Singapore-Burma relations
Individual Documents
Description:
"The first batch of Myanmar citizens from Singapore arrived at Yangon International airport via a MNA relief flight on May 7. A total of 144 were on board.
Those coming back were monks, pregnant women, patients undergoing treatment in Singapore but faced lockdown, students via a scholarship programme by the government, work permit holders and prisoners freed from prison according to Myanmar Embassy in Singapore.
Under the guidance of the Myanmar Government, Myanmar embassy in Singapore has arranged relief flights to rescue those trapped in lockdown.
“We left Changi airport from Singapore at 1:45 pm and arrived at Yangon at 3:15 pm. Some went quarantine at some hotels and some at Mya Shwe Kyin monastery in Pale Myothit,” said a Myanmar citizen who doesn’t want to be identified.
Because of COVID-19, some countries set lockdown and flights have been cancelled. On April 30, 96 Myanmar came back from South Korea, on May 2, 195 from Japan, on May 6, 38 from Bangladesh, on May 7, 144 from Singapore came to Myanmar with relief flights totaling 618..."
Source/publisher:
"Eleven Media Group" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-08
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Individual Documents
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Singapore-Burma relations
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"From a boat on the Salween River in southeastern Myanmar, Than Zaw Oo pointed to a brown stretch of water he said was once full of lush paddy fields. “This used to be my land,” said the 51-year-old farmer, frowning at the murky waves.
All but six of the 24 acres where he used to grow rice and vegetables have slipped into the water in recent years, he said. Another farmer, Than Tun, said he had lost 15 acres of his land to erosion. While official records were not available, other villagers backed their accounts.
Farmers and politicians in Chaungzon township, just outside the southern town of Moulmein, worry that erosion in the area is being exacerbated by the ships that dredge its bed for sand each night. The sand is mainly bound for Singapore, the world’s biggest importer, for use in reclamation and construction projects. Both the Myanmar government and the company whose ships do the dredging in Chaungzon deny the dredging is causing the erosion. But the dispute highlights the fractious issue of sand-mining in Southeast Asia as Singapore is forced to look farther afield to slake its thirst for the mineral following bans on the trade in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia over environmental concerns..."
Source/publisher:
"Reuters" (UK)
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-04
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Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, Environmentalists of Burma/Myanmar, Climate Change - Burma/Myanmar: general, Singapore-Burma relations
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"Singapore has sent medical supplies to Myanmar that will allow doctors to detect and contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Wednesday (March 4) that the Government has contributed 3,000 diagnostic tests and two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines to test for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
MFA said the contribution was in response to a request from the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports. The supplies were handed over from the Singapore's Ambassador to Myanmar, Ms Vanessa Chan, to Myanmar National Health Laboratory deputy director-general Htay Htay Tin at Yangon International Airport.
Singapore had previously sent medical supplies to China on Feb 19 and Feb 8.
For the Feb 19 dispatch, Singapore's Ambassador to China, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, handed over the country's humanitarian assistance to People's Liberation Army General Hospital Medical Service Department deputy head Zhang Fu in Beijing.
The assistance was to help communities severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak in China and aid efforts to contain the virus, MFA said on Feb 20..."
Source/publisher:
"The Straits Times" (Singapore)
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-04
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Over the years, the Myanmar government has stepped up its efforts to bring in foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country. Being more pro-business and open to FDI, potential opportunities for foreign companies willing to invest in Myanmar are vast, particularly in the construction industry as one of the main pillars of the economy.
Description:
"YCP Solidiance, an Asia-focused strategic advisory firm, recently hosted a week-long Overseas Market Workshop (OMW) visit for the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), with the aim of helping Singaporean companies in Yangon explore investments in Myanmar’s construction sector.
The workshop also coincided with the visit of Singapore’s Minister of Trade & Industry Chan Chun Sing in Yangon, highlighting the importance of greater collaboration between the two countries following the recent signing of the Singapore-Myanmar Bilateral Investment Treaty .
This treaty aims to promote greater investment flows between the two countries in many sectors, including construction, by protecting the interests of investors and providing greater certainty and confidence.
Singapore is Myanmar’s largest foreign investor with a cumulative investment of US$22.1 billion recorded as of August 2019. Bilateral trade in goods between the two countries has increased by 10 percent and reached US$4 billion in 2018.
The workshop indicated new opportunities for investment in the construction sector, following the growth rates of around 11pc in recent years. Transport infrastructure opportunities include trunk road network modernisation, expansion of interconnectivity through roadways and elevated highways, improving access to tier two and three cities via bridges and commuter rails, and alternative transport options such as water-taxi or structured bus system..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update:
2020-01-17
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma's economic relations with Singapore, Political, social and economic dimensions of investment in Burma, Singapore-Burma relations
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"Myanmar and Singapore have signed an agreement on promotion and protection of investment between the two countries, according to the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Wednesday.
The agreement was endorsed at the 7th ministerial meeting of the Joint Committee of Myanmar and Singapore held in Yangon on Tuesday.
The agreement is said to create a more favorable, friendly and predictable investment enabling environment for investors from both countries and further enhance the two countries' bilateral trade and investment relationship.
Prior to the signing, Myanmar's Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun and Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing had discussions on a wide range of topics covering bilateral cooperation in investment area, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, aviation, agriculture, food, finance and legal services..."
Source/publisher:
"Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-30
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Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Singaporean investment, Burma's economic relations with Singapore, Singapore-Burma relations
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"A new treaty was signed in Yangon on Tuesday (Sept 24) allowing Singapore companies in Myanmar to turn to international arbitration for disputes over investment.
Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun signed it on the sidelines of the 7th Singapore-Myanmar Joint Ministerial Working Committee Meeting.
The legally-binding treaty sets rules on how Myanmar and Singapore should treat investments and investors of the two countries, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).
It also ensures the freedom to transfer capital and returns, compensation rights and non-discriminatory treatment for investors in most sectors, among other things.
The Bilateral Investment Treaty on the Promotion and Protection of Investments between Singapore and Myanmar aims to promote greater investment flows between the two countries by giving investors greater certainty and confidence.
Mr Chan, in a Facebook post, said its signing marked another milestone in economic ties between the two countries and he expressed hopes it would encourage more Singapore companies to invest in Myanmar.
MTI said in its statement that the treaty’s protections are especially significant as Singapore is Myanmar’s largest foreign investor, with a cumulative investment of US$22.1 billion (about S$30.5 billion) as of last month .
Bilateral trade reached US$3.838 billion in the fiscal year 2017/18, figures from Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce showed..."
Source/publisher:
"The Straits Times" (Singapore)
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-25
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"Singapore Inc is in hot pursuit of business opportunities in Myanmar, where a recent reform drive aims to lure more foreign direct investment. A long time ally to Myanmar?s former military regime, Singapore is well placed to reap first-mover advantages vis-a-vis Western countries that maintain but are slowly lifting economic sanctions against the country.
Last month, a delegation representing 74 Singapore-based companies traveled to Myanmar for networking and business matching with Myanmar counterparts in construction, education, finance, infrastructure and logistics.
Organized by the trade promotion groups Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the trip featured site visits, the signing of a memorandum of understanding to promote economic relations and trade ties, and courtesy calls on reformist President Thein Sein and many of his ministers..."
Megawati Wijaya
Source/publisher:
Asia Times Online
Date of publication:
2012-03-20
Date of entry/update:
2012-05-06
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Political, social and economic dimensions of investment in Burma, Singapore-Burma relations
Language:
English
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Description:
Summary: "ASEAN should not have admitted Burma,
Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam into the organization in the
1990?s, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told visiting EAP DAS
Christensen and the Ambassador October 16. Expressing his
scorn for Burma?s leaders, MM Lee called them "dense" and
"stupid." After discussing China?s influence over Burma, he
suggested that Indonesian President Yudhoyono, as a former
general, could potentially be an interlocutor with the
regime..."
Source/publisher:
US Embassy, Singapore, via Wikileaks
Date of publication:
2007-10-19
Date of entry/update:
2010-12-24
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Singapore-Burma relations
Language:
English
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SINGAPORE leader Lee Hsien Loong met Myanmar?s top ruling generals on Wednesday, March 30, as pressure grows on the junta to hasten democratic reforms or miss its turn next year as head of Southeast Asia?s club of nations.
Aung Hla Tun
Source/publisher:
Singapore Window
Date of publication:
2005-03-30
Date of entry/update:
2010-09-30
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Singapore-Burma relations
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English
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Singapore?s economic linkage with Burma is one of the most vital factors for the survival of Burma?s military regime," says Professor Mya Maung, a Burmese economist based in Boston. This link, he continues, is also central to "the expansion of the heroin trade.") Singapore has achieved the distinction of being the Burmese junta?s number one business partner -both largest trading partner and largest foreign investor. More than half these investments, totaling upwards of $1.3 billion, are in partnership with Burma?s infamous heroin kingpin Lo Hsing Han, who now controls a substantial portion of the world?s opium trade. The close political, economic, and military relationship between the two countries facilitates the weaving of millions of narco-dollars into the legitimate world economy
Singapore has also become a major player in Asian commerce. According to Steven Green, llS Ambassador to Singapore, that city-states free market policies have "allowed this small country to develop one of the world?s most successful trading and investment economies." Singapore also has a strong role in the powerful 132-member country World Trade Organization. Indeed, the tiny China Sea island of three and a half million people is known far and wide as the blue chip of the region-a financial trading base and a route for the vast sums of money that flow in and out of Asia.
Leslie Kean, Dennis Bernstein
Source/publisher:
Third World Traveler
Date of publication:
1997-11-30
Date of entry/update:
2010-09-28
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Singapore-Burma relations, Burma: opium and heroin
Language:
English
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Date of entry/update:
2003-06-03
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
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Singapore-Burma relations
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"...Singapore�s economic relationship with Burma went through a honeymoon period that lasted through the mid-1990s, and ended about the time Burma joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in July 1997�roughly coinciding with the start of a financial crisis that afflicted most of the region.
Since then, Singapore�s enthusiasm for one of the region�s last investment frontiers has cooled dramatically. And to date, there has been little to indicate that Singaporean corporations are preparing for an equally dramatic reentry into Burma�s troubled economy..."
Neil Lawrence
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" Vol 10. No. 6, July-August 2002
Date of publication:
2002-07-31
Date of entry/update:
2003-06-03
[field_licence]
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Singaporean investment, Singapore-Burma relations
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English
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