The other Htin Kyaw

When international broadcaster CNN reported the decision by the National League for Democracy to name U Htin Kyaw as its nominee for the presidency, it made an understandable error. It illustrated the story with a photo of the wrong Htin Kyaw. CNN used an image of Ko Htin Kyaw, a prominent activist who is much better known to the public than President Htin Kyaw, whom many in Myanmar knew little about until his appointment.

Ko Htin Kyaw, 53, the leader of the community-based Movement for Democracy Current Force, is famous because of aggressive and unrelenting political activism targeting the military junta and U Thein Sein’s administration.

He has been arrested and jailed so many times for his political activism that Amnesty International called on the authorities in September 2014 to cease their “relentless persecution”. During one of his many court appearances, he displayed Thein Sein’s name written on the sole of his foot, a powerful cultural insult. He called it his “sole campaign”. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)

Myanmar's new democratic government, led by the charismatic Aung San Suu Kyi, has only been in power for 50 days.

But already many Myanmar analysts and commentators are finding fault with its lack of of speedy reforms, broken promises and unexpected government appointments. Some even suggest Ms Suu Kyi is already antagonising the military, still the most important institution in the country, with her style of government. (Courtesy of Bangkok Post- Opinion)

Militants smuggling in weapons through Myanmar border

Though Bangladesh is no longer a preferred route for the militants and criminals to bring in weapons to the Northeast, the porous international border with Myanmar is still a major worry as sophisticated weapons are still being brought into the region through that route and security agencies suspect that Dimapur in Nagaland is the hub of clandestine arms dealers.

Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that at one point of time, the militants used to bring in weapons to the Northeast through Bangladesh, but that has almost stopped in recent times as the security along the international border has been intensified, while the present government in that country has also launched a crackdown against those involved in such arms smuggling. (Courtesy of The Assam Tribune Online)

Myanmar third on deforestation list

Myanmar has the third-highest rate of deforestation in the world, Ohn Win, minister for resources and conservation, told a forestry workshop at Myanmar Timber Enterprise in Yangon.

According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation survey conducted every five years, Myanmar's forestry coverage was 52 per cent in 2000, 49 per cent in 2005, 47 per cent in 2010 and 43 per cent in 2015, he added.

Brazil tops the deforestation list followed by Indonesia. According to the FAO’s 2010 report, about 13 million hectares of forest were lost around the world each year between 2000 and 2010. (Courtesy of Eleven Myanmar)

There are no Rohingyas in Myanmar: military chief

Myanmar has no Rohingyas and will not accept the term, Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told a press conference held at his offices on May 13.

The Union Daily asked about unrest in Rakhine State in relation to the Rohingya issue and asked about the remarks about the Rohingya made by the US embassy.

Protesters marched on the US Embassy in Yangon last month after it used the word Rohingya in a statement of condolence for the deaths of at least 20 people whose boat capsized on April 19 off the Rakhine coast.

The commander-in-chief said there were no Rohingyas in the country. There were only "Bengalis", he said, referring to the term for people from Bangladesh. They were sent to Rakhine State after it was colonised by the British following the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824. "They are large in number and have been called 'Bengalis'. They were called Rohingyas under former prime minister U Nu to win their votes. It was illegal. The term Rohingya does not exist and we will not accept it." (Courtesy of The Nation)

Myanmar's 'Rohingya' problem

Human rights groups say the Rohingya people are one of the most persecuted ethnic groups in the world. My own research work on endangered people has also shown that they are the most persecuted people in our time. More than a million people in Myanmar from the Muslim minority are currently stateless, and genocidal violence in the country's west has put nearly 140,000 of them in internment camps.

Although Myanmar has gone through a political change with an elected government running the state, it still doesn't want to recognize its Rohingya people whose ties to the soil of Arakan (Rakhine) state are older than others. This is a sad matter for all the human rights groups around the globe who expected better from a government that is now led by Suu Kyi. With her inexcusable silences to condemn the crimes of her Buddhist people against unarmed Rohingya and other minority Muslims living inside Myanmar she has been a disappointing icon since the latest genocidal pogroms started in 2012. But there was always that hope in the midst of hopelessness that she will eventually self-correct and do the right thing once put into power. (Courtesy of Asian Tribune)

In Myanmar, Suu Kyi’s Brand Is a Double-Edged Sword

While Aung San Suu Kyi’s inauguration as Myanmar’s state councilor early last month was largely academic, it certainly wasn’t short on significance. With the globally revered democracy icon vowing to be “above the president” anyway, the international community is now queuing up to engage with the once pariah state.

But though Suu Kyi’s ‘brand’ has the power to attract rapid change for the nation, it could also quickly become Myanmar’s Achilles heel. (Courtesy of thediplomat.com)