Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Warns of Jail Terms for COVID-19 Rule Breakers

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 07:20 AM PDT

The spike in coronavirus cases in Yangon and Rakhine State means Myanmar is facing a "national disaster", Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has warned.

Myanmar’s Ruling Party Vows to Reform Military in Election Manifesto

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 07:09 AM PDT

In its election manifesto, the ruling National League for Democracy vows to reduce the military's political powers and says national reconciliation is its top priority.

China Seeks Myanmar’s Assurances on Moving BRI Projects Ahead; Offers Aid for Rakhine

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 03:40 AM PDT

China's top diplomat on Tuesday lobbied the State Counselor and President to begin work on BRI projects; expert says Beijing wants assurances before November's election.

Rohingya Detainee in Ayeyarwady Tests COVID-19 Positive

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 03:02 AM PDT

Of the 42 Rohingya detained on the Ayeyarwady coast, one has coronavirus, forcing 14 police officers into quarantine.

Myanmar Civil Servants Offered COVID-19 Loans

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 02:57 AM PDT

The government says it will offer two months' salaries as interest-free loans to civil servants as it tries to boost the economy

Taiwan Can Help the World Come Back Stronger From COVID-19

Posted: 02 Sep 2020 01:58 AM PDT

The UN's recent pledge to become more inclusive as the world works to recover from COVID-19 is hollow as long as Taiwan is excluded, the island's foreign minister writes.

‘I Am a Taiwanese,’ Czech Speaker Tells Taiwan Assembly, Irking China

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 10:00 PM PDT

Referencing a speech by John F. Kennedy, the head of the Czech senate told Taiwan's legislature, 'I am a Taiwanese'; China condemned the 'interference' in its affairs.

Former Khmer Rouge Torture Center Chief ‘Duch’ Dies in Cambodian Hospital

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 09:47 PM PDT

Kaing Guek Eav, aka Duch, the head of the Khmer Rouge's notorious S-21 torture center who was convicted of crimes against humanity, has died in a Cambodian hospital.
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Tuesday, September 1, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

‘New City’ on Thai-Myanmar Border Part of BRI Despite China’s Denials, Developer Claims

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 07:03 AM PDT

In a bizarre statement, Yatai IHG also insists it is not behind illegal gambling going on at the site, while revealing plans for a 'twin city' project on the Thai side.

Myanmar Sets Another Daily COVID-19 Record With 107 New Cases

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 05:07 AM PDT

Myanmar reported 107 new cases of COVID-19—all but two of them locally transmitted—in five states and regions on Monday.

Myanmar Garment Factories Report 75% Fall in Orders Amid COVID-19

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 05:01 AM PDT

Clothing bosses in Yangon say they have received as little as 20 percent of last year's orders as COVID-19 hammers consumer demand in the US and EU.

Myanmar Archbishop Urges Citizens to Go Vote

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 02:48 AM PDT

Amid the 'No Vote' campaign, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo says voters should back parties that support peace, federalism and democracy.

Myanmar Authorities Hunt More Than 4,000 Returnees from Rakhine in COVID-19 Clampdown

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 02:40 AM PDT

Yangon's health chiefs say thousands of people who returned from coronavirus-hit Rakhine State during August cannot be traced for testing and quarantine.

NLD Chief Minister of Myanmar’s Kayah State Impeached

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 01:55 AM PDT

Kayah State Chief Minister L. Phaung Sho of the NLD has become the first state leader to be constitutionally impeached after state MPs voted in support of his removal.

Nearly 7,000 Candidates Approved to Run in Myanmar’s November Election

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 11:49 PM PDT

Dozens of applicants rejected due to issues with citizenship and false information; one serving Rakhine State MP disqualified for alleged ties to Arakan Army.

Beijing, Prague Exchange Protests Over Czech Senate Leader’s Taiwan Trip

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 09:34 PM PDT

China has vowed retribution after the leader of the Czech senate visited Taiwan.
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Monday, August 31, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Fears Grow for IDPs in Myanmar’s Rakhine as COVID-19 Outbreak Disrupts Food, Health Services

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 07:09 AM PDT

With aid groups affected by lockdown orders and COVID-19 infections among staff, Rakhine State's IDP camps are suffering a lack of basic food and health-care services.

China’s Top Foreign Policy Official to Visit Myanmar

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 06:00 AM PDT

China's foreign affairs supremo, Yang Jiechi, is expected to visit Myanmar at some point this week, the embassy in Yangon has announced.

Popular Kachin Party Calls for Abolition of China-Backed Dam in Election Policy Platform

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:54 AM PDT

In its 2020 election manifesto, the Kachin State People's Party vows to push for the scrapping of the suspended, China-backed Myitsone Dam project on the Irrawaddy River.

Myanmar’s Military Blamed for Two Rakhine Civilian Deaths

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:50 AM PDT

Amid raging COVID-19 in Rakhine, two civilians were allegedly shot dead by Myanmar's military last week.

Myanmar Police Station in Lockdown After Chief Fails COVID-19 Test

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:45 AM PDT

A police station in Rakhine State capital Sittwe has been isolated as the state reels from a rising number of coronavirus cases.

Thailand Steps Up Moei River Patrols Against Illegal Migrants From Myanmar

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 01:02 AM PDT

Thailand has increased patrols along its border with Myanmar and will ask employers to delay hiring workers from the country amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Rakhine.

Japan’s Foreign Policy Likely to Continue on Path Set by Abe

Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:44 PM PDT

The successor to outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to continue the long-serving premier's foreign policies, experts say.
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Saturday, August 29, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Election 2020: The Week in Review

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 07:30 PM PDT

This week, the NLD urged its candidates to put the people first; the army chief offered his troops some advice; and ultranationalists objected to a Muslim candidate.

The Irrawaddy Business Roundup

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:30 PM PDT

Business goes on, despite this week's COVID-19 spike, with major investment unveiled for Yangon and plans for a large power plant take shape.
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Friday, August 28, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

In Myanmar’s Karen State, Ex-Insurgents Create a Haven for Chinese Casino Bosses

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 07:47 AM PDT

Myanmar's military and government have looked the other way as a megaproject backed by shadowy Chinese interests threatens peace and social stability in Karen State.

At Least 10 UN, INGO Workers Hit by COVID-19 in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 06:53 AM PDT

Aid agencies including UNICEF and RI have been forced to suspend or limit activities as staff have been affected by COVID-19. 

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Pledges Full Support to Fight Rakhine COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 05:07 AM PDT

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi says Rakhine State will get the food, protective equipment and investment it needs to tackle its coronavirus spike.

Westerner Behind the Wheel

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 03:58 AM PDT

In the second of six articles about touring by car outside of Yangon, Oliver Hargreave journeys through Bago before making it to Mon State's Thaton by nightfall.

Myanmar’s Ruling NLD Rejects Calls to Ditch Muslim Candidate

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 03:26 AM PDT

The National League for Democracy has rejected a demand from voters and Buddhist monks to replace a Muslim candidate in Mandalay for the November election.

Myanmar to Jail Illegal Returnees Amid COVID-19 Surge

Posted: 28 Aug 2020 02:42 AM PDT

Myanmar's southernmost town, Kawthaung, has seen many migrants from Thailand and Malaysia cross the border illegally after losing work because of coronavirus.

South Korea Shuts Parliament as Coronavirus Outbreak Deepens in Capital

Posted: 27 Aug 2020 09:20 PM PDT

The South Korean parliament was shut down Thursday and a number of lawmakers were quarantined after a political reporter tested positive for COVID-19.
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Thursday, August 27, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar’s Rakhine State Under Partial Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Surge

Posted: 27 Aug 2020 05:25 AM PDT

After nearly 100 coronavirus cases were reported overnight in Rakhine State this week, its population has been told to stay at home.

Subsidiaries of Chinese Firm Involved in Myanmar’s New Yangon City Project Blacklisted by US

Posted: 27 Aug 2020 03:33 AM PDT

The US has sanctioned units of China's CCCC, a key player in the New Yangon City project, for allegedly aiding land reclamation in disputed South China Sea waters.

Myanmar Amends Privacy Law to Protect Citizens From State Intrusion

Posted: 27 Aug 2020 02:10 AM PDT

Parliament on Wednesday amended the controversial Privacy Law; a ruling party MP said it would now serve its original aim of protecting citizens from state harassment.

US Slaps Sanctions on Chinese Firms, Individuals Amid S. China Sea Dispute

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 11:57 PM PDT

The US has blacklisted a number of Chinese firms and barred entry to some executives over their support for Beijing's 'unlawful' claims in the South China Sea.

Protections Fail to Stop Pangolin Trafficking in Myanmar’s Deep South

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 11:54 PM PDT

In remote villages of Myanmar's deep south, poaching the shy creatures means big money for those who live hand to mouth.

The Day Allied Commander Who Seized Myanmar From Japanese Forces Was Assassinated

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 06:30 PM PDT

Lord Louis Mountbatten, who helped establish Myanmar's military and was a friend of dictator General Ne Win, was assassinated in Ireland in 41 years ago.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Myanmar Sets Out Re-entry Rules for Foreign Staff

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 04:38 AM PDT

Myanmar's investment agencies say foreigners applying for work visas must have urgent businesses to be personally taken care of in Myanmar.

Myanmar Reports 100 New COVID-19 Cases Overnight in Country’s Largest Jump So Far

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 03:08 AM PDT

A record number of new COVID-19 cases, detected in just a 12-hour period, has prompted more partial lockdowns in Rakhine State, where most of the cases were reported.

Myanmar Opposition MP Questions Govt Online Monitoring Body

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 02:44 AM PDT

A Union Solidarity and Development Party lawmaker has claimed the Social Media Monitoring Team is trying to manipulate Facebook in favor of the government.

Myanmar Closes Govt and Private High Schools Amid COVID-19 Surge

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 02:41 AM PDT

After 100 coronavirus cases were reported overnight, the government has moved to close government and private schools.

China Backs Myanmar Probe of Controversial Border ‘New City’ Backed by Chinese Investors

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 01:11 AM PDT

The Chinese Embassy said it supports Myanmar's investigation of the Shwe Kokko casino development in Karen State, which is backed by Chinese investors.

New Ethnic Faces Dot Myanmar’s 2020 Election Landscape

Posted: 26 Aug 2020 12:14 AM PDT

In November's election, many young and women candidates from ethnic parties will bring fresh voices to Myanmar's democracy; The Irrawaddy spoke to some of them.

Schools in South Korean Capital Go Back Online as COVID-19 Cases Surge

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 10:09 PM PDT

Amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases, schools in the South Korean capital have been closed again, with all classes moving online at least until Sept. 11.

Hong Kong Leader Chides Critics of China’s Universal Coronavirus Test

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 09:58 PM PDT

Hong Kong's pro-Beijing Chief Executive Carrie Lam has dismissed criticism of China's coronavirus testing program as politically motivated.

At Least 13 Dead After Building Collapses in India

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 09:49 PM PDT

A five-story building collapsed in India's Maharashtra State on Monday, killing at least 13 people and leaving several more trapped in the rubble.

The Day Suu Kyi Made Her First Public Address in Myanmar  

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 07:11 PM PDT

After returning to her homeland as pro-democracy protests were being crushed, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi demanded the military withdraw from politics and hold elections.
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