A Who's Who of Business
Source : Asiaweek(Feb 26)
To do business in Burma, you need to know how to play the game. Rule No. 1: Get along with the junta -- which means no subversive chatter about Aung San Suu Kyi and democracy. Rule No. 2: Only Rule No. 1 matters. Here are Burma's rich, powerful and connected:
THE CEO
Army boss Gen. Maung Aye heads the all-important Trade Policy Implementation Council. No major business initiative goes ahead without him signing off on it. An outwardly genial man who likes a tipple, Maung Aye remains at heart a soldier who has finessed his way to the top through intrigue and the loyalty of underlings. Do not underestimate him.
CRONIES
The regime assigns to "national entrepreneurs" -- a nucleus of businessmen embraced after the 1988 coup -- wholesale assets, concessions and projects, allowing them to form foreign joint ventures. They include:
* Aik Htun. Runs Asia Wealth Bank and Olympic Group (trading, construction, property). Burmese-Chinese from the opium-rich Kokang region. Shrewd, flamboyant, often seen with a bevy of young women.
* Serge Pun. Also Burmese-Chinese. Spent time in China and Hong Kong before returning to Yangon. Company SPA has a bank and boasts stakes in real estate, auto and motorbike dealerships, retail and, most recently, Myanmar's swankiest golf course. Major property interests in Bangkok act as cosy security.
* Thein Tun. The soft-drink king through his MGS beverage company (he held the franchise for Pepsi until it pulled out). An aggressive businessman with a reputation as a grasping partner but also as a man who delivers.
NEW BOYS
A group of entrepreneurs with few ties to the junta and fewer government contracts. Private business is their focus. Two of them: * Michael "Mickey" Moe Myint, left. Former commercial pilot who became a consultant for Shell. Then, after dabbling in catering and nsurance, teamed with Baker Hughes, the U.S. company that services the oil sector. Later formed Myint & Associates Petroleum Resources Ltd. Can act Texan when he wants, and Burmese when it suits.
* George Yin Soon. Also into mining and oil exploration, but has finessed the middleman's role to perfection. Helped Rothmans set up in Myanmar, and recently partnered Singapore's Ong Beng Seng when his Region Air took a controlling interest in Myanmar Airways. Married into Indonesian money.
OUTSIDERS
A good number of foreign business folk have been in Burma a long time. Some are doing very nicely:
* Jean Pichon--A former French military officer, he has been in Burma for more than a decade. Runs Setraco, which most recently developed port and fish-processing facilities in the south. Good ties with senior government figures.
* Jerzy Wilk. Grizzled German mariner who washed up in Myanmar more than 20 years ago. Founded and runs Uniteam Marine Ltd., which provides thousands of Burmese seamen as crews for shipping companies worldwide.
* Frankie Chew. Singaporean entrepreneur who runs the Woodland Group of companies that focus on tourism. Recently opened a new hotel at Mt. Popa near Bagan. Also has interest in a west coast resort.