Friday, January 31, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Yangon Hotel Hosts Buffets Showcasing US Dishes

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 05:14 AM PST

The Sedona Hotel Yangon, in cooperation with the US Embassy, is hosting two weeks of buffets showcasing high-quality food and wine from the US.

Suspected Chinese Coronavirus Patient in Stable Condition: Myanmar Hospital

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 05:04 AM PST

A Chinese man quarantined in Yangon on suspicion of carrying the coronavirus after arriving on a flight from Guangzhou has no fever but doctors are awaiting test results.

Mandalay to Screen Chinese Visitors Amid Coronavirus Scare

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 04:47 AM PST

The Mandalay authorities say they will retrace the steps of 73 Chinese citizens from Wuhan who visited the city after the coronavirus outbreak was announced.

Myanmar Home Affairs Minister to Retire; Military to Pick Successor

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 04:39 AM PST

Myanmar's Minister of Home Affairs, Lt-Gen. Kyaw Swe, will soon retire, leaving the post open for the military to pick a new minister with Parliament's approval.

Resistance Struggle Not Over Yet for Myanmar’s Karen, KNU Chief Says

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 03:38 AM PST

On the 71st Karen Revolution Day, KNU chairman General Mutu Say Poe said the group's revolutionary struggle will continue until true political dialogue is established.

Myanmar Police Call on Thailand, Laos in Case Against AA Chief’s Relatives

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 01:44 AM PST

Myanmar police have asked authorities in Thailand and Laos for help in a counterterrorism case against the sister and brother-in-law of Arakan Army chief Tun Myat Naing.

Myanmar Forms Central Committee to Coordinate Coronavirus Response

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 01:08 AM PST

The government has set up a committee to manage its response to the coronavirus outbreak comprising vice ministers of key ministries and state/regional chief ministers. 

Chinese Visitor Arriving at Yangon Int’l Airport Suspected of Having Coronavirus

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 11:06 PM PST

The patient, a Chinese passenger who arrived in Yangon on a flight from Guangzhou, has been taken to a hospital for further observation.

North Korea Suspends All Air, Train Links With China Over Virus

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 10:04 PM PST

In response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak, neighboring North Korea has suspended all flights and trains to and from the country, according to the UK ambassador.

Anti-Chinese Sentiment Spreads Abroad Along With Coronavirus

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:43 PM PST

Fear of China and discriminatory behavior targeting Chinese travelers and workers have spread along with the coronavirus.

WHO Declares Global Emergency as China Virus Death Toll Reaches 170

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:16 PM PST

The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency as the death toll reaches 170 in China.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Amid Chinese Flu Fears, Mandalay Goes Without Masks While Dealers Make Profits

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:34 AM PST

Face-mask supplies are running low in Mandalay, although pharmacies say dealers are buying them in the hope of selling them on later for profit.

KNU Denies Targeting Myanmar Military Officer Killed in Mine Blast

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:22 AM PST

The KNU has rejected the military's claim it deliberately targeted a battalion commander killed while providing security for a road project the ethnic group opposes.

Myanmar’s Karen Education Group Sounds Alarm Over Sharp Cut to Funding

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 05:59 AM PST

The Karen Teacher Working Group says a key donor will cut 80% of its funding for the Karen education system, putting over 1,500 Karen schools at risk of losing teachers.

Beats and Breaks in Burma: Myanmar’s Biggest Dance Crew

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 05:18 AM PST

After winning 'Myanmar's Got Talent', Junior Creative dance crew took to the 'America's Got Talent' stage and will soon compete in Asia's version of the competition.

Myanmar Parliamentary Committee Chairman Says Members Returned Cash Gifts to Mining Company

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 03:42 AM PST

Members of an Upper House committee did not realize gifts they received from a mining company included cash, the panel's chairman said after bribe accusations.

A Tale of 3 Myanmar Political Assassination Plots

Posted: 30 Jan 2020 01:56 AM PST

Three years after the murder of prominent NLD lawyer U Ko Ni, The Irrawaddy revisits a 2019 commentary on the history of political assassinations in modern Myanmar.

Myanmar ‘On Waiting List’ to Evacuate Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:26 PM PST

The government said plans are in place to evacuate and conduct health checks on 63 Myanmar students in virus-hit Wuhan, China, pending approval from Chinese authorities.

Japan Scrambles to Contain Coronavirus as Evacuees Return

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:40 PM PST

Japan has confirmed eight coronavirus infections and is scrambling to implement containment measures as more than 200 evacuees return from China.

US Evacuees From Virus-Hit Wuhan Quarantined at California Air Base

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:25 PM PST

The US State Department has airlifted nearly 200 Americans from virus-hit Wuhan, China to a California air base, where they will be observed for 72 hours.

The Day Author and Traveler Somerset Maugham Revisited Myanmar

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST

On this day in 1960, the 86-year-old British author W. Somerset Maugham visited Yangon to recount stories of his 1923 exploration of the country during colonial rule.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


European Firms, Local Dealers Slam Govt’s Tax-Free Car Import Scheme

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:37 AM PST

European firms and car companies in Myanmar are urging the government to drop a plan to allow civil servants to import cars tax-free, saying the move is bad for business.

AA Releases Executive of Myanmar Military-Backed Mytel, Driver

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:31 AM PST

The Arakan Army has freed the Rakhine State director of military-backed telecom operator Mytel and his driver after a month in captivity.

Kachin NGOs Ask for Mask Donations for IDPs Near China-Myanmar Border

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:24 AM PST

Shops have sold out of face masks along the Chinese border as fears about the coronavirus grow. NGOs are asking people to send masks for the crowded IDP camps.

Myanmar University Rector Forced to Retire Over Dodgy Contract

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:07 AM PST

Mandalay University's rector is being forced to retire for breaching government rules about transparent bidding over a new food court.

Where are the Assassins?

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:59 AM PST

To mark the third anniversary of the assassination of lawyer U Ko Ni, The Irrawaddy revisits an article calling for justice in his case.

A Hero to Remember

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:51 AM PST

To mark the third anniversary of the assassination of lawyer U Ko Ni, The Irrawaddy revisits an editorial published in the wake of his death in 2017.

ICJ Gives The Gambia, Myanmar Just Six Months to Prepare Pleadings in Genocide Case

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:09 AM PST

In a sign that it wants to expedite the Rohingya genocide case, the ICJ has given The Gambia and Myanmar an unexpectedly brief six months each to file their pleadings.

Rakhine IDPs Top 160,000; More Aid Needed

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:05 AM PST

A local Rakhine group says over 160,000 people have been displaced by fighting in northern Rakhine State and the number continues to swell along with calls for more aid.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Chastises Myanmar Student Protesters

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 03:12 AM PST

The State Counselor reproached university students who raised signs in protest at government education policies during a speech she gave in Naypyitaw on Tuesday.

Ethnic Voters Face Disenfranchisement in Myanmar’s 2020 Election

Posted: 29 Jan 2020 02:55 AM PST

The legitimacy of the 2020 election is threatened by the exclusion of millions of ethnic voters working overseas. Reforms are needed to ensure their participation.

India, Bangladesh Consider Evacuating Citizens From China’s Wuhan

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:23 PM PST

Indian, Bangladeshi governments say they are in negotiations to bring citizens home from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the worsening coronavirus outbreak.

China Virus Toll Passes 130; US Weighs Flight Ban

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:08 PM PST

The White House is reportedly considering suspending flights between the US and China as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak passes 130.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar Troops Order Civilians to Leave Rakhine Camp: Witnesses

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:14 AM PST

Adding to their dismay, civilians fleeing the fighting between the army and the AA say they have nowhere to go after being evicted by the military.

Bangladesh Police Bust Int’l Gang Trafficking Rohingya Women Into Sex Work in Malaysia

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:58 AM PST

Dhaka police have arrested two human traffickers and freed 13 Rohingya women they say were to be sold into sex work in Malaysia after being lured from Cox's Bazar camps.

Myanmar Govt Will Extend School Year Despite Opposition From Teachers

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:50 AM PST

The Ministry of Education says it will extend classes for basic education schools through the end of March, rebuffing objections from teachers and teachers-in-training.

TNLA Fighter Shoots Ex-Girlfriend Dead for Refusing to Elope in Myanmar’s Shan State

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:33 AM PST

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army told enraged residents it will take action against a member of the ethnic armed group who killed his ex-girlfriend, a local teacher.

112 Years On, Yangon’s General Post Office Still Links Myanmar With Wider World

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 03:53 AM PST

Yangon's colonial-era General Post Office played a key role in opening the isolated former kingdom up to the rest of the world, despite wars and disruption.

Myanmar’s Extinct Volcano Mt Popa to be Nominated for Unesco Status

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:54 AM PST

Myanmar Geosciences Society says it plans to nominate Mandalay's Mt. Popa as a Unesco Global Park after it is designated as a national-level geopark in June.

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:01 AM PST

Myanmar has sent UNESCO the final draft of its proposal for the ancient Rakhine city of Mrauk-U to be listed as a World Heritage Site; a decision is expected in 2021.

China Nixes Myanmar’s Plan to Evacuate 60 Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:07 PM PST

Sixty Myanmar students are unable to leave Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, after China said it would be 'very difficult' to evacuate foreigners.

China Virus Death Toll Passes 100 as US, Canada Issue Travel Warnings

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 08:51 PM PST

The US has warned its citizens against traveling to China, and Canada has advised against visiting Hubei province, as the coronavirus death toll passes 100.

Cambodia, Sri Lanka Report 1st Cases of New Coronavirus Infection

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 08:33 PM PST

Cambodia, Sri Lanka become 15th, 16th countries to report confirmed coronavirus infections; both cases are Chinese travelers from Hubei province.

Monday, January 27, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Amid Coronavirus Fears, Two Feverish Workers Quarantined at Myanmar-China Border

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 05:32 AM PST

Game meat markets and casinos closed while authorities and ethnic armed groups on the Chinese border increase screening as the flu death toll hits 81.

Charter Amendment Committee Submits Two Bills to Myanmar Parliament Calling for Reduced Role for Military

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 05:02 AM PST

The bills are backed by more than half of all lawmakers, except military MPs and their allies. The men in uniform complain the drafts don't represent their views.

Rakhine Court Releases Civilians Held for 11 Months for ‘Ties to AA’

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 04:35 AM PST

The Sittwe Township Court has ruled that 13 civilians detained since last February were 'wrongfully charged' after the military alleged they had ties to the Arakan Army.

NLD Dismisses Outspoken MP for Hurting Party’s Image

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 04:27 AM PST

The National League for Democracy has revoked the party membership of a Yangon lawmaker who has been critical of the regional government's policies and performance.

Rohingya Women Killed by Artillery Shell in Myanmar’s Rakhine

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 03:41 AM PST

The Arakan Army and Myanmar's military blame each other for an artillery shell that killed two young women when it landed in a village in northern Rakhine.

Wild Elephant Found Skinned in Myanmar Forest Reserve; Poachers Flee Scene

Posted: 27 Jan 2020 01:35 AM PST

Authorities nearly caught a group of poachers red-handed in an Ayeyarwady forest reserve Friday when they found a dead wild elephant skinned with its trunk cut off.

Ex-Myanmar President U Thein Sein to Campaign for USDP Ahead of This Year’s Election

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 11:43 PM PST

Former Union president and current USDP chairman U Thein Sein will campaign for the opposition party ahead of this year's election, a party spokesman said.

Sixty Myanmar Students to Be Evacuated From China as Coronavirus Spreads

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 10:05 PM PST

The Myanmar Embassy in Beijing plans to evacuate 60 students from the Wuhan area by bus and plane as the coronavirus death toll rises to 80.

Confessions of Two Military Men Illustrate the Myth of ‘One Voice’

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 09:40 PM PST

The memoirs of two senior figures in Myanmar's ex-military government shed light on the junta's machinations, and expose the cracks in the monolithic image it projected.

After Four Years in a British Prison in Uganda, Myanmar’s ex-Premier Came Home

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 09:30 PM PST

On this day in 1946, U Saw, leader of British Burma, came home after spending World War II in a British prison in Uganda for saying he would support Japan if it invaded Burma.

China Extends Holiday by Three Days in Bid to Battle Virus

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 09:23 PM PST

China adds three days to Lunar New Year Holiday as authorities try to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has claimed 80 lives.

China Has World’s Second-Largest Arms Industry, Think Tank Estimates

Posted: 26 Jan 2020 09:07 PM PST

China is now second only to the US in terms of the value of its weapons industry, according to a Swedish group that monitors arms sales.