South China Sea outlook
September 10th, 2012, Mayanmar Times, Energy, Extractive Industries, International Relations, Natural Gas, Oil, Water
The disputes over sovereignty in the South China Sea are approaching a tipping point.
As former ASEAN secretary-general Rodolfo Severino said last month: “The disputes cannot be resolved anytime soon, if at all. The most that can be done is to prevent them developing into armed conflict.”…
There are six claimants to all or part of the sea, which is traversed by over one-third of world shipping and holds rich fishing stocks and vast reserves of oil and gas…
At the ASEAN ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh last month, the Philippines and Vietnam urged their colleagues to publicly support them.
Cambodia, this year’s chairman, would not allow it…
So now, as well as China confronting members of ASEAN, we have the group fighting within itself – so much so that after intemperate accusations of “dirty politics”, Cambodia replaced its ambassador in Manila.
Exacerbating matters, Washington – already imbued with growing anti-Beijing sentiment – has been bolstering the resolve of ASEAN’s claimants, while Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand strengthen their ties to China…
Myanmar Times Staff
http://www.mmtimes.com/2012/news/643/news05.html
MAI to fly to Phnom Penh from October
September 14th, 2011, Mayanmar Times, Industry
National carrier Myanmar Airways International plans to launch flights to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh by October, an airline spokesperson said.
Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, via Siem Reap, using a new Airbus A-321 that can accommodate 220 passengers.
“We will add one Airbus A-321 aircraft and will start to fly Phnom Penh via Siem Reap by early October. It will be two flights a week, the same as our Siem Reap service. Details of the schedule and price will be announced later this month,” the spokesperson said.
“Siem Reap is a tourist destination while Phnom Penh is the business city of Cambodia so we expect to attract more passengers on this route compared to Siem Reap,” she said.
The spokesperson said the airline planned to acquire more aircraft, which would allow it to add more routes and also increase the number of flights to existing destinations.
Myanmar Airways International will first launch flights to Jakarta and New Delhi and also has plans to fly to Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai, Doha and Bali late on, she said .
(Zaw Win Than)
http://www.mmtimes.com/2011/news/592/news59212.html