National News

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• UN calls for greater social spending
• Voting system debate heats up
• Flooding brings misery, anger in South Dagon
• Residents in Mandalay call for end to curfew
• Unity appeal accepted
• Mandalay students demand right to take part in politics
• Free and fair? No, say opposition
• Speaker calls for explanation over media crackdown
• School water supplies being fixed, govt insists
• Hundreds of Kanbalu farmers face jail

UN calls for greater social spending Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:02 PM PDT United Nations Development Programme experts have recommended Myanmar cut back on military spending and focus on social services, warning that the lack of protection for at-risk populations could halt or even reverse development progress in Myanmar.

Voting system debate heats up Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:00 PM PDT The Pyithu Hluttaw has agreed to discuss the introduction of proportional representation, helped in part by many ethnic MPs boycotting the vote to show their opposition to the proposal, which has sharply divided the political landscape.

Flooding brings misery, anger in South Dagon Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:57 PM PDT South Dagon has been particularly badly hit by monsoon rains. Last week, the ground floors of homes in 106 and 107 wards were completely under water.

Residents in Mandalay call for end to curfew Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:49 PM PDT Residents in Mandalay are urging the authorities to lift the city's curfew completely, saying it is no longer needed as the situation has returned to normal after violence earlier this month that left two people dead and dozens injured.

Unity appeal accepted Posted: 24 Jul 2014 01:52 PM PDT Magwe Region Court has agreed to hear an appeal filed on behalf of four reporters from Unity journal who were jailed for 10 years on July 10.

Mandalay students demand right to take part in politics Posted: 24 Jul 2014 01:50 PM PDT Dozens of students have protested outside Mandalay's Yadanarpon University demanding that the National Education Bill passed by the Pyithu Hluttaw on March 16 be abolished.

Free and fair? No, say opposition Posted: 24 Jul 2014 01:42 PM PDT Political parties say a new directive issued by the Union Election Commission that will place tight restrictions on campaigning means next year's election is unlikely to be free or fair, as tension grows between opposition forces and the military-backed establishment over the country's political future.

Speaker calls for explanation over media crackdown Posted: 24 Jul 2014 01:34 PM PDT Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann has written to President U Thein Sein asking him to explain the government's position on media freedom, following a spate of arrests and jailings that journalists say constitute a government crackdown.

School water supplies being fixed, govt insists Posted: 24 Jul 2014 12:39 PM PDT Work to ensure schools are supplied with clean water will finish by the end of July, Deputy Minister for Education U Zaw Min Aung told parliament last week.

Hundreds of Kanbalu farmers face jail Posted: 24 Jul 2014 12:37 PM PDT Hundreds of farmers in Sagaing's Kanbalu township have are facing prison time for staging "plough protests" that saw them reoccupy land seized in 1997 by military-owned Myanmar Economic Corporation and Shwebo No 2 Supply and Transport Battalion.

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