Myanmar Crisis: Update on the current situation

16. February 2021, Webinar

OAV – German Asia-Pacific Business Association, in collaboration with EuroCham Myanmar (ECCM) and Progress Asia Consulting, is delighted to provide a chronology of the events, background information and first perspectives for businesses in view of the military takeover in Myanmar on February 1.

The armed forces seizing power came as a surprise: A fitness instructor filming in Myanmar's capital even accidentally captured the storming of the parliament building on a video that went viral. The military is now back in charge and has declared a year-long state of emergency. In recent days, Myanmar has seen its largest protests in more than a decade, as tens of thousands of people rally on the streets and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Has one of the most noticed democratization projects in the world come to a sudden end? How do foreign companies and organisations in the country deal with this unexpected situation? What could be possible long-term economic implications? At the moment, for example, it is unclear whether the events will result in far-reaching sanctions from the international community.

OAV is pleased to provide an initial assessment from two experienced experts on the ground about the volatile situation in Myanmar. Both speakers will share their insights and are available to answer questions from the audience.

Felix Haas, Managing Director, Progress Asia Consulting Co., Ltd. 
Felix Haas is a dedicated and experienced independent consultant and researcher based in Myanmar. Felix has a deep understanding and extensive expertise working with public and private sector entities in Asia – at times likewise in the academic and think tank space. He has spent the last number of years focused on a myriad of issues that range from industrial policy advice to Naypyitaw, political risk analyses and international relations in Asia to hands-on tasks of government affairs handling and market entry consulting for businesses of various industries. Felix has frequently worked within the United Nations system, with other donors and development partners ranging from e.g. GIZ to the World Bank.

Thet Zaw Htwe, Head of Policy and Strategy, European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar 
Thet is working as the Head of Policy and Strategy, leading the advocacy efforts of EuroCham Myanmar. Prior to this role, he managed the energy and green growth portfolios of a national NGO, Spectrum- Sustainable Development Knowledge Network. Thet’s expertise includes government relations and negotiations, tourism business development, development policy and project implementations. He authored and co-authored a number of publications including a publication on scenario-planning for Australia. He is an alumnus of the Australian National University holding the Master of Environmental Management and Development via an Australian Awards Scholarship.

Registration

The Webinar will be held in English. The participation is free of charge, a registration is necessary. Please sign in here to request the registration form.