The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Embracing Isolation: Reflections on the Value of Confinement Amid COVID-19
• Myanmar Migrants’ Return from Thailand Delayed Over Travel Hassles
• Myanmar Tourism Sector Braced for 50% Job Cuts Amid COVID-19 Downturn
• Myanmar Military Condemns UK Move to Continue Sanctions
• Myanmar’s First COVID-19 Patient Recovers, Leaves Hospital
• Myanmar Govt Offers to Pay Factory Workers 40% During COVID-19 Inspection Closures
• Three Myanmar Military Officers Infected With COVID-19 in Russia ‘Doing Well’: Army
• Migrant Workers Left Jobless and Trapped by Thai Coronavirus Lockdown
• Singaporeans Who Break Quarantine for Food Pay Hefty Bill
• Japan Mulls 1-Month Extension to State of Emergency Over Coronavirus

Embracing Isolation: Reflections on the Value of Confinement Amid COVID-19 Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:30 PM PDT If we face the isolation imposed on us by the coronavirus with determination and imagination, we could emerge stronger.

Myanmar Migrants’ Return from Thailand Delayed Over Travel Hassles Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:16 AM PDT Over 16,000 migrant returnees will have to wait for a few more days as Thailand extended a state of emergency and travel restrictions over COVID-19.

Myanmar Tourism Sector Braced for 50% Job Cuts Amid COVID-19 Downturn Posted: 30 Apr 2020 06:04 AM PDT Tour operators are not expecting a return to normality until 2023 as the world turns away from tourism after the coronavirus outbreak.

Myanmar Military Condemns UK Move to Continue Sanctions Posted: 30 Apr 2020 04:11 AM PDT The Myanmar military says the UK's recent decision to extend sanctions against 14 of its officers hurts the position and dignity of the armed forces.

Myanmar’s First COVID-19 Patient Recovers, Leaves Hospital Posted: 30 Apr 2020 04:02 AM PDT A 36-year-old man who was the first person in Myanmar to test positive for the coronavirus left hospital in Chin State on Wednesday after making a recovery.

Myanmar Govt Offers to Pay Factory Workers 40% During COVID-19 Inspection Closures Posted: 30 Apr 2020 03:16 AM PDT Registered workers have been promised compensation while their factories are closed as most factories go back to work after passing coronavirus checks.

Three Myanmar Military Officers Infected With COVID-19 in Russia ‘Doing Well’: Army Posted: 29 Apr 2020 11:59 PM PDT Three Myanmar military officers who tested positive for COVID-19 while undergoing training in Russia are responding well to treatment, a Tatmadaw spokesman said.

Migrant Workers Left Jobless and Trapped by Thai Coronavirus Lockdown Posted: 29 Apr 2020 11:12 PM PDT Some 500,000 migrants in Thailand are now unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis; many cannot access government aid, but are unable to go home due to border closures.

Singaporeans Who Break Quarantine for Food Pay Hefty Bill Posted: 29 Apr 2020 10:50 PM PDT Singaporeans who can't resist the urge to sneak out for a snack are being fined thousands of dollars for breaking the city-state's COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Japan Mulls 1-Month Extension to State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Posted: 29 Apr 2020 10:32 PM PDT Japanese PM Shinzo Abe will meet with experts Friday to decide whether the country's COVID-19 state of emergency should be extended by a month from May 6.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• When Myanmar’s Dictator Revealed the Burmese Way to Socialism
• More than 1,800 Yangon Factories to Reopen After Passing Myanmar’s COVID-19 Tests
• Doctor-Turned-COVID-19 Patient Sheds Light on Myanmar Health Care Workers’ Struggle
• Sixth Myanmar COVID-19 Death Reported in Yangon
• Shan State Militia, AA Deny Links Through Lucrative Drug Trade
• Corporate Responsibility Is an Integral Part of Korean Investment in Myanmar
• Myanmar Launches Sweeping COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan
• Myanmar Govt to Probe Fatal Shooting of WHO Driver Transporting COVID-19 Swabs
• Hong Kong Civil Servants to Resume Work as Pandemic Stabilizes
• Public Suicide Bid Spotlights Thais’ Frustration Over Long Wait for COVID-19 Aid
• China’s Parliament to Start Key Annual Session on May 22
• When Myanmar Made One of the Largest Bells in the World

When Myanmar’s Dictator Revealed the Burmese Way to Socialism Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:30 PM PDT On this day in 1962, General Ne Win's new dictatorship took to the radio to broadcast its ideology, the Burmese Way to Socialism, which soon pushed Myanmar deep into poverty.

More than 1,800 Yangon Factories to Reopen After Passing Myanmar’s COVID-19 Tests Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:32 AM PDT Myanmar's business hub Yangon has more than 6,000 factories and the coronavirus inspections are ongoing.

Doctor-Turned-COVID-19 Patient Sheds Light on Myanmar Health Care Workers’ Struggle Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:16 AM PDT In a videoconference, an anesthesiologist being treated for COVID-19 thanked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her leadership but urged her to make sure doctors are equipped.

Sixth Myanmar COVID-19 Death Reported in Yangon Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:09 AM PDT A 63-year-old has died with coronavirus, hypertension and diabetes. His infection was linked to the Yangon religious event behind most of Myanmar's cases.

Shan State Militia, AA Deny Links Through Lucrative Drug Trade Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:02 AM PDT The Arakan Army and a Shan State militia deny being partners in an illegal drug trade that nets tens of millions of dollars with the approval of the Myanmar military.

Corporate Responsibility Is an Integral Part of Korean Investment in Myanmar Posted: 29 Apr 2020 05:52 AM PDT A growing number of Korean enterprises are making corporate social responsibility an integral part of their investment in Myanmar.

Myanmar Launches Sweeping COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan Posted: 29 Apr 2020 04:23 AM PDT State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said her government's comprehensive COVID-19 response plan would soften the economic blow of the pandemic and leave no one behind.

Myanmar Govt to Probe Fatal Shooting of WHO Driver Transporting COVID-19 Swabs Posted: 29 Apr 2020 01:44 AM PDT The President has authorized an investigation committee to probe the shooting death of a WHO driver who was attacked while transporting COVID-19 swabs in Rakhine State.

Hong Kong Civil Servants to Resume Work as Pandemic Stabilizes Posted: 28 Apr 2020 10:43 PM PDT With the coronavirus infection rate stabilizing, officials in Hong Kong will start returning to work next week, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said.

Public Suicide Bid Spotlights Thais’ Frustration Over Long Wait for COVID-19 Aid Posted: 28 Apr 2020 10:23 PM PDT A woman swallowed rat poison outside the Thai Finance Ministry to protest the long wait many people have had to endure for COVID-19 relief payments.

China’s Parliament to Start Key Annual Session on May 22 Posted: 28 Apr 2020 10:01 PM PDT China's parliament will begin its key annual meeting on May 22 after a delay of more than two months due to the coronavirus outbreak.

When Myanmar Made One of the Largest Bells in the World Posted: 28 Apr 2020 07:30 PM PDT On this day in 1808, the casting of the Great Mingun Bell, now the second-largest bell in the world, began along the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Myanmar Prepares COVID-19 Relief Package Worth up to Several Billion Dollars
• Myanmar Citizens Jailed for Breaking COVID-19 Curfew Rules
• Myanmar Universities Invent Robots to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Hospitals
• Myanmar Sets Up COVID-19 Committee with Rebel Armies
• Myanmar Central Bank Cuts Rates by Another 1.5 Percentage Points Amid COVID-19 Slowdown
• Myanmar Town Finds Way to Protect Market Vendors, Customers Amid COVID-19
• British PM Johnson Returns to Work After Coronavirus Recovery
• Trump Faults China for Coronavirus’ Spread, Says US Investigating
• Bangladesh Restarts Some Factories; India Debates Easing Restrictions

Myanmar Prepares COVID-19 Relief Package Worth up to Several Billion Dollars Posted: 28 Apr 2020 06:39 AM PDT The new relief plan worth $2-3 billion will boost health spending, aid companies, ease lending conditions, fast-track imports and FDI, and tap foreign funds.

Myanmar Citizens Jailed for Breaking COVID-19 Curfew Rules Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:56 AM PDT Numerous civilians are being sentenced to a month in prison for violating coronavirus curfews amid official claims they were trying to break other laws.

Myanmar Universities Invent Robots to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Hospitals Posted: 28 Apr 2020 05:37 AM PDT Technological universities have invented two robots to help reduce contact between doctors and patients and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Myanmar Sets Up COVID-19 Committee with Rebel Armies Posted: 28 Apr 2020 03:49 AM PDT The President's Office has formed a committee to work with ethnic armed organizations to stop coronavirus spreading around the border regions with China and Thailand.

Myanmar Central Bank Cuts Rates by Another 1.5 Percentage Points Amid COVID-19 Slowdown Posted: 28 Apr 2020 01:44 AM PDT The Central Bank of Myanmar has cut interest rates again, taking its total reduction to 3 percentage points in less than two months as the economy reels from COVID-19.

Myanmar Town Finds Way to Protect Market Vendors, Customers Amid COVID-19 Posted: 28 Apr 2020 01:05 AM PDT In Kalaw, Shan State, an NLD lawmaker's innovative idea for helping market vendors observe social distancing guidelines has won admirers in Myanmar and overseas.

British PM Johnson Returns to Work After Coronavirus Recovery Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:48 PM PDT Returning to work after three weeks in hospital with COVID-19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britain that it was too soon to ease social restrictions.

Trump Faults China for Coronavirus’ Spread, Says US Investigating Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:42 PM PDT US President Donald Trump said the US is investigating China's actions in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak and accused the country of not doing enough to stop it.

Bangladesh Restarts Some Factories; India Debates Easing Restrictions Posted: 27 Apr 2020 10:35 PM PDT Bangladesh has reopened hundreds of factories in its crucial garment industry after a month of closures due to COVID-19; India is also weighing easing some restrictions.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• New Mon State Party Agrees to Close Thai-Myanmar Border Crossings to Curb COVID-19
• Myanmar Sets Up New Unit to Manage COVID-19 Volunteers
• Myanmar Military to Lend State-of-the-Art Machines for Public COVID-19 Testing
• Eight Test Negative for COVID-19 After Contact with Infected Myanmar Factory Interpreter
• Myanmar Plans Flights to Bring Home Nationals Stranded by COVID-19
• Myanmar Parliament to Discuss Budget Allocation, Foreign Loans for COVID-19 Response
• Myanmar Extends Visa and Flight Ban until May 15 to Tackle COVID-19
• COVID-19 Under Control If Myanmar Keeps Current Measures: Health Minister
• Mandalay Regional Govt Distributes Free Cloth Masks to Curb COVID-19 in Myanmar
• All COVID-19 Patients Discharged From Wuhan Hospitals
• Indian Woman Gang Raped After Being Quarantined Alone in School

New Mon State Party Agrees to Close Thai-Myanmar Border Crossings to Curb COVID-19 Posted: 27 Apr 2020 06:17 AM PDT To curb COVID-19, the NMSP has closed Thai border crossings under its control in the Three Pagodas Pass and asked returning migrants to re-enter Myanmar via Myawaddy.

Myanmar Sets Up New Unit to Manage COVID-19 Volunteers Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:29 AM PDT The new National Volunteer Steering Unit, chaired by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, will support existing COVID-19 volunteer groups at quarantine center across the country.

Myanmar Military to Lend State-of-the-Art Machines for Public COVID-19 Testing Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:23 AM PDT The Myanmar military says it will use two high-capacity testing machines already installed at military hospitals to assist with public COVID-19 testing.

Eight Test Negative for COVID-19 After Contact with Infected Myanmar Factory Interpreter Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:19 AM PDT Around 150 others, who came into contact with the infected person at his shoe factory, will be tested for coronavirus, says the health chief in Yangon's industrial hub.

Myanmar Plans Flights to Bring Home Nationals Stranded by COVID-19 Posted: 27 Apr 2020 05:18 AM PDT The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning relief flights to India, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan to bring home stranded nationals.

Myanmar Parliament to Discuss Budget Allocation, Foreign Loans for COVID-19 Response Posted: 27 Apr 2020 04:48 AM PDT Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Myanmar's Parliament has delayed the start of its next session by more than two weeks until May 18.

Myanmar Extends Visa and Flight Ban until May 15 to Tackle COVID-19 Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:51 AM PDT No commercial flights or non-diplomatic visas will not be available until May 15 as Myanmar says numbers under coronavirus quarantine are still growing.

COVID-19 Under Control If Myanmar Keeps Current Measures: Health Minister Posted: 27 Apr 2020 03:11 AM PDT Myanmar's minister of health says the country can avoid a major coronavirus outbreak if it maintains current prevention efforts until mid-May.

Mandalay Regional Govt Distributes Free Cloth Masks to Curb COVID-19 in Myanmar Posted: 27 Apr 2020 01:58 AM PDT The Mandalay regional government is paying small businesses and volunteer groups to produce cloth face masks, which are being distributed to the public free of charge.

All COVID-19 Patients Discharged From Wuhan Hospitals Posted: 26 Apr 2020 11:05 PM PDT For the first time since the global pandemic began there last year, hospitals in Wuhan, China are not treating any COVID-19 patients, health officials said.

Indian Woman Gang Raped After Being Quarantined Alone in School Posted: 26 Apr 2020 10:58 PM PDT A woman who sought help from police after walking for miles amid India's nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was gang raped after being quarantined alone at a school.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Did Myanmar Advance International Law in The Hague?
• The Irrawaddy Business Roundup
• Are COVID-19 Measures Restricting Human Rights in Myanmar?
• The Day Chinese Invaders Were Forced Out of Myanmar

Did Myanmar Advance International Law in The Hague? Posted: 24 Apr 2020 11:19 PM PDT Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's defense of Myanmar in The Hague helped define genocide as a crime deserving of international attention in a way the great powers have seldom done.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup Posted: 24 Apr 2020 08:00 PM PDT The Myanmar government adopts measures to support factory workers, stabilize commodity prices and delay the lottery, and the World Bank will loan the country US$50 million.

Are COVID-19 Measures Restricting Human Rights in Myanmar? Posted: 24 Apr 2020 07:56 PM PDT The Irrawaddy talks with human rights expert U Aung Myo Min and former political prisoner U Bo Kyi about how Myanmar's efforts to combat COVID-19 are impacting human rights.

The Day Chinese Invaders Were Forced Out of Myanmar Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:30 PM PDT On this day in 1954, Chinese Kuomintang troops were forced out of Myanmar in the first large-scale military operation by the independent state.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Back to the Future: In Myanmar, Disease and Propaganda Have a Long History
• Suu Kyi’s Backing for Myanmar Military in Rakhine State Conflict Draws Criticism
• Gunmen Attack Govt Militia on China-Myanmar Border
• China Closes Myanmar Border to Stop COVID-19 Returning
• Myanmar’s Yangon, Ayeyarwady Regions Extend COVID-19 Curfews for 2 Months
• Four Civilians Killed in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
• In Myanmar, Concerns That China’s Help on COVID-19 Comes With Strings Attached
• Myanmar Confirms 12 New COVID-19 Cases for Total of 139
• Trump Downplays Concerns Over Return of Coronavirus Later This Year
• Philippines Extends Capital’s Coronavirus Lockdown to May 15

Back to the Future: In Myanmar, Disease and Propaganda Have a Long History Posted: 24 Apr 2020 07:33 AM PDT Myanmar's state media assure us that COVID-19 is under control; over a century ago, the British found the plague similarly useful as a backdrop for projecting authority.

Suu Kyi’s Backing for Myanmar Military in Rakhine State Conflict Draws Criticism Posted: 24 Apr 2020 06:54 AM PDT Observers and ethnic armed groups say State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's support for the military in the Rakhine conflict damages the peace process.

Gunmen Attack Govt Militia on China-Myanmar Border Posted: 24 Apr 2020 05:44 AM PDT Unknown gunmen attacked the headquarters of a Myanmar government-backed militia in the town of Muse in northern Shan State.

China Closes Myanmar Border to Stop COVID-19 Returning Posted: 24 Apr 2020 04:31 AM PDT To prevent the return of coronavirus from Myanmar, China is threatening anyone crossing the border with prison terms but says trade will be unaffected.

Myanmar’s Yangon, Ayeyarwady Regions Extend COVID-19 Curfews for 2 Months Posted: 24 Apr 2020 03:09 AM PDT Authorities in Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions announced that the nighttime curfews imposed to curb COVID-19 would remain in place for two more months.

Four Civilians Killed in Myanmar’s Rakhine State Posted: 24 Apr 2020 03:06 AM PDT More civilian deaths in Rakhine State have been blamed on Myanmar's military, which says it is battling the Arakan Army "terrorist" group.

In Myanmar, Concerns That China’s Help on COVID-19 Comes With Strings Attached Posted: 24 Apr 2020 01:54 AM PDT Myanmar officials are grateful for China's help in fighting COVID-19, but some observers see an attempt to boost the prospects for Chinese mega-projects in the country.

Myanmar Confirms 12 New COVID-19 Cases for Total of 139 Posted: 24 Apr 2020 01:52 AM PDT Myanmar confirmed 12 new cases of COVID-19 between Thursday night and Friday morning in the largest single-day increase the country has seen so far.

Trump Downplays Concerns Over Return of Coronavirus Later This Year Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:55 PM PDT US President Donald Trump has downplayed health experts' fears of a second health crisis later in the year, in which flu would coincide with a fresh wave of COVID-19.

Philippines Extends Capital’s Coronavirus Lockdown to May 15 Posted: 23 Apr 2020 09:46 PM PDT Manila residents will remain under lockdown until at least May 15, stretching the Philippine capital's COVID-19 quarantine to eight weeks, President Duterte announced.

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