Addressing more than 6,300 soldiers, Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said that the military will continue to play a political role as the country transforms itself into a democracy. The military must strengthen its capabilities
POLITICAL & social life in Burma
© Amnesty International France
100,000 hectares confiscated by military
Tuesday, March 5 2013
As parliamentary commission began investigating land-grabbing in Burma, it has received complaints that the military has forcibly seized about 250,000 acres of farmland from villagers. The report said farmlands were confiscated for six different
Burmese people have to monitor this influx of money
Saturday, February 23 2013
A report released by the Dutch think-tank, the Transnational Institute, expressed concern at the prospect of massive development projects in conflict-ridden parts of Burma. As Burma is emerges from decades of military rule, it is attracting foreign
Local burmese NGOs want to go forward.
Sunday, January 20 2013
The challenge of development is complex, but for director of the Karen Women’s Action Group (KWAG), the focus should start at a local level, with efforts to educate and empower women in the southeastern state. “Women play an important role in
Children at work
Saturday, December 22 2012
9-year-old Nu Nu Wai would like to go to school full time and become a painter. But, as a child of migrant workers from Burma her parents cannot make enough money so she only attends 10 days a month. She spends the rest of her time peeling shrimp in
A toxic mix of guns, drugs, money and politics.
Thursday, December 13 2012
Declining heroin and opium output from Afghanistan could provide strong cash incentives for Burma’s drug warlords to boost production, thereby threatening the further growth of a trade that is already considered a key component in Southeast Asia’s
200 protesters sit-in
Saturday, November 24 2012
The 200 protesters who continue to “sit-in” at Ledi camp are suffering from a lack of food, water and medicine, said one of the protest organizers. Comprising local farmers, Buddhist monks, students, NGO activists and local residents, the protest
Concern over international peace efforts
Wednesday, November 14 2012
Over the past year, the Peace Donor Support Group - which includes aid agencies from Norway, the European Union, the UK, Australia and the UN, as well as the Norwegian-has pledged nearly US$30 million to support peace-building in conflict-affected
Land battles are intensifying
Tuesday, October 23 2012
The fight over land in Mingaladon is one of many such battles in Burma. Human rights groups say land battles are intensifying because companies tied to the military and business elite are rushing to grab land as the country emerges from five decades
Marriage brokers : go to China !
Saturday, October 20 2012
Government anti human-trafficking unit chief said the marriage brokers told some Burmese women that if a woman marries a Chinese man and can give birth to a baby, she can receive up to three million kyat (US$ 3,523). The marriage brokers openly
Tensions between villagers and fish farmers
Sunday, September 30 2012
Two people were killed while two others were seriously injured when police opened fire into a crowd in Shar Khae Gyi Village on Thursday evening. Locals gathered in front of the village administration office to demand justice for their fellow
Investigating execution of rebel fighters
Sunday, September 30 2012
Burma’s police have begun investigating the alleged execution of rebel fighters that occurred at the All-Burmese Students’ Democratic Front’s northern command centre in Kachin state in 1991. According to witnesses’ accounts, more than 30 rebel
I have to oversee the NGOs
Saturday, September 22 2012
Aung Min is the key player in Burma’s peace process. He was recently appointed to the President’s Office, Interview with The Irrawaddy. Question: What is your next plan ? Minister Aung Min. My ministry focuses on national security, which mainly
Aung Din : reforms are fragile and reversible
Thursday, September 20 2012
“Opposition forces in the Parliament including Aung San Suu Kyi have been neutralized by the government by giving them posts in the Parliament. So, she can no longer speak for the rights of the people, ”Hkun Htun Oo told reporters at a news
The 3 main national Causes
Saturday, September 8 2012
The shared major duty is residing within the Union with unity and safeguarding Our Three Main National Causes. The three major duties namely, Nondisintegration of the Union, Non-disintegration of national solidarity and Perpetuation of sovereignty is
How to eradicate drug use ?
Monday, September 3 2012
Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) runs a drug rehabilitation centre at their headquarters in Laiza. Established in 2010 as part of a KIO drive to eradicate drug use from the northern state – estimated by some to be as high as 70 percent among
Forced labour in Chin State. Difficult to monitor.
Thursday, August 30 2012
The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) has documented 20 separate incidents of forced labour, some involving orders to multiple villages, according to a new report released on Thursday. 50 % of the incidents involved orders from the Burmese Army
Exorbitant forest depletion
Saturday, August 25 2012
Myanmar's forest coverage was down to 24 %in 2008 from 57 % in 1962 and 70 % in Konbaung dynasty. Such rate was bringing the county's forest depletion to the worst condition, the report quoted an analyst as saying. The main root cause of forest
AsianDevBank. Developing Human Capital
Wednesday, August 22 2012
Improvements in education and health will help to relieve the human capital constraint that currently inhibits Myanmar’s economy from fulfilling its full potential. Healthy, skilled and knowledgeable workers are essential to improve the performance
Rural people face land grabbing
Thursday, August 2 2012
As more and more farmers are losing their lands and livelihoods to corrupt businesses long-associated with the Burma Army, the current government is doing its best to preserve the interests of these wealthy elites at the expense of disempowered rural
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