Myanmar’s “lady” faces challenge of a lifetime

Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won the country’s first free nationwide election in a quarter of a century with the slogan “time for change”. After decades of oppression and long periods under house arrest, just taking power is a momentous achievement for the pro-democracy activist known to locals as “the lady”. Yet when she takes effective charge of the resource-rich nation on April 1, her first challenge will be to build on the rapid reforms undertaken by the previous regime.

Myanmar doesn’t look like a country that has endured decades of Western-led sanctions. Visitors to Yangon encounter a bustling Asian emerging market, where wealthy locals eat at KFC and shop for Calvin Klein products in air-conditioned malls. Taxi drivers own smart phones. Small boutique hotels serving high quality French food can even be found a bumpy six-hour drive away from the country’s biggest city.

Myanmar is already one of the world’s fastest-growing nations. The economy probably expanded by 8.5 percent in the year ending this March, the International Monetary Fund reckons. Outgoing President Thein Sein’s semi-civilian government ushered in a wave of reforms after taking over after almost 50 years of military rule in 2011. At the time, Europe and the United States rewarded the tentative transition by easing sanctions. (Courtesy of Reuters)

Myanmar Army conducts combined operations in northern Shan State

The Ministry of Defence yesterday announced that the Myanmar Army is conducting combined operations in the areas in Namhsam and Kyaukme, towns of northern Shan State, where fighting between Shan State Army – South (SSA-S) group and Ta’ang national Liberation has been ongoing, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported on 24 February.

The commander of North-East Command sent a letter of complaint denouncing the acts of SSA-S and asking it to return to the territory designated for the group to U Sai Aung Mya, vice-chairman (1) of Joint Monitoring Committee-State level and Myanmar Peace Centre on 12 February. (Courtesy of Mizzima)

UK MP Paul Scully discusses Myanmar’s transition, hard work of MPs

British Conservative Party MP Paul Scully is visiting Myanmar to check out the changes as the country heads towards a more democratic future.

Mr Scully was born in Britain to a Myanmar father and British mother and has long felt he had an important link with the Golden Land.

In the following interview with Mizzima, Mr Scully discusses a range of issues from his hopes for Myanmar’s new government to UK-Myanmar relations and the need to be patient with the new government and Myanmar MPs as they learn on the job. (Courtesy of Mizzima)

Myanmar Army conducts combined operations in northern Shan State

The Ministry of Defence yesterday announced that the Myanmar Army is conducting combined operations in the areas in Namhsam and Kyaukme, towns of northern Shan State, where fighting between Shan State Army – South (SSA-S) group and Ta’ang national Liberation has been ongoing, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported on 24 February.

The commander of North-East Command sent a letter of complaint denouncing the acts of SSA-S and asking it to return to the territory designated for the group to U Sai Aung Mya, vice-chairman (1) of Joint Monitoring Committee-State level and Myanmar Peace Centre on 12 February. (Courtesy of Mizzima)