Saturday, April 1, 2017

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Residents of Shan State’s Mong Hsu and Kyethi Head to the Polls

Posted: 01 Apr 2017 01:30 AM PDT

Unable to vote in the 2015 general election due to conflict, Central Shan State townships buck nationwide trend of low voter turnout.

The post Residents of Shan State's Mong Hsu and Kyethi Head to the Polls appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Voter Turnout Sluggish in By-Election

Posted: 31 Mar 2017 10:40 PM PDT

A total of 19 regional and Union parliament seats are up for grabs in by-elections, but voters appear reluctant to cast their ballots.

The post Voter Turnout Sluggish in By-Election appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Rohingya Rebel Leader Vows to Fight On

Posted: 31 Mar 2017 10:04 PM PDT

Ata Ullah of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, who previously claimed responsibility for October border post attacks, denies links to foreign Islamists.

The post Rohingya Rebel Leader Vows to Fight On appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (April 1)

Posted: 31 Mar 2017 09:11 PM PDT

Trade deficit up; state businesses under scrutiny; ADB announces new plan; Bangladeshi telecom firm invests in Burma; Junction City opens in Rangoon.

The post The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (April 1) appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Dateline Irrawaddy: ‘The Govt Must Review What it has Accomplished in a Year and Accept Criticism’

Posted: 31 Mar 2017 08:13 PM PDT

This week, The Irrawaddy discusses the successes and weaknesses of the NLD government's policies one year after it assumed office.

The post Dateline Irrawaddy: 'The Govt Must Review What it has Accomplished in a Year and Accept Criticism' appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Shan Herald Agency for News

Shan Herald Agency for News


RELEASE THE BURMA ETHNIC CENSUS RESULTS NOW!

Posted: 01 Apr 2017 04:19 AM PDT

Dear Aung San Suu Kyi,

Last December, your Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population said that the ethnic data would be finalized in the first four months of 2017. It is now April, time - according to your own schedule - to release the last results of a census that was undertaken literally three full years ago.

You have even just published population forecasts for 2050, of all things. No mention of the ethnic count, though.

What are you afraid of? You expect the ethnic nationalities to trust you in the peace process. Yet you refuse to release this most basic of information - the country's actual ethnic makeup. Given this conduct, how can they possibly trust you on anything?

The ethnic nationalities of Burma are not the enemy, although you are acting as if they are. Your administration and Burma's real power - and your partner, the Tatmadaw, refuse to meet any of their demands, even though they are all eminently reasonable, in a real democracy.

You must be joking. Of course there can never be peace if you and the Tatmadaw behave like this. Much more likely, you and the generals don't even want peace, just a useless process to trick the people of the country and the world.

This is my advice to the ethnic armed organizations: Don't trust anything you say. Never sign the NCA. Don't attend the UPC, without an extended halt to Tatmadaw aggression. Demand the ethnic census results, as a first step good faith proof that you are not in fact their enemy.