(LinkAsia: June 15, 2012)
Kara Tsuboi:
To encourage new business ventures in the country, Myanmar is building up its infrastructure and paving the way for foreign investments, literally. It's planning a deep-sea port that would be Southeast Asia's largest industrial complex, and an eight-lane super-highway that would stretch from the west coast all the way to Vietnam. But there are some roadbumps. NHK tells us ethnic violence and budget constraints are threatening to derail those plans.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: June 11, 2012

Reporter:
Dawei is a port town on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Myanmar. Development is underway to transform the city into the country's first special economic zone. Dawei is set to become the western starting point for a major road running across the Indochina Peninsula. Expectations are high for the distribution route that will directly connect the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean. The Myanmar government plans to improve roads and port facilities and build a power station and iron mills in the area. Its ultimate goal is to make Dawei the largest industrial area in Southeast Asia.

U Tin Maung Swe, Chairman, Dawei Special Economic Zone:
This land is valuable because it is in between the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Reporter:
But development is not proceeding as smoothly as the government wishes. Two years ago, the previous military regime granted development rights to a general contractor in neighboring Thailand. But the current government is having trouble securing the budget, which is set to exceed 50 billion dollars. Another issue is ethnic tensions involving minority groups. Last year, an armed group of the Karen people exchanged fire with government troops in an area of Dawei and the development. Karen groups have been fighting with government forces for decades. The current national union reached a cease-fire agreement with the government this January. But their distrust of the government is so deeply rooted that they say they would not approve the development of Dawei unless it helps improve their livelihoods.

Saw Thu Yeh, KNU District Leader:
We will support the development only if benefits will be distributed to all ethnic minority groups. But if the development is likely to ruin our lives and deprive us of freedom, we cannot support it.

Reporter:
Myanmar is drawing a lot of attention as Asia's last frontier. The key to its economic development lies in whether it can overcome challenges, such as ethnic tensions, and transform itself into a true democracy.

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Kara Tsuboi:
There's more bad news for the Dawei project. A Burmese exile newspaper reports that a Burmese investor with close ties to the government is apparently taking his money out of the project.

(LinkAsia: June 15, 2012)
Kara Tsuboi:
Japan is overhauling its post-secondary education system. And the new plan would let advanced students graduate after the 11th grade and go to college up to a year early. NHK explains what the change means for high-performing high schoolers.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: June 8, 2012

Reporter:
Education in Japan is compulsory for nine years: six years in elementary school and three years in junior high school. About 96 percent of junior high school students then go on to three years of high school. The ministry's plan would allow high school students to graduate after only two years before entering university.

Miho Takai, Vice Education Minister:
The percentage of students who can continue in post-secondary education is increasing around the world. Nurturing young talented is indispensable for Japan's development. It's important to create new opportunities for students to receive higher education and also to improve the quality of education.

Reporter:
Many countries allow gifted students to skip grades to enter university. South Korea implemented such a system in 1995. By 2000, four high schools, including one in Busan, had hired university professors. Their job is to focus on gifted students who are expected to lead the country in the future in the field of science and technology. Singapore has two types of high schools. One offers a four-year rapid course, and the other a five-year standard course. Students are enrolled in either type, depending on the results of the achievement tests they write during six years of elementary school. About 20 percent of high school graduates go on to enroll in three elite universities in Singapore. About 15 percent attend prestigious universities abroad. Six Japanese universities have already introduced a system allowing the early admission of high school students who have not yet graduated. One of them, Chiba University, adopted the system in 1998. Hideyuki Okamura studies in the university science department. Okamura made use of the early admission system to enter the university two years ago.

Hideyuki Okamura, Student:
I decided to use the early entrance system, rather than staying in high school for one more year. I thought that at university, I would be able to have deeper exchanges and get to meet a greater variety of people.

Reporter:
Okamura says the early entrance system was attractive, and it allowed him to take high- level classes and attend research laboratories at an early stage. But only 101 high school students, including Okamura, have so far entered the six universities. The reason is students are required to quit high school before graduating if they want to enter university early. Under the new education ministry plan, students who skip grades to enter university will be certified as high school graduates.

Takashi Nakayama, Professor, Chiba University:
Students are reluctant to leave school without a certificate. Their parents and teachers also don't like the idea. This plan offers them hope. A proper academic environment should be provided when students need it.