ST-Myanmar's new airport still empt

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Subject: ST-Myanmar's new airport still empty after six months 

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The Straits Times
JAN 12 2000=20

      Myanmar's new airport still empty after six months=20



      Cost $250m, boasts 4.2-km runway, high-tech control tower, 36 =
check-in counters, but...=20

      The miracle cure for its economic ills has been thwarted by =
funding hitches and Western trade sanctions so far, but a Thai firm =
hopes to change that=20

      By JAMES EAST
      IN BANGKOK=20

      STANDING on a plain outside Myanmar's second city sits the ghost =
town of South-east Asia's airline industry -- an empty gleaming US$150 =
million (S$250 million) international airport capable of handling three =
million passengers a year.=20

      Mandalay International Airport is a technological marvel in a =
country famed for its ox-cart transport, crumbling colonial buildings =
and its tin-pot economy.=20

      But despite being finished for six months, not one tourist plane =
has roared down its 4.2-km runway nor a single passenger passed through =
its glassed and golden-roofed terminal building.=20

      Few outside Myanmar know of the existence of the airport, built 35 =
km south-west of its second city and on the fringes of Pagan, the most =
exquisite temple complex in South-east Asia outside of Cambodia's Angkor =
Wat.=20

      Built with help from Thai construction firm Italian-Thai =
Development Company, the top of the range airport in Mandalay boasts a =
longer runway than Bangkok, a sophisticated control tower able to handle =
45,000 aircraft movements annually and a fully mechanised passenger =
terminal with 36 check-in counters.=20

      The pet project of Prime Minister Than Shwe, it was to have been a =
miracle cure for the country's economic ills, bringing in Boeing 747s =
full of tourists and millions of dollars of desperately needed foreign =
aid.=20

      But trade sanctions imposed by Western nations and funding =
difficulties have until now put paid to the government's dream.=20

      But this week, Thailand's Thai Airports Ground Services (TAGS) =
hopes to change all that.=20

      TAGS expects to win a 28-year operations concession to run the =
airport.=20

      TAGS president Anuphong Rojnuckarin says: "The airport is ready =
but they do not have the ground equipment. The airport hasn't opened =
because they don't have the capital or the know-how."=20

      Mr Anuphong knows the difficulties but adds: "I'm a gambler but a =
safe one."=20

      He believes his high level contacts with the government -- meeting =
Deputy Minister of Transport Kyaw Myint and Department of Civil Aviation =
chief Win Maung as well as gaining Myanmar Cabinet approval -- will help =
ensure the venture's success.=20

      In Thailand, the deal is being brokered by businessman Maung Maung =
Gyi Al Haj, a former classmate of Myanamar's most powerful man, military =
intelligence chief Khin Nyunt.=20

      Sitting at TAGS' headquarters at Bangkok International Airport, Mr =
Maung Maung says: "I don't think politics is a major issue at present. =
Compromise is what is needed. Let the people come in and naturally =
things will change."=20

      TAGS is now searching the world for the equipment needed to run =
the airport, having received a loan of US$2 million from Thailand's Exim =
Bank.=20

      Aircraft tugs, tractors and loaders will be shipped to Myanmar's =
capital Yangon and trucked on to Mandalay.=20

      Mr Anuphong says Exim is anxious to see a return on the US$150 =
million loan it has already ploughed into the airport terminal.=20

      Once open, Mandalay will be Myanmar's main international airport =
challenging Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore as a hub for South-east =
Asian and Chinese traffic.=20

      The old domestic airport at Mandalay will be shut and direct =
flights will be laid on from Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, and =
Bangkok.=20

      Travel companies have already promised charter flights of French =
tourists and scheduled flights have been pledged by China Airlines, =
Japan's All Nippon Airways and Thailand's Angel Air.=20

      TAGS hopes to cater to 98 flights a week, rising by 20 per cent a =
year over the following four years. But human rights groups and exiled =
groups of students are certain to oppose any dealings with Myanmar and =
the opening of the airport.=20

      Bangkok-based pro-democracy group Alt-Asean-Burma coordinator =
Debbie Stothard says: "We have always opposed tourism because it =
benefits the regime more than the people."=20

      The ruling generals have no clue how to run the economy in a way =
that is attractive to foreign investors. "Many investors go wrong in a =
very short time in Burma," she warns.=20



-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-

      Discouraging visitors and investment=20

      TO WESTERN governments, Myanmar is a pariah state; its opposition =
leader Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi discourages foreign =
investment or visits by tourists; and the government is notoriously =
unpredictable in international relations.=20

      In a recent tiff with Thailand, Myanmar shut its borders and =
banned fishermen from its waters following Thailand's failure to capture =
a gang of hostage takers who fled after seizing the Myanmar Embassy in =
Bangkok in October.=20
    =20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Helvetica, Arial" =
size=3D2><B>The Straits=20
Times</B></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Helvetica, Arial" =
size=3D2><B>JAN 12 2000=20
</B></FONT></DIV>
<P><!--HEADLINE FOR REGION STORY-->
<P>
<TABLE border=3D0 cellPadding=3D5 cellSpacing=3D0 style=3D"HEIGHT: =
2749px; WIDTH: 587px"=20
width=3D350>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD vAlign=3Dtop><!-- head ends here --><FONT color=3D#800000 =
size=3D4>Myanmar's=20
      new airport still empty after six months </FONT>
      <P>
      <P>
      <P>
      <P><B>Cost $250m, boasts 4.2-km runway, high-tech control tower, =
36=20
      check-in counters, but...=20
      <P>The miracle cure for its economic ills has been thwarted by =
funding=20
      hitches and Western trade sanctions so far, but a Thai firm hopes =
to=20
      change that=20
      <P>By JAMES EAST<BR>IN BANGKOK</B>=20
      <P>STANDING on a plain outside Myanmar's second city sits the =
ghost town=20
      of South-east Asia's airline industry -- an empty gleaming US$150 =
million=20
      (S$250 million) international airport capable of handling three =
million=20
      passengers a year.=20
      <P>Mandalay International Airport is a technological marvel in a =
country=20
      famed for its ox-cart transport, crumbling colonial buildings and =
its=20
      tin-pot economy.=20
      <P>But despite being finished for six months, not one tourist =
plane has=20
      roared down its 4.2-km runway nor a single passenger passed =
through its=20
      glassed and golden-roofed terminal building.=20
      <P>Few outside Myanmar know of the existence of the airport, built =
35 km=20
      south-west of its second city and on the fringes of Pagan, the =
most=20
      exquisite temple complex in South-east Asia outside of Cambodia's =
Angkor=20
      Wat.=20
      <P>Built with help from Thai construction firm Italian-Thai =
Development=20
      Company, the top of the range airport in Mandalay boasts a longer =
runway=20
      than Bangkok, a sophisticated control tower able to handle 45,000 =
aircraft=20
      movements annually and a fully mechanised passenger terminal with =
36=20
      check-in counters.=20
      <P>The pet project of Prime Minister Than Shwe, it was to have =
been a=20
      miracle cure for the country's economic ills, bringing in Boeing =
747s full=20
      of tourists and millions of dollars of desperately needed foreign =
aid.=20
      <P>But trade sanctions imposed by Western nations and funding =
difficulties=20
      have until now put paid to the government's dream.=20
      <P>But this week, Thailand's Thai Airports Ground Services (TAGS) =
hopes to=20
      change all that.=20
      <P>TAGS expects to win a 28-year operations concession to run the =
airport.=20

      <P>TAGS president Anuphong Rojnuckarin says: "The airport is ready =
but=20
      they do not have the ground equipment. The airport hasn't opened =
because=20
      they don't have the capital or the know-how."=20
      <P>Mr Anuphong knows the difficulties but adds: "I'm a gambler but =
a safe=20
      one."=20
      <P>He believes his high level contacts with the government -- =
meeting=20
      Deputy Minister of Transport Kyaw Myint and Department of Civil =
Aviation=20
      chief Win Maung as well as gaining Myanmar Cabinet approval -- =
will help=20
      ensure the venture's success.=20
      <P>In Thailand, the deal is being brokered by businessman Maung =
Maung Gyi=20
      Al Haj, a former classmate of Myanamar's most powerful man, =
military=20
      intelligence chief Khin Nyunt.=20
      <P>Sitting at TAGS' headquarters at Bangkok International Airport, =
Mr=20
      Maung Maung says: "I don't think politics is a major issue at =
present.=20
      Compromise is what is needed. Let the people come in and naturally =
things=20
      will change."=20
      <P>TAGS is now searching the world for the equipment needed to run =
the=20
      airport, having received a loan of US$2 million from Thailand's =
Exim Bank.=20

      <P>Aircraft tugs, tractors and loaders will be shipped to =
Myanmar's=20
      capital Yangon and trucked on to Mandalay.=20
      <P>Mr Anuphong says Exim is anxious to see a return on the US$150 =
million=20
      loan it has already ploughed into the airport terminal.=20
      <P>Once open, Mandalay will be Myanmar's main international =
airport=20
      challenging Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore as a hub for =
South-east Asian=20
      and Chinese traffic.=20
      <P>The old domestic airport at Mandalay will be shut and direct =
flights=20
      will be laid on from Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, and =
Bangkok.=20
      <P>Travel companies have already promised charter flights of =
French=20
      tourists and scheduled flights have been pledged by China =
Airlines,=20
      Japan's All Nippon Airways and Thailand's Angel Air.=20
      <P>TAGS hopes to cater to 98 flights a week, rising by 20 per cent =
a year=20
      over the following four years. But human rights groups and exiled =
groups=20
      of students are certain to oppose any dealings with Myanmar and =
the=20
      opening of the airport.=20
      <P>Bangkok-based pro-democracy group Alt-Asean-Burma coordinator =
Debbie=20
      Stothard says: "We have always opposed tourism because it benefits =
the=20
      regime more than the people."=20
      <P>The ruling generals have no clue how to run the economy in a =
way that=20
      is attractive to foreign investors. "Many investors go wrong in a =
very=20
      short time in Burma," she warns.=20
      <P>
      <HR width=3D"50%">

      <P><B>Discouraging visitors and investment</B>=20
      <P>TO WESTERN governments, Myanmar is a pariah state; its =
opposition=20
      leader Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi discourages =
foreign=20
      investment or visits by tourists; and the government is =
notoriously=20
      unpredictable in international relations.=20
      <P>In a recent tiff with Thailand, Myanmar shut its borders and =
banned=20
      fishermen from its waters following Thailand's failure to capture =
a gang=20
      of hostage takers who fled after seizing the Myanmar Embassy in =
Bangkok in=20
      October.=20
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