Monday, August 20, 2012

Burma to Probe Ethnic Unrest


2012-08-17
The country will launch its own investigation into ethnic clashes that left 
dozens dead.Burma’s president on Friday announced the 
formation of a commission to investigate the June deadly 
ethnic conflict in western Rakhine state, a day after an 
Islamic group said it would raise the issue of the Muslim 
Rohingya, who allegedly bore the brunt of the violence, 
before the United Nations.

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Gov’t forms commission to investigate Arakan violence


17-Aug-12
Following weeks of international pressure, President Thein Sein today formed 
a commission to investigate the deadly sectarian violence in Arakan state, 
which controversially pitted Buddhists against the Muslim Rohingya minority in June.

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China is more helpful to Myanmar


20-Aug-12
The Yunnan-Burma Road played an important role in the victory of China and 
other Asian countries against Japanese invasion over 70 years ago. A recent 
journey along the northern Myanmar section of the road left an impression 
that the local economy remains backward due to armed conflicts and 
it is China who can help alleviate poor living conditions of local residents. 

Myanmar opens probe into unrest


19-Aug-12
YANGON: Myanmar has set up a new commission to probe sectarian clashes 
that saw scores killed and displaced tens of thousands, members told AFP, 
following intense scrutiny of its handling of the issue.  

Myanmar starts flights between big cities


19-Aug-12
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Myanmar Progress 'Fragile,' Says U.S. Envoy


19-Aug-12
YANGON, Myanmar—Myanmar's overhauls of the past year remain fragile 
and tenuous, the new U.S. ambassador to the country said, with continuing 
evidence of human-rights violations and concerns about opaque 
policy-making and possible military ties to North Korea.

600 attend KNU opening of its fourth liaison office


19-Aug-12
As many as 600 people attended the Karen National Union fourth liaison 
office opening ceremony in Myawaddy, Karen State that will serve as 
the main communication hub for the Burma Army and the Karen National Liberation 
Army’s 6th and 7th Brigade areas.

2012 Aug 18 Investigation commission formed

2012 Aug 18 Investigation Commission Formed

Sunday, August 19, 2012

(3) Burma Business Roundup : Source : Irrawaddy


18-Aug-12
A lack of transparency in political affairs and a muddy regulatory framework 
are hindering investment in Burma, an international business commentator says.

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Burma Sets Up Internal Probe of Sectarian Unrest


18-Aug-12
RANGOON — Burma’s government has formed a commission to investigate 
the causes of recent sectarian violence in which at least 83 people were killed.


Saturday, August 18, 2012

Mountains erosions from heavy rains inducing major traffic jam on union highways


Friday, 17 August 2012 10:37 NMHO
In China-Burma boarder, due to the heavy rains across Northern Shan State, 
there have been mountains erosions and floods causing many large trees 
to fall and blocking thousands of trucks and vehicles in some areas, reported travelers.

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KNU to open the fourth liaison office in Myawaddy


17-Aug-12
The Karen National Union will open a fourth liaison office on the 18th of August 
in the Burma border town of Myawaddy in Karen State to help with the cooperation 
between the Burma government and the KNU, especially in the Karen National 
Liberation Army’s 6th and 7th Brigade areas.

Chinese medics battle to contain measles outbreak in Kachin refugee camp


17-Aug-12
A Kachin relief group reports that Chinese doctors and a team of medics 
are battling to contain an outbreak of measles among children in a Kachin 
refugee camp on the China side of the border with Burma. 

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Assamese Flee South India Fearing Revenge Attacks


17-Aug-12
BANGALORE, India—Thousands of panic-stricken Indians from the northeast 
were fleeing the southern city of Bangalore on Thursday, spurred by rumors 
they would be attacked in retaliation for communal violence in their home state.

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Heavy flooding hits many areas in Burma


Friday, 17 August 2012 13:44 Mizzima News
Monsoon rains continue to damage crops and disrupt lives in Burmese 
townships and villages, with heavy rains in central and eastern Burma 
destroying thousands of acres of rice.

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Ethnic Peace Vital for Strong Democracy: 88 Gen


17-Aug-12
Members of the 88 Generation Students group met ethnic political leaders 
in Karen and Mon states during a recent visit and agreed to work together 
towards developing peace and a strong democracy in Burma.

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Journalists Plan Protest against Media Restrictions


17-Aug-12
Journalists in Burma say they plan to protest in front of Rangoon’s City Hall next 
week to express their growing frustration with the government’s failure to follow 
through on promises to introduce meaningful media reforms.

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Burmese human rights commission rejects calls for Rakhine investigation


Friday, 17 August 2012 13:04 Mizzima News

Burma’s government-appointed human rights commission has rejected 

appeals by domestic and international groups, saying there is no need 

for an investigation into the communal violence between Buddhists 

and Muslim Rohingya that erupted in June in Rakhine State. 


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NGO Registration Law to be Drafted


17-Aug-12
The drafting of a new registration law specifically for non-governmental 
organizations was approved by Burma’s Lower House of Parliament 
on Thursday while existing legislation will also be reviewed.

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87 people dead, over 5,300 houses destroyed in Rakhine State: gov’t


17-Aug-12

The latest UN situation report for Rakhine State says that of the over 100,000 

people affected at the beginning of the crisis in June, many have returned home 

as the overall security situation is improving across the state.


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Burma Rebuffs Asean Bid for Role in Arakan State


17-Aug-12
A planned emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Association 
of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to address the aftermath of recent 
communal violence in Arakan State was called off last week after 
Burma sternly rejected the regional grouping’s involvement, 
The Irrawaddy has learned.

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World Bank ‘interim strategy note’ posted for Burmese projects


Friday, 17 August 2012 12:25 Mizzima News
The World Bank has posted a summary of an “Interim Strategy Note for Burma 
(ISN) ” on its website, which is an outline of the bank’s plans and strategy 
in its engagment with Burma.

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Five detained NGO aid workers released in Rakhine State


Friday, 17 August 2012 12:09 Mizzima News
Five detained local NGO staff members of an international aid organization 
were freed on Thursday in Rakhine State in Burma, while others still remain in jail.

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Armed Karenni group ready to hold more talks with gov’t


17-Aug-12
The Karenni National Progressive Party’s Vice President Abel Tweed said holding 
additional rounds of talks with the government is still necessary after agreeing 
to an initial ceasefire in March and a union-level deal in June.

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Shan girl gang raped by Burmese government soldiers


16-Aug-12
On Saturday, August 11, Burmese government troops gang raped a teenaged Shan 
girl—the 14-year-old daughter of U Thein Win, the headman from Tung Pin 
Village in Kachin State’s Mohnyin district.

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Elected Shan leader calls for more power to the states


Thursday, 16 August 2012 11:30 S.H.A.N.
Hkun Htoon Oo, leader of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy 
(SNLD) that won statewide in the 1990 elections, yesterday called for 
more decentralization by the central government for the states and regions, 
according to reports from Rangoon.

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ATM debit card rollout to start in September


Thursday, 16 August 2012 12:54 Theingi Tun
Rangoon (Mizzima) – Burmese consumers will be able to use a Myanmar 
Payment Union (MPU) debit card in September to withdraw money at ATM 
machines of participating banks and to buy goods at some stores. 

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Heavy flooding destroys 9,500 acres of rice in eastern Burma


16-Aug-12
Record monsoon rains in eastern Burma destroyed thousands of acres 
of rice cultivated by villagers and there are no sign the rains are likely 
to ease any time soon.

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SNLD party leader calls for more gov’t decentralization


Thursday, 16 August 2012 16:21 Mizzima News

The head of the newly registered Shan Nationalities League for Democracy 

(SNLD) has called for more decentralization of regions and states 

by the Burmese government.


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World Bank to fund ‘model villages’ in Burmese townships


Thursday, 16 August 2012 13:10 Mizzima News
A World Bank development program in Burma plans to set up model villages 
in more than 300 townships, in addition to creating 15 plans to alleviate 
chronic poverty in rural areas. 

Flooding closes 41 schools in Pathein


Thursday, 16 August 2012 14:01 Kyaw Phone Kyaw
Rangoon (Mizzima) – Forty-one schools in Pathein [Bassein] Township, 
a flood-stricken area in Irrawaddy Region, have been closed since Wednesday, 
due to heavy monsoon rains.

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Drought Hits Central Burma despite Delta Floods


16-Aug-12
Despite flooding across the Irrawaddy Delta due to heavy rain, drought has 
hit central Burma destroying the crops of farmers in Mandalay Division.

Read More---

 


Suu Kyi’s Silence on Rohingya Draws Rare Criticism


16-Aug-12
BANGKOK—She is known as the voice of Burma’s downtrodden but there 
is one oppressed group that Aung San Suu Kyi does not want to discuss.

Islamic group to take Rohingya issue to the UN


Thursday, 16 August 2012 12:23 Mizzima News
The Islamic summit meeting has decided to take the issue of Muslim 
Rohingyas in Burma to the United Nations, it said in a statement.

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Govt ‘Plotting Kachin Attack’ despite Peace Rhetoric


16-Aug-12
Amid apparent attempts to arrange peace talks, the Burmese military 
is preparing for a large scale offensive against Kachin rebels 
in northern Burma with large troop deployments at the frontline, 
according to local sources.

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Curfews Cut Back in Arakan State as Tensions Ease


16-Aug-12
Local authorities in Arakan State have shortened curfews in townships 
affected by clashes between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims 
as the situation appears to be returning to normal, according 
to government officials and local residents.

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Rakhine Aid Workers Freed


2012-08-16
Burmese authorities release local NGO staff held amid ethnic violence 
between Rohingyas and Rakhines.
Two local staff members of an international aid non-governmental 
organization detained during the height of ethnic violence in western 
Burma’s Rakhine state were released Thursday amid easing tensions 
but several more aid workers continue to languish in detention.

Read More---


Islamic body to take Rohingya issue to United Nations


16-Aug-12
The Islamic summit decided on Thursday to take the issue of Burma’s 
Muslim Rohingyas, displaced by deadly sectarian violence, to the United Nations.

Read More---


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Shan leader says Wa should help gov’t in anti-drug campaign


Wednesday, 15 August 2012 12:26 Mizzima News
The top Shan army leader says now is a “golden opportunity” for a top 
commander of the United Wa State Army who is wanted by the US on 
drug changes to cooperate in Nawpyitaw’s drug elimination policy.

Traffic police officer arrested for smuggling tons of jade


Wednesday, 15 August 2012 15:14 MHO
On August 11, deputy traffic police officer U Kyaw Soe Aung who is currently 
assigned to Muse City in Northern Shan State was reportedly arrested altogether 
with his two subordinates for illegally transporting jade.

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Drug abuse free-for-all on the Chinese border


15-Aug-12
Drugs are widely available in Namkham and the neighboring Kachin township 
of Manwiang but local authorities are taking no action against this state of affairs, 
report locals.

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Tech Schools Reopen in Rangoon and Mandalay


15-Aug-12
Institutes of Technology will reopen in Burma’s two biggest cities of Rangoon 
and Mandalay after being closed by the junta government 24 years ago.

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Turkey’s Arakan Access Shows Govt Sincere: UN


15-Aug-12
A top UN envoy says that the recent visit of Turkey Foreign Minister 
Ahmet Ahmet Davutoglu to violence-hit Arakan (Rakhine) State shows 
the Burmese government sincerely wants to solve the crisis.

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Kachin women demand Myanmar Human Right Commission hold in-depth investigation into Kachin abuses


15-Aug-12
The Kachin Women Association Thailand urged the Myanmar Human Right 
Commission to do a proper comprehensive and in-depth inquiry into the 
massive amount of people who have been displaced or made refugees 
by Burma Army offensives in Kachin State.

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Flooding Displaces Thousands in Delta Region


15-Aug-12
Massive flooding caused by ongoing heavy rain this week has forced 
thousands of people living in Irrawaddy Division and Karen State to flee their homes.

Read More---


Navy Chief Picked as VP


2012-08-15
Burma's newly appointed vice president is seen as politically moderate. Burma 
on Wednesday appointed a navy chief who has a reputation as a political 
moderate to be one of the country’s two vice presidents, replacing 
a hardliner who resigned for health reasons.

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MPs Want Tribunal Sacked


2012-08-15

Burma’s Lower House of Parliament says a ruling on affairs committees 

was unlawful.Burma’s Lower House of Parliament has called for the 

resignation of all members of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal for 

a ruling that will make it difficult for MPs to effectively oversee 

the activities of government entities.


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Foreign investment may be restricted under new laws


15-Aug-12
Burma’s new foreign investment law may be more restrictive than its predecessor, 
experts said, after an updated draft of the much-anticipated foreign direct 
investment (FDI) bill was leaked to Reuters last week.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Jeddah Meeting Focuses on Syria, Muslims in Myanmar


14-Aug-12
Foreign ministers who convened in Jeddah ahead of an extraordinary 
meeting ofOIC discussed Syria and problems of Muslims in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi city visit in works


14-Aug-12
Fort Wayne's Burmese community is trying to arrange a visit to the city 
by Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy leader of their native Myanmar.



Myanmar seeks help to build 21st century grid


14-Aug-12
Myanmar has started discussions with foreign companies in a bid to transform 
its dilapidated national electricity grid, a vital component of the country’s 
economic reforms.



Freed Rangoon bomber appeals guilty verdict


14-Aug-12
Phyo Wei Aung, who was controversially convicted of masterminding a bomb 
attack in Rangoon in 2010 but recently released from jail, has today appealed 
to the Supreme Court in Naypidaw to have his guilty verdict overturned.



Freed Rangoon bomber appeals guilty verdict


14-Aug-12
Phyo Wei Aung, who was controversially convicted of masterminding a bomb 
attack in Rangoon in 2010 but recently released from jail, has today appealed 
to the Supreme Court in Naypidaw to have his guilty verdict overturned.



Dawei project infrastructure funding again underway


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 14:43 Mizzima News
Funding for infrastructure in the Dawei Special Economic Zone project 
in southern Burma is being lined up,  according to government officials 
who spoke to members of Parliament last week.

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Japan to help Burma create a securities and exchange law


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 14:21 Than Htike Oo
Rangoon (Mizzima) - The Policy Research Institute of Japan and Central 
Bank of Myanmar will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 
Tuesday to create a Myanmar Securities and Exchange Law, said an 
official of the Central Bank of Myanmar.

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Japan to help Burma create a securities and exchange law


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 14:21 Than Htike Oo
Rangoon (Mizzima) - The Policy Research Institute of Japan and Central 
Bank of Myanmar will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 
Tuesday to create a Myanmar Securities and Exchange Law, said an 
official of the Central Bank of Myanmar.

Read More---

 


7-Day News Journal stands by electricity story


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 15:55 Myat Kyaw Thu
Rangoon (Mizzima) – The 7-Day News Journal in Rangoon has rejected 
allegations by the  Phontphyo Myanmar Company  that an article about 
delayed electricity service to a village in Sagaing Region is not accurate.

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Burma signs MoU for Rangoon power plant


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:21 Mizzima News
Burma has signed an agreement to conduct a study to build a natural gas-fired 
and combined cycle 100-megawatt power plant in Ahlone Township in Rangoon 
Region, official media reported on Sunday.

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UN says has no access to ‘tens of thousands’ in Rakhine, Kachin states


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:08 Mizzima News
The UN humanitarian affairs office has issued an appeal for US$ 32.5 million 
to provide humanitarian aid to Rakhine State in Burma, it said this week. 
The western state has been the site of ongoing community clashes 
involving Rakhine and Rohingya residents.

Read More---


Burmese political parties call for Quintana’s removal


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 12:50 Mizzima News
Twenty-four Burmese political parties say UN special rapporteur on human 
rights Tomas Quintana is biased in reporting on Burma’s ethnic conflicts 
and have called for his removal.

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Burma’s vice president calls peace deals fragile


Tuesday, 14 August 2012 12:38 Mizzima News
During a Union-level peacemaking committee meeting in Naypyitaw on Sunday, 
Vice President Sai Mauk Kham said signing cease-fire deals with ethnic groups 
does not create peace, and on-going negotiations are fragile and demand committment.

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American Muslims Launch ‘Burma Task Force USA’


14-Aug-12

WASHINGTON DC—Prominent Muslim American groups have come together 

to launch Burma Task Force USA with the objective of raising the profile of 

the Rohingya issue while speaking out against alleged atrocities and human 

rights violations which have forced thousands to flee and seek refuge in neighboring

 

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Media Objects to Interim Regulatory Body


14-Aug-12
Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) representatives have told Information 
Minister Kyaw Hsan that they will not take part in the new 20-member 
Myanmar Core Press Council (MCPC) until changes are made 
to its powers and obligations.

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Burma to Pick New VP on Wednesday


14-Aug-12
Burma’s Parliament is set to choose a new vice president in Naypyidaw on 
Wednesday, with Gen Nyan Htun, the commander-in-chief of Burma’s navy, 
seen as the top pick of the legislature’s military appointees.

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FEC’s Days Are Numbered, but Demand Remains


14-Aug-12
The Burmese government’s plans to abolish Foreign Exchange Certificates 
(FECs) by early next year could face obstacles due to continuing demand from 
businesses that are required to use them for a range of transactions, according 
to officials in the private banking sector.

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Ministry delays interim press council’s debut


14-Aug-12
Information Minister Kyaw Hsan has been forced to postpone the formation 
of Burma’s new interim press council after being deluged with criticism from 
media organisations and journalists, according to the Myanmar 
Journalists Association (MJA).

Read More---