Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Analysis: State Media’s Untold Stories

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 07:08 AM PDT

With major events absent from headlines, questions arise on why government-run media has failed to reform under the NLD.

The post Analysis: State Media's Untold Stories appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Despite Ban, U Wirathu Vows to Continue ‘Silent Sermons’

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:31 AM PDT

'The silent sermons didn't break any rules or laws, because I didn't speak,' says the nationalist monk.

The post Despite Ban, U Wirathu Vows to Continue 'Silent Sermons' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Southeast Asian Ride Hailing Firm Expands to Burma

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 05:15 AM PDT

Taxi booking service Grab is trialing its product in Rangoon and will scale up gradually, the company says.

The post Southeast Asian Ride Hailing Firm Expands to Burma appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Beset by Delays, Burma-China Oil Pipeline Nears Start-up

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 03:57 AM PDT

Government and industry sources say PetroChina pipeline days away from pumping oil from Kyaukphyu, Arakan State to Yunnan, China.

The post Beset by Delays, Burma-China Oil Pipeline Nears Start-up appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Burma’s National Dialogue: Where Now?

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 03:01 AM PDT

Without truly 'state-based' dialogues to engage multiple stakeholders in the local context, ethnic enclaves will only be reinforced, writes Sai Latt.

The post Burma's National Dialogue: Where Now? appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Good Luck Coins Prove Fatal for Thai ‘Piggy Bank’ Turtle

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 02:46 AM PDT

Green turtle named Omsin died after undergoing a seven-hour operation this month to remove coins from her stomach.

The post Good Luck Coins Prove Fatal for Thai 'Piggy Bank' Turtle appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar Now Journalist Faces Another Lawsuit

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 01:38 AM PDT

Nationalist Ko Thet Myo Oo says the reporter insulted Buddhism during his press conference at the Myanmar Now office.

The post Myanmar Now Journalist Faces Another Lawsuit appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Newborns Offer Frail Hope in Face of Burma Violence

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 10:38 PM PDT

About 75,000 refugees have made the crossing from Burma to reach camps in Bangladesh.

The post Rohingya Newborns Offer Frail Hope in Face of Burma Violence appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 07:35 PM PDT

A boxing match, food festival, circus, light festival, concerts and more—all in Rangoon this week, as picked by The Irrawaddy.

The post Ten Things to Do in Rangoon This Week appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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National News

National News

NPT hotels need govt help

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:58 PM PDT

In 2013, Myanmar hosted the 27th Southeast Asian Games and took the ASEAN Chair in 2014. Most events for both occasions were held in Nay Pyi Taw, and the government then had encouraged hoteliers to build more hotels to meet the demands of an expected high number of visitors.

Restoration of U Bein Bridge underway

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:56 PM PDT

The 170-year-old U Bein Bridge in Mandalay's Amarapura township is being reinforced and restored at a cost of K4 million in time for the annual Thingyan (Water Festival) next month when thousands of visitors are expected to converge at the site to join the festivities, said U Soe Win, secretary of the bridge preservation committee.

IRD imposes commercial tax for gold

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:53 PM PDT

The Internal Revenue Department (IRD) will impose a commercial tax rate of 1 percent and 5pc respectively for gold jewellery and refined gold, it was announced at a meeting with gold entrepreneurs in Nay Pyi Taw on March 15.

Duterte calls European critics ‘crazies’

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:49 PM PDT

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has described European lawmakers as "crazies" in a salty-tongued rebuttal to criticism of his deadly drug war, while vowing again that all traffickers will be killed.

Ex-President hosts dinner to celebrate award

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:44 PM PDT

Former President U Thein Sein, who received the Grand Prize of the 3rd Asia Cosmopolitan Awards from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), hosted a dinner of honour at Kempenski Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on March 19.

Over 4000 lots of jade sold via open tender

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:40 PM PDT

A total of 4454 lots of raw gems and uncut jade are up for bid at the Mani Yadana Jade Hall in Nay Pyi Taw this week.

Safe employment project for women launched

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:34 PM PDT

A project focusing on creating safe working environment and job opportunities for female migrant workers, as well as protecting women workers, has been launched in Yangon.

Factory workers demand 10 days off at Thingyan

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:29 PM PDT

More than 1000 workers at the Ever Sunny Foods (ESI) factory in Yangon Region's Hlaing Tharyar township went on strike yesterday to protest the management's decision to cut the Myanmar New Year holidays from 10 to five days and to demand for labour rights which they claim to be deprived of.

Protests against issuance of NRC continues

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:28 PM PDT

Protests against the ineligible issuance of national registration cards (NRCs) to people regarded as Bengalis in Rakhine State are going to continue for another five days.

Sugar Bill making comeback in May

Posted: 20 Mar 2017 11:27 PM PDT

Efforts to table a bill on Myanmar's sugarcane, sugar and related services, which had been put on hold since 2014, may be revived this May.
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Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News

Stop using civilians as weapons of war, Shan CSOs urge armed groups

Posted: 21 Mar 2017 01:29 AM PDT

Following accusations of extrajudicial killings and the mass abduction of civilians in northern Shan State's Kyaukme district by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), 35 local civil society organizations (CSOs) have released a statement, urging all armed groups to refrain from using civilians as weapons of war.


According to the statement, which was published on Saturday, about 90 villagers were arrested and two were killed by troops from the TNLA between 6 March and 15 March 2017 in Mantong and Namtu townships, which are in Kyaukme district. The arrests were all ethnic Shan villagers.

"Each and every armed group must stop using civilians as their weapon when fighting each other," read the statement. "Please stop violating the villagers. Please understand their position, because whenever any armed group makes a request of them, they are obliged to follow it. Please stop fighting."

Clashes between the TNLA and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) broke out in November 2015, only one month after the RCSS/SSA signed a National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the Burmese government under then president, Thein Sein. The TNLA was excluded from the signing and the peace process.

Clashes between two groups have continued to date.

"We want the Shan and Ta'ang people to live together peacefully," said Sai Seng Murng, a co-organizer of the statement. "We want the government to resolve these problems."

He added: "Armed groups should protect the people, not oppress them."

Regarding the alleged abductions or detention of civilians in Kyaukme, Mong Aik Kyaw, the TNLA's spokesperson, told DVB on March 15 that his group did not arrest the villagers. He said the villagers were called in for a seminar about the dangers of drugs.

However, the CSOs' statement said that among those arrested, three villagers are still listed as missing. At the time of reporting, there is no news about them.

Fighting continues regularly in the northern part of Shan State between the Burmese armed forces and ethnic armed groups, both NCA and non-NCA groups. Since 2017, thousands of villagers have been compelled to flee their homes due to the various armed conflicts.  

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
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