Tuesday, February 4, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

NLD Renegade Joins New Myanmar Political Party

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 06:21 AM PST

Lawmaker U Kyaw Zay Ya, dismissed by the National League for Democracy for "damaging the party's image," will serve as vice president for the People's Pioneer Party.

Myanmar Opium Cultivation in Decline: UN Report

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 05:48 AM PST

Despite declines elsewhere in Myanmar, the UNODC says, opium growth remains tough to address in conflict areas of Shan and Kachin states.

Coronavirus Hits Myanmar’s Travel Agents

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 04:24 AM PST

Myanmar's travel agents had been expecting another record year for Chinese tourist arrivals but the coronavirus is forcing cancellations until the end of the peak season.

Rohingya Robbery Suspect Killed in ‘Gunfight’ After Refugee Camp Shooting

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 04:02 AM PST

Bangladeshi police shot and killed a Rohingya refugee suspected of robbery hours after an early shooting in Nayapara Camp left a dozen Rohingya wounded.

Young Mother Killed, Three Wounded in Artillery Strike in Myanmar’s Rakhine

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 04:01 AM PST

Both the military and Arakan Army deny targeting civilians, after artillery kills a mother of two and wounds three others in Kyauktaw.

Myanmar Military Asks Govt to Punish Minister for Police Remark

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 03:43 AM PST

A military spokesperson asked the government to reprimand the religious affairs minister for implying the police are controlled by the military, not the government.

Internet Ban Reimposed in Five Townships in Western Myanmar

Posted: 04 Feb 2020 02:33 AM PST

Telecom firm Telenor says the government has reimposed an internet blackout in five townships in Rakhine and Chin states, though no official announcement has been made.

Myanmar’s Arakan Liberation Party Seeks to Hold Rakhine National-Level Dialogue

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 10:54 PM PST

The Arakan Liberation Party, an NCA signatory, has asked the government to let the Rakhine people hold a national-level dialogue before the next Union Peace Conference. 

US Disinfectant Maker Boosts Output as China Hospitals Battle Virus

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 10:39 PM PST

A US disinfectant maker is rushing to fill orders from China, which is running out of supplies needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Hong Kong Reports First Coronavirus Death as Hospital Workers Escalate Strike

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 10:33 PM PST

Hong Kong has reported its first coronavirus death—and the second outside mainland China—amid a strike by hospital workers demanding the Chinese border be closed.
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Monday, February 3, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar State Counselor Urges Yangon Govt to Be Transparent

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 05:40 AM PST

De facto national leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has urged Yangon regional cabinet members—who have been accused of spending irregularities—to be transparent in their work.

Myanmar Court Grants Bail to Lawyer and Poet Sued by Military

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 05:28 AM PST

A Tanintharyi Region court has granted bail to lawyer U Kyi Myint and poet U Saw Wai in a defamation case brought by the military over their comments about charter amendment.

Myanmar Govt Asks Tour Operators to Suspend Travel Services for Chinese Visitors

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 03:07 AM PST

The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has met with tour operators and asked them to temporarily stop offering services to travelers planning to visit from virus-hit China.

Myanmar Suspends Visas-on-Arrival for Chinese Travelers Over Coronavirus

Posted: 03 Feb 2020 01:37 AM PST

Myanmar will stop issuing visas-on-arrival for Chinese citizens over concerns about coronavirus, suspending its two-year pilot visa program aimed at promoting tourism.

Chinese Visitor to Myanmar Tests Negative for Coronavirus, Released After Four Days of Quarantine


Posted: 02 Feb 2020 11:08 PM PST


A Chinese visitor quarantined in Yangon since Friday does not have the coronavirus, lab tests show; he has been released along with two locals on the same flight.

China to Supply 1.2 Trillion Yuan to Money Markets Amid Virus Spread

Posted: 02 Feb 2020 09:19 PM PST

In a bid to stabilize markets amid the spread of the coronavirus, China's central bank vowed to inject some 1.2 trillion yuan into the country's financial system.

Virus Deaths in China Top 360, Overtake Mainland Toll for SARS

Posted: 02 Feb 2020 09:06 PM PST

The number of fatalities in China due to the coronavirus has reached 361, exceeding the toll the SARS outbreak in 2002-03.

After Eight-Day Construction, China Virus Hospital Starts Receiving Patients

Posted: 02 Feb 2020 08:55 PM PST

A 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan, China built in just eight days especially to treat people infected with the coronavirus started receiving patients on Monday.
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Sunday, February 2, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Evacuates 59 Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan, China

Posted: 01 Feb 2020 09:29 PM PST

All but four of the 63 Myanmar students who had been stranded in Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, were evacuated on Sunday and are in quarantine in Mandalay.
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Saturday, February 1, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar’s Lawyers Made Feeble Case at ICJ: Legal Expert

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 07:30 PM PST

Dr. Salai Ngun Cung Lian of the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Study says Myanmar's lawyers failed to challenge genocide charges at the International Court of Justice.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 06:30 PM PST

This week, Myanmar saw trade and tourism slow due to the coronavirus outbreak and faced criticism from European investors, but signed a major deal with a Thai developer.

This Week in Parliament

Posted: 31 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST

The Irrawaddy briefs you on the week that was in the national legislature.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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