Industry
See also Foreign Investment
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Extractive industries
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Mining
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Coal mining
Individual Documents
| Title: | | SAVE MONG KOK FROM COAL |
| Date of publication: | | July 2011 |
| Description/subject: | | "Only 40 kms north of the Thai border
in the mountains of eastern Shan State,
Thai investors are poised to begin
mining and burning large reserves
of coal at Mong Kok. Ihis
project — which will ravage a
pristine valley and poison
the Kok River, impacting
countless Shan and northern
Thai communities downstream
- must be stopped immediately.
The Italian-Thai Power Company has entered into
agreements with the Burmese military regime to
develop an open-pit coal mine and power plant at
Mong Kok in eastern Shan State, to export both
coal and power to Thailand.
Home to over a thousand Shan, Lahu and Akha farmers,
Mong Kok lies in a conflict zone, where troops of the
Burmese junta clash regularly with ethnic resistance
forces, and commit systematic abuses against the local
peoples. The regime has poured troops into the area to
secure the mining site. Villagers have been forced to
sell their farmlands for a pittance, and are being forced
into a resettlement site directly adjacent to the mining
area. Many have fled to the Thai border.
Conducted in secrecy and with armed intimidation, this
project blatantly contradicts any standards of responsible
investment. But if Thai investors think the project's
impacts are going to stay safely outside their borders,
they should think again. Hundreds of coal trucks a day
and huge new power pylons will be blighting the scenic
Chiang Rai landscape, while the mine and power plant
will be flushing poisons into the Kok River - harming
an ecosystem that sustains countless communities
downstream in Thailand, and threatening the lucrative
tourist trade along with it..." |
| Author/creator: | | Hark Mong Kok |
| Language: | | English, Shan, Burmese, Thai |
| Source/publisher: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/save_mong_kok_from_coal_eng.pdf-red.pdf |
| Format/size: | | pdf (English - OBL version-2.6MB, original, 3.12MB; Shan - OBL version, 2.8MB, original, 3.34MB; Burmese - OBL version, 2.8MB, original, 3.37MB; Thai, OBL version, 2.7MB, original, 3.29MB |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/save_mong_kok_from_coal_shan.pdf-red.pdf
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/save_mong_kok_from_coal_burmese.pdf-red.pdf
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/save_mong_kok_from_coal_thai.pdf-red.pdf
http://shansapawa.org/images/stories/publication/save_mong_kok_from_coal_eng.pdf
http://shansapawa.org/images/stories/publication/save_mong_kok_from_coal_shan.pdf
http://shansapawa.org/images/stories/publication/save_mong_kok_from_coal_burmese.pdf
http://shansapawa.org/images/stories/publication/save_mong_kok_from_coal_thai.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 11 August 2011 |
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| Title: | | Poison Clouds: Lessons from Burma’s largest coal project at Tigyit |
| Date of publication: | | January 2011 |
| Description/subject: | | Summary:
"• Although Burma is rich in energy resources, the ruling military regime exports those
resources, leaving people with chronic energy shortages. The exploitation of natural
resources, including through mining, has caused severe environmental and social
impacts on local communities as companies that invest in these projects have no
accountability to affected communities.
• There are over 16 large-scale coal deposits in Burma, with total coal resources of over
270 Million tons (Mt). Tigyit is Burma’s biggest open pit coal mine, producing nearly
2,000 tons of coal every day.
• The Tigyit coal mine and coal-fi red power plant are located just 13 miles from Burma’s
famous Inle Lake, a heritage site of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Water
polluted by the mine and waste from the power plant fl ow into the Lake via the Balu
Creek but no study of the impact of the project on the Lake has been made public.
• Coal from the mine is transported to Burma’s only operating coal-fi red power plant in
Tigyit. The plant uses 640,000 tons of coal per year to produce 600 Gigawatts of power
with a capacity of 120 Megawatts. 100-150 tons of toxic fl y ash waste is generated per
day. The majority of power from the plant is slated for use at an iron mining factory that
will be operated by Russian and Italian companies.
• Implementation of the mine and power plant began in 2002 by the China National
Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC) and the Burmese companies Eden Group and
Shan Yoma Nagar.
• Two nearby villages of Lai Khar and Taung Pola were forced to relocate for the project
and over 500 acres of farmlands have been confi scated. Farming families facing eviction
and loss of lands are going hungry and have turned to cutting down trees to sell for
fi rewood or migrated in order to survive. Explosions from the mine have destroyed
local pagodas.
• Air and water pollution is threatening the agriculture and health of nearly 12,000 people
that live within a fi ve mile radius of the project who may eventually have to move out.
Currently 50% of the local population is suffering from skin rashes.
• The Pa-Oh Youth Organization and Kyoju Action Network have been monitoring
the project since February 2010 and urges the companies and government to suspend
operations pending full environment, social and health impact assessments. The
organization also urges local communities not to sign documents without understanding
them and to oppose corruption and exploitation which harms the communities’
livelihoods and natural resources." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Pa-Oh Youth Organization (PYO), The Kyoju Action Network (KAN) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (2.3MB - English; 2.2MB - Burmese; 2.3MB - Thai)) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/PoisonClouds(bu).pdf (Burmese)
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs11/PoisonClouds(th).pdf (Thai) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 02 February 2011 |
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Industry - General articles
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Waiting for an Industrial Revolution |
| Date of publication: | | September 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | "Industry in Burma lags well behind that of its neighbors largely because of double standards, military meddling, and now, stiffer US economic sanctions...
Small may be beautiful but it is also vulnerable. And as increased US sanctions on Burma halt imports to American markets, all but the largest private garment factories in Burma are falling like dominoes.
On the outskirts of Rangoon, several private garment firms with fewer than 100 employees are shutting down, explains the editor of a business journal in the capital. Signed into law on July 29, America’s severe sanctions will likely eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The ban on imports threatens to cripple Burma’s entire labor-intensive garment industry.
Even the big manufacturers are buckling under the weight of US pressure. "We are almost dying. The future for our business looks so bleak," says a South Korean manager from Myanmar Daewoo International in Rangoon, speaking to The Irrawaddy on the condition of anonymity..." |
| Author/creator: | | Min Zin |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 11, No 7 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=3049 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 06 November 2003 |
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| Title: | | Industrial Development in Myanmar: Prospects and Challenges |
| Date of publication: | | 2001 |
| Description/subject: | | "...we should look back Myanmar’s history on industrial policy.
Every government to date since independence, either civilian or military,
and either democratic or socialist, has approached the problem of the private sector with great concern and trepidation. Whenever they wanted to
accommodate and integrate the energy of private enterprises into the national economy, the socialist philosophy, anti-capitalist attitude, control-prone disposition and xenophobia based on the bitter colonial experiences
provided obstacles, with the redefinition of the role of the private sector
being left vague and halfway.
The transition to market-oriented economy in the 1990s seems to be a historical exception. The various reform measures taken by the military government apparently show their strong commitment toward a full-fledged
market economy. The author calls the present transformation of the economy the Third Wave, and assures himself that it has been the biggest wave of
liberalization in Myanmar’s industrial history.
Compared with the previous two waves, which the author thinks occurred in the latter half of the
1950s and in the mid-1970s, the present regime has committed itself much more clearly to market economic principles and the enhanced role of the
private sector.
Nevertheless, the history still exhibits a reserve to be fully confident in
government policy toward a market economy. Recent backtracking of economic reforms is certainly something to be worried. It would be necessary
for the military government to commit itself again to such ideas as open
markets, free competition, transparency, accountability, consistency, level
playing field, freedom of information and rule of law, which are the foundations for a free and fair market-oriented economy. Without the govern
ment’s commitment to those ideas, the private sector would never be confident on public polices, and as a result, the full-fledged investments would
never be forthcoming."
See Toshihiro Kudo, “Industrial Policy in Myanamr: Lessons from the Past” in Industrial Devel
opment and Reforms in Myanmar: ASEAN and Japanese Perspectives, (Bangkok, The Sasakawa
Southeast Asia Cooperation Fund, 1999).
43 |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | IDE- Institute of Developing Economies / JETRO - Japan External Trade Organization |
| Format/size: | | pdf (642K), html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs14/Industrial_Development_in_Myanmar-Prospects_and_Challenges.pdf
http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs14/Industrial_Development_in_Myanmar_Prospects_and_Challenges-balan... |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 September 2012 |
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Manufacturing
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Sectors
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Apparel (Garment) industry
including Clothing, Footware, Tanning and Leather goods
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Location Advantages and Disadvantages in Myanmar: The Case of Garment Industry |
| Date of publication: | | May 2009 |
| Description/subject: | | ABSTRACT:
"This research examines location advantages and disadvantages in Myanmar. The most notable location advantage of Myanmar is its abundant and low-wage labor. However, garment firms relocated here often suffer from difficulties such as electricity shortages, expensive and less available transport services, poor telephone, fax, and internet accesses, and cumbersome and time consuming administrative procedures. The wage gap between Myanmar and neighboring countries (including Thailand and China) does not attract garment firms to Myanmar but does lure Myanmar workers to its neighbors. In order to attract more garment firms to Myanmar, the government must enhance location advantages and alleviate disadvantages. While the country can do little to manipulate wages, it can reduce set-up, operation, and service link production costs through public policy and investment. A major priority for increasing the attractiveness of Myanmar is development of its infrastructure, especially the electricity supply. Further, institutional service link costs can be reduced by streamlining administrative procedures and establishing good governance. Such an improved business and investment climate will make it possible for the garment industry in Myanmar to compete in the global market."
Keywords: Myanmar (Burma), garment industry, location advantage, location, disadvantage, cost-benefit analysis, production network, competitiveness,
set-up cost, operation cost, service link cost, infrastructure |
| Author/creator: | | KUDO Toshihiro |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) Discussion Paper 203 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (126K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 12 September 2009 |
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| Title: | | Waiting for an Industrial Revolution |
| Date of publication: | | September 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | "Industry in Burma lags well behind that of its neighbors largely because of double standards, military meddling, and now, stiffer US economic sanctions...
Small may be beautiful but it is also vulnerable. And as increased US sanctions on Burma halt imports to American markets, all but the largest private garment factories in Burma are falling like dominoes.
On the outskirts of Rangoon, several private garment firms with fewer than 100 employees are shutting down, explains the editor of a business journal in the capital. Signed into law on July 29, America’s severe sanctions will likely eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The ban on imports threatens to cripple Burma’s entire labor-intensive garment industry.
Even the big manufacturers are buckling under the weight of US pressure. "We are almost dying. The future for our business looks so bleak," says a South Korean manager from Myanmar Daewoo International in Rangoon, speaking to The Irrawaddy on the condition of anonymity..." |
| Author/creator: | | Min Zin |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 11, No 7 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=3049 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 06 November 2003 |
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Automotive
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Burma’s Love Affair with the Jeep |
| Date of publication: | | June 2004 |
| Description/subject: | | "Burma’s fledgling automobile industry hopes to cash in the country’s fondness for Jeeps. But the locally manufactured vehicles are lemons..." |
| Author/creator: | | Htet Win |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 12, No. 6 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 07 October 2004 |
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| Title: | | DEMAND SURVEY ON AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS |
| Date of publication: | | November 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | This document presents the findings of a survey of over 100 dealers, agents and distributors of car spare parts and components in Myanmar. They were interviewed to determine the products they would need to import in order to service and maintain road vehicles throughout the country. While useful for the purpose for which it was prepared, the survey also provides a bird’s eye view of the main sectors of the automobile industry in Myanmar as it existed at the time of preparation. |
| Author/creator: | | Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO |
| Format/size: | | pdf (351 kb) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.intracen.org/sstp/Survey/automative/Myanmar_survey_final.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 23 August 2005 |
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Cottage and Craft Industries
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Where Even Dead Flowers are Doomed |
| Date of publication: | | September 2007 |
| Description/subject: | | An ancient Burmese tradition faces decline...
The fishermen of Inle Lake are not the only ones going through hard times. one of the area’s major handicraft businesses, making so-called “flower-molded” Buddha figurines, is also in steep decline. Generations of craftsmen have been making the exquisite statuettes for centuries, molding them from the petals of dried flowers, mixed with powder, teak sawdust and resin. Figurines molded from the petals of flowers and donated to lakeside temples are invested with miraculous powers by the Pa-O, Shan and Intha people who live in the region. But they’re also sought after as souvenirs by tourists visiting the lake.
The rising cost of the raw materials, particularly the teak sawdust and resin, and encroaching competition from manufacturers of cheap wooden and plastic Buddhas have brought the local handicraft business practically to a standstill, however..." |
| Author/creator: | | Kai Wai |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol 15, No. 9 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8465 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 29 April 2008 |
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Metal industry
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Iron, Steel and Base Metal Production In Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 15 May 2005 |
| Description/subject: | | This compendium focuses on recent developments in Myanmar’s metal casting and metal products industries. Attention is directed to the base metals rather than to bronze, gold, and silver used in traditional craftwork. Apart from three small iron and steel mills operated as state enterprises, a modern copper cathode production plant at a mine near Monywa and foundries attached to several state factories, the base metal casting industry is carried out in scores of small private workshops throughout the country.
The only mills in the country capable of processing crude iron are the small factory at Anisakhan near Pyin-U-Lwin, the Ywama steel mill at Insein and the mill belonging to the military owned Myanmar Economic Corporation near Aunglan in central Myanmar. None of these come close to meeting the country’s annual consumption of more than half a million tons of iron and steel. It is unlikely that a large national steel mill be built in the near future. As evidenced by several articles in this collection, the current trend is towards small, industry-specific foundries like those presently being opened in the industrial zones in Monywa, Mandalay and Taung-gyi, which are being jointly financed by the private sector and the government.
Copper mined at a large open-pit mine near Monywa is now being converted into copper cathode sheets at a modern facility built in the late nineties by a joint venture company owned by the government and Ivanhoe Mines of Vancouver, Canada. Production is targeted to reach 40,000 tons in 2005 with the promise of the doubling of production in the near future, using ore from a nearby deposit, untapped to date. Unfortunately, all of the high quality copper cathode that is produced is exported to other markets in East Asia. The same situation applies to the tin smelter operated by a Wa mining company near the border with Yunnan. Similarly, China would presumably absorb all of the ferro-nickel produced at a processing plant in Tagaung area of Upper Myanmar , if a mine proposed for the area is developed. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Courier Information Services |
| Format/size: | | pdf (589 K), 304K |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/metalworkcompendium2005-05-ocr.pdf
(304K but lacks hyperlinks)
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs2/IronMetal.doc |
| Date of entry/update: | | 15 May 2005 |
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Pulp and Paper
Individual Documents
| Title: | | PULP, PAPER AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY OF MYANMAR |
| Date of publication: | | 04 August 2005 |
| Description/subject: | | This compendium focuses on recent developments in Myanmar’s pulp and paper and cardboard packaging industry. Myanmar has great potential for extended paper production but has lagged behind other southeast Asian countries in utilizing its bamboo and other pulp sources. However, the recent opening of a new jute based pulp and paper mill near Maubin and a large bamboo pulp mill near Thabaung in the Ayeyawaddy delta signal an important change in direction. Additional paper mills in the delta area and at Yeni in the upper Sittaung region are already under construction and others are planned for the Monywa and Thabeikkyin areas. Most of the machinery for these new mills is being imported from China and the fact that payments are to be made through the export of a large portion of the pulp that will be produced in the early years of their operation means that Myanmar will have to continue to import large quantities of the paper it uses annually. Restrictions are also laid on the expansion of the industry by shortages of adequate recycled feedstock for the small private factories and workshops that currently produce almost half of the paper and cardboard that is manufactured in the country. Many of these smaller plants still operate with antiquated machinery and their owners lack the necessary resources to import new equipment or upgrade older machinery. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Courier Information Services |
| Format/size: | | pdf (360 kb) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 August 2005 |
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Tourism
See Tourism (top-level, Main Library)
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