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)