Myint Zaw | |
---|---|
Nationality | Burmese |
Occupation(s) | Journalist Environmental activist |
Awards | Goldman Environment Prize |
Myint Zaw is a Burmese journalist and activist. He was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environment Prize for Asia, [1] [2] for bringing forward environmental and social impacts from the planned Myitsone Dam, a large Irrawaddy River dam project that is estimated to have impacts on millions of people, and displacing about 18,000 inhabitants. [3] In 2010, he and others issued the picture album The Sketch of a River: The Ayeyarwady, and organized several exhibitions of photographs from the Irrawaddy. [4]
The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The award is given by the Goldman Environmental Foundation headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is also called the Green Nobel.
The Irrawaddy River is a river that flows from north to south through Myanmar (Burma). It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through the Irrawaddy Delta in the Ayeyarwady Region into the Andaman Sea. Its drainage basin of about 404,200 square kilometres (156,100 sq mi) covers a large part of Burma. After Rudyard Kipling's poem, it is sometimes referred to as 'The Road to Mandalay'.
The Irrawaddy is a news website by the Irrawaddy Publishing Group (IPG), founded in 1990 by Burmese exiles living in Thailand. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has taken an independent stance on Burmese politics. As a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled violent crackdowns on anti-military protests in 1988, it has always been closely associated with the pro-democracy movement, although it remains unaffiliated with any of the political groups that have emerged since the 8888 Uprising.
Tay Za is a Burmese business tycoon and the Chairman of Htoo Group of Companies, Myanmar. He is a close associate of the country's former head of state, Than Shwe. He is the first Myanmar entrepreneur to appear on the cover of Forbes Asia and still remains the richest man in Myanmar.
The Htoo Group of Companies (HGC) is a Burmese holding company, with headquarters at 5 Pyay Road, Hlaing Township, Yangon, Myanmar. HGC is the parent company of Air Bagan, a privately held Burmese airline company. The company has several subsidiaries. Htoo Wood Products Company Ltd. is engaged in logging and export of timber. Htoo Trading Company, is engaged in construction, property development, agriculture, transportation, shipping, mining, hotels and tourism operations. Htoo Trading Company and Asia World Company were the first two construction companies granted contracts to build the new national capital in Naypyidaw. Htoo Trading Company is Burma's top private exporter and fifth largest overall, with gross revenues of $65.1 million.
The Myitsone Dam is a large dam and hydroelectric power development project which was planned to be built in northern Myanmar. The proposed construction site is at the confluence of the Mali and N’mai rivers and the source of the Irawaddy River. As of 2017 the project is suspended, but China has been lobbying to revive the dam.
The Yeywa Hydropower Station, located on the Myitnge River, 52 kilometres (32 mi) southeast of Mandalay city, at Yeywa village in Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Region in central Myanmar, is the country's first roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam, and the site of a 790-megawatt (1,060,000 hp) hydroelectric power plant, the largest in the country.
There are almost 200 large dams in Myanmar. Myanmar (Burma) has a large hydroelectric power potential of 39,000 megawatts (52,000,000 hp), although the economical exploitable potential is about 37,000 megawatts (50,000,000 hp). Between 1990 and 2002, the country tripled its installed capacity of hydro plants, increasing from 253 megawatts (339,000 hp) to 745 megawatts (999,000 hp). Total installed capacity in 2010 is at least 2,449 megawatts (3,284,000 hp) MW, 6% of potential. Several large dams are planned to increase future hydro utilization.
The Union Solidarity and Development Party is an ultranationalist, pro-military political party in Myanmar. Alongside the National League for Democracy, it is one of Myanmar's two principal national parties. USDP is the successor to the former ruling military junta's mass organisation, the Union Solidarity and Development Association, and serves as the electoral proxy of the Tatmadaw (military), which operates as a state within a state. Many of its political candidates and leadership are retired generals. It supports authoritarian military leadership. USDP was founded by Prime Minister Thein Sein to contest the 2010 Myanmar general election and headed by him until 2013. Since 2022 it has been led by Khin Yi, who was installed as a loyalist of military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Asia World Group is a Burmese conglomerate. It is Myanmar's largest and most diversified conglomerate, with interests in industrial development, construction, transportation, import-export, and a local supermarket chain. About half of Singapore's investment in Myanmar comes from Asia World affiliates.
The Union Election Commission is the national level electoral commission of Myanmar (Burma), responsible for organising and overseeing elections in Burma, as well as vetting parliamentary candidates and political parties.
The Office of the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a ministry-level body that serves the President of Myanmar. Since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the position has remained vacant.
Maung Weik is a Burmese tycoon. He is currently chairman of the Mandalay Business Capital City Development (MBCCD) and the Sae Paing Company.
Frontier Myanmar is a news and business magazine published in Yangon, Myanmar, owned by Black Knight Media Co. Ltd which also runs a content marketing agency called Black Knight Media Group. It operates an English language magazine, an English language website, and a Burmese language website. Frontier Myanmar mainly focuses on local politics and business.
Aung Zaw,, is a Burmese journalist, editor, and founder of major publishing media The Irrawaddy. He was jailed and tortured at the age of 20, then covertly escaped his home country after he began protesting the governments socialist military regime during the 8888 Uprising. His news magazine reported on event later during the Saffron Revolution.
Nay Shwe Thway Aung, also known as Phoe La Pyae, is a Burmese public figure and business tycoon, who is the grandson of Senior General Than Shwe, Myanmar's dictator and former head of a military junta. He is one of the country's top business tycoons in the list of individuals who provide political and financial support for Myanmar's ruling regime and government.
Kyaw Htet Aung is a Burmese television host, MC, actor and model. He is best known for hosting in the televised singing competition show Myanmar Idol, which propelled him to fame in Myanmar.
Niwat Roykaew, also known as "Kru Thi", is a Thai environmental activist known for his efforts to protect the Mekong river from the negative impacts of development projects. He is the founder of the Chiang Kong Conservation Group, a network of 30 Thai villages seeking to address environmental and social issues caused by development along the Mekong.
Zaw Win Shein is a Burmese businessperson best known for founding Ayeyar Hinthar Holdings, which acts as a business proxy for the Burmese military.