Brain gain for Myanmar
A Myanmar who migrated to the United States and established a business
in New York has received one of the highest titles which may be conferred on
a lay Buddhist. The government has awarded U Han Kyu, who owns the Mandalay
Food Products company in Brooklyn, New York, the title of
Thrithudhamma-mani-dara for 2002. U Han Kyu, who is also the chairman of
the American-Myanmar Buddhists’ Association, donated funds for the
establishment of a Myanmar Buddhist monastery in New York. He has also
provided funds to build wells at 42 schools in Myanmar and on his last visit
to Yangon donated US$4000 worth of lung monitoring equipment to a hospital.
Emigrants like him should be regarded as contributing to a ‘brain gain’
rather than a ‘brain drain’, said an article in International Economic
journal. U Han Kyu began his life in business trading with Thailand,
Indonesia and other countries. In 1957, he established a kitchen
utensil factory in Yangon. In 1972 he migrated to the US with only $5000 in
his pocket and accompanied by a nephew who could speak English. –
International Economic weekly journal, April 11
Children and video games
Many children are spending too much time in the video game shops which
have proliferated in Yangon. The shops contain up to 20 video game sets.
They charge an hourly rate of between K70 to K100. Many of the games feature
violent scenes. A fan said the most popular games in Yangon are football
games. "Children are always playing TV games and this may give rise to
undesirable situations in which children not only fail to devote enough time
to their homework but also neglect good literature," said a writer quoted in
the article. – 7 Day News weekly journal, April 4
Expanding banking products
There was a time in Myanmar when private banks were busy dealing in both
local and foreign currencies, said an editorial in Myanma Dana. A
banking expert was quoted as saying that Myanmar banks today function mainly
as commercial banks. But it is a welcome development that some Myanmar banks
are trying to provide as many products as possible in the tightly controlled
banking sector. As well as conventional loans, banks are lending funds for
mortgage and hire purchase agreements. It can be taken for granted that
while some banks are providing these products because they are genuinely
interested in serving the needs of customers others might be taking
advantage of these products in some illegal way. – Myanma Dana
(Myanmar Wealth) business magazine, April
A director-cum-artist
Bagyi (Artist) Soe Moe worked as an artist for many years before
becoming a film director. He arrived in Yangon from his home-town, Pyaw-bwe
township, Mandalay Division, in 1962. Although Bagyi Soe Moe has made
many movies and videos, he prefers to paint. He explained that this was
because he felt humiliated speaking to so-called super stars because of
their patronising attitude. It is this attitude which is the reason why many
experienced directors are no longer making movies, he said. Bagyi Soe
Moe said one of his ambitions is to make films which introduce new actors
and actresses, as he did for many famous stars, including Yan Kyaw and Htet
Htet Moe Oo. – Lifestyle general interest magazine, April
