National News

---

• Obama pledges to remove nearly all remaining US economic sanctions
• Dropping UNGA resolution on Myanmar, EU to break 25-year rights precedent
• Facebook post inspires landmark case for migrant workers in Thailand
• President emphasises minorities’ voices
• Kachin CSOs to demand dam nixing
• Govt pledges better enforcement to halt flood of illegal timber to China
• Homes of witnesses in timber case searched for drugs
• Residents demand land for cottage hospital in Popa village
• Sakura factory workers will not be paid for protests, production quota up in the air
• Rainy season to conclude with an extra dousing

Obama pledges to remove nearly all remaining US economic sanctions Posted: 16 Sep 2016 12:14 AM PDT In a move derided by human rights groups, Washington has pledged to fete the progress made by Myanmar's new government by lifting nearly all remaining economic sanctions.

Dropping UNGA resolution on Myanmar, EU to break 25-year rights precedent Posted: 15 Sep 2016 11:26 PM PDT As the 71st Regular Session of the UN General Assembly gets underway this week in New York, the European Union delegation to Myanmar told The Myanmar Times today that it will abandon a time-honoured tradition there: the submission of a UN resolution criticising Myanmar's human rights record.

Facebook post inspires landmark case for migrant workers in Thailand Posted: 15 Sep 2016 11:20 PM PDT Ko Tun Tun Win and his co-workers from Myanmar thought life was fine at the Thammakaset chicken farm in central Thailand, where they reared hundreds of thousands of birds for export to the European Union.

President emphasises minorities’ voices Posted: 15 Sep 2016 11:17 PM PDT President U Htin Kyaw highlighted the importance of recognising the voices and rights of minorities in a formal address read out on his behalf yesterday at a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw to mark International Democracy Day.

Kachin CSOs to demand dam nixing Posted: 15 Sep 2016 11:07 PM PDT More than 50 Kachin civil society organisations will submit a letter tomorrow demanding that a commission evaluating hydropower projects on the Ayeyarwady River recommend cancelling the Myitsone dam in Kachin State.

Govt pledges better enforcement to halt flood of illegal timber to China Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:59 PM PDT In the wake of devastating flooding caused by deforestation, the government has pledged to double down on enforcing a ban on private logging companies, using the army and police to block timber exports to China and to seize illegal logs.

Homes of witnesses in timber case searched for drugs Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:56 PM PDT After more than 550 tonnes of illegal timber were seized from locations throughout a military research forest in Pyin Oo Lwin township, cooperating witnesses say their homes were raided by police. The residents alleged the raids were a form of intimidation.

Residents demand land for cottage hospital in Popa village Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:54 PM PDT Local residents and about 50 monks demonstrated in support of allocating land for a 16-bed hospital in Mandalay Region's Kyaukpadaung township yesterday. Ownership of the land is being contested by farmers.

Sakura factory workers will not be paid for protests, production quota up in the air Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:50 PM PDT The Central Arbitration Council altered a ruling from the Yangon Regional Arbitration Council on September 14, upholding a requirement that the Sakura garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar township's No 3 industrial zone rehire all 316 striking workers but reversing the stipulation that the owner pay them for the month-and-a-half they spent protesting.

Rainy season to conclude with an extra dousing Posted: 15 Sep 2016 10:49 PM PDT Thunderstorms and isolated heavy rain should be expected until the end of the month due to unstable atmospheric conditions caused by the monsoon withdrawal period, said U Kyaw Lwin Oo, director of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

You are subscribed to email updates from National News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States