Saturday, August 15, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Dozens of Myanmar Political Parties Seek Assurances From Military Chief Over Election Concerns

Posted: 15 Aug 2020 12:53 AM PDT

More than 30 pro-military parties told the army chief they feared November's vote would be unfair; he offered them support, but stayed within constitutional limits.

When Myanmar Cast Off Its Colonial Tongue Under Japanese Rule

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 07:00 PM PDT

On this day in 1942, Myanmar declared that the Burmese language would replace English in government offices, as part of a push to remove relics of British colonial rule.

Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 06:30 PM PDT

This week, Myanmar saw plans for a new trade terminal in Ayeyarwady, a move to explore new fruit export markets and positive reports on foreign as well as domestic investment.
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Friday, August 14, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar’s Largest Poll Monitor Hits Out at UEC After Being Banned From 2020 Election

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 06:11 AM PDT

PACE, Myanmar's biggest election monitor, has criticized the Union Election Commission for sending mixed signals after denying the group's application for accreditation.

High Court in Myanmar’s Kayah State Rejects Military’s Appeal to Increase Farmers’ Sentences

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 04:38 AM PDT

The High Court in Kayah State has rejected the military's appeal for harsher sentences against 21 Karenni farmers who were jailed or fined following a land dispute.

Over 7,000 Apply to Run in Myanmar’s November Election

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 02:53 AM PDT

The Union Election Commission will soon announce which of the 7,000 potential candidates are qualified to run in the November election.

Five Abducted as Feud Between Myanmar’s Ethnic Rakhine Groups Continues

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 01:16 AM PDT

The Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) says five of its members, including three health workers, were abducted by the Arakan Army (AA) this week in Ponnagyun, Rakhine State.

Devastated Hilltop in Myanmar’s Jade Mining Region Remains Home for Scores of Families Despite Danger

Posted: 14 Aug 2020 01:00 AM PDT

Officials warn of further disasters, but scores of families living near the scene of July's deadly landslide in Kachin's Hpakant jade mining area can't afford to move.

Thailand Must Rethink Its Quarantine Policy

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 11:59 PM PDT

Thailand's strict COVID-19 entry restrictions and failure to manage public expectations may have a political basis, and risk harming the country's international ties.

Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Vows to Fight On for Hong Kong Freedom

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 10:49 PM PDT

Speaking a day after his release, Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai said he didn't expect to be detained under a new security law so soon, and vowed to fight for democracy.

Japan, Singapore to Ease COVID-19 Travel Restrictions From September

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 10:41 PM PDT

Japan and Singapore will ease COVID-19 travel restrictions for businesspeople and expatriates starting next month.

North Korea Lifts Lockdown in City Where Suspected Coronavirus Case Spotted

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 10:31 PM PDT

North Korea has lifted a lockdown imposed on Kaesong, the border city where the country's first suspected coronavirus case was detected.
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Thursday, August 13, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Peace Process Back on Track, Says Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 06:53 AM PDT

Ahead of next week's Panglong peace conference, the State Counselor praised the efforts of negotiators from all sides; NCA non-signatories say they won't attend.

Police Captain Shot Dead as Targeted Attacks Continue in Western Myanmar

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 05:10 AM PDT

Police Captain Tun Naing Oo, head of the Kyauktaw Police Station in Rakhine State, was shot in the head Wednesday evening in front of the police station by four unknown men.

Militia Leader’s Son in Myanmar’s Kachin to Seek Reelection to State Parliament

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 05:04 AM PDT

Zahkung Ying Sau, the son of the leader of the NDAK Kachin militia, will seek reelection to his Kachin State parliament seat in a township controlled by the group.

Myanmar Election Commissioner: No Groups Will Be Disenfranchised

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 05:01 AM PDT

UEC member U Myint Naing said plans are in place to ensure migrants, IDPs and returnees can vote on Nov. 8, but warned that urging others not to vote is against the law.

Myanmar to Relax COVID-19 Gatherings Rule

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 03:34 AM PDT

Myanmar's Health Ministry said that gatherings of less than 30 people will be allowed starting on Sunday, an increase from the current limit of 14 people.

Three Activists Charged for Unlawful Assembly Over Karen Martyrs’ Day Event in Myanmar

Posted: 13 Aug 2020 03:24 AM PDT

Three activists face charges under a peaceful assembly law for holding an event on Karen Martyrs' Day after authorities denied permission for the event, citing COVID-19 rules.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Ex-Generals Still in as Myanmar’s Former Ruling Party Reveals Candidates for Upcoming Poll

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 05:58 AM PDT

In the former ruling and military proxy USDP's candidate list, ministers from the previous government and ex-generals account for nearly 30 percent of the 1,129 hopefuls.

Myanmar Police Detain Three for Holding 70th Karen Martyrs’ Day Event in Yangon

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 05:23 AM PDT

Three activists were detained by police for holding a Karen Martyrs' Day event in Yangon without permission.

Myanmar Authorities Say Election Boycott Campaign May Face Legal Action

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 04:57 AM PDT

The Union Election Commission says any attempt to get voters to boycott the general election is a violation of election law that carries possible jail time.

Myanmar’s Ruling Party to Contest All Seats in Conflict-Torn Rakhine State in November Election

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 04:43 AM PDT

The NLD said it would field candidates in all constituencies in Rakhine State in the upcoming election, after initially saying it would not run for all seats.

Myanmar Human Rights Body: Killings at Mandalay Youth Center Tied to Rule Breaches, Staff Shortage

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 04:35 AM PDT

The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission found the killing of two teenagers at Mandalay Youth Center was linked to poor compliance with regulations and a staff shortage.

Rakhine Man Dies in Myanmar Military Custody, Critics Suspect Execution

Posted: 12 Aug 2020 02:29 AM PDT

The military detained a man in Mrauk-U, Rakhine State last Friday evening and on Monday gave his body over to local police without an explanation of the cause of death.

Ex-WHO Chief Says US ‘Counterproductive’ on Virus, World Order

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 10:41 PM PDT

Former WHO chief Gro Harlem Brundtland has accused the US of being 'counterproductive' during the COVID-19 pandemic and leading an 'assault' on multilateralism.

US Health Chief Slams China, Praises Taiwan During Historic Visit

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 10:30 PM PDT

US Health Secretary Alex Azar, the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan since 1979, criticized China's 'bullying' of the island during his trip to Taipei.

Hong Kong Activist, Media Mogul Released After Arrests

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 10:24 PM PDT

Hong Kong democracy activist Agnes Chow and publisher Jimmy Lai were released one day after their arrests under the region's new security law.
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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Organizers Vow to Hold 70th Karen Martyrs’ Day Event Despite Myanmar Police Warning

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 06:02 AM PDT

Karen activists are proceeding with plans to hold a Karen Martyrs' Day commemoration in Yangon on Wednesday; police say the event is banned under COVID-19 guidelines.

China Experts Wanted

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 05:44 AM PDT

China reserves the right to interfere in Myanmar's affairs; it's time Myanmar educated itself about its northern neighbor by creating think tanks and research institutes.

Myanmar Military Chief: Govt Should Call Top Security Council Meeting

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 05:23 AM PDT

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the National Defense and Security Council must meet because it is "too dangerous for one person to be making decisions" for the country.

What’s New in Myanmar’s Project Bank

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 03:58 AM PDT

Power and inland port projects are among 71 items the government has added to the country's Project Bank of officially endorsed major infrastructure plans.

Ethnic Kayah Parties Pledge Cooperation in Myanmar’s Election

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 03:36 AM PDT

Two ethnic Kayah parties say they won't run candidates in the same elections to avoid splitting votes and also announced that nearly a third of their candidates are activists.

Election Board in Myanmar Warns Against Illegal Campaigning on Facebook

Posted: 11 Aug 2020 03:27 AM PDT

Local election authorities in Pathein, Ayeyarwady Region warned all candidates against campaigning on Facebook before the start of the official campaign period.

China to Penalize US Lawmakers Over Hong Kong as Retaliation

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:51 PM PDT

Beijing said it will impose sanctions on 11 Americans including senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in retaliation for US action against Chinese officials over Hong Kong.

Coronavirus Infections Top 20 Million Globally

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 09:48 PM PDT

The coronavirus has infected more than 20 million people worldwide and killed more than 730,000, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
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Monday, August 10, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Non-Signatories to Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Yet to Decide on Attending Peace Conference

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 06:26 AM PDT

The ethnic armed organizations that are not signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement have yet to accept their invitations to next week's Union Peace Conference.

China’s Strategic Port Project Moves Step Closer to Reality as Myanmar OKs Joint Venture

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 02:50 AM PDT

Myanmar's investment agency has approved a joint venture between a government committee and Chinese consortium CITIC to develop the Kyaukphyu SEZ and port in Rakhine.

Former Suu Kyi Ally Behind New Political Party Bows Out of Myanmar Election

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 01:38 AM PDT

U Shwe Mann, founder of the Union Betterment Party and ex-chair of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, says he will not run in Myanmar's election.

Four Ethnic Fighters Jailed for 35 Years for Attack on Myanmar Military’s Defense Academy

Posted: 10 Aug 2020 12:35 AM PDT

Four members of the Brotherhood Alliance of EAOs were jailed for 35 years for a 2019 attack on the Defense Services Technological Academy and other sites in Pyin Oo Lwin.

US Coronavirus Cases Top 5 Million, Leading the World

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 09:50 PM PDT

The US has now seen more than 5 million coronavirus cases and over 160,000 deaths, according to various surveys; Reuters report finds one in 66 residents is infected.

Nobel Literature Laureate Ishiguro Stresses ‘Supreme Value of Life’ in Nagasaki A-bomb Message

Posted: 09 Aug 2020 09:43 PM PDT

British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro offered both a warning and message of hope in a speech marking the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki, his birthplace.
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Saturday, August 8, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 07:30 PM PDT

This week, Myanmar moved to join an Indo-Pacific economic pact and approved over US$500 million in investments, including $180 million for what will be Myanmar's largest mall.

Myanmar Govt’s Move to Protect Migrant Voting Rights: Too Little, Too Late?

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 06:30 PM PDT

This week, The Irrawaddy talks with migrant advocates U Htoo Chit and U Aung Kyaw about whether Myanmar migrants abroad will actually be able to vote in November's election.
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Friday, August 7, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Nominee US Ambassador to Myanmar Hints at Need to Counter China’s Influence in Senate Testimony

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 05:30 AM PDT

Thomas Vajda, the Trump administration's nominee as the next US envoy to Myanmar, told the Senate he would work to counter 'malign foreign influences' in the country.

Myanmar Human Rights Body Investigates Deaths of Two Teens at Mandalay Youth Center

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 05:03 AM PDT

Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation after two teenagers were allegedly beaten to death at Mandalay Youth Center.

Violence in Rakhine Prevents Voter List Posting in 15 Village-tracts, IDP Camps

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 03:50 AM PDT

Fighting in Rakhine has derailed the voter list process for Myanmar's election as authorities are unable to post lists in active conflict areas and lack data on IDP camps.

Drug Squad Arrests Three, Seizes Assault Rifles, Narcotics in Myanmar’s Shan State

Posted: 07 Aug 2020 02:20 AM PDT

The military speculated 10 rifles seized from three drug-trafficking suspects in Shan State were locally made variants of Chinese weapons, bound for western Myanmar.

Three More Countries Ratify UN Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty

Posted: 06 Aug 2020 09:59 PM PDT

On the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, three more countries ratified the UN nuclear weapon ban treaty, taking the total to 43.

US Lifts Alert Advising Americans to Avoid All Travel Abroad

Posted: 06 Aug 2020 09:48 PM PDT

The US State Department has lifted its advisory warning against all air travel overseas due to COVID-19, but continues to urge citizens to use caution.
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