Activists have launched a page on Facebook dedicated to addressing the rising number of hate-speech cases in Myanmar. The “No-Hate Speech Project,” available in both Burmese and English, went live in March 2016 with the goal of educating Internet users in Myanmar about dealing with hate speech on social media.
Myanmar's semi-civilian military-backed government, which has ruled since 1962, implemented some reforms related to freedom of expression in 2010, such as removing media censorship and unblocking various websites. Last year, the electoral defeat of the country's military-backed political party helped cement many of these democratic reforms. (Courtesy of Global Voices)
May 2, 2016
Rebel groups meet in Thailand
Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) and Restoration Council for Shan State (RCSS) met in Chiang Mai on April 30 for peace negotiations, according to Major-General Zaw Izzat Foe of the KNU.
KNU’s delegation was led by its chairman General Saw Mutu Say Poe and RCSS’s delegation was led by its chairman, Lieutenant-General Yawd Serk.
Zaw Izzat Foe said: “We held a workshop on federal issues and discussed peace.”
The RCSS was unavailable for comment. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
KNU’s delegation was led by its chairman General Saw Mutu Say Poe and RCSS’s delegation was led by its chairman, Lieutenant-General Yawd Serk.
Zaw Izzat Foe said: “We held a workshop on federal issues and discussed peace.”
The RCSS was unavailable for comment. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)
Myanmar to set up Army cantonment in Naga hills
In what may be a major breakthrough for India on security front, neighbouring Myanmar has started identifying locations for setting up army cantonment in Myanmar-Naga Hills area to take control of its no man’s land treated as a safe sanctuary by insurgent groups for past several years.
Disclosing that military establishments of Myanmar has not only agreed to make their administrative presence felt, authoritative security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that Myanmar has also agreed to start coordinated patrolling along the international border with India.
Pointing out that Myanmar did not have any administrative presence in Myanmar-Naga Hills so far, security sources said that India in a meeting with its counterpart in April proposed to increase their administrative presence in these areas. (Courtesy of deccanchronicle.com)
Disclosing that military establishments of Myanmar has not only agreed to make their administrative presence felt, authoritative security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that Myanmar has also agreed to start coordinated patrolling along the international border with India.
Pointing out that Myanmar did not have any administrative presence in Myanmar-Naga Hills so far, security sources said that India in a meeting with its counterpart in April proposed to increase their administrative presence in these areas. (Courtesy of deccanchronicle.com)
"Rohingya" ferry victims not Rohingya
Most of the 21 people confirmed drowned when a boat carrying Muslim IDPs sank off Rakhine State last month were ethnic Kamar and not Rohingya as widely reported, according to relatives and survivors who say they are forgotten victims of religious persecution in Myanmar.
The loss of life in rough seas on April 19 after the sinking of a boat carrying 40 to 60 people from Sin Tet Maw in Pauktaw township soon hit social media and then international headlines. A US embassy statement expressed deep concern, using the controversial name Rohingya to describe the victims.
That wording prompted protests outside the US embassy in Yangon on April 28 from nationalists who vehemently object to the term and insist that they be called by their official label of “Bengalis”. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The loss of life in rough seas on April 19 after the sinking of a boat carrying 40 to 60 people from Sin Tet Maw in Pauktaw township soon hit social media and then international headlines. A US embassy statement expressed deep concern, using the controversial name Rohingya to describe the victims.
That wording prompted protests outside the US embassy in Yangon on April 28 from nationalists who vehemently object to the term and insist that they be called by their official label of “Bengalis”. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
'Close economic ties with Myanmar & Bangladesh key to NE India's prosperity'
Noted economist and National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Ayog full-time member Professor Bibek Debroy said that forging close economic ties with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and South East Asia is the key for prosperity and development of Northeast India. Professor Debroy was delivering the 3rd Professor Sarat Mahanta Memorial lecture at the Royal Group of Institutions at Gorchuk on Sunday evening.
He spoke on ‘Recrafting Development: Prospects & Challenges of Economic Growth in North East India’. Prof Debroy also spoke strongly in favour of decentralisation of power and devolution of more powers to states.
Prof Debroy, who was born in Assam, laid out a roadmap for the development of this region which, he said, is viewed as “bypassed and marginalized”. Building tourism hubs in the region, making it the educational and medical node of the country, tapping natural reserves like bamboo, handlooms and mineral reserves and the hydropower potential of the region were his prescriptions for fuelling economic growth of the region.
Noting that the Northeast was one of the relatively prosperous regions of the subcontinent till the 1930s when “history severed natural economic and commercial flows”, Prof Debroy said that “some ingredients” of the big task of re-establishing those flows “are falling in place and we are repairing part of the historical damage”. (Courtesy of The Sentinel)
He spoke on ‘Recrafting Development: Prospects & Challenges of Economic Growth in North East India’. Prof Debroy also spoke strongly in favour of decentralisation of power and devolution of more powers to states.
Prof Debroy, who was born in Assam, laid out a roadmap for the development of this region which, he said, is viewed as “bypassed and marginalized”. Building tourism hubs in the region, making it the educational and medical node of the country, tapping natural reserves like bamboo, handlooms and mineral reserves and the hydropower potential of the region were his prescriptions for fuelling economic growth of the region.
Noting that the Northeast was one of the relatively prosperous regions of the subcontinent till the 1930s when “history severed natural economic and commercial flows”, Prof Debroy said that “some ingredients” of the big task of re-establishing those flows “are falling in place and we are repairing part of the historical damage”. (Courtesy of The Sentinel)
Myanmar: China Offers The Gift Of Compromise
For the last month China has been conducting a “charm offensive” with the new, non-military government of Burma. Meanwhile the leaders of the former military government are bracing for the most serious attack on its power and corrupt business empire. The new parliament has, in theory, the power to undo all the laws the generals put in place during 2011 to preserve that wealth and provide immunity from prosecution. For half a century the military ran the country as a dictatorship that mainly benefitted the generals and their cronies. The majority of Burmese opposed that and made that clear during the 2015 elections for parliament. China was the major foreign partners of the military government, especially when it came to investing in Burma when the rest of the world would not. Chinese economic projects in the north are not only unpopular with the tribes there but also with most Burmese because the Chinese paid the generals well (with bribes and business opportunities) to keep the tribal rebels and unarmed civilians from interfering up north. That protection was not effective and now many of those multi-billion dollar Chinese projects are stalled and the Chinese have made it clear they will to do business with new government on whatever terms the new government wants. (Courtesy of strategypage.com)
Not perfect, but a good life for some foreign workers
One meal a day and the generosity of fellow countrymen kept Mohd Nasir Houladash going for four gruelling months since December, after two Malaysian employers stopped paying him and ignored his calls.
Despite this, Nasir, who now works two jobs a day in the heart of the city, still believes in Malaysia as a land of opportunity filled with nice people.
A general worker, Nasir has been in Malaysia for nine years. Speaking to FMT, the 32-year old Bangladesh national, says his new employer treats him well, inviting him to their village whenever there is a kenduri.
“I like Malaysia because it is easy to earn a living, if people are not lazy they can definitely find work,” he said adding, he would choose to work every day, taking a day off only when he was too tired. (Courtesy of Free Malaysia Today)
Despite this, Nasir, who now works two jobs a day in the heart of the city, still believes in Malaysia as a land of opportunity filled with nice people.
A general worker, Nasir has been in Malaysia for nine years. Speaking to FMT, the 32-year old Bangladesh national, says his new employer treats him well, inviting him to their village whenever there is a kenduri.
“I like Malaysia because it is easy to earn a living, if people are not lazy they can definitely find work,” he said adding, he would choose to work every day, taking a day off only when he was too tired. (Courtesy of Free Malaysia Today)
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