National News

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• China frets over relations with Myanmar
• Activist on hunger strike over president’s security bill
• Hluttaw seeks to limit high-rises in Yangon
• Thailand urged to resume CI process
• Tatmadaw pledges to ‘eliminate’ Arakan Army in Rakhine fighting
• Solutions elusive as traffic jams Yangon
• El Niño expected to hit central Myanmar hard
• A strong devotion to the art of giving
• Health Minister warns on drug-resistant and infectious diseases
• Funding dries up at schools on border

China frets over relations with Myanmar Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST China is clearly anxious over the trajectory of relations with Myanmar, concerned that a West-ward shift in policy under President U Thein Sein will go even further in that direction under the new government to be led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Activist on hunger strike over president’s security bill Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Jailed Letpadaung activist Daw Naw Ohn Hla has gone on hunger strike in protest against a bill now in parliament that would protect President U Thein Sein from prosecution after he leaves office in March. Analysts have criticised the haste with which the bill is being pushed through parliament, but supporters say it is intended only to protect former heads of state from prosecutions arising from actions performed in the course of their official duties.

Hluttaw seeks to limit high-rises in Yangon Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST High-rise buildings not meeting Yangon City Development Committee regulations should be halted, no matter how close to completion or who they are for, MPs declared yesterday.

Thailand urged to resume CI process Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Labour ministry officials from Thailand are due to resume talks today in Yangon with their Myanmar counterparts on the status of up to 3 million Myanmar migrant workers in the kingdom. If successful, the negotiations could lead to an agreement that would legalise the workers' presence in Thailand, and help protect them from the bullying and gouging they say they face as a result of their uncertain status.

Tatmadaw pledges to ‘eliminate’ Arakan Army in Rakhine fighting Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST The Tatmadaw pledged last night that it would "eliminate" the ethnic armed group known as the Arakan Army following nearly two weeks of fighting in remote areas of Rakhine State that has sent more than 200 civilians fleeing to the safety of Buddhist monasteries.

Solutions elusive as traffic jams Yangon Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST U Than Htwe lives in Hlaing Tharyar, a sprawling township 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of central Yangon, but his job is in downtown. Every morning he wakes up in the early hours, quickly downs a cup of tea and rushes to the bus stop at 6:30am just so he can get to his workplace by 9am.

El Niño expected to hit central Myanmar hard Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST A powerful El Niño now building in the Pacific region could pose serious problems for central Myanmar, including drought and disease, meteorologists say. U Kyaw Lwin Oo, director of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, said the effects of the weather pattern that started to form last year could reach full strength in mid-2016.

A strong devotion to the art of giving Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST On reaching the age of 80, and alone in the world, Daw Shwe Phoo Wai sold everything she had and donated the proceeds to charity. Even in a culture where such behaviour is revered, her devotion is rare.

Health Minister warns on drug-resistant and infectious diseases Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST As officials begin to draw up healthcare plans for the next five years, the nation faces two major public health problems: the prevalence of drug-resistant and non-communicable diseases, and the revival of communicable diseases.

Funding dries up at schools on border Posted: 07 Jan 2016 02:30 PM PST Schools for Myanmar migrant workers in Mae Sot, Thailand, are struggling to stay afloat amid uncertainties over donor funding and the intentions of the incoming government in Nay Pyi Taw. For years the schools were dependent on foreign donors as military-junta-era governments made no contribution to the schools' upkeep or teachers' pay. But the installation of the National League for Democracy government in March could lead to reduced donor funding, even as the new government's intentions toward the schools remain unclear.

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