Saturday, March 17, 2012

Myanmar, Laos eye for soonest completion of Mekong Bridge


17 March 2012
NAY PYI TAW, 16 March-Union Minister for Construction U Khin Maung Myint 
and visiting Laotian Minister of Public Works and Transport Mr Sommad 
Pholsena held talks on bilateral cooperation at the Construction Ministry 
here this noon.

Burma Business Roundup


17 March 2012
Proposals for yet another “international” port on Burma’s southeast 
coast have been labeled as impracticable by industry observers. 
The Mon transport enterprise Talamon Company is reportedly seeking 
national government approval to build a port on sleepy Kalegauk Island 
which is several kilometers off the Mon coast 90 km west of the 
Three Pagodas Pass border point with Thailand.

Residents protest toxic mine in Shan state's Muse township


16 March 2012
Citing serious environmental concerns, a group of more than 500 
people held a protest on Wednesday to condemn a large scale zinc 
and graphite mine currently being built in northern Shan State's 
Muse township.

Palaung suffer from conscription


16 March 2012
Hundreds of Palaung locals in northern Shan state have been 
conscripted by rebel militias after fighting broke out between 
armed ethnic groups and government forces, reports 
from the region claim.

Myanmar's draft foreign investment law


16 March 2012
(Reuters) - Myanmar has drafted new legislation covering 
foreign investment in the long-isolated country, the latest in 
a series of reforms spearheaded by a civilian government 
since last March. Here are details of the new legislation drafted 
by Myanmar's Foreign Investment Commission. The draft, seen 
by Reuters, must be approved by parliament and signed into 
law by the president.

Myanmar Ethnic Groups Resist Forced Labour


16 March 2012
BANGKOK, Mar 16, 2012 (IPS) - In a move expected to deepen 
political reform, the quasi-civilian government in Myanmar 
(also known as Burma) is permitting the distribution of leaflets that 
will help thousands of people in the country’s ethnic enclaves 
learn to resist forced labour.