Golden Clover Travels&Tours Co.,Ltd

06/09/2021

I do not spend much time reading the news anymore, too much nonsense, but this morning’s head line: “ASEAN envoy to Myanmar calls for 4-month cease-fire to deliver aid” did not only catch my eyes, it paralyzed me and was swirling through my head the whole day. Why would I wait for another 4 months to get rid of my tooth, which gave me so much pain for the last couple of months? Every day I postpone going to the dentist, not only will I suffer but also the people around me. So, it’s time to grab the evil from the roots and get rid of it forever.
The day the National Unity Government (NUG) addressed the people of Myanmar for the first time via an established radio station and warned us to be prepared for a time when there is no electricity, no water and no internet, we immediately started to prepare. On the same day, we bought a radio - even before the military could ban the sale and remove the devices from the shops. In the last few days we bought water barrels, put them all over the flat and filled them with water, bought canned and long lasting food, got a gas cooker and also installed a small mobile solar device that charges our mobile during the day and provides us with light at night. We don't know how challenging it will be, but we have prepared ourselves for the worst and still hope for a quick and positive outcome. Hope you are prepared too.

04/08/2021

I was surprised to read today that Southeast Asian foreign ministers picked Brunei Second Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof as their special envoy to Myanmar, as our self declared PM wanted Thailand’s former deputy minister Virasakdi Futrakul as envoy. The question that remains is under which conditions will the envoy be able to visit Myanmar. Will the envoy be able to travel freely in Myanmar, and visit all states and divisions and talk to the people from all ethnic groups and social groups. Otherwise, will this just end up like the last visit from CNN in Myanmar were the team was accompanied by soldiers to selected places, and people talking to CNN were arrested. Will the envoy have “full access to all parties” including the NLD, NUG, President U Win Myint, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the elected government?
With great concern I was reading about the “humanitarian aid package” and that the humanitarian aid package will go into the wrong hands. We had a lot of bad experiences with foreign aid being mishandled by the military, for instance after Nargis in May 2008? As much as medical aid is needed, it would be to no benefit to the people of Myanmar if they are just handed over to the military.
The right groups have all the reasons to call on regional political bloc to work together with NUG, ethnic groups and local health organizations to make sure that the aid goes to where it is needed most.

04/07/2021

Apartment (25‘ x 55‘) to rent. 1 master, 1 single, 2 toilets, 1 shower, 3 air-con, second floor, centrally located in a quiet neighborhood between Bahan Market and the eastern stairway to Shwedagon Pagoda.
Price 7 lakh per month
If you are interested please contact 09401999118

26/06/2021

Feeling sad:
The last two weeks I was in the office, not to work, but to clean up and was asking myself if we will ever be able to open our travel agency again. There was nothing left from our optimism we had last year on March 27 as we decided to close the office temporarily and spend some time on our farm. At this time, we thought it would only last for a few weeks, maybe a few months before we can reopen our office and organize tailor made Myanmar tours to our clients again.
The time passed by, and we had nothing to complain about. We enjoyed our time at the farm working the fields and cooking for our guests. This was maybe the best time of our life. We had really nothing to worry aboht and were looking very positively into the future. The first of February changed everything…
Now we are back in Yangon, as it was not save anymore to stay at the farm and thinking day and night how to get out of this mess?
We don’t know, we only know that it will take longer and as we will be not able to organize Myanmar tours this year and also next year is not certain we decided to clean up and rent our office space for at least a year or two.
If tourism is starting again we will be ready, so will our daughters who are studying business and tourism in Europe.
Maybe we have more to celebrate in five years when our company turns 20.

06/06/2021

I can’t let it go…
For more than three months the military has been chasing, beating, arresting, torturing and killing peaceful protesters. Since February 1st, almost 900 people have been killed, 5,000 imprisoned and over 100,000 are on the run and have to hide without food, water and medicine. The stories and pictures hunting me day and night and still there are people in Myanmar thinking about themselves only and their business. I was really frustrated as I went to the store on Yae Tar Shae Old St., only 100 meters down the road from Shwe Gone Dine Road to find out that they also sell Myanmar Beer. The small store is not the nearest place to go, the “Grab & Go” convenient store is closer to our apartment. We love to support small family businesses in Myanmar, but not if they sell products that financially support the military.

25/05/2021

Having a bad feeling!
Today another foreign journalist was detained, the third since the military coup and I ask myself what the real reason is for those arrests? Robert Bociaga from Poland and Yuki Kitazumi from Japan, were detained. Both of them were later freed and deported. Today the military detained Danny Fenster an US journalist at Yangon’s airport shortly before he was due to board a flight to Malaysia. Why do they detain journalists leaving the country? Should they not be happy getting rid of them, so that they are not able anymore to tell the rest of the world what really happens here in Myanmar. Or do they just arrest them to have a bargaining ship in their hands. What will those countries offer to the military in return for their release? Because for me this looks like a ransom note and just hope for all the Myanmar people that no foreign company will pay or offer a ransom (in any form) to the military.

The regime continues to detain journalists to suppress media coverage of its brutalities across the country.

24/05/2021

It is a frustrating list and I'm afraid that this is only the tip of the iceberg. They have their hands in all major businesses and if they are not an official shareholder they have a profit share agreement. What is with all the land they own? look at Sule Shangri-La Hotel or Sule Square Mall. But the list is a beginning and a good guideline for all Myanmar people to support our movement.

19/05/2021

How can we help the people in Chin State?
The news of the last few days was not very encouraging. The young men of Mindat could no longer hold back the military, had to leave women, children, the old and the sick behind and retreat into the forests. The roads to Mindat are controlled by the militia, not even the Red Cross is allowed to pass.

Junta forces have seized Mindat, Chin State, sending 90 percent of the town’s residents into hiding in the forests.

13/05/2021

Myanmar between pandemic and coup
After our last clients left Myanmar in a hurry on March 27, 2020, we closed the office, packed everything up and went straight to our farm. Shwe Yee had bought land in September 2019, 2 ½-hour drive outside Yangon, sowed maize and sunflowers and slowly started to form a farm. As if she had foreseen what was to come for us in 2020.
https://travel-myanmar.net/blog/myanmar-between-pandemic-and-coup/

29/04/2021

In February 2021, we had actually planned to celebrate our 15th anniversary, but we had no time to think about tourism. Even today, almost 2 months after the military coup we hardly have time to think about anything else other than the military coup and the people behind the coup threatening our lives, day after day.
https://travel-myanmar.net/blog/15th-anniversary/

17/04/2021

Saturday - 17.04.21
Nationwide vigils & demos to show solidarity with the people in Myanmar.

15/04/2021

As TOTAL is still rejecting our plea not to pay tax to the military it is time to force the company to stop operations in Myanmar.
The first step would be for the local workers to join the CDM campaign. Not easy, I know, but it has to be done.

Total, which operates Myanmar’s largest offshore gas field, is continuing to provide a revenue stream for the military regime, say company staff