The Irrawaddy
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
Heavy Job Losses in Myanmar Since Coup: ILO Report
Myanmar lost an estimated 1.2 million jobs in the second quarter following the February military coup that crippled an economy already weakened by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). “Myanmar was already facing economic stress with jobs and livelihoods under threat as ...
THE IRRAWADDY
Myanmar’s Electricity Sector Crippled Since Military Coup
The military coup has created a crisis in Myanmar’s electricity sector, which has lost billions of dollars in income and been beset by prolonged power outages across the country due to mismanagement by the junta and the public’s refusal to support the regime, Independent Economists ...
THE IRRAWADDY
