Transfer border passports issued to 1m migrant workers

Transfer border passports have already been issued to 1 million migrant workers employed in Thailand, according to the Myanmar Central Committee for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The issue of temporary passports to migrant Myanmar workers started on April 20 and registration will go on till December 14.

Some 700,000 work permits have so far been issued from temporary passport centres in Kawthoung, Ranaung, Myawady and Tachilek in Myanmar and some 300,000 from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Mahachai, and Surat Thani in Thailand, totalling 1 million, an official of the central committee said.

The aim of issuing temporary passports is to protect their human rights. Migrant workers can have access to temporary passports at the designated centres opened in both countries. However, there are still many who are going to Thailand through illegal ways, U Khin Maung Hla, Police Major of the committee, said.

Only migrant workers with passports will have access to labour rights guaranteed by the Thai government. Plans are underway to issue temporary passports online, the police major added.

In collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency, the central committee will build homes for trafficked persons handed over from other countries, in Myawady and Kawthoung during the first week of December this year. In February 2011, a home was built to accommodate 50 trafficked persons in Muse.

Opening ceremony of NLD office

The opening ceremony of a National League of Democracy office in Nay Pyi Taw was held at Tha Pyay Kone Quarter, Zabuthiri Township.

NLD President Daw Aung San Su Kyi addressed the crowd and said: "Nowadays, the youth are faced with problems of joblessness. The reason is that they are losing farmlands. We need to improve the economic, educational and health sectors for the people. The people have to depend on themselves and not on others. Our party will cooperate with the people."

The office will give training to members of parliament and arrange meetings on the affairs of parliament. Thus, the local people can discuss the issues. Lawyers will come on Saturday and Sunday to help with difficulties in legal cases.

Myanmar may buy aircraft from US

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) is in talks with GE Capital Aviation Services for purchase of additional aircraft.

A source from MAI said, "We are discussing with GE Capital Aviation Services to purchase more airplanes as it is a famous aviation leasing company."

Managing director U Si Thu Aung and the executive board of MAI also held talks with the management of the American firm at Sakura Tower in Yangon on August 14 about the development of aviation services.

Ma Aye Mara Thar, MAI marketing manager, said, "We have plans to expand flight frequency, and we discussed with GECAS about purchasing and hiring of more aircraft."

GECAS is a unit of GE Capital, a part of the General Electric conglomerate. It also buys aircraft from manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing and then leases them to airlines, typically on three to five-year leases, usually on dry lease contracts.

MAI has four Airbus A-320, three F-28, three ATR, three MA 60 and two Beech-1900D aircraft. It has already purchased two Airbus A-320, and these planes will arrive in Myanmar

in October 2012.