Friday, June 26, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Quarter of a Million Myanmar Workers Left Jobless Due to COVID-19

Posted: 26 Jun 2020 06:01 AM PDT

Some 250,000 Myanmar workers at home and abroad have lost their jobs since March as factories and other employers have shut due to COVID-19, the Labor Ministry said.

Arakan Army Seizes Three Soldiers’ Sons in Western Myanmar

Posted: 26 Jun 2020 05:00 AM PDT

Myanmar's military says it is hunting three young men who reportedly went missing after looking for a drone that belonged to the armed forces.

Top Myanmar General, Indian Defense Chief Talk Border Security, Insurgency

Posted: 26 Jun 2020 01:38 AM PDT

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow to discuss cooperation, as analysts say Myanmar seeks to balance Chinese influence.

Senior Myanmar Police Officer Accused of Sexual Exploitation of Female Officer

Posted: 26 Jun 2020 01:36 AM PDT

A senior policeman has been detained following reports on social media of a sex-for-promotions scandal in the police force.

The Day a Student Leader was Hanged for Anti-Junta Activism

Posted: 25 Jun 2020 07:00 PM PDT

On this day in 1976, student leader Salai Tin Maung Oo became the only student in Myanmar's history to be hanged after leading the 1974 anti-junta protests.

The Day Anti-Chinese Riots Erupted in Myanmar

Posted: 25 Jun 2020 06:30 PM PDT

The rising influence of Mao Zedong among Yangon's Chinese community was blamed for anti-Chinese attacks that led to the severing of diplomatic ties with China.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


World Bank: Myanmar Economy to See Growth Drop by 6.3% This Fiscal Year Due to COVID-19

Posted: 25 Jun 2020 05:30 AM PDT

The bank warns the pandemic is "dealing a severe blow to Myanmar's economy" in its latest projection.

Myanmar to Launch Investment Policy Review

Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:36 AM PDT

In its latest review, the France-based OECD has helped Myanmar identify policies and reforms needed to secure more investment, MIFER said.

US Moves to Protect Lobster Industry by Threatening Tariffs on China

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 10:13 PM PDT

The US is considering slapping punitive tariffs on Chinese seafood if it finds the country is not honoring their Phase 1 trade agreement.

Japan Hits Back Against S. Korean Criticism on World Heritage Sites

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 09:46 PM PDT

Dismissing claims it has failed to recognize the suffering of Korean workers at World Heritage sites during WWII, Tokyo hit back at Seoul's efforts to have them delisted.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar Military: Rakhine Internet Blackout Still Required to Protect Military Secrets

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 05:28 AM PDT

The Myanmar military says the internet shutdown in Rakhine and Chin states will continue so as to prevent leaks of military secrets and stop the spread of hate speech online.

Construction on China’s BRI Deep Sea Port to Start Soon in Myanmar’s Rakhine State: Govt

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 05:26 AM PDT


The Ministry of Commerce says construction will start soon on the Kyaukphyu deep-
sea port, a key piece of China's Belt and Road Initiative with access to the Indian Ocean.

Chinese-Made Arms Due for Myanmar Seized on Thai Border

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:47 AM PDT

Large quantities of top-quality weapons destined for rebel armies have been seized by the Thai authorities and eight suspects have been arrested.

Myanmar Military Says It Won’t Control How Personnel Vote in Upcoming Election

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 02:14 AM PDT

The Myanmar military says its personnel may vote freely in November's election—the first time 1 million military personnel and family members will vote outside their barracks.

Myanmar’s Yoma Strategic to Buy Majority Stake in Wave Money From Telenor

Posted: 24 Jun 2020 12:06 AM PDT

Tycoon Serge Pun's Yoma Strategic Group has announced it will buy a 51-percent stake in mobile financial services company Wave Money from Telenor.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


The Day Deadly Prison Riot in Rangoon Jail Erupted

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 06:30 PM PDT

The British colonial authorities crushed a prison riot in Yangon (then Rangoon) in June 1930 as disturbances gripped the city.

Monk Charged with Murder of Teenager in Myanmar’s Magwe Region

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:47 AM PDT

Police say the monk stabbed the teenager "out of anger" but the victim's family believes it was premeditated and are calling for justice.

Arakan Army Blamed for Ambush on Police Trucks in Western Myanmar

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:43 AM PDT

Three border police were killed and four others injured in an alleged AA attack on trucks bringing reinforcements to tackle the rebel army.

Myanmar SMEs Urge Suu Kyi to Ease COVID-19 Loan Policies

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 05:11 AM PDT

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Myanmar say they aren't able to access government and foreign-backed loans due to strict repayment and application requirements.

Myanmar Seeks to Fly Illegal Migrants Home From Malaysia As More Suicides Reported Amid COVID-19

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 04:32 AM PDT

Thousands of unregistered migrants are stranded without work in Malaysia but the government cannot bring them home yet despite the eighth reported suicide.

Top Myanmar General’s Visit to Russia Will Strengthens Ties: Myanmar Military

Posted: 23 Jun 2020 01:54 AM PDT

Myanmar's military says that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Russia this week will continue to bring the militaries of the two countries closer together.

Monday, June 22, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Myanmar Called to End Yearlong Internet Blackout in Volatile West

Posted: 22 Jun 2020 05:53 AM PDT

Rights groups and diplomatic missions are demanding a mobile internet ban is lifted in parts of Rakhine and Chin states as it affects people's daily lives.

Myanmar Heads of State, Ministers Acquire Land in Capital

Posted: 22 Jun 2020 05:38 AM PDT

The State Counselor, president and Union ministers have acquired highly valuable plots of land in the capital, attracting criticism from the former ruling party.

Local Officials Resign En Masse in Myanmar’s Conflict-Torn Rakhine State

Posted: 22 Jun 2020 05:23 AM PDT

Sixty administrators in a single township in Rakhine have resigned out of fear of being caught up in the conflict between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military.

In Myanmar, General-Turned-Politician Hopes His Party Sees Success in Coming Election

Posted: 22 Jun 2020 02:05 AM PDT

The Irrawaddy talks with U Shwe Mann, ex-general and former Parliament speaker, about how his new Union Betterment Party will contest Myanmar's elections later this year.

Sunday, June 21, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


The Day the British Sentenced Folk Hero Maung Thant to Death

Posted: 20 Jun 2020 10:11 PM PDT

On this day in 1911, a poor farmer who embodied rural people's hopes of a better life and opposition to colonial rule was sentenced to hang by the British.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


The Day Myanmar’s First Prime Minister Met Winston Churchill

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 07:00 PM PDT

As a strong defender of imperialism, Sir Winston Churchill defused any potential tension with U Nu by saying they must bury old animosities.

Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 06:30 PM PDT

This week, Myanmar officials said foreign investment for 2019-20 is on track and a Korean industrial complex will go ahead as they lifted limits on foreign ownership of banks.

Friday, June 19, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


JOOX Prepares World Music Day Online Festival to Shake off COVID-19 Blues

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 06:25 AM PDT

JOOX World Music Day 2020 features numerous artists from Myanmar and overseas with revelers encouraged to help those struggling during COVID-19.

Myanmar Sees Largest COVID-19 Spike as Migrants Deported from Thailand Test Positive

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 05:09 AM PDT

Twenty-three COVID-19 cases detected on Friday among migrants deported from Thailand brought the country's largest daily increase since its first reported case in late March.

Myanmar’s Ethnic Parties Find Strength in Unity as They Prepare for General Election

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 04:44 AM PDT

Having consolidated their bases, Myanmar's ethnic parties plan to work together in the coming election to achieve their common goals of federalism and self-determination.

Over 8,000 Citizens Prosecuted in Myanmar for COVID-19 Breaches

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 04:20 AM PDT

Violations include assaulting health teams, fleeing quarantine centers, organizing religious gatherings and weddings and failing to follow nighttime curfews.

KIA Warns Civilians Fighting with Myanmar Military Could Erupt Anytime

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 03:15 AM PDT

The Kachin Independence Army told locals in Kutkai, Shan State that clashes could break out anytime in their area, despite a ceasefire from the Myanmar military over COVID-19.

Recalling a Birthday Marked in Silence

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 03:02 AM PDT

As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi turns 75 today, The Irrawaddy revisits this commemoration of her birthday in 2008—spent, like so many before it, as a prisoner of the military.

Another Low-Level Administrator Killed in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 12:47 AM PDT

A clerk of the Kyaukphyu Township General Administration Department in Rakhine State was abducted from his home Tuesday night and found dead the next day, police said.

Thursday, June 18, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Remembering Kraisak Choonhavan—a Friend to Myanmar Laborers and Refugees in Thailand

Posted: 18 Jun 2020 05:53 AM PDT

U Htoo Chit remembers the late Thai politician and activist Kraisak Choonhavan, who for many years championed the rights of Myanmar laborers and refugees in Thailand.

Hungry Villagers Flee Fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine

Posted: 18 Jun 2020 04:13 AM PDT

Rivers and roads are blocked by months of fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar's military, forcing hundreds of villagers to seek shelter in a monastery.

Myanmar Opposition’s Bid to Impeach Yangon Chief Minister Fails

Posted: 18 Jun 2020 04:00 AM PDT

National League for Democracy regional lawmakers on Thursday voted down an opposition attempt to impeach Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein.

Twenty-Six Killed, Over 100 Injured by Land Mines in Myanmar Since January, Says Report

Posted: 18 Jun 2020 02:25 AM PDT

A new report by the Mine Risk Working Group says land mines have killed 26 civilians and injured over 100 since January, the majority of them in Rakhine State.

G-7 Urges China to Reconsider Planned Security Law for Hong Kong

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:58 PM PDT

G-7 foreign ministers have expressed 'grave concern' over Beijing's plan to impose a new security law in Hong Kong.

US, China Agree to Continue Engagement Amid Strained Ties

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 10:52 PM PDT

At a meeting in Hawaii, US and Chinese officials vowed to maintain engagement despite recent disagreements over Hong Kong and COVID-19.

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine


Without Work and Fearing Arrest, Undocumented Myanmar Migrants in Malaysia Take Their Own Lives

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 06:07 AM PDT

Jobless due to COVID-19 and fearing arrest amid a crackdown on illegal migrants, three undocumented Myanmar workers in Malaysia have committed suicide in the past month.

AA Attacks Won’t Destabilize Rakhine Administration nor Prompt Military Takeover: Myanmar Govt

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 04:39 AM PDT

Officials says the Arakan Army won't destabilize Rakhine State's administration despite its serial attacks on security forces and officials resigning over security concerns.

Quarantined Returnees Jailed for Being Drunk and Disorderly in Myanmar

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 02:52 AM PDT

Three men at a quarantine center in Ayeyarwady Region were deemed overly raucous and have been jailed for three months.

Three Killed as Bus Plunges Off Mountain Road in Myanmar’s Shan State

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 01:39 AM PDT

A bus drove off the Mandalay-Muse highway and fell down a mountain in Shan State early Wednesday, killing three people and injuring several more.

All NLD Members of Mandalay Cabinet to Run in Myanmar’s General Election: Minister

Posted: 17 Jun 2020 01:00 AM PDT

A member of the Mandalay cabinet said all of the regional ministers from the ruling National League for Democracy plan to run in this year's general election.

North Korea to Deploy Troops to Two Demilitarized Areas Near Border

Posted: 16 Jun 2020 10:07 PM PDT

After blowing up a liaison office, North Korea began making good on its vow to move troops into an area that had been demilitarized under an agreement with South Korea.

20 Indian Soldiers Killed in Clash With China Along Himalayan Border

Posted: 16 Jun 2020 09:54 PM PDT

Twenty Indian troops were killed in a clash with Chinese soldiers on the two countries' disputed Himalayan border amid escalating tensions on the frontier.

Beijing Reports Over 100 Virus Infections in Six Days After Market Cluster

Posted: 16 Jun 2020 09:45 PM PDT

Beijing authorities have raised the city's health alert level and shut schools after a new COVID-19 cluster led to more than 100 infections.