News Briefs (September 2008)

Friday, September 05, 2008

Japanese Motor Firms Plan Economic Zone in Burma

Major Japanese automobile companies are planning to establish a special economic zone in Burma to produce vehicle spare parts, the weekly Yangon Times reported on Thursday.

The project will be implemented with the cooperation of domestic industrial enterprises, probably in the form of joint ventures, the report said.

At present, Japanese motor companies such as Suzuki and Isuzu are cooperating with Burmese companies in automobile production, while Toyota and Honda are involved in automobile servicing. 

Burma’s military government is planning to establish six special economic zones (SEZ) to attract direct foreign investment in a bid to promote its economic development.

The six SEZs are Thilawa Port in Rangoon, Moulmein in Mon State, Myawaddy and Pa-an in Karen State, Kyaukphyu in Arakan State and Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Division.

Prospective sectors for foreign investment include high-tech, agriculture, livestock breeding, forestry, transport, communications and banking services.

A US social media marketing services agency, Digital Influence Group, has won the first annual “Inbound Marketing Award” for its creation of an Internet program drawing attention to the situation in Burma.

The group created a “microsite,” called “Burma: It Can’t Wait,” for the popular web site Fanista. It features opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmese music and entertainment personalities in drawing a picture of present-day Burma.

The group also created an application in the social network Facebook enabling visitors to the site to donate money for relief in Burma and to rally support.

The Inbound Marketing Award program was launched to honor outstanding achievements and innovation in the use of inbound marketing techniques.

The award will be presented at the 2008 Inbound Marketing Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 8.

World’s Oldest Gecko Discovered in Burma

The world’s oldest gecko fossil has been discovered in Burma, according to a National Geographic news report.

The fossil is about 100 million years old—40 million years older than any discovered so far.

The age of the fossil was established by scientists at Oregon State University in the US. The well-preserved gecko is less than I inch (2.5 cms) long.

The US scientists say its discovery shows that geckos lived in Asia during the lower Cretaceous geological period 97 million to 110 million years ago, and that the animals had already evolved their unusually adhesive feet.