Thursday, December 31, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


‘A New Normal’: Key Figures in Myanmar Reflect on 2020

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 07:53 PM PST

The Irrawaddy asks prominent individuals in various walks of life about how the events of 2020 impacted them, the lessons they drew and their hopes for the coming year.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


NLD Files Fraud Cases Against 17 Successful Candidates in Myanmar’s Election

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 06:49 AM PST

The National League for Democracy says it is not concerned about the numerous complaints filed against its candidates by the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

Ten Myanmar Women Who Inspired Us in 2020

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 06:41 AM PST

The Irrawaddy profiles 10 inspirational Myanmar women whose strength, passion, courage and creativity shone through in often dark times in 2020.

NLD Sends First Delegation to Discuss Federal Union with Myanmar’s Ethnic Parties

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 02:45 AM PST

Three senior National League for Democracy members are heading to Kachin State for talks with other parties.

The Most Popular Stories of 2020

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 02:37 AM PST

The Irrawaddy takes a step back and presents a compilation of the year's most noteworthy stories as chosen by you, our readers. The following articles were the most read among the many features, commentaries, analyses, interviews and lifestyle pieces we published throughout 2020.

Myanmar’s NLD Again Calls on Arakan Army to Release Three Abducted Ex-Candidates

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 01:12 AM PST

Nothing has been heard from the trio, who were detained while campaigning in Rakhine State, in two and a half months; it is the party's third call for their release.

Myanmar Views New Chinese Border Wall With Growing Unease

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 12:10 AM PST

Friendship evolving into suspicion and mistrust on both sides of the border.

Taiwan’s Second Locally Born Giant Panda Cub Makes Public Debut

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 09:43 PM PST

People thronged Taipei Zoo on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of Yuan Bao, Taiwan's second locally born panda cub.

Coronavirus Variant Found in Britain Detected in US for First Time

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 09:39 PM PST

Officials in Colorado announced the US' first detection of a potentially more infectious strain of the coronavirus that has already been detected in Britain.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Buddhist Nationalist Protest Prompts Calls to Take Action for Breaching COVID-19 Restrictions

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 07:59 AM PST

More than 200 Buddhist nationalists gathered in support of Myanmar's military in central Yangon in defiance of coronavirus restrictions.

Myanmar-China Relations: 2020 Review

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 03:12 AM PST

Throughout 2020, Beijing sought to ensure its BRI plans did not fall off Myanmar's radar screen amid COVID-19. The Irrawaddy looks at the year in bilateral relations.

Myanmar’s Daily COVID-19 Infections Fall Below 1,000

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 02:10 AM PST

The government's disease chief says the public must continue to abide by coronavirus restrictions during new year celebrations.

 Myanmar Military Proxy Party Files Nearly 200 Election Fraud Claims

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 12:59 AM PST

The Union Solidarity and Development Party says democracy is being undermined in Myanmar by biased election handling.

Thailand Can’t Afford to Leave Myanmar Migrants Behind in COVID-19 Fight

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 10:43 PM PST

Thais won't be safe until migrant workers are safe. Guarantees that nobody will be detained when they report for testing, regardless of work status, are a good start.

Japan Gave Intel on China’s Crackdown on Uyghurs to US, Britain

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 09:37 PM PST

A recent ratcheting up of US criticism of China's treatment of its Uyghur population was based on intelligence provided to Western powers by Tokyo.

Indonesia to Close Border to All Foreign Nationals From New Year

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 09:14 PM PST

To keep out a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus, Indonesia has sealed its borders to all but diplomats for the coming fortnight.

Monday, December 28, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar Government Eyes Town Status for Controversial China-Backed Project

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 06:27 AM PST

The vast Shwe Kokko Myaing casino project on the Thai border near Myawaddy has angered residents with alleged links to Chinese criminal gangs and numerous migrants.

Thai COVID-19 Surge Triggers Ugly Social Media Attacks on Myanmar Migrants

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 05:21 AM PST

The governor of Samut Sakhon province is among nearly 1,300 people who have been infected in Thailand's biggest COVID-19 outbreak.

Myanmar Signs Up to Buy India’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 05:06 AM PST

The Serum Institute of India is hoping to gain government approval for its coronavirus vaccine by the end of the month.

Fugitive Former Myanmar Army Officer on Sedition Charge Turns Himself in

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 03:00 AM PST

U Hla Swe spent more than a year on the run after allegedly condemning Myanmar's leaders at a Yangon rally.

Chinese Foreign Minister to Visit Naypyitaw Next Month

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 02:23 AM PST

Wang Yi is expected to push BRI projects and discuss the issues facing Rakhine State during his visit; no specific date has yet been announced.

NLD Sues Chief of Myanmar Military Proxy Party for Using Inflammatory Rhetoric Ahead of Election

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 12:21 AM PST

Ruling party candidate who lost to U Than Htay in Zayarthiri says he has recordings of the ex-general engaging in racial, religious incitement during campaign speeches.

China May Extend Olive Branch to Neighbors in 2021 Ahead of Key Events

Posted: 27 Dec 2020 10:05 PM PST

Ahead of this year's centenary of the Chinese Communist Party and other key events, Beijing is expected to avoid regional behavior that risks harming the party's image.

The Day a US Missionary Was Honored for His Contribution to Myanmar’s Farming

Posted: 27 Dec 2020 06:00 PM PST

On this day 85 years ago, US missionary Brayton Clarke Case was honored with a medal for his imports of cowpea, swine, chicken and corn into the country.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 25 Dec 2020 07:00 PM PST

Myanmar's economy is trying to break out of the COVID-19 gloom by relaxing restrictions and starting large infrastructure projects.

Friday, December 25, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar’s Economic Year in Review

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 06:30 PM PST

In 2020, COVID-19 brought a sharp slowing of growth and a raft of measures aimed at saving the economy, along with a landmark trade deal and some good news on investment.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar Military Claims to Find Over 70,000 Irregularities on Voter Lists

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 04:53 AM PST

Election sub-commissions in the reviewed townships reject the claims as 'absurd'.

Shan Party Candidate Alleges Fraud in Myanmar’s General Election

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 03:03 AM PST

Shan Nationalities League for Democracy candidate U Maw Tun Aung says voting procedures should be tightened up ahead of the next election.

Child Rapist-Killer Publicly Executed by Shan Ethnic Armed Group

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 01:51 AM PST

The Shan State Progress Party took the unusual step of revealing the execution, saying it had proof of the man's guilt.

Myanmar Plans to Buy India’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 01:08 AM PST

Emergency authorization of the vaccine expected by the end of December with Myanmar vaccinations to roll out by April.

China Launches Anti-Monopoly Investigation of IT Giant Alibaba

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 01:04 AM PST

China's market regulator has launched an anti-monopoly probe into IT giant Alibaba.

Moderna Expects Vaccine to Be Effective Against Coronavirus Variants

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 01:03 AM PST

US biotech firm Moderna expects its vaccine to be effective against variants of the coronavirus.

Global Beer Consumption Rises for 2nd Year in 2019: Kirin

Posted: 24 Dec 2020 01:01 AM PST

Global beer consumption rose for the second straight year in 2019, Kirin said.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


In Myanmar, Campaigners Say No to Trash Burning Over Health Hazards

Posted: 23 Dec 2020 05:58 AM PST

Every cool season, Yangon's air pollution rises to dangerous levels as people burn the many dead leaves that accumulate, along with plastic and other trash.

Myanmar Says Chinese ‘COVID-19’ Fence Breaches Border Agreement

Posted: 23 Dec 2020 04:55 AM PST

China has erected a barbed-wire fence along its border to stop migrants from Myanmar bringing coronavirus to western China.

Rohingya Complain About Myanmar’s Relocation Plans to ‘Flooded’ Camp

Posted: 23 Dec 2020 02:49 AM PST

Around 1,000 Rohingya have lived in a temporary camp in Rakhine State since they were driven from their homes in Kyaukphyu in the 2012 violence.

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Movers and Shakers of 2020: The Irrawaddy’s Persons of the Year

Posted: 22 Dec 2020 05:37 AM PST

The Irrawaddy looks back on the people, groups and institutions that dominated the news in a year marked by the fight against COVID-19 and the NLD's election win.

Thailand’s New COVID-19 Outbreak: Myanmar Migrants Mustn’t Be Scapegoated

Posted: 22 Dec 2020 04:48 AM PST

In reacting to the COVID-19 cluster in Samut Sakhon, Thai officials must take care not to stigmatize the Myanmar migrants on whom the seafood hub's economy depends.

Myanmar Police Prosecute Activists Celebrating Human Rights Day

Posted: 22 Dec 2020 01:37 AM PST

Three rights campaigners in Rakhine State have been prosecuted or failing to obtain permission before holding a protest in Sittwe to mark Human Rights Day.

Myanmar Workers in Thailand Need Better Welfare Protection

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:26 PM PST

Thailand should include all migrant workers, both registered and unregistered informal workers, in the country's social protection policies.

Singapore Receives Asia’s 1st Shipment of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:21 PM PST

Asia's first shipment of coronavirus vaccine arrived in Singapore on Monday; the government aims to have enough shots for the whole country by late 2021.

South Korean Capital Limits Gatherings to Four as COVID-19 Surges

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:13 PM PST

Fearing that end-of-year gatherings will fuel a spike in coronavirus cases, Seoul and nearby areas have banned people from meeting in groups of more than four.

Monday, December 21, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


More Than 600 Myanmar Migrants Infected in Thai COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 05:58 AM PST

Hundreds of Myanmar migrants working in markets and factories in the Thai seafood industry hub of Mahachai near Bangkok have tested positive for COVID-19.

Two Chinese Nationals Test COVID-19 Positive in Wa State

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 03:54 AM PST

The heavily armed enclave on the Chinese border in Shan State has remained coronavirus-free until recently.

Myanmar to Start Joint Projects With Three Asian Countries

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:38 AM PST

Major infrastructure projects planned with Thai, Singaporean and Korean firms in the nation's commercial hub are nearing the construction phase, the government said.

Myanmar Civilians Demand Protection from TNLA Kidnappings

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:18 AM PST

Mogoke Township residents say the authorities should do more to protect them after a string of abductions by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.

Myanmar’s NLD Says Election Law Bars Hasty Vote in Areas Where Nov. 8 Poll Canceled

Posted: 21 Dec 2020 12:14 AM PST

Despite a lull in fighting in Rakhine, election laws and logistical problems rule out a quick rescheduled vote in disenfranchised areas, the ruling party says.

For Myanmar, China Poses the Thorniest Foreign Policy Challenge

Posted: 20 Dec 2020 11:38 PM PST

Chinese President Xi Jinping's assertive 'New Era' initiative raises serious questions for all the nations of Southeast Asia.