Thursday, December 10, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

In Landmark Legal Case, Man Falsely Accused of Toddler Rape Sues Myanmar Police

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 05:47 AM PST

The school driver widely believed to have been framed in the 'Victoria' rape case has brought the first lawsuit by a citizen against Myanmar's police in six decades.

Myanmar Health Chiefs Tell Yangon to Enforce COVID-19 Restrictions

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 02:31 AM PST

Yangon's chief minister says residents are struggling with the financial stress caused by coronavirus rules.

Ex-Military Generals’ Party Broke Law, Myanmar Election Commission Says

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 02:21 AM PST

The wording of the Democratic Party of National Politics' statements alleging electoral fraud amount to threats against election officials, the UEC said.

Myanmar Military Holds Meeting With Arakan Army Officials in Wa Region

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 02:16 AM PST

The two sides held talks for an hour to shore up the current cessation in fighting and to discuss voting in Rakhine; further talks are expected this month.

COVID-19 Cases in Ayeyarwady Spike After Myanmar’s Election

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 01:36 AM PST

The largely rural region has now reported 3,313 coronavirus cases, which are partly being blamed on voters returning for last month's general election.

US Sanctions Chinese Gangster Behind ‘Industrial Zone’ in Myanmar’s Karen State

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 12:14 AM PST

Wan Kuok Koi, a key investor in a Myawaddy development thought to be a haven for illegal businesses chased out of Cambodia, has been sanctioned by the US.

The Day Suu Kyi Won the Nobel Peace Prize

Posted: 10 Dec 2020 12:03 AM PST

On this day in 1991, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the prestigious Norwegian award, sparking increased violence by the military regime.

A Human Rights Day When Myanmar’s Junta Lived Up to its Reputation

Posted: 09 Dec 2020 10:42 PM PST

To mark the 29th anniversary of the former junta's brutal crackdown on the '10-D' student pro-democracy protesters, The Irrawaddy revisits this commentary from 2018.

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Approved in Canada, Likely to Enter Use Next Week

Posted: 09 Dec 2020 09:55 PM PST

Canada has become the third country to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine after the UK and Bahrain.

North Korean Leader Kim’s Sister Raps South for Scorning Anti-Virus Steps

Posted: 09 Dec 2020 08:52 PM PST

The comments from Kim Yo Jong, a key aide to her brother Kim Jong Un, come after South Korea voiced skepticism over claims COVID-19 has not spread in the North.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar’s New Government Needs to Address Failures on the Environment and Public Health Over the Past Five Years

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 08:31 PM PST

From deadly air pollution to deteriorating ecosystems to weak regulatory frameworks, Myanmar's environmental problems call for urgent attention.

Assessing Thailand’s Geostrategic Value to the Biden Administration

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 06:30 PM PST

Understanding these eight points about Thailand's geopolitical strategy will help the Biden administration achieve its aims in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

China Provides High-Tech COVID-19 Lab in Wa State

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 05:21 AM PST

The United Wa State Army has unveiled a coronavirus lab that can test more than 30 swabs per hour using the latest Chinese technology.

Online Myanmar Library Founder David Arnott Dies

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 05:01 AM PST

Arnott set up the Online Burma/Myanmar Library to help establish democracy and human rights in the country.

Mitsubishi to Supply Myanmar With Train Cars for Two Railway Line Upgrades

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 03:46 AM PST

The Japanese company has inked deals worth 69 billion yen to supply carriages for the Yangon Circular and Yangon-Mandalay railway projects.

Military’s Call for Copies of Voting Documents ‘Unlawful’: Myanmar’s Election Body

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 02:53 AM PST

The Union Election Commission says it has no legal obligation to provide documents related to voting.

Myanmar’s COVID-19 Cases Exceed 100,000

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 02:31 AM PST

Yangon residents have been asked to follow coronavirus rules after crowds have repeatedly gathered in the city that has seen 92.7 percent of Myanmar's COVID-19 deaths.

Ethnic Armed Groups in Myanmar’s Shan State Clash in Territorial Dispute

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 01:40 AM PST

The Ta'ang National Liberation Army and Restoration Council of Shan State have clashed, accusing each other of invading their territory.

COVID-19 Taking Huge Toll on Myanmar Manufacturing, Service Sectors, World Bank Says

Posted: 08 Dec 2020 01:20 AM PST

Nearly half of businesses in the two sectors don't expect to survive, the World Bank's survey for October shows.

China’s Growing Influence in Myanmar Ethnic States Raises Alarm

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 10:50 PM PST

Alarm bells should be ringing in Naypyitaw over China's 'salami slicing' strategy in border regions with its neighbors.

South Korea to Consider Joining TPP Trade Pact, President Moon Says

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 10:14 PM PST

For the first time, South Korea's president has raised the prospect of Asia's fourth-largest economy joining the 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
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Monday, December 7, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Army Officer’s Daughter Jailed for Claiming Pressure to Vote for Military Proxy Party

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 05:39 AM PST

The woman's disclosure on Facebook prompted an officer to sue her under Article 505(a) for undermining Myanmar's armed forces.

Series of Abductions by Ethnic Armed Groups Rattle Myanmar Ruby Town

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 05:29 AM PST

Mogoke residents ask rebels to stop kidnapping as three residents have recently been abducted in two months.

Myanmar Rice Exporters Seek Govt Help After Chinese Trader Flees Owing Millions of Dollars

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 04:16 AM PST

A Chinese businessman with ties to the agency that manages China's state companies has disappeared owing Myanmar and Chinese rice traders millions of dollars.

Myanmar’s Ethnic Army Abductee Recalls Mistreatment and Extortion

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 03:45 AM PST

After her family went into debt to pay a ransom for her release, Daw Khin Myint Htay tells The Irrawaddy she now lives in fear.

Over 2,000 Homes Razed by Fire in Two Years of Clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine, Group Says

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 12:18 AM PST

While the Myanmar military blames the Arakan Army for the widespread loss of property in Rakhine, civil groups point to the Tatmadaw's 'clearance' strategy.

Indonesian Social Minister Named as Suspect in Pandemic Bribery Case

Posted: 06 Dec 2020 09:59 PM PST

An Indonesian minister has been questioned by police over bribery allegations linked to a government scheme to distribute aid to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Saturday, December 5, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 07:00 PM PST

China has responded to the NLD's re-election by saying it wants to deepen economic cooperation while Myanmar looks to relax COVID-19 measures.
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Friday, December 4, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Day the ‘Destroyer of Burma’ Died

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 06:30 PM PST

On this day in 2002, former dictator Gen. Ne Win died; he was cremated without fanfare the same day at a ceremony attended by a handful of relatives and others.

Will Myanmar’s New Government Avoid the Mistakes of the Past?

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 06:00 PM PST

Dateline Irrawaddy talks with political observers about their ideal government for Myanmar and the concept of a national unity government.

Three New COVID-19 Cases in Thailand Linked to Thai Workers in Myanmar’s Tachileik

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 07:50 AM PST

Two Thai women who sneaked across the border from Tachileik and a woman who took a flight with them have tested positive for COVID-19 in Thailand.

‘I Can See the UEC Does Not Want Elections’ in Rakhine, Japanese Envoy to Myanmar Says

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 06:12 AM PST

Japanese envoy Yohei Sasakawa tells The Irrawaddy he is disappointed with the Union Election Commission for not acting on his advice that voting can be held in Rakhine.

Myanmar Moves Ahead with COVID-19 Vaccine Plans

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 06:00 AM PST

As other countries look to buy new coronavirus injections, Myanmar is looking for affordable options to inoculate up to 60 percent of its population. 

Medics in Myanmar’s Mandalay Fall Sick with COVID-19 as Cases Spike

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 03:31 AM PST

As Myanmar's second-biggest city is reeling with a coronavirus surge, residents complain about the authorities' unwillingness to prosecute those breaking the rules.

War-Weary Rakhine Residents Cautiously Welcome Détente Between Military, AA

Posted: 04 Dec 2020 12:45 AM PST

Despite a lull in armed clashes since early last month, locals worry about a possible resumption in fighting as there is no peace agreement between the two armies.

UN Chief Seeks to Rally Aid for Poor Nations Amid Pandemic

Posted: 03 Dec 2020 09:13 PM PST

UN chief Antonio Guterres called on the global community to ensure poor countries are able to combat the coronavirus at a special session of the General Assembly.
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Thursday, December 3, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Japan’s Stepped-Up Negotiating Role a Welcome Development in Myanmar

Posted: 03 Dec 2020 03:06 AM PST

The trust that Japan enjoys on both sides of the Rakhine conflict has already yielded results on the ground; the same cannot be said of other foreign negotiators.

Myanmar’s NLD MPs Can Scrutinize NLD Governments: Party Deputy

Posted: 03 Dec 2020 01:58 AM PST

The National League for Democracy's vice-chairman, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, says an opposition is not essential when holding NLD regional governments to account.

Myanmar’s Election Body Rejects Military Moves to Seize Voting Documents

Posted: 03 Dec 2020 12:29 AM PST

Myanmar's military says it is carrying out a probe into voter fraud claims made by its defeated political allies.

Japanese PM Suga Vows to Utilize Ocean to Achieve Zero-Carbon World

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 10:19 PM PST

Fourteen world leaders have released a manifesto outlining how their countries will prioritize ocean conservation without impinging on economic activity.

Britain Approves Pfizer Vaccine for COVID-19

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 10:12 PM PST

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his government would start the biggest vaccination in the UK's history, now that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has been approved there.

Will the Position of State Counselor be Renewed by Myanmar’s New Government?

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 09:30 PM PST

Some in the Tatmadaw would prefer to install a consultative council to reduce the authority of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Military Chief ‘Wants Democratization’, Kachin Religious Leader Says After Talks

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 05:35 AM PST

Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson tells The Irrawaddy he urged the Tatmadaw chief to make the military's demining efforts in Kachin the basis for further peacebuilding with rebels.

Myanmar Teachers’ Groups to Defend Staff from Election Fraud Claims

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 03:32 AM PST

A committee has been formed to counter Union Solidarity and Development Party accusations that teachers assigned to polling stations committed electoral fraud.

HK Activists Agnes Chow, Joshua Wong Jailed for 2019 Protest

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 01:14 AM PST

Hong Kong democracy activists Agnes Chow and Joshua Wong have been jailed for 10 and 13.5 months respectively for their roles in an unauthorized protest last year.

Japan Enacts Law to Make Coronavirus Vaccines Free to Residents

Posted: 02 Dec 2020 01:02 AM PST

The Japanese government will foot the bill to vaccinate all residents for free following the passage of a law by the Diet on Wednesday.

Chief of Myanmar’s Anti-Corruption Commission Steps Down

Posted: 01 Dec 2020 11:37 PM PST

U Aung Kyi has resigned as chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission after earning praise from the public as a committed graft-buster.

Lunch With a Myanmar Princess

Posted: 01 Dec 2020 10:38 PM PST

To mark Tuesday's passing of June Bellamy, or Yadana Nat Mei, a princess and one of Myanmar dictator Ne Win's wives, The Irrawaddy republishes a 2019 interview with her.
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