Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National News

National News


Hundreds of thousands shun registration as deadline passes

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:47 PM PDT

The Myanmar Migrant Network Thailand yesterday called on the Myanmar government to speed up the process of issuing temporary passports to migrant workers, who have reported difficulties under the Thai government's current "pink card" program.

Parties invited to mediate election disputes

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:43 PM PDT

Nine political parties have agreed to name representatives to a disputes committee to be set up by the Mandalay Region Election Commission.

Students protest against military’s veto

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:25 PM PDT

A small group of university students marched through central Yangon yesterday in protest against the military's veto in parliament of changes to the constitution.

Struggle for control of USDP enters parliament

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:21 PM PDT

New round of debates on constitutional amendments highlights rift between president and Speaker.

Marriage law nears parliament approval

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:20 PM PDT

Parliament has moved a step closer to approving a law that would regulate the marriage of Buddhist women to non-Buddhist men.

Police name local suspects in Kachin teachers’ murder

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:11 PM PDT

In an unexpected development, police have named two civilian suspects in the rape and murder of two Kachin teachers in northern Shan State last January – and one of them is a woman.

Hackers shut down U Wirathu’s blog

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:09 PM PDT

Hackers have deleted the much-followed website of the hard-line nationalist Buddhist monk U Wirathu, he confirmed yesterday.

Mobile team expands anti-smuggling activities

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:05 PM PDT

Commerce officials are to expand a crackdown on smuggling in Mandalay Region, particularly to cut down on the import of food unfit for human consumption.

Police nab weapons cache in Mandalay

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:04 PM PDT

Five rifles, 252 bullets, a walkie-talkie and 20 amphetamine tablets wrapped in a sack were seized by police on June 26 after they checked a white Toyota Land Cruiser travelling from Singu to Shwebo in Sagaing Region.

Supporters of jailed Mogok monk plan demonstration

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 08:02 PM PDT

Angry supporters of a monk in Mogok are vowing to take to the streets in their thousands to protest against his arrest for illegal mining.

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News


Burma Army: All quiet on the southern front

Posted: 30 Jun 2015 11:43 PM PDT

The Burma Army informed its Thai counterpart yesterday at the monthly meeting in Tachilek that there has been no fighting along the areas close to the Thai-Burmese border, reported the Thai daily Matichon.
BA all quiet

"All reports on the clashes (between the United Wa State Army and the Burma Army) are unsubstantiated," Maj Aung Tin Oo, Commander of Light Infantry Battalion 526 and co-chairman of the Township level Border Committee (TBC), told Col Praphat Phopsuwan, Commander of the Thai Army's Phamueng Force.

The beefing up of forces between the two sides have forced hundreds of residents in Mongton township, opposite Chiangmai province, to seek refuge inside Thai territory since 2 June, when the Burma Army detained 16 loggers hired by the UWSA.

The UWSA had met government representatives on 24 June in Naypyitaw to defuse the tension. "But we have yet to see any significant reduction of troops on both sides," said an elder.

The two sides that had since 1989 launched joint operations against the Shans' Mong Tai Army (MTA) and, after its surrender in 1996, the Shan State Army (SSA) South, are going through a military confrontation for the second time in two years.

Burma meanwhile informed that a Guo Dazhong, a close aide of Peng Jiasheng, leader of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) that has been fighting against the Burma Army since February, was believed to have crossed the border into the kingdom and requested its cooperation in his capture.

Thailand and Burma hold regular border meetings at three levels:

Township Border Committee (TBC), Regional Border Committee (RBC), and Joint Border Committee (JBC). The last RBC meeting was held in Chiangmai in May.