, extoll the very virtues of their children and still not be lax with their spying duties. Had it not been for a widespread affliction of valetudinary habits, they would be able to gainfully contribute to MI5 or the Mossad. These aforementioned habits range from the usual complaints of headaches, to the queer-
est of sicknesses. The alarming thing is that there will always be known cases of fatality for any illnesses that they are experiencing. They are so vocal about such ailments that one cannot help but develop a correlation that silence would exacerbate sicknesses. Any pretensions to be a parfait gentil knight by asking the obligatory how-are-you would be akin to prodding a hornet’s nest, for a deluge of buzzing would ensue. However, should one be feeling poorly, they will have constructive suggestions aplenty to impart. Although the soundness of their medical advice might differ by experience and sometimes be at variance with the spirit of modern progress, there is no denying their genuine concern for one’s wellbeing. These ladies might know of the footsteps of the neighbours and their snoring habits before they know of their names, but of personal contact there is little. It is as though they
enjoy the anonymity of their seats as spectators, rather than bathe in the glory of recognition on stage. This is true of the housewife with a ruddy complexion and an unhealthy attachment to her headaches (much given to gossiping as well). She rejoices in the fortune of living a few floors down from a celebrated figure and is known to quote time, dates and visitors. Yet when the opportunity for personal contact arises, she visibly shrinks away as though she is conscious of that feeling of frustration which comes to those who have failed to make friends and influence people. Instead, she sends her all too eager son up to communicate the information. Although their prying habits rile up feelings of a less than positive bent, it cannot be denied that the drudgery of running a household leads to such unpalatable habits. The lack of contact with the outside world notwithstanding, the repetitive requirement of household chores coupled with the expectations raised by the Korean dramas they devour, is sure to strain many a nerve. An inquisitive nature is a very natural outcome of the lifestyle they lead and it has to be forgiven. However, the perennial inability to offer concrete directions is a little more difficult to forgive. The affliction might not be as far ranging but these ladies are known to provide directions that are as clear to them as they are not to the persons they are directing. It would range from the building beside a big green tree, to there are two streets, take the one without lights. This might also account for their spying ambitions not bearing fruit as a career. On their list of besetting sins, a wish to bargain without a care for place and time rank distressingly high, along with the need to embarrass any progeny of embarrass-able age. It helps little that they hold such a wealth of information that they can dredge up at will. However, any attempt at rapprochement would be met with such ferocity of retaliation that perhaps it is better to be on the safe side and not risk the displeasure of these ladies with such good memories.
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 23
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IN FOCUS
MATCH MAKING, BUSINESS TO BUSINESS “We also organised a delegation of 12 Turkish companies in the electrical and electronic industry. We organized a full day with local distributors and manufacturers like speed dating.”
BY MIMI WU
M
atch making between international corporations, and local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), is the way Country Director Emmanuel Maillard describes Building Markets. “We came with a program to help local suppliers integrate into supply chains of international organisations, such as CARE and Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders, trying to understand what international organisations need in terms of procurement and flexibility to source locally. Their key challenge: finding suppliers, and how to engage with suppliers because of gaps that exist.” Even though Building Markets is classified as a non-profit (NPO) social enterprise, Emmanuel says it feels more like an enterprise that charges for capacity building programs. These focused business training programs fill knowledge gaps in areas such as procurement (both how to set up a system and how to be attentive), financial management, sales and marketing, and the value corporate social responsibility (CSR) in company marketing. Coca Cola enrolled in an anti-corruption training program. Courses range from a one-day master class, to several one-hour classes over a one-month period, in Yangon, Mandalay, and Mawlamyine. Green Pest Management (GPM), a pest control company that uses plant-derived agrochemicals to prevent and control pests, heard about Building Markets through an interviewee. The ownersm Kyaw Swa Tun and his wife Aye Mya Thu later sent their assistant Mya Mon Mon Aung to learn about HR management. “We started as a family company,”
Emmanuel Maillard, the Country Director of Building Markets.
says Aye Mya Thu. “I never had experience running my own company because I used to work in the US, so I was on a management team, not the owner. I had to learn everything as I went.” Building Markets taught the young company the need for a dedicated HR person, and the importance of accurate record keeping, particularly with regard to their CSR work. “Before, when somebody asked us for donations, we always helped them, but we didn’t have any records of how much we gave and to whom.” GPM also recently signed the UN Global Compact after Building Markets held an information session on the initiative. As Building Markets’ core activity is linking foreign companies with local SMEs, rather than with large and established local companies, training “is with the ambition to help them be more competitive and potentially gain some shares in their own markets.” The impact has been significant. “We find businesses here. We have a database of 2500 SMEs in Myanmar. We profile them, give them access to international organisations, then
Photo: Hong Sar
we connect them, based on identified opportunities, like tenders or already existing demand. We've put in touch over 500 SMEs with potential clients, which has transformed into about 200 contracts signed with over $16m in value, since 2012.” Recently, Building Markets worked with Heineken to find a catering contractor. The NPO organized a factory visit for and discussion with Heineken for ten interested groups. Four applied for the tender. “A very large part of the evaluation was given to the social aspect: the contractor needed to recruit around the factory and provide training. We prepared those documents, we found the companies considering the tender, and made sure they followed the timeline. We didn’t participate in technical preparations but reminded them, ‘This is 40% of the evaluation’ and so on, and we passed the bids to Heineken.” Typically, Building Markets seeks already established SMEs, but in this case they found an interesting individual who once lived on a boat as a cook for several years. Ultimately, Heineken chose him, and Building Markets helped him set up the business through proper government channels and recruit staff.
Building Markets also plays an important role beyond match making as a “neutral point of contact” that strengthens the relationships by providing mediation and communication, particularly feedback loops. It is easy for SMEs to feel demotivated when they lose tenders, and Building Markets makes an effort to receive feedback on why companies were not chosen. Building Markets is doing much of the legwork in terms of accelerating businesses by connecting them to lucrative contracts. In each of the three cities Building Markets operates, the NPO connects government, civil society, business associations, large private companies, and local SMEs. They have stimulated budding entrepreneurs with their annual SME forums and Global Entrepreneurship Week that host up to 200 people per session. Local SMEs, explained Emmanuel, have a “lower capacity to evolve and stick with market because they don’t have resources, tools, support, planning, capital, and capacity to do that. There is turbulence from international markets and the local R&D sector has difficulty with changes.” “The organisation empowers and helps local businesses sustain business flow and grow in a steady and sustainable way that will employ people and stabilize countries. The business reality with SMEs is a long term plan.” Building Markets 26B, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Township, Yangon. Phone: 01 252 252 www.buildingmarkets.org
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 25
BISTRONOMY
TRADITIONAL FLAVOURS & TEXTURES OMAI VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT noodle soup) was simple yet satisfying and the Omai Chicken Noodle Salad just the right side of spicy. The best dish of our selection had to be the Omai Special Salad – with crispy fried spring rolls, BBQ pork, grilled shrimp and rice noodles – a perfect combination of flavours and textures.
BY CLIFF LONSDALE WHAT IT IS Htoo and Thwe, the owners of Omai Vietnamese restaurant, originally met in New York, before deciding to put their years of working in top restaurants to good use by returning to Myanmar and establishing a restaurant of their own.
FINAL THOUGHTS
ATMOSPHERE The frontage is small and tidy, which is deceptive, as the restaurant is large and spacious. It is decorated simply and stylishly with a modern vibe and a tidy bar. Vietnamese conical hats are cleverly used as lightshades. and painted Vietnamese trays adorn the walls. RECOMMENDATIONS A decent sized menu, which is not
overbearing, is written in English and separated into appetisers, salads and soups/noodles – the staples of Vietnamese food – with a couple of Thai dishes thrown in for good measure. It would have been nice to see the Vietnamese names of the food included on the menu. Photos are included to help you find the dish you are looking for.
The food is generously served and well presented, taking into account the textures, colours and flavours of traditional Vietnamese food. The ‘Grilled 3 Spices Beef’ wrapped around lemongrass sticks was wonderfully moist and full-flavoured. The Grilled Spring Roll Prawns were delightfully fresh and with just a hint of mint, the peanut sauce the perfect accompaniment. The Pho (rice
Sadly this was far too much food for two to eat, though coming in at just less than 20,000 Ks with a beer included it was worth it, and there is plenty of incentive to come back and try some more dishes next time.
Omai Vietnamese Restaurant Address: 381 Wai Za Yan Tar Road, Thingyan Gyune Township, Phone: 01569966 Opening Hours: 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Mon-Sun)
YOUR LOCAL FRENCH BISTRO LE PETIT COMPTOIR BY BOB PERCIVAL WHAT IT IS It has been a very soft opening for this French bistro restaurant, with the French owner, Nicholas Rob, believing that the place will speak for itself, and it does. ATMOSPHERE The decor is deceptively simple. Tables are made from recycled teak doors, which creates a friendly warm aesthetic. The seating is a set of eclectic re-assembled art-deco local chairs. The walls are lightly decorated with French posters.
RECOMMENDATIONS The Beef Bourguignon (18,000 Ks), served light baby onion, slowly roasted garlic and creamy mashed potato, was the standout dish for me. The beef, locally sourced, is marinated in red wine for four hours, then slowly cooked for five hours. The care and time taken in the preparation of this dish is fully rewarded. The generous chunks of meat are impossibly tender and the stew of thick rich sauce is full with flavour – this is a great dish. The Risotto (12,000 Ks), I found odd, in that there were so many ingredients, from creamy cheese, to abundant roasted capsicum, grilled baby onions, all topped with a generous helping of fresh pea-leaf. It was rich and filling and could easily be shared as a main dish. We finished
the meal with the best French Lemon Tart (9000 Ks) I have ever had the pleasure to eat. It looked wonderful served on a large white plate, surrounded by raspberry coulis. FINAL THOUGHTS Le Petit Comptoir is a great local bistro-style French eatery, with quality food, attentive service, and a home-
ly ambience. This place is not to be missed – great for lunch or dinner with friends, or that romantic rendezvous.
Address: 42 Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Township. Phone: 09 974 725870 Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 27
BUSINESS
American Beef Ribeye from Double R Ranch, graded as Prime.
MYANMAR’S FINE FOOD PURVEYOR MARBLED BLACK CO. BY MIMI WU
S
lice into a succulent steak at Yangon’s top hotels or fine dining establishments, savour its flavour and texture, then send a prayer of thanks to Marbled Black Co. Founded by Htoo Maung, a jovial and youthful man, Marbled Black Co. is Myanmar’s first official fine food importer. It specialises in premium beef and pork products such as Wagyu steaks and Kurobuta Berkshire roasts, which the company sources directly from ranchers in the US, Australia, and Brazil. Among other products are Per Se caviar from Spain, one of few organic caviar available in the world, and dried spices & herbs – lavender, Tellicher-
ry black pepper, Applewood smoked sea salt, and Murray River Gourmet Salt. Upon graduation from SHATEC” The International Hotel and Tourism School in 2007, Htoo Maung joined his new venture Artisan Fine Food, a premium fine food import company in Singapore. When he returned to Yangon in 2012, Htoo Maung began exploring Myanmar’s food and beverage market and related government regulations. “At that time, the government didn’t allow companies to import meat and
28 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
wine, but some were doing it illegally through the back door. I started talking with the Myanmar government about how this kind of quality fine food product needed to go with country’s tourism and hotel development; that five star hotels and fine restaurants needed high standard products.” Myanmar authorities resisted, fearing that companies like Marbled Black Co. would push local meat producers out of the market. Htoo Maung had the monumental task of convincing them that “we are not coming with just US beef and competing with the local market. The US has a dif-
ferent standard and quality, and this is about education and raising local meat production.” Htoo Maung spent the next two and a half years in discussion with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries, and Rural Development about importation licenses. During that time, he also studied international health and safety protocols for meat importation, storage, and transportation, as well as opened discussions with US livestock authorities. His persistence and commitment to transparency paid off in January 2015 when Marbled Black Co. was awarded Myanmar’s first import permit for US meat products. Their inaugural shipment of over 500 pounds arrived in mid-Febru-
BUSINESS
ary. Included in the container were ribeyes, tenderloins, and a smoky, meaty Kurobuta Berkshire bacon. “We were the first and still the only one to import premium beef and pork products direct from US producers,” said Htoo Maung, who is exclusively importing into Myanmar from Double R Ranch in Washington state and family owned and operated Snake River Farms in Idaho. Snake River Farms is one of few American ranches that raise American Wagyu beef, which take four times longer than traditional cattle, and is celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck’s preference over Japanese Kobe. After successfully bringing in the US shipment, “we also saw there was potential for Brazilian beef, which is good for mid to low-end restaurants and hotels and for local consumers.”
black coloured cattle, such as the Black Angus and Japanese Black. Recently added to Marbled Black Co.’s products are Australian raised beef from Jack’s Creek, one of the finest F1 Wagyu, 100% Black Angus and Angus beef producers in the world. The ranch’s Wagyu is 450day grain fed, free of antibiotics, and EU and Halal accredited. This past October, it won best in show at the World Steak Challenge out of 70 of the world’s top producers from ten countries. “We’re growing slowly, so that’s why we work directly with producers who want to grow their brand. Mostly, we bring in products from family-owned farms. They don’t produce massive quantities; they are selective and of the finest quality.”
Marbled Black is aptly named for their products. Marbling refers to the fat found in a cut of meat, running like rivers between muscle fibers. The more fat, the higher the quality.
Htoo Maung’s company takes the anxiety out of buying meat at wet markets and retail markets for topnotch establishments, where meat must taste like meat, without an underlying gamey stench and above all, keep patrons clear of restrooms.
Htoo Maung tacked on “black” as the best beef generally comes from
When I shared that numerous shoppers lament the graying pork sold at
supermarkets that give off a decaying odor only 30 minutes between the cart and fridge, Htoo Maung remarked, “We need to improve our local production. The first thing is animal feeding and breeding, and the second is that the processing plant slaughtering system should be upgraded and improved for health and safety. We need to upgrade the cold chain system, not only in retail centers but also the wet markets. Meat cannot be defrosted then frozen again. And there must be expiry dates.” Marbled Black Co. employs dedicated teams at all points of entry that liaise with customs officials to ensure the products are cleared for entry quickly, as the products are perishable. The products are transported using refrigerated trucks and special foam boxes with dry ice that can maintain cold temperatures for up to ten hours to their cold storage unit. The company is again facing resistance, and Myanmar authorities are calling for all importers to also operate a farm. Illogical and unrelated, this move merely sets out to protect local producers. However, it could be the springboard from which Marbled
Black Co. launch food health and safety training programs that enable policy changes in all food outlets. Until that is sorted, treat yourself to one of Marbled Black Co.’s premium imported steaks or Kurobuta pork loins at outlets such as Governor’s Residence and Le Planteur in Yangon and Kempinski Hotel Nay Pyi Taw. Htoo Maung’s recommendation? “It depends on the cut. For Korean and Japanese style cooking, like teppanyaki and hot pot, the rib eye roll, short rib, and strip loin are good. For Western cooking, it really depends on dish you’re creating. If you want to deliver a very good piece of steak, it should be a Tomahawk or Cowboy Chop, which are bone-in. My favorite for grilling and serving is the Tomahawk, which is served at the Park Royal Hotel.”
Marbled Black Email: Info@marbledblack.com Phone: 09 972235889, 09 974924910, 09 972235991 Web: http://www.facebook. com/marbledblack.com
American Kobe Filet Mignon from Snake River Farms, graded as Wagyu MB8.
January 2016 / InDepth Magazine 29
HOROSCOPE
MYANMAR HOROSCOPE Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing has a Science Degree Major in Mathematics from Yangon University. Currently, he is writing articles and horoscopes for monthly magazines and weekly journals in Myanmar. In Myanmar astrology, star signs are determined by which day you were born. Each sign represents its own day, cardinal direction (utmost importance), planet (celestial body) and animal.
SUNDAY ▪ Happy Time It is a starred month for financial luck; unexpected income is foreseen, perhaps as the result of an inheritance or prize. But counting on receiving such money will not be wise; just use it wisely if you get it.
Love – Your love of material things sometimes make you rather pretty. Business – You will be outstanding worker and may exhibit admirable powers of concentration. Lucky numbers – 2.5.0 Lucky colour – White
MONDAY ▪ Extra Effort Time Put more effort into everything that you are asked to do this month. Even ordinary projects will benefit from a dose of imagination. Avoid overdoing, however. Plans must be realistic. People at a distance could misunderstand your intention. Legal aid may be required.
Love – Your lover is young and very beautiful. Soon you will plan your wedding. Business – Fine month for heart-to-heart talk with business colleague who has been opposing you. Lucky numbers – 2.5.6 Lucky colours – Yellow, Ivory
TUESDAY ▪ Worrisome Time Spend some time considering longrange goals and how to achieve them. Other people will seem to have more self-confidence than you do. Building up a wider circle of friends will help you achieve a secret wish. Local travel should prove worth- while, but a long trip is not favoured. Good for obtaining medical advice. Health may be worrisome due to recent strain and stress.
Love – Lucky month for love. You always remember your lover. You love your lover more than everything. Business – Good month for financial planning. Teamwork is the favoured method in business matters. Joint effort will be much more productive than anything you could accomplish on your own. Profits can be increased if you expend more time and energy on advertising. Lucky numbers – 3.5.7 Lucky colours – Jade Green, Maroon
WEDNESDAY ▪ Sensible Time You are an excellent conversationalist and have a broad (but often superficial) knowledge of many different subjects. You love luxury, and delight in pleasures of a sensational nature.
Love – In affairs of the heart you are very careful of appearance or how things might affect your social status or honour.
30 InDepth Magazine / January 2016
Business – You may have new duties and you'll carry out them well. You will benefit from buying and selling machine and instruments. Lucky numbers – 1.4.9 Lucky colour – Green
THURSDAY ▪ Good Time It is good time to change your house or office. You have new idea for your life. Again and again increase your responsibilities for family. Your will offer a valuable thing to respected person. You will get reward from the elder person. You will fulfil family member's needs. You will be travel to a foreign country to cure your illness.
Love – You will continue your love story. Your lover and you will travel internal and foreign countries with light hearted. Business – In business, you gain from international trade. You get opportunity from a relative for business problem. You perform to consumers' satisfaction. Lucky numbers – 3.6.8.2 Lucky colour – Orange
FRIDAY ▪ Popular Time You will be popular in your environment because of your smart style. You will be proud of present condition. You will discuss to a family member about a serious matter. You will get fancy present from friends. If you obey your parents' advice, you will get more and more healthy and wealthy life.
Love – You will meet intelligent lover. You will enjoy your love story. You will choose right lover. Business – You will be a success in your market because of attractive method. You will work hard in business. You have to make speech on business conversation in front of people. Lucky numbers – 9.6.2.5 Lucky colours – Ivory, Khaki, Brown
SATURDAY ▪ Willpower Time You will be conservative, methodical, conscientious, chauvinistic, and a born leader. You will conquer everything because of willpower. You will discuss with family members about repairing and painting home. You will study about latest technology and foreign languages. You will make new friends. You life style will be smart.
Love – You lover will be imaginative, fun-loving, and artistic. Your love story will be smooth and popular. People around you will admire your love-affair. Business – You will be expert business manager. You will get advantage from business partnership. You will export and import international trade. Lucky numbers – 1.4.2.7 Lucky colour - Pink Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing has practiced astrology and Burmese traditional medicine for 40 years. Contact: 095012767
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RESTAURANT 999 SHAN NOODLE HOUSE - 10% off on total bill - Valid on weekends only, 1 person per card
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INYA DAY SPA - 15%discount on all spa services1 - 10%discount on Thai Body Massage(anytime) - Valid everyday,1 person per card
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BUY YOUR MYANMORE CARD HERE! MYANMORE Office - 1st Floor, Annex Bld, Strand Hotel, 92 Strand Rd, Kyauktada Tsp | 01-375680 50TH STREET BAR Balance Fitness Monument Bookstore Inya Day Spa Padonmar Restaurant Orchid Hotel Happy Footprints