Gentlemen and ladies - Below is a press release about my recent appeal to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (The State Counsellor and defacto Prime Minister in Myanmar). A British teacher and expert in STEM education (Science, Technology Engineering & Maths), who has been working in Myanmar since 2012, has publically appealed for assistance from the Myanmar government to instruct the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to issue him with an Amateur Radio operating licence, which he is legally allowed to obtain, according to the Myanmar MCIT Spectrum Rules document of 2013. The teacher, Mr Simon Luttrell is a self-funding developer of radio and telecommunciations equipments, especially portable, communications equipments that can be used at times of natural disaster, such as earthquake, cyclone and tsunami. With a Master's degree in Microwave Communications from London University and a First Class Honours degree in Electronics, he spent 20 years as a designer of communications systems and antennas for well-known organisations, such as Cable & Wireless, The European Space Agency and British Telecom. "I moved to live and work in Myanmar in 2012" states Mr Luttrell. Since that date, I have applied on numerous occasions to the MCIT office to issue me with an Amateur Radio operating licence. This licence will also allow me to legally develop my communications projects for the benefit of the country of Myanmar. Unfortunately, the department of the MCIT who is responsible for issue of this licence has either ignored my emails and registered-post applications, or has 'passed the buck' and failed to meet their responsibilities under the regulations of the Myanmar MCIT Spectrum Rules document of 2013, which allow foreigners who have passed a technical exam to be issued an Amateur Radio licence in Myanmar. "Sadly for me, the MCIT office seems to have ignored my requests for this licence, but at the same time, they have issued the licence to 6 other visiting foreigners between 2013 and the present day" states Mr Luttrell. "It is particulary frustrating because the Myanmar licence regulations require the Amateur Radio licencee to prepare for, and meet communication needs in support of disaster relief. Well, that's what I've been wanting to do legally in Myanmar since 2012, but the MCIT has managed - intentionally or unintentionally - to obstruct my attempts. "The MCIT office has never given me a reason for not processing my licence application and I think I have been patient enough for no less than 6 years. I appeal to the Myanmar government to intercede on my behalf". Mr Luttrell holds an Amateur Radio licence from both the UK and Thailand. He previously lived in Thailand, where using his Thai Amateur Radio licence, he legally developed emergency communications systems, such as using the Winlink (www.winlink.org) shortwave email/internet service, which allows ocean-going seafarers and emergency rescue teams in remote landbased and offshore areas to connect to internet websites and email via a small shortwave radio transceiver. Mr Luttrell self-funded and operated the Winlink base-station that covered the Indian Ocean and mainland South/South-East Asia regions. He also self-funded a VHF base station to provide website users with the location of marine traffic in the Andaman Sea, and aircraft traffic data for Phuket International Airport. Mr Luttrell teaches at ILBC School in Naypyidaw. He also works as a volunteer English teacher at Sa Ma Mountain Orphanage (Naypyidaw). He previously worked in Yangon as the Assistant Principal at a private school, as a volunteer teacher at Dala Township Monastic School, and as a volunteer teacher of monks at a Yangon orphanage. He is also an experienced teacher of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and is a respected member of the Myanmar business community on the LinkedIn.com website, with more than 600 professional level network contacts in Myanmar. Mr Luttrell has presented educational workshops and pedagogical papers at conferences in the country. He is also an experienced hotelier, having built and managed 4 hotels on the Thai tourist island of Phuket, and is a lecturer in Hospitality & Tourism. He runs a website to provide free English language resources for Myanmar students at www.TeacherSimon.org Mr Luttrell is not involved in any political or religious activity in Myanmar.
I hope your licence application is actioned now, Simon. I want to see you WSPRing from Naypyidaw soon. All the best. 73 de Vince, VA3VF
Hi Vince, as we discussed on the other forum, the hifer WSPR needs no licence. But of course, my main hope is to get my ham licence so that I can operate QSOs on the ham bands, (as well as doing WSPR beacons on any ham band etc). I've been living in Myanmar since 2012 - I moved here from Thailand purely with the intent to try to get a ham licence. The 'nice' chaps at the local MPT office have thwarted every attempt by me to get the licence! So after 6 years, I've decided to go 'public' and appeal directly to the Myanmar government and publicise my appeal on the local media. This action by me will either: a) - get me the licence - yippee! b) - get me nowhere (in which case I'll maybe relocate to Bangladesh and operate from there, since it's in high demand by DXers c) - get me thrown out of the country d) - get me thrown into prison Which do I think will happen? Being a realist, I would place my bets on c)
