10:45 AM
Waa Haa Haa
As part of what The New
York Times aptly calls a “geopolitical chess game,” next week President
Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the
southeast Asian nation of Myanmar.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
The dragon’s new teeth
AT A meeting of South-East Asian nations in 2010, China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi, facing a barrage of complaints about his country's behaviour in the region, blurted out the sort of thing polite leaders usually prefer to leave unsaid. “China is a big country,” he pointed out, “and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact.”
China’s military rise
NO MATTER how often China has emphasised the idea of a peaceful rise, the pace and nature of its military modernisation inevitably cause alarm. As America and the big European powers reduce their defence spending, China looks likely to maintain the past decade's increases of about 12% a year.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
O-Burma And Its Regional And Global Message – Analysis
By: Keshav Prasad Bhattarai
November 25, 2012
Both Burmese and international media were stirred at the mood of national jubilation experienced in Burma for the first time visit to the country by a sitting U.S. President.
November 25, 2012
Both Burmese and international media were stirred at the mood of national jubilation experienced in Burma for the first time visit to the country by a sitting U.S. President.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Reforms in Myanmar: hype and realities
Maung Zarni, The Nation
Publication Date : 19-11-2012
US President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar tomorrow - perhaps the world's hottest destination at the moment. He should "see" the ugly realities of the country's reforms that lie just beneath the surface and hear the cries of the wretched of Myanmar such as the Muslim Rohingya and the Christian Kachins.
These days Myanmar's coming out party is talk of the town since President Thein Sein's government has embarked on reforms, ending the country's international pariah status and half-century of isolation, both self-imposed and externally-maintained.
Publication Date : 19-11-2012
US President Barack Obama is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar tomorrow - perhaps the world's hottest destination at the moment. He should "see" the ugly realities of the country's reforms that lie just beneath the surface and hear the cries of the wretched of Myanmar such as the Muslim Rohingya and the Christian Kachins.
These days Myanmar's coming out party is talk of the town since President Thein Sein's government has embarked on reforms, ending the country's international pariah status and half-century of isolation, both self-imposed and externally-maintained.
Obama Arrives in Myanmar, Marking First Visit by US President to Long-Isolated Country
YANGON, Myanmar November 18, 2012 (AP)
Obama arrives in Myanmar, marking first visit by US president to long-isolated country.
Myanmar to deepen relations with China
- China Daily, November 19, 2012
Myanmar
cherishes the "special" links it has had with China since ancient times
and will further strengthen and deepen its "time-honored and
time-tested" friendship during the country's current reforms, the top
political adviser to the Myanmar president told China Daily in an
exclusive interview during a recent visit to China.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Myanmar train accident kills 25
Yangon - A train transporting petrol to north-western Myanmar overturned and caught fire, killing 25 people and injuring 62, state media reports said Saturday.
Myanmar, Unicef To Cooperate On Child Development
November 10, 2012 16:00 PM
Friday, November 9, 2012
REFILE-UPDATE 2-Obama to make landmark visit to Myanmar this month
By Matt Spetalnick and Aung Hla Tun
WASHINGTON/YANGON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama later this month will become the first U.S. leader to visit Myanmar, marking the strongest international endorsement so far of the fragile democratic transition in the once-isolated Southeast Asian country after decades of military rule.
Myanmar's gov't welcomes Obama's historic visit
Nov 9, 1:11 AM EST
YANGON, Myanmar
(AP) -- Myanmar's government says it "warmly welcomes" President
Barack Obama's decision to visit the country this month, noting it will
increase the momentum of democratic reform.
Myanmar government welcomes Obama’s historic visit, saying it will increase momentum of reform
For Dawei, taxpayers won't pay
The Dawei deep-sea port and industrial zone
project took a new twist Thursday, as the Thai government insisted it
cannot spend taxpayer money for private gains in Dawei.
Somchet: ‘We’re just waiting for money’
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi, ethnic lawmakers call for government action on communal unrest
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, November 8, 1:09 AM
YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and lawmakers from ethnic minority parties are calling on the government to deploy more troops to restore peace and stability in a western state hit by recent deadly violence between Buddhists and Muslims.
Mobius sees opportunities in Cambodia and Myanmar
Mobius sees opportunities in Cambodia and Myanmar - investing 201 (5:17)
The dean of emerging markets, Franklin Templeton’s Mark Mobius, picks stocks and sectors on the Asian frontier. NagaCorp has more than doubled in 12 months.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Britain gives mixed report on Myanmar
Published: Nov. 6, 2012 at 12:44 PM
VIENTIANE, Laos, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The British government is concerned about violence in eastern Myanmar and the subsequent humanitarian crisis there, the foreign secretary said.
VIENTIANE, Laos, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The British government is concerned about violence in eastern Myanmar and the subsequent humanitarian crisis there, the foreign secretary said.
UN food agency appeals for $11 million to feed displaced people in western Myanmar
Shan acknowledge growing drug scourge in its part of Myanmar
Myanmar's Shan ethnic group has acknowledged that opium production and sales as well as drug addiction have increased in its areas in past years, making eradication of the narcotics trade a priority in the peace process with the government.
Analysis: Foreign insurers enter Myanmar market with hope, caution
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The world's top insurance firms are setting their sights on Myanmar, steeling themselves for a fight with corruption and ghosts from the nation's political past.
CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Cambodia says Obama to visit, raising Myanmar chances
Nov 7 (Reuters) - Newly re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama will go to Cambodia on Nov. 18 to attend an Asian summit, a Cambodian minister said on Wednesday, adding to speculation he may use the opportunity to visit nearby Myanmar.
Cambodia says Obama to visit, raising Myanmar chances
Nov 7, 2012
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Newly re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama
will go to Cambodia on November 18 to attend an Asian summit, a
Cambodian minister said on Wednesday, adding to speculation he may use
the opportunity to visit nearby Myanmar.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Four get death penalty for Chinese sailor deaths
Published: 6/11/2012 at 03:48 PM
Bangkokpost - Four members of a gang accused of masterminding the murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River last year were sentenced to death by a court in southwest China on Tuesday.
Bangkokpost - Four members of a gang accused of masterminding the murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River last year were sentenced to death by a court in southwest China on Tuesday.
Parts of Myanmar 'very tense'
Published: Nov. 5, 2012 at 1:11 PM
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The situation in the Myanmar state of Rakhine remains "very, very volatile" after October violence left at least 89 people dead, a U.N. official said.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The situation in the Myanmar state of Rakhine remains "very, very volatile" after October violence left at least 89 people dead, a U.N. official said.
Weapons seized at Myanmar border
Bangkokpost, Published: 4/11/2012 at 06:03 PM
TAK - Thai soldiers on Sunday seized many heavy firearms, including rifles and machine guns, and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition in Tak's Mae Sot district, near the Thai-Myanmar border.
TAK - Thai soldiers on Sunday seized many heavy firearms, including rifles and machine guns, and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition in Tak's Mae Sot district, near the Thai-Myanmar border.
The two ills of Myanmar
EDITORIAL, Published: 6/11/2012 at 12:00 AM
Bangkokpost - Myanmar is showing the face of reform to the world. But our western neighbour is also displaying what a long, tough road still lies ahead. President Thein Sein and the elected parliament are rightly celebrating a new foreign investment law. At the same time, the country is at the centre of controversies over its failure to deal with drug trafficking, and is being rightly condemned around the world for its treatment of Rohingya people.
Bangkokpost - Myanmar is showing the face of reform to the world. But our western neighbour is also displaying what a long, tough road still lies ahead. President Thein Sein and the elected parliament are rightly celebrating a new foreign investment law. At the same time, the country is at the centre of controversies over its failure to deal with drug trafficking, and is being rightly condemned around the world for its treatment of Rohingya people.
From Myanmar to Bangalore, on business
Rhik Kundu, TNN | Nov 6, 2012, 06.51AM IST
BANGALORE: They have come all the way from Myanmar to the IT capital to take back home some new ideas on doing business. The visit has been worth it, said the 21 MBA students from Mandalay University.
BANGALORE: They have come all the way from Myanmar to the IT capital to take back home some new ideas on doing business. The visit has been worth it, said the 21 MBA students from Mandalay University.
MSF medical care affected by violence in Myanmar
China.org.cn, November 6, 2012
As Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical teams work to reach communities affected by the violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, they face ongoing antagonism generated by deep ethnic divisions, according to MSF.
As Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical teams work to reach communities affected by the violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, they face ongoing antagonism generated by deep ethnic divisions, according to MSF.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Scott Leckie: ‘Burma could very easily become the displacement capital of Asia’
Following the publication of Displacement Solutions
recent report on housing, land and property rights in Burma, DVB’s David
Stout spoke with the organisation’s founder and director Scott Leckie
about land disputes and new legislation in the country
Burma: Continued Violations of Fundamental Freedoms and New Forms of Control Expose the Empty Façade of Reforms
Mon, 2012-11-05 14:23 — editor
Human rights protection in Burma will remain illusory if fundamental
freedoms of expression, assembly and association are not properly
safeguarded in the current legal reforms in Burma, warned the Asian
Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) after concluding a
fact-finding mission in Burma.
Preliminary Findings of FORUM-ASIA’s Fact-Finding Mission
Rangoon/Bangkok, 05 November, (Asiantribune.com):
Leading rights activist declines to speak out on behalf of Myanmar's Muslims
First Published: 2012-11-04
|
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
causes disappointment among international supporters for her muted
response to violence that has swept Rakhine state.
|
World Bank returns to Myanmar
Nov 6, 2012
By Carey L Biron
WASHINGTON - The World Bank has approved a major new development package for Myanmar, marking the first time the Washington-based development institution has lent to the country in a quarter century.
By Carey L Biron
WASHINGTON - The World Bank has approved a major new development package for Myanmar, marking the first time the Washington-based development institution has lent to the country in a quarter century.
Four Projects to Boost Myanmar Gas Supplies
OIC To Hold Special Meeting On Myanmar Developments
November 05, 2012 15:30 PM
Norway opens embassy in Myanmar
Nov 5, 2012 - Prime
Minister Jens Stoltenberg (photo) on Sunday opened Norway's first
embassy in Myanmar (Burma). Her also had talks with opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi.
Britain urges Myanmar to resolve Rohingya issue
05 November 2012, 06:32 CET
(VIENTIANE) - Britain on Monday called on Myanmar
to resolve the citizenship status of Rohingya Muslims caught up in
deadly sectarian violence in a flashpoint western state.
Myanmar minister warns off opportunists
A senior Myanmar minister said the government
will crack down on anyone taking advantage of the communal unrest in
Rakhnie state for their own ends.
YANGON, Myanmar, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A senior Myanmar minister said the government will crack down on anyone taking advantage of the communal unrest in Rakhine state for their own ends.
Norway, Denmark Open Embassies In Myanmar
November 05, 2012 12:20 PM
ASEAN concerned by Myanmar unrest: Indonesia
05 November 2012, 04:12 CET
(VIENTIANE) - Deadly sectarian violence rocking
western Myanmar is "an issue of concern" for the whole of Southeast
Asia, Indonesia's foreign minister said Monday.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Myanmar investment law a major step
Bangkokpost: 2/11/2012 at 02:48 PMOnline news: News
Myanmar President Thein Sein has signed an eagerly awaited foreign investment bill after lawmakers removed protectionist measures inserted in earlier drafts.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Myanmar News Update on Nov 2
Thursday, November 1, 2012
UNHCR: Accept Myanmar refugees
Bangkokpost, 1 Nov 2012 at 02:58 PM
KUALA LUMPUR - Myanmar's neighbours should
prepare to let in refugees from the country's Rohingya minority who may
try to flee abroad to escape bloody communal violence, refugee
organisations said Thursday.
Myanmar News Update on Nov 1
India, US, Japan discuss Africa, Myanmar, Afghanistan
Myanmar: New Frontline for East-West Oil Rush
By Jen Alic | Thu, 01 November 2012
Welcome to Myanmar, formerly Burma. A gateway to the Indian
Ocean for China and the home of massive oil and gas wealth that is an
important element of America’s Asia policy and China’s energy policy. It
is also run by a brutal military junta (renamed), is rife with
sectarian violence, and has just seen an entire community burned to the
ground at a key hub of Chinese operations.
Myanmar foreign investment bill in parliament again
YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's new foreign investment bill was with parliament on Thursday, after amendments to address concerns of foreign firms eager to enter the country, and it could be quickly approved and sent to the president to be signed into law, lawmakers said.
ADB announces short-term goals for Myanmar
Nov 01, 2012
The Asian Development Bank has approved a strategy to guide its work in Myanmar for the year 2014.
UN reports huge rise in Myanmar opium production
Myanmar drug lords have increased the size of
opium fields by 17 per cent in the past year, despite claims by the
government of successful drug eradication to meet a goal of an
opium-free country, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported Wednesday.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Opium cultivation increases for sixth year in Burma, according to UN report
The cultivation of illegal opium has increased in Burma for a sixth successive year, fuelled in part by rising demand for heroin across Asia, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
7:23AM GMT 31 Oct 2012
A poppy farmer cuts opium buds to collect resin in an opium poppy field in the hills of the south Shan State, Myanmar Photo: EPA
Myanmar News Update on 31 Oct
Monday, October 29, 2012
Refugees accuse Burmese government of ignoring ethnic cleansing: 'If we stayed, we would have been killed'
Refugees accuse Burma's civilian government of standing by as dozens die in communal violence
