News
New idea floated to allow NLD leader to assume presidency
A new idea has been presented that would allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to get around a constitutional provision that bars her from the presidency. The proposal appears to be gaining ground and has now received the backing of a former senior military officer serving ...
Myanmar comes under renewed pressure to ratify key human rights treaties
Myanmar has come under renewed pressure to lift itself from the bottom rung of countries to have ratified key international human rights treaties. Speaking at an event in Yangon yesterday to mark International Human Rights Day, Andrew MacGregor, a senior official from the Office of the ...
Myanmar fishermen give testimony in trafficking case
Fishermen who were enslaved and in some cases held captive for a decade aboard seafood trawlers in Indonesia are now taking part in a lawsuit against one of the accused companies. The 14 Myanmar fishermen were flown back to Indonesia to serve as witnesses in the ...
Women increasingly among those at risk for HIV/AIDS
A new group is increasingly at risk for contracting HIV in Myanmar: women. Even as the number of people contracting HIV has begun to decline, the virus’ prevalence is growing among women, according to health experts. Women of reproductive age – from 15 to 45 years old ...
Taking on climate change in the dry zone
A UNDP project in the country’s dry zone aims to help villages weather climate change by improving access to water sources and food security. The project will be implemented in Shwebo and Monywa in Sagaing Region, Myingyan and Nyaung-U in Mandalay Region and Chauk in ...
‘Ownerless’ illegal logs seized in Kachin and Sagaing
A thousand tonnes of timber bound for the Chinese border have been seized by police, with the help of local residents amid armed clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Army. Investigators are now following up the seizure of the 2206 logs in Bhamaw/Bhamo township, ...
Former dictator said to accept Daw Suu as ‘future leader’
Not seen in public for four years but still a power behind the scenes, former junta leader U Than Shwe has reportedly endorsed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as “the future leader of Myanmar”, fuelling speculation of a possible deal that would allow her to ...
Post-ceasefire dialogue process moves ahead
In a race against deadlines set by the nationwide ceasefire agreement, negotiators for eight ethnic armed groups, the government and political parties have agreed on a partial draft text of a framework for political dialogue. However, some important issues have not been decided on, such as ...
Migrant rights group presses government on stalled registration
A migrant rights network has appealed to the Myanmar and Thai governments to reach a solution on a worker registration standoff, and to take steps to alleviate the exploitation of workers by brokers. The call comes as the two sides prepare to meet in Thailand on ...
Suu Kyi, Than Shwe discuss Myanmar's future
Myanmar election winner Aung San Suu Kyi and long-time former military junta leader Than Shwe met for more than two hours and discussed the country’s future, sources said on 6 December. The 4 December meeting at military headquarters in the political capital Nay Pyi Taw was facilitated ...
