Burma Economic Watch blog

Strange world of post-Nargis numbers revisited: after PONJA

2008-08-13T13:16:00.005+10:00

In a previous post we highlighted the extremely odd nature of the loss and damage estimates from cyclone Nargis paraded before the world by the SPDC in Rangoon on 25 May. The UN and ASEAN have now been able to carry out the so-called Post Nargis Joint Assessment exercise and report on the results.The PONJA team derived their estimates from findings in sampled village tract areas. They lay out

More evidence of the absurdity of 'engagement' with SPDC

2008-07-31T16:00:00.001+10:00

These are the people who should be given *greater* access to external financial resources?http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/un-loses-10m-aid-in-burma-exchange-rate-scam-880326.html

Major Aung Linn Htut Open letter to Than Shwe

2008-07-15T16:43:00.004+10:00

Than Shwe as Buddha: Shwedagon PagodaMajor Aung Linn Htut Open letter to Than Shwe (Burma’s Former Military Attaché to the United States)In Response to Cyclone Nargis Dear Senior General Than Shwe, It is time to stop

NOT MUCH BANG FOR THE AID BUCK

2008-07-11T15:01:00.002+10:00

NOT MUCH BANG FOR THE AID BUCK FUND for HIV/AIDS IN MYANMAR (FHAM) The handing over of money to the international NGOs, UN agencies, Burma’s government (I use the term loosely) and the Burmese NGOs does not mean that the resources are used effectively and efficiently for the people of Burma. Uncovering the performance of aid - that is its cost effectiveness and its impact on the

Lagging the pack - the grim realities of Burma's place in the economic firmament

2008-07-02T16:24:00.007+10:00

In May we illustrated the extent of the challenge (purely in terms of the remorseless arithmetic of growth) that Burma would face in achieving something like Thailand's current standard of living. To further underscore the urgency of the need for regime change in Burma, we have compiled an assessment of where Burma is situated currently with regard to a wide range of countries and what will be

ODA Burma 1988-2005

2008-06-26T19:44:00.003+10:00

ODA Burma 1988-2005Click on the following link for chart showing Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Burma from 1988-2005. The chart shows aid from the following:1) All Donors2) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Countries (Rich Western Countries + Japan)3) Japanhttp://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ddpzz666_15hfqrfthk

Constitutional sophistry

2008-06-26T11:04:00.010+10:00

"As it is, some of the commentaries on the Constitution are not well founded. Thus it is widely held that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is debarred from office because of her former marriage to a British citizen, Michael Aris, but in fact she is technically debarred from the Presidency only because her two sons are not Burmese citizens, while this nationality barrier does not in fact apply to nomination

2008-06-20T14:08:00.000+10:00

Natural Gas Exports and the Missing Money Burma’s emergence as a major regional supplier of natural gas should proved considerable revenue for any the government to spend on much needed infrastructure, health care and education. Rising gas prices and increasing output volumes have caused Burma’s gas exports to soar in the last few years, dramatically improving the country’s balance of

2008-06-19T22:47:00.000+10:00

Not Financing Health and Aid for the Reconstruction of 'Hospitals' and 'Clinics' In response to the destruction the regime has called for more than $US10.7 billion for reconstruction, of which $US42.52 million is for the reconstruction of the 110 hospitals and 288 rural health clinics destroyed or damaged. Burma, despite being a very poor country has an enormous amount of government

2008-06-19T22:41:00.001+10:00

Than Shwe giving more useless advice, this time to the doctors GENERALS AS THE AXE HANDLES OF THE NEO-COLONALISTS: Revisiting the Financing Health in Burma Burma comes last again in a game that most in the country don’t want to play. A re-examination of the financing of healthcare shows that Burma has the lowest per capita expenditure on healthcare in ASEAN at only $US4. This means that

Strange world of post-Nargis numbers

2008-06-16T16:24:00.007+10:00

At the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference in Rangoon on 25/5/08, the regime presented this assessment of damages and reconstruction costs:http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddpzz666_3c95mc9f3which has, apparently, been accepted at face value by ASEAN.This is strange as there are a number of peculiar aspects to this report, not least of which the astonishing accuracy with which it was possible

Derek Tonkin: Further response on sanctions

2008-06-13T09:18:00.002+10:00

Derek Tonkin (author of the response to our opendemocracy.net piece published earlier) has responded to our response (in a comment). As usual, our response follows in a comment to this post.------------It may surprise you that I agree generally with the logic of almost everything you say. But you concentrate too much on the theoretical aspects of economic and financial sanctions and overlook

Who is Mad? Is it Than Shwe?

2008-06-08T19:44:00.012+10:00

Waving to the People of BurmaWhich of us is mad? Is it Than Shwe? Or has listening to the stories of policy being determined by numbers, astrological charts, reincarnated kings and entrails finally affected our thinking?We were all amazed here that the regime did not receive a larger percentage of the vote at the recent referendum. We always

Response to our article on sanctions and the cyclone

2008-06-06T16:10:00.003+10:00

The following is an email in response to the piece on opendemocracy.net. Our response is posted as a comment. Further input welcomed!-----Though I agree wholeheartedly with much of what you say in your recent article in "Open Democracy" about the responsibility of the military regime in Burma for the appalling state of the Burmese economy, the problem I have with sanctions, as a political

U Kyaw Nyein

2008-05-30T19:49:00.004+10:00

U Kyaw NyeinbyDr. Hlaing MyintHis name is U Kyaw Nyein and he is 84 years old. He was arrested for helping the KNU (Karen National Union) in 1971. During this period the Ne Win controlled regime was crushing the KNU with its four cuts program. The commander of the KNU in the Irrawaddy Division, Carbine Chit Lay Maung was very famous and a KNU hero. He had killed two Lieutenant Colonels and many

Gas Exports and the Missing Billion

2008-05-29T17:29:00.001+10:00

Natural Gas ExportsBurma’s emergence as a major regional supplier of natural gas should proved considerable revenue for any the government to spend on much needed infrastructure, health care and education. Rising gas prices and increasing output volumes have caused Burma’s gas exports to soar in the last few years, dramatically improving the country’s balance of payments and the size of its

Zombie (Respect to Fela Kuti)

2008-05-28T17:36:00.003+10:00

ZOMBIE Lyrics & Music by Fela KutiZombie O' ZombieZombie no go, unless you tell them to goZombie no stop, unless you tell them to stopZombie no go turn, unless you them them to turnZombie no go think, unless you tell them to think Zombie O' ZombieZombie no go, unless you tell them to goTell them to go straightNo break, no job, no senseTell them to go killNo break, no job, no senseTell them to go

Inconvenient arithmetic truths

2008-05-28T13:03:00.003+10:00

The current issue of financial assistance for post-Nargis reconstruction in Burma has helped to highlight the current parlous economic circumstances and suggests the need for an examination of Burma's future growth prospects (of course on the heroic presumption that such assistance would be used for infrastructure renewal etc).Before that task can be undertaken, some truly sobering realities

Leopards and spots - no handouts to SPDC

2008-05-27T10:00:00.002+10:00

The potential international donors appear to have listened to reason and refused to simply write cheques to the regime. This is the only sensible course of action. We often remark upon the irrationality of the SPDC, but this claim must be viewed in its proper perspective.On the hand rationality relates to the relationship between ends and the use of available means. In terms of some stated ends,

Apologist pool

2008-05-24T10:57:00.003+10:00

At least 2 get to vote for their choice (Royal couple Than Shwe & Kyaing Kyaing).Now that the referendum has been held (apart from the unfortunates whom Nargis temporarily deprived of their right to join the 92.4% plurality in favour of the new Constitution)

Anti-sanctions opportunism in full force

2008-05-23T09:15:00.000+10:00

Cyclone Nargis has been cynically seized upon by the anti-sanctions crowd as an opportunity to trot out their tired apologetics for the SPDC. A particularly inane example is the following from Michael Backman (self-described 'internationally-renowned author'!) in The Age (Melbourne) on 21st May:http://business.theage.com.au/take-the-economic-shackles-off-burma-20080520-2gii.htmlWe have approached