The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Myanmar’s Rakhine State Capital Under Curfew as COVID-19 Cases Spike
• Myanmar Peace Conference Ends With Participants Praising ‘Meaningful’ Principles, Post-Election Plan
• Chief Minister of Myanmar’s Kayah State Targeted for Impeachment Over Spending, Land Allegations
• AA Abducts Two Monks, Two Novices From Monasteries in Myanmar’s Rakhine State: Abbot
• Rescuing Myanmar From the Chinese Debt Trap
• World Faces Intense Heat Wave Amid Continued Coronavirus Fears
• Democrat Kamala Harris Is First Woman of Color Nominated for VP by Major US Party
• Mass Infections at South Korea Church Grow to Over 670 Cases
• Only a Fraction of Myanmar Migrants Have Applied to Vote in November Election
• Indonesia Inks Deal With China on Virus Vaccine Supply From November

Myanmar’s Rakhine State Capital Under Curfew as COVID-19 Cases Spike Posted: 21 Aug 2020 07:36 AM PDT After a month without any domestic transmissions of coronavirus, Rakhine State has reported 19 cases in six days.

Myanmar Peace Conference Ends With Participants Praising ‘Meaningful’ Principles, Post-Election Plan Posted: 21 Aug 2020 07:21 AM PDT As the fourth session of Myanmar's Union Peace Conference ended Friday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi praised the 20 newly agreed principles as 'more sincere' than past efforts.

Chief Minister of Myanmar’s Kayah State Targeted for Impeachment Over Spending, Land Allegations Posted: 21 Aug 2020 05:10 AM PDT Kayah State lawmakers have submitted an impeachment motion against Chief Minister L Phaung Sho of the ruling NLD over charges he misused funds and state land.

AA Abducts Two Monks, Two Novices From Monasteries in Myanmar’s Rakhine State: Abbot Posted: 21 Aug 2020 04:32 AM PDT The Arakan Army has abducted two monks and two novices in Rakhine State's Mrauk-U Township, according to local witnesses.

Rescuing Myanmar From the Chinese Debt Trap Posted: 21 Aug 2020 12:21 AM PDT A careful observation of the Myanmar government's approach to China shows that it is using great caution in its relationship with Beijing.

World Faces Intense Heat Wave Amid Continued Coronavirus Fears Posted: 20 Aug 2020 10:49 PM PDT Health experts are warning that people may let their guard down against COVID-19 amid a heat wave in the Northern Hemisphere.

Democrat Kamala Harris Is First Woman of Color Nominated for VP by Major US Party Posted: 20 Aug 2020 10:44 PM PDT Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to be nominated for VP in the US, said Joe Biden would build a more inclusive country if elected president.

Mass Infections at South Korea Church Grow to Over 670 Cases Posted: 20 Aug 2020 10:31 PM PDT Thousands of people who attend a church in Seoul have been tested for COVID-19 as the number of cases traced to it topped 670.

Only a Fraction of Myanmar Migrants Have Applied to Vote in November Election Posted: 20 Aug 2020 10:27 PM PDT According to the Foreign Ministry, only about 100,000 of the 4 million-plus Myanmar nationals living abroad have registered to vote in the upcoming general election.

Indonesia Inks Deal With China on Virus Vaccine Supply From November Posted: 20 Aug 2020 10:21 PM PDT A Chinese drugmaker and a local partner will send 40 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine to Indonesia from November; the drug is now in the final testing phase.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Military Chief Blames Ethnic Armies, Govt for Myanmar’s Protracted Peace Process
• Monk Granted Bail in Myanmar Military Lawsuit
• Myanmar’s Rakhine State Capital Under Partial Lockdown Due to Spike in Local COVID-19 Transmissions
• Myanmar Seizes Massive Methamphetamine Hauls Destined for Malaysia and Indonesia 
• The Day Japan Founded a Military Training School in Wartime Myanmar
• North Korea’s Ruling Party to Hold First Congress Since 2016 in January
• Democrats Nominate Biden for President, Vow to Revive Alliances

Military Chief Blames Ethnic Armies, Govt for Myanmar’s Protracted Peace Process Posted: 20 Aug 2020 06:11 AM PDT Myanmar's army chief told the Union Peace Conference that stakeholders' dishonesty and lack of adherence to principle were to blame for the failure to achieve peace.

Monk Granted Bail in Myanmar Military Lawsuit Posted: 20 Aug 2020 05:05 AM PDT Sayadaw U Sein Ti Ta has faced multiple lawsuits after he posted on Facebook that the military was more interested in personal gain than national security.

Myanmar’s Rakhine State Capital Under Partial Lockdown Due to Spike in Local COVID-19 Transmissions Posted: 20 Aug 2020 04:32 AM PDT Parts of Sittwe have been placed under lockdown after six locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were found in the Rakhine State capital in four days.

Myanmar Seizes Massive Methamphetamine Hauls Destined for Malaysia and Indonesia  Posted: 20 Aug 2020 03:20 AM PDT The police authorities say they have discovered nearly 2,400 kg of crystal meth or Ice in Yangon and Rakhine State.

The Day Japan Founded a Military Training School in Wartime Myanmar Posted: 20 Aug 2020 01:34 AM PDT Japan founded its Officer Training School to bolster its grip on the former British colony, only for its graduates to rise against the occupation forces in 1945.

North Korea’s Ruling Party to Hold First Congress Since 2016 in January Posted: 19 Aug 2020 10:33 PM PDT North Korea's ruling Workers' Party will hold its first congress in more than four years in January to work out a new five-year economic development plan.

Democrats Nominate Biden for President, Vow to Revive Alliances Posted: 19 Aug 2020 10:20 PM PDT Ex-Vice President Joe Biden secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president with a vow to restore the United States' relationships with international partners.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Song, Video Depicting Fighting Dropped From Myanmar Peace Conference Opening Event
• “AA Frees Five Members of Rival Arakan Liberation Party in Myanmar’s West”
• Three More Local COVID-19 Transmissions Reported in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
• Three Rearrested Over New Year’s Murder of Myanmar Comedian
• Kokang Party Vows to Make ‘Friends With All’ if It Wins Seats in Myanmar’s Election

Song, Video Depicting Fighting Dropped From Myanmar Peace Conference Opening Event Posted: 19 Aug 2020 07:06 AM PDT A dramatic music video depicting the civilian cost of war was withdrawn from the opening ceremony of the Panglong conference, allegedly after a government order.

“AA Frees Five Members of Rival Arakan Liberation Party in Myanmar’s West” Posted: 19 Aug 2020 06:34 AM PDT Five members of Arakan Liberation Party were detained for a week and questioned by the Arakan Army.

Three More Local COVID-19 Transmissions Reported in Myanmar’s Rakhine State Posted: 19 Aug 2020 06:27 AM PDT Three more locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been found in Rakhine. Two are contacts of a case reported Sunday; one was recently at Rohingya IDP camps in the state.

Three Rearrested Over New Year’s Murder of Myanmar Comedian Posted: 19 Aug 2020 03:06 AM PDT Three men charged with beating Yangon-based comedian Aung Yell Htwe to death at a party in 2017 are back in prison after being bailed in a controversial appeal.

Kokang Party Vows to Make ‘Friends With All’ if It Wins Seats in Myanmar’s Election Posted: 19 Aug 2020 01:22 AM PDT The Shan State Kokang Democratic Party will field seven candidates in the Nov. 8 election; it vows to boost health and education in the Kokang Self-Administered Region.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Myanmar Peace Conference Grapples with Mistrust and COVID-19
• Myanmar’s Ruling Party Unveils Campaign Committees Ahead of November Election
• Critics Slam Myanmar Pro-Military Parties’ Meeting With Army Chief
• Five Muslim Candidates Rejected From Myanmar’s Election
• Myanmar Opposition Parties Spend Big on Facebook Ads Ahead of Election
• Myanmar Firm Ties Up With Krispy Kreme to Create Doughnuts With a Local Flavor
• North Korea’s Ruling Party to Hold Key Meeting Ahead of US Election

Myanmar Peace Conference Grapples with Mistrust and COVID-19 Posted: 18 Aug 2020 07:55 AM PDT Despite political parties' reduced role in this fourth session of the 21st-Century Panglong peace conference, the parties complied for the sake of the peace process.

Myanmar’s Ruling Party Unveils Campaign Committees Ahead of November Election Posted: 18 Aug 2020 06:37 AM PDT The NLD has set up central and state/regional election campaign committees; State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint lead the central committee.

Critics Slam Myanmar Pro-Military Parties’ Meeting With Army Chief Posted: 18 Aug 2020 05:49 AM PDT A meeting at which 34 political parties expressed concern to the army chief over the election commission has been criticized as a bid to involve the military in the Nov. 8 vote.

Five Muslim Candidates Rejected From Myanmar’s Election Posted: 18 Aug 2020 03:20 AM PDT Rakhine State's election chiefs have rejected five applicants for the November general election, claiming their parents were not citizens at their birth.

Myanmar Opposition Parties Spend Big on Facebook Ads Ahead of Election Posted: 18 Aug 2020 03:05 AM PDT The Irrawaddy's analysis of political ads on Facebook shows opposition parties are far outspending the ruling NLD and popular ethnic parties ahead of the Nov. 8 poll.

Myanmar Firm Ties Up With Krispy Kreme to Create Doughnuts With a Local Flavor Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:16 PM PDT Is that jaggery on my doughnut? Myanmar's Food Tree and global chain Krispy Kreme offer a dynamic duo of traditional and Western flavors.

North Korea’s Ruling Party to Hold Key Meeting Ahead of US Election Posted: 17 Aug 2020 10:20 PM PDT The Central Committee of North Korea's ruling party will meet Wednesday; experts say the focus will be planning nuclear policy ahead of the US election.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Myanmar Reports First Local COVID-19 Transmission in a Month
• Myanmar Think Tank Boss Wins Justice Award for Boosting Trust, Reconciliation in Rakhine
• Westerner Behind the Wheel
• How Should Myanmar Citizens Vote This November?
• Japan Firms Shift Focus to SE Asia Due to US-China Row
• Tens of Thousands Call for Monarchy Reform at Thailand’s Largest Protest in Years
• New Zealand Delays General Election Amid Virus Outbreak

Myanmar Reports First Local COVID-19 Transmission in a Month Posted: 17 Aug 2020 06:56 AM PDT A 26-year-old bank employee with no record of overseas travel tested positive for COVID-19 in Sittwe; she traveled to several places in Rakhine State early this month.

Myanmar Think Tank Boss Wins Justice Award for Boosting Trust, Reconciliation in Rakhine Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:45 AM PDT Dr. Kyaw Yin Hlaing of the Center for Diversity and National Harmony has won the MC Bassiouni Justice Award for his work to help address the 2017 Rakhine issue.

Westerner Behind the Wheel Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:39 AM PDT In the first of six articles about touring by car outside Yangon, Oliver Hargreave describes his first experience driving in Myanmar.

How Should Myanmar Citizens Vote This November? Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:29 AM PDT Don't let cynicism keep you from casting your vote in the upcoming general election.

Japan Firms Shift Focus to SE Asia Due to US-China Row Posted: 16 Aug 2020 10:06 PM PDT Increasing tensions between the US and China have prompted a growing number of Japanese firms to move their operations to Southeast Asia, a new survey shows.

Tens of Thousands Call for Monarchy Reform at Thailand’s Largest Protest in Years Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:58 PM PDT An estimated 20,000-30,000 people, mostly students, demanded reform to Thailand's powerful monarchy at Bangkok's largest protest since 2014.

New Zealand Delays General Election Amid Virus Outbreak Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:39 PM PDT New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country's general election would be postponed from next month until October after a new COVID-19 cluster was found.

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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Dozens of Myanmar Political Parties Seek Assurances From Military Chief Over Election Concerns
• When Myanmar Cast Off Its Colonial Tongue Under Japanese Rule
• Irrawaddy Business Roundup

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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The Irrawaddy Magazine

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• Myanmar’s Largest Poll Monitor Hits Out at UEC After Being Banned From 2020 Election
• High Court in Myanmar’s Kayah State Rejects Military’s Appeal to Increase Farmers’ Sentences
• Over 7,000 Apply to Run in Myanmar’s November Election
• Five Abducted as Feud Between Myanmar’s Ethnic Rakhine Groups Continues
• Devastated Hilltop in Myanmar’s Jade Mining Region Remains Home for Scores of Families Despite Danger
• Thailand Must Rethink Its Quarantine Policy
• Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Vows to Fight On for Hong Kong Freedom
• Japan, Singapore to Ease COVID-19 Travel Restrictions From September
• North Korea Lifts Lockdown in City Where Suspected Coronavirus Case Spotted

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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