The Irrawaddy
Myanmar Junta Destroys 35 More Hospitals, Clinics in Two Months: NUG
Myanmar junta forces have destroyed at least 35 more hospitals and clinics – an average of one every two days – in Shan, Rakhine, Mon, and Chin states and Magwe Region in two months since the end of February, according to the civilian National Unity ...
Hein Htoo Zan
Number of IDPs in Myanmar Has Surged Above 1.8 Million
The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) surpassed 1.8 million in war-ravaged Myanmar on June 12, 2023, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Prior to the February 2021 military coup, the estimated number of internally displaced people was 328,000. They were in ...
THE IRRAWADDY
India Should Exercise Caution Over Myanmar Timber Imports
The confusion over Myanmar timber exports to India was laid to rest last month when the central government in New Delhi informed the Indian border state of Mizoram that timber was not on the restricted list of commodities from Myanmar. New Delhi’s directive was in response to a ...
RAJEEV BHATTACHARYYA
Inequality, Discord and Insecurity in Myanmar’s ‘Sacrifice Zone’
Recent reports by Global Witness and AP news highlight severe environmental destruction by unregulated and illegal rare earths extraction (REE) in northeastern Myanmar bordering China. “There is a name for what Myanmar has become: A “sacrifice zone,” or a place that destroys itself for the good of the world. ...
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY MYANMAR
Myanmar Junta's War Crime Displaces Thousands of Civilians in Kachin State
Nearly 6,000 people have fled their homes and approximately 25 have been killed in Kachin and northern Shan states by Myanmar’s regime forces from November 2021 to April, according to the rights group Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand (KWAT). KWAT’s “New Threats from the Air” report ...
NORA AUNG
Chinese-Owned Banana Plantations Fueling Exploitation in Myanmar
The early 2000s saw a boom in the banana farming sector in southern China. By 2008, the fruit had become an increasingly popular target of investment, with low supply and soaring prices, and banana plantations were set up across China, as well as in Myanmar ...
YAN NAING
Sun Not Shining on Myanmar Junta’s Solar Power Projects
Just six companies, including Chinese firms and local companies with connections to the military regime, have made bids for the 12 solar power projects Myanmar’s junta put up for tender in May, although some 40 firms including Thai companies have expressed interest in the projects. The ...
THE IRRAWADDY
UN Says Poverty in Myanmar at Worst Level in 20 Years Following Coup
The UN’s top humanitarian official in Myanmar said on Thursday the country’s people are living in “a severe crisis,” with a level of poverty not seen for at least 20 years. In a virtual briefing for UN correspondents, Andrew Kirkwood said the number of people in ...
THE IRRAWADDY
Myanmar Junta Arrests Two More Journalists
Two more Myanmar journalists have been arrested by junta forces, raising the number of journalists being held by the military regime to 53 as of September 16, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Since the military’s February 1 coup, Myanmar has become the world’s second-biggest jailer ...
THE IRRAWADDY
Myanmar Junta Pushing Ahead with China-Backed Kyaukphyu SEZ and Port
The military regime is inviting bids to provide legal services to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (KPSEZ) and deep-sea port project in western Rakhine State, a key strategic component of China ‘s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The junta’s invitation to tender comes as China is ...
THE IRRAWADDY