The Irrawaddy

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

Displaced Myanmar Civilians Denied UN Aid

United Nations aid to displaced people from Mindat, a mountainous town in Chin State which saw fighting between junta troops and civilian resistance fighters, is only reaching areas permitted by Myanmar’s regime. This week UN humanitarian organization the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivered ...

THE IRRAWADDY

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