National News

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• More fighting and more abductions: Northern Shan villages robbed of children
• Yangon’s deepening housing crisis leaves families on the streets
• Rights commission slams govt for not helping squatters
• Kachin poppy eradicators clash with growers
• Govt launches Zika virus awareness campaign
• Indawgyi named a protected wetland area
• First parliamentary committees nominated
• New Bill Committee chair wades into 59(f)
• Andy Hall talks upgrades to the migration policy after meet with NLD

More fighting and more abductions: Northern Shan villages robbed of children Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST As they put on their new dresses and checked their make-up, Nang Kyan Khan and Nang Htwe Yin were excited about the festival ahead. At 7pm on December 28 the two pre-school teachers said goodbye to their families in remote Mong Paine village and left in a taxi – a rare treat – which the fun-loving 20-year-olds had hired to take them over the rough tracks of northern Shan and into neighbouring Nant Onn. They never made the celebrations.

Yangon’s deepening housing crisis leaves families on the streets Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST The number has surged from an estimate of 65,000 at the end of 2013 on government and privately owned land, but no official survey has been done since, U Win Naing, deputy director of housing development in the Ministry of Construction, told The Myanmar Times in mid-January. It has been suggested that there may be as many as 2 million squatters.

Rights commission slams govt for not helping squatters Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Forced evictions in Yangon and Mandalay last month have led to the creation of a "new breed of roadside squatters", according to the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.

Kachin poppy eradicators clash with growers Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Activists of a Christian-based anti-narcotics group, Pat Ja San, said their teams sent to eradicate fields of opium poppies clashed yesterday with angry cultivators armed with catapults and clubs in Kachin State's Waingmaw township.

Govt launches Zika virus awareness campaign Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Following a confirmed case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Thailand this week, Myanmar's Ministry of Health is launching a public awareness campaign.

Indawgyi named a protected wetland area Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary has been declared a protected site of international importance for its diversity of water birds, fish and reptiles. Known as a Ramsar Site, after the international Ramsar Convention of 1971, it is Myanmar's second such site. The designation was announced on February 2, World Wetlands Day.

First parliamentary committees nominated Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Despite its overwhelming majority in parliament, the National League for Democracy will organise inclusive parliamentary committees, according to a party representative.

New Bill Committee chair wades into 59(f) Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST Nominated as chair of the Pyithu Hluttaw Bill Committee yesterday, NLD member U Tun Aung said he intends to amend the constitution.

Andy Hall talks upgrades to the migration policy after meet with NLD Posted: 04 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST A rights activist based in Thailand, Andy Hall is an advisor to the Migrant Worker Rights Network, and has been advising the defense of the Koh Tao murder trial. He said the new government needs to root out corruption in the migration sector

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