National News

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• Renewed attacks cast doubt on ceasefire pledge
• Amnesty: At least 91 prisoners of conscience behind bars
• Voters asked to put blind faith in NLD
• Mandalay’s Taungthaman Lake to become environmental conservation site next year
• Fishermen agree to return to Indonesia for long-sought justice
• Loudspeaker prayers settle land dispute
• Suspensions meted out on two bus lines after fatal crashes
• Palace facelift set for next year
• ‘Politicians should design a clear roadmap for change and restore public trust’

Renewed attacks cast doubt on ceasefire pledge Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT Fresh offensives by the Tatmadaw in mineral-rich areas of Kachin and Shan states have cast doubt over the government's pledge that it would not use the refusal of armed ethnic groups to sign up to a nationwide ceasefire agreement as a pretext for further war.

Amnesty: At least 91 prisoners of conscience behind bars Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT "Myanmar is set to free all political prisoners." Those were the words of President U Thein Sein in July 2013, which he backed up by pardoning many languishing in jail by the end of that year and releasing a few more among 7000 mostly common criminals three months ago.

Voters asked to put blind faith in NLD Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT "Don't look at the candidates' names. Just find the National League for Democracy logo and cast your ballots."

Mandalay’s Taungthaman Lake to become environmental conservation site next year Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT Conservationists are hoping that a government decision to designate Mandalay's Taungthaman Lake an environmental conservation area could protect the marine life there. The decision follows a series of massive die-offs that have killed tens of thousands of fish in the lake, which is fringed by factories.

Fishermen agree to return to Indonesia for long-sought justice Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT Fishermen who had been enslaved and abused onboard illicit trawlers plying far-flung Indonesian islands will soon be headed back to the nation where they were held captive for up to a decade. This time they're after justice, and will take part in a lawsuit against one of the many fishing companies embroiled in human trafficking cases.

Loudspeaker prayers settle land dispute Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT A dispute over where to build a new religious community hall in Pyinmana township was settled on October 6 with promises of prayers and possible land swaps.

Suspensions meted out on two bus lines after fatal crashes Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT Yangon commuters may be in trouble after two popular bus lines were partially suspended in the wake of lethal accidents.

Palace facelift set for next year Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT The replica of Kanbawzathadi Palace in Bago is slated for renovation next year, but work has already started on refurbishing the interior of the palace complex, said an official from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum under the Ministry of Culture.

‘Politicians should design a clear roadmap for change and restore public trust’ Posted: 07 Oct 2015 02:30 PM PDT Khin Ma Ma Myo is the founder and executive director of the Yangon-based Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security Studies (MIPSS), which was set up this year. She studied politics, economics and governance at universities in Japan and the United Kingdom.

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