AllSBNews: January 2021

Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Military Arrests National Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint

Posted: 31 Jan 2021 04:51 PM PST

The arrests came just hours before the scheduled opening of the new, NLD-dominated Parliament; party spokesman says military may try to force official handover of power.

Saturday, January 30, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Has Myanmar’s Military Overstepped Its Constitutional Role by Undermining the Integrity of the Election?
Myanmar Military Will Respect Constitution, Commander-in-Chief Says
The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Has Myanmar’s Military Overstepped Its Constitutional Role by Undermining the Integrity of the Election?

Posted: 30 Jan 2021 05:00 AM PST

The Irrawaddy discusses the Tatmadaw and USDP efforts to undo the results of the November vote and undermine the legitimacy of the new Parliament.

Myanmar Military Will Respect Constitution, Commander-in-Chief Says

Posted: 30 Jan 2021 01:50 AM PST

Apparently looking to ease fears of a coup, the Tatmadaw chief said the media misinterpreted his comments on the charter and insisted the military will follow the law.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST

Foreign investment continues to arrive in Myanmar with a major South Korean bank opening in Yangon as honey producers eye EU exports.

Friday, January 29, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Political Ghosts Come Back to Haunt Myanmar
Myanmar’s Political Drama – What Episode Are You Watching Now?
Myanmar’s Supreme Court Hears Election Misconduct Claims Against President, Suu Kyi
Myanmar Election Observers Urge Military to Accept Election Results
Four Years On, No Answers Over Murder of Critic of Myanmar’s Military
COVID-19 Vaccination Delays Opening of Myanmar’s New Upper House
The Mekong Reports China Doesn’t Want You to See
Meeting Between Myanmar Govt, Military Fails to Resolve Crisis Over Election
Western Embassies, UN Chief Urge Myanmar Military to Respect Democracy

Political Ghosts Come Back to Haunt Myanmar

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 08:00 AM PST

Will Myanmar see another coup? The answer depends on whether the military's views have evolved beyond those that drove Gen. Ne Win to seize power over half a century ago.

Myanmar’s Political Drama – What Episode Are You Watching Now?

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:55 AM PST

If the military were to stage a coup, they would be digging their own graves—but Myanmar people have grown to expect the unexpected.

Myanmar’s Supreme Court Hears Election Misconduct Claims Against President, Suu Kyi

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:25 AM PST

Two military proxy parties filed their claims against the leaders and electoral body, accusing them of breaking the law during the November general election.

Myanmar Election Observers Urge Military to Accept Election Results

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 05:15 AM PST

A joint statement has called for the military and its political allies to work with the National League for Democracy to address issues with the Nov. 8 election.

Four Years On, No Answers Over Murder of Critic of Myanmar’s Military

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 03:31 AM PST

Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni was gunned down in daylight at Yangon's airport in 2017 but no motive has been established and the supposed mastermind is still at large.

COVID-19 Vaccination Delays Opening of Myanmar’s New Upper House

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 02:09 AM PST

The new Lower House session will open as scheduled on Monday; the Upper House will meet the following day.

The Mekong Reports China Doesn’t Want You to See

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 01:00 AM PST

The past few years have been some of the driest on record for the Mekong River. Researchers looking for the source of the problem are focusing on Chinese dams.

Meeting Between Myanmar Govt, Military Fails to Resolve Crisis Over Election

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:54 PM PST

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly rejected the military's demands for a vote recount and that the UEC be dissolved.

Western Embassies, UN Chief Urge Myanmar Military to Respect Democracy

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:27 PM PST

Amid rising government-military tensions, the US, UK, EU and other foreign missions said they looked forward to the convening of the new Parliament next week.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Tension Grows Following Military’s Coup Talk
Political, Religious Figures Urge Myanmar Govt, Military Leaders to Talk as Tensions Rise
Myanmar Election Body Rejects Military Allegations of Electoral Fraud
Ethnic Groups Demand Input in Myanmar Land Reforms
Fugitive Nationalist Arrested Before Handing Over Monument Praising Myanmar’s Military
Myanmar Military Chief Warns Constitution Should Be Revoked If Laws Not Followed
Myanmar Religious, Political Figures Respond to Perceived Threat of Military Coup
The Day Gen. Aung San Met Ex-Colonial Administrator and Author Maurice Collis

Tension Grows Following Military’s Coup Talk

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:37 AM PST

The commander-in-chief's recent comments on the possibility of revoking the Constitution have only added fuel to the fire.

Political, Religious Figures Urge Myanmar Govt, Military Leaders to Talk as Tensions Rise

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:22 AM PST

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing should meet after perceived threat of coup, they say.

Myanmar Election Body Rejects Military Allegations of Electoral Fraud

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:07 AM PST

Dismissing military claims of fraud in the Nov. 8 general election, the Union Election Commission said changing the public's will would violate the Constitution.

Ethnic Groups Demand Input in Myanmar Land Reforms

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 04:36 AM PST

Observers say ethnic minority land rights must be respected before progress can be made in the peace process.

Fugitive Nationalist Arrested Before Handing Over Monument Praising Myanmar’s Military

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 04:35 AM PST

Yeomanry Development Party chief Michael Kyaw Myint has been arrested before he got to handover an obelisk praising the military.

Myanmar Military Chief Warns Constitution Should Be Revoked If Laws Not Followed

Posted: 28 Jan 2021 02:30 AM PST

Speaking after a military spokesman refused to rule out another coup, the commander-in-chief said past military governments had twice revoked Myanmar's constitutions.

Myanmar Religious, Political Figures Respond to Perceived Threat of Military Coup

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 10:28 PM PST

A military spokesman's refusal to rule out a coup amid repeated claims of electoral fraud brings unanimous condemnation.

The Day Gen. Aung San Met Ex-Colonial Administrator and Author Maurice Collis

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST

The architect of Myanmar's independence met with Collis at the Dorchester Hotel in London to discuss the country's future.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

A Military Coup in Myanmar Is Unlikely, But….
Myanmar Starts Vaccinating Medics Nationwide Against COVID-19
Residents Refuse to Move for Australia-Myanmar Joint Venture Mine
Myanmar Activists Demand Legal Action After Pro-Military Protest Breaches COVID-19 Rules
Biden Administration Should Tread Carefully on Myanmar’s Rights Issues: Observers
Thailand: In the Eye of the Coming Storm

A Military Coup in Myanmar Is Unlikely, But….

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 06:34 AM PST

To stage a coup, the armed forces would have to defy their own Constitution, which currently provides the legal justification for the political power they already enjoy.

Myanmar Starts Vaccinating Medics Nationwide Against COVID-19

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 06:21 AM PST

Around 750,000 have been selected to receive the coronavirus jabs from India, including frontline medics and senior government figures.

Residents Refuse to Move for Australia-Myanmar Joint Venture Mine

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 05:11 AM PST

Villagers near the Bawdwin mine in northern Shan State are demanding proper replacement housing and compensation before they make way for more mining.

Myanmar Activists Demand Legal Action After Pro-Military Protest Breaches COVID-19 Rules

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 03:12 AM PST

More than 300 demonstrators defied Pathein stay-at-home orders to condemn the Nov. 8 general election results.

Biden Administration Should Tread Carefully on Myanmar’s Rights Issues: Observers

Posted: 27 Jan 2021 12:19 AM PST

Too much pressure from Washington on the Rohingya could push Naypyitaw closer to Beijing and provide ammunition for ultranationalists, they warn.

Thailand: In the Eye of the Coming Storm

Posted: 26 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST

With the US under Biden looking for allies in its stand against China, strategic clarity is needed in Bangkok if Thailand is not to become a pawn in the new great game.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Military Refuses to Rule Out Coup as It Presses Claim of Fraud in Nov. Election
Myanmar Due to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations
Chinese Group Proposes Major Garment Manufacturing Hub in Northern Myanmar
Govt Vows Action After Myanmar Villagers Demand Fertilizer Factory’s Closure Over Pollution
Hundreds More Myanmar Migrant Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 in Thailand
Myanmar World Heritage Site Residents Demand Return of Visitors as COVID-19 Hits Economy
Biden Administration to Approach China With ‘Some Strategic Patience’
The Inside Story of Thailand and Myanmar’s Troubled Dawei Mega-Project

Myanmar Military Refuses to Rule Out Coup as It Presses Claim of Fraud in Nov. Election

Posted: 26 Jan 2021 06:02 AM PST

In a tense exchange with reporters, the military's spokesman recalled the 1988 coup and defended the Tatmadaw's intervention in November's polls.

Myanmar Due to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations

Posted: 26 Jan 2021 05:41 AM PST

Around 750,000 people, including medics and political figures, have been selected to receive the Indian coronavirus vaccine from Wednesday.

Chinese Group Proposes Major Garment Manufacturing Hub in Northern Myanmar

Posted: 26 Jan 2021 04:32 AM PST

Costing more than $370 million, the project in Sagaing Region would be the country's first textile-based industrial cluster.

Govt Vows Action After Myanmar Villagers Demand Fertilizer Factory’s Closure Over Pollution

Posted: 26 Jan 2021 12:35 AM PST

Foul odors, chemical dust plague two villages in Twante Township, leaving crops and water supply damaged, residents say.

Hundreds More Myanmar Migrant Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 in Thailand

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 10:19 PM PST

Some 760 migrant workers, mostly from Myanmar, are among more than 900 new COVID-19 cases in Samut Sakhon, Thai health authorities said.

Myanmar World Heritage Site Residents Demand Return of Visitors as COVID-19 Hits Economy

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 09:51 PM PST

Pagodas in Bagan have been prepared to make them coronavirus-safe, according to employers who are facing bankruptcy.

Biden Administration to Approach China With ‘Some Strategic Patience’

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 08:43 PM PST

White House spokesman says new strategy required to deal with Chinese assertiveness, authoritarianism.

The Inside Story of Thailand and Myanmar’s Troubled Dawei Mega-Project

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says Thailand remains committed to developing the SEZ, despite Naypyitaw's termination of an agreement with the Thai contractor.

Monday, January 25, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Chinese Firm Opens Assessment Tender for Strategic Deep-Sea Port in Western Myanmar
The US Voted for Change; When Will Myanmar Truly Be Able to Do the Same?
Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Keep State Counselor Position, NLD Says
Myanmar Military Sues Rakhine Media over Theft Allegations
Myanmar Military Rolls Out Red Carpet for Russian Defense Minister

Chinese Firm Opens Assessment Tender for Strategic Deep-Sea Port in Western Myanmar

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 06:17 AM PST

Studies on the way on possible environmental and social impacts by Kyaukphyu port project that will give China access to the Indian Ocean.

The US Voted for Change; When Will Myanmar Truly Be Able to Do the Same?

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 05:30 AM PST

In Myanmar, Joe Biden's rapid steps to move the US on from the turbulent Trump era only serve to remind us of how deeply entrenched the legacy of military rule remains.

Myanmar’s Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Keep State Counselor Position, NLD Says

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 04:56 AM PST

The ruling party has yet to identify its candidates for the presidency and the leadership positions in the state and regional governments.

Myanmar Military Sues Rakhine Media over Theft Allegations

Posted: 25 Jan 2021 02:53 AM PST

Development Media Group in Sittwe has been targeted by the military before for reporting on the conflict with the Arakan Army.

Myanmar Military Rolls Out Red Carpet for Russian Defense Minister

Posted: 24 Jan 2021 10:56 PM PST

Sergey Shoigu's visit to Naypyitaw sends a signal that Moscow's role in modernizing Myanmar's military is set to deepen.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 22 Jan 2021 07:58 PM PST

Myanmar and Japan discuss expansion of investments, vaccine arrives from India, power deal inked with Thai, restaurants and tourism sector to some get assistance.

Can Myanmar’s Armed Ethnic Groups Find a Path Toward Becoming Responsible Businesses?

Posted: 22 Jan 2021 07:00 PM PST

The Irrawaddy discusses issues surrounding the Border Guard Force and the complex challenge of transforming armed groups into legitimate enterprises.

Friday, January 22, 2021

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Biden on China: Lane-Changing After Trump?
The Day Britain Moved Its Dead from Shwedagon Pagoda
NLD Poised to Impose Chief Ministers on States and Regions
First Batch of COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive in Myanmar from India
Hotel Construction Threatens Myanmar’s World Heritage Site at Bagan

Biden on China: Lane-Changing After Trump?

Posted: 22 Jan 2021 05:09 AM PST

Myanmar should be a player, not a playground as it negotiates disputes and cooperation between China and the US.

The Day Britain Moved Its Dead from Shwedagon Pagoda

Posted: 22 Jan 2021 04:53 AM PST

After 70 years of lobbying, the British colonial authorities in 1929 finally moved the bodies from a cemetery within the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda compound.

NLD Poised to Impose Chief Ministers on States and Regions

Posted: 22 Jan 2021 04:46 AM PST

The National League for Democracy is set to use its powers under the military-drafted Constitution to enforce its chief ministers on states and regions.