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☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. "This is the weakest the Tatmadaw has been since the coup," the diplomat said, referring to Myanmar's military and asking not to be named. Maung Saungkha, leader of the Bamar People's Liberation Army, which contributed troops to the offensive, told Reuters the rebel alliance had spent more than a year preparing to take on the better-armed military. CHINA'S SHADOWSo far, rebel troops have faced unexpectedly weak opposition from the military, according to analysts and resistance leaders who spoke to local media. In a statement announcing the operation, the alliance said they intended to remove those enclaves, which they said were protected by the junta.

Persons: General Min Aung Hlaing, Stringer, Maung Saungkha, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Min Aung, Richard Horsey, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Armed Forces, REUTERS, Junta, United States Institute of Peace, United Nations, Liberation Army, Reuters, National Unity Government, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army, Crisis, Thomson Locations: Naypyitaw, Myanmar, BANGKOK, China, Myanmar's, Shan, Beijing, Suu, Sagaing, Arakan

☆ China urges Myanmar to cooperate on maintaining stability on border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Myanmar should cooperate with China to maintain stability on their common border, a Chinese official said on Monday, after a surge of fighting in Myanmar between junta forces and insurgents rocked the region. "Myanmar is called on to cooperate with China to maintain stability along the China-Myanmar border, earnestly ensure the safety of the lives and property of Chinese border residents, and take effective measures to strengthen the security of Chinese personnel," Nong said. Nong, who visited Myanmar on Nov. 3-5, said China hoped Myanmar would restore stability, and it supported all parties to properly handle differences and achieve reconciliation through dialogue as soon as possible. While Western governments have condemned the Myanmar military and imposed sanctions on it, China, along with Russia, have been supportive of the generals. China says it supports Myanmar in finding its own path and has urged the international community to respect its sovereignty.

Persons: Nong, Nobel, Aung, Wang Wenbin, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel Organizations: Asia Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Suu Kyi, Russia

☆ Thailand Tries to Rescue 162 Nationals Trapped in Myanmar Fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is trying to bring home 162 of its nationals trapped in Myanmar by a surge in clashes between junta troops and ethnic minority insurgents near the border with China, officials said. Heavy fighting erupted last week in northern Myanmar's Shan State where an alliance of ethnic minority forces battling for self-determination launched a series of coordinated attacks on junta positions. Newly formed pro-democracy insurgent groups have in some areas teamed up with ethnic minority guerrillas who have been campaigning for decades for greater autonomy. The latest fighting in Shan State has pushed thousands of refugees into China, and displaced thousands more internally, Myanmar media outlets reported. A "three brotherhood alliance" of ethnic minority armies in Shan and Rakhine states, said it is seeking to defend their territory and civilians from attacks by the junta.

Persons: Thais, Srettha Thavisin, Nobel, Aung, Panu, Poppy McPherson, Robert Birsel Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Israel, Myanmar's Shan State, Yunnan province, Thai, Suu Kyi, Shan State, Shan, Rakhine

The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday it was imposing sanctions on Myanmar’s state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, a joint venture partner in all offshore gas projects and a vital source of hard cash for the military government. Canada also imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities in coordination with the U.K. and the U.S. The sanctions are the latest the Western governments have imposed on Myanmar’s military regime, after the army seized power from the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021. The Myanmar public and human rights groups had called for sanctions targeting gas revenues shortly after the army takeover. The European Union imposed sanctions against MOGE in February last year.

Persons: —, Tom Andrews, ”, Andrews, U.N, MOGE, Aung, Suu Kyi, “, ” Brian Nelson Organizations: The U.S . Treasury Department, Gas Enterprise, Treasury Department, U.S, ”, Treasury, MOGE, European Locations: BANGKOK, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, The U.S, Myanmar, U.S, Suu, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, India, South Korea, China

BANGKOK (AP) — Military-ruled Myanmar on Tuesday allowed prisoners to have family visitors from outside, a right that had been suspended for 3½ years because of the coronavirus pandemic, the military’s information office and prison officials said. Visitors must be able to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations and a household relationship to the prisoner being met. Family visitation rights were suspended after the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020. Most sectors of society gradually reduced or dropped testing requirements and other virus-fighting measures since 2022, but family visits to prisoners had remained banned. The total number of prisoners held in Myanmar, not only political detainees, isn't publicly known.

Persons: Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Tun Kyi, isn't Organizations: —, Associated Press, Association for Political, Former Political Prisoners Society, Prison Locations: BANGKOK, Myanmar, Thayarwaddy, Bago, Yangon, Aung San Suu, Tun, Magway

CNN —The United Nations says it is “deeply concerned” by reports that civilians, including women and children, were killed and injured in a bombing at a camp for internally displaced people in Myanmar. The bombing on Monday took place near the town of Laiza, in northern Kachin state. Laiza is home to the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army, which has been locked in a conflict with Myanmar’s military for decades. The British embassy in Myanmar also said it was “appalled by” the reports of innocent civilians being killed. Calling the attack “unacceptable”, he added, “We reiterate that the Myanmar military must stop its brutal campaign against the Myanmar people.”Myanmar’s military seized power in February 2021 after detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and numerous top government figures, dashing hopes for a more democratic future for the country.

Persons: Min Aung Hlaing, Zaw Min Tun, “, ”, Ken O’Flaherty, Aung San, Kyi, Suu Kyi Organizations: CNN, United Nations, National Unity Government, Kachin Independence Army, Unity, UN, British Locations: Myanmar, China, Laiza, Kachin

☆ Myanmar Supreme Court rejects jailed Suu Kyi appeals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 8 (Reuters) - The Supreme Court in military-ruled Myanmar has rejected appeals against six corruption convictions for the jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to media reports. Suu Kyi, in detention since the military toppled her government in a 2021 coup, faces 27 years in prison. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup and the junta's crackdown on opponents, with thousands jailed or killed. Many governments have called for the unconditional release of Suu Kyi and thousands of other political prisoners in the Southeast Asian country. The court in August rejected five appeals by Suu Kyi on illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, sedition and violating coronavirus restrictions.

Persons: Aung, Issei Kato, Aung San, Suu Kyi, William Mallard Organizations: Embassy, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Japan, Tokyo, Aung San Suu

☆ Myanmar Supreme Court Rejects Jailed Suu Kyi Appeals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The Supreme Court in military-ruled Myanmar has rejected appeals against six corruption convictions for the jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to media reports. Suu Kyi, in detention since the military toppled her government in a 2021 coup, faces 27 years in prison. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup and the junta's crackdown on opponents, with thousands jailed or killed. Many governments have called for the unconditional release of Suu Kyi and thousands of other political prisoners in the Southeast Asian country. The court in August rejected five appeals by Suu Kyi on illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, sedition and violating coronavirus restrictions.

Persons: Aung San, Suu Kyi, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters Locations: Myanmar, Aung San Suu

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee urged Iran to release imprisoned peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi and let her accept the award at the annual prize ceremony in December. Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, is the fifth peace laureate to get the prize while in prison or under house arrest. Here’s a look at previous Nobel laureates who were in detention:CARL VON OSSIETZKYPolitical Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesThe 1935 Nobel Peace Prize to German journalist Carl Von Ossietzky so infuriated Adolf Hitler that the Nazi leader prohibited all Germans from receiving Nobel Prizes. He was the first Nobel peace laureate to die in captivity. His wife was placed under house arrest, and dozens of his supporters were prevented from leaving the country.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, CARL VON OSSIETZKY, Carl Von Ossietzky, Adolf Hitler, Ossietzky, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi, LIU XIAOBO Liu Xiaobo, Barack Obama, ALES BIALIATSKI Belarussian, Ales Bialiatski, Alexander Lukashenko, Bialiatski Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Nazi, Norwegian Nobel, Human Rights Locations: Norwegian, Iran, Iranian, Norway, Myanmar, Aung San Suu, China, Beijing, Oslo, Russia, Ukraine

OSLO (AP) — The winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize is being announced Friday, chosen by a panel of experts in Norway from a list of just over 350 nominations. Unlike the other Nobel prizes that are selected and announced in Stockholm, founder Alfred Nobel decreed that the peace prize be decided and awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. People who can make nominations include former Nobel Peace Prize winners, members of the committee, heads of states, members of parliaments and professors of political science, history and international law. A day earlier, the Nobel committee awarded Norwegian writer Jon Fosse the prize for literature. Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung, Kyi, Alfred Nobel, Jon Fosse, Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, Alexei Ekimov, Anne L’Huillier, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, Karikó, Drew Weissman Organizations: Belarusian, United Nations, Peace, Bank of Sweden, Economic Sciences Locations: OSLO, Norway, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Stockholm, Oslo, Norwegian, U.S, Swedish, French, Hungarian

CNN —The party of Myanmar’s deposed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Thursday they were concerned she is “not receiving adequate medical care” while in prison, amid reports her health is failing. “If [Aung San Suu Kyi’s] health is not only impaired but her life also is endangered, the military junta is solely responsible,” the party said. Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, said he was "extremely worried" about his mother's health. Alishia Abodunde/ReutersA source told CNN earlier this month that Suu Kyi was suffering from gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, and toothache, but had since recovered. The ruling military junta on August 1 pardoned Suu Kyi on five charges for which she was previously convicted, reducing her lengthy sentences.

Persons: Myanmar’s, Aung San Suu Kyi, “, Suu, Kim Aris, ”, Aris, Suu Kyi's, Alishia Abodunde, Suu Kyi, Farhan Haq, Kamala Harris, Min Aung Hlaing Organizations: CNN, National League for Democracy, Facebook, Reuters, United Nations, ASEAN, Army Locations: Myanmar, Britain, Jakarta, Indonesia

BANGKOK (AP) — The younger son of ousted Myanmar leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi says he has always avoided talking to the media, but this time is different. He’s increasingly worried about his imprisoned 78-year-old mother’s health and about Myanmar's violent political crisis, which he calls desperate. But the situation in Burma at the moment is absolutely desperate,” he said, referring to Myanmar by its former name. “She was suffering from bouts of dizziness and vomiting and couldn’t walk at one stage.”Aris said his information comes from independent Myanmar media and social media. They wouldn’t even answer the door to me.”It’s not the first time Suu Kyi has faced confinement.

Persons: Aung, Suu Kyi, He’s, “ I’d, ” Kim Aris, She’s, “, I’ve, ”, ” Aris, ” It’s Organizations: Associated Press, Aris, Myanmar, National League for Democracy Locations: BANGKOK, Myanmar, London, Burma, Yangon

☆ Aung San Suu Kyi's son 'extremely worried' about his mother's health
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, attends an interview at Reuters' office in London, Britain, September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Alishia Abodunde/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The son of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's detained former leader, said he was "extremely worried" about his mother's health, saying she was struggling to eat and was being refused permission to see an outside doctor. Suu Kyi is facing 27 years of detention related to 14 criminal offences. In August the military pardoned Suu Kyi on five of the 19 offences for which she was convicted but said she would remain under house arrest. State media reported she had been moved from jail to house arrest shortly before.

Persons: Kim Aris, Myanmar's, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Alishia, Aung, Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi's, Suu, Aris, Andrew MacAskill, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Aris, European, Britain, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Aung San Suu, London, Britain, Suu, Myanmar, United States, European Union

☆ Son of Aung San Suu Kyi says he’s worried about her health
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsSon of Aung San Suu Kyi says he’s worried about her healthPostedThe son of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's detained former leader, said a deterioration in his mother’s health was “extremely worrying” because she has serious gum disease and is struggling to eat food in prison.

Persons: Suu Kyi, he’s, Aung, Myanmar's Locations: Suu

BANGKOK (AP) — One of Myanmar’s biggest and most powerful ethnic minority militias has arrested and repatriated more than 1,200 Chinese nationals allegedly involved in criminal online scam operations, an official of the group said Saturday. The arrests were carried out in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army, or UWSA, in eastern Shan state in raids on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nyi Rang, a liaison officer from the militia, told The Associated Press. The United Wa State Army is the biggest and strongest ethnic armed organization among the major ethnic minority groups in Myanmar, with an army of approximately 30,000 well-equipped soldiers and sophisticated weaponry including heavy artillery and helicopters, from China, with which it maintains close relations. The U.N. report about Southeast Asian cybercrime said the online fraud gangs were also active in southeastern Kayin state on the Thai border. The complexes were developed by Chinese investors in cooperation with the local Border Guard Forces, which are militias affiliated with Myanmar’s army.

Persons: Nyi Rang, —, Wa, Aung, Suu Kyi, Chen Hai, cybercrime, Shwe Kokko Organizations: Myanmar’s, United Wa State Army, Associated Press, Human Rights, United Wa State Party, Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security, Foreign, Border Guard Forces Locations: BANGKOK, Shan, Wa, Yunnan province, Asia, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Kayin, Mong, China, Thailand, Suu, Thai, Shwe, Myawaddy

☆ From Rock Star to Bodyguard to Resisting Myanmar’s Coup in Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Long before he became an award-winning filmmaker, Lynn Lynn was already a star. His voice was ubiquitous on the radio, belting out rock songs, and he played sold-out shows in stadiums across the country. But all that fame was confined to Myanmar, a country he had to flee after a February 2021 military coup. He was also close to the country’s now-imprisoned civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, having once served as her bodyguard. Now living in the Thai city of Mae Sot, bordering Myanmar, the 39-year-old rocker has taken on a new identity: refugee.

Persons: Long, Lynn Lynn, selfies, Daw Aung, Suu Kyi Locations: Myanmar, Suu, Thai, Mae Sot

☆ UN chief spotlights worsening rights in Myanmar as journalist jailed for 20 years for cyclone coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Sai Zaw Thaike was in western Rakhine state to report on the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Mocha, which killed over 140 people and caused widespread destruction. He was arrested by junta soldiers in the state capital Sittwe on May 23, Myanmar Now reported. Sai Zaw Thaike, a photojournalist for the independent news website Myanmar Now, works at his desk in Yangon, Myanmar in August 2020. “Myanmar authorities’ grotesque 20-year sentencing of Myanmar Now journalist Sai Zaw Thaike on blatantly bogus charges is an outrage and should be immediately reversed,” Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative said in a statement. “Myanmar’s junta must stop imprisoning members of the press for merely doing their jobs as reporters.”CNN has not been able to immediately reach the Myanmar junta.

Persons: CNN — Myanmar’s, General António Guterres, “, Guterres, Sai Zaw Thaike, Sai Zaw, Swe Win, ”, Cyclone, ” Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s, Suu Kyi, Farhan Haq, Suu, Min Aung, Kamala Harris Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, UN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, People’s Defense Forces, AP, Protect Journalists, Southeast, ” CNN, Myanmar, Reuters Locations: Myanmar, Rakhine, Indonesia’s, Jakarta, Sittwe, Sai, Yangon, AP Myanmar, Southeast Asia, ”, Philippines, United States

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s imprisoned former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is suffering from symptoms of low blood pressure including dizziness and loss of appetite, but has been denied treatment at qualified facilities outside the prison system, a medical worker said Thursday. Separately, a military officer who also insisted on anonymity confirmed a report by the BBC’s Myanmar-language service that Suu Kyi was suffering a severe toothache that left her unable to eat and caused vomiting. However, the ruling military council’s spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, said Suu Kyi was in good health, the report said. Not only are details about Suu Kyi’s health unclear, but even her exact whereabouts are not publicly known. Appeals of Suu Kyi’s convictions are still being processed on charges including election fraud, breaching the official secrets acts and six other corruption allegations, legal officials have said.

Persons: — Myanmar’s, Aung, Suu Kyi, Zaw Min Tun, Suu, Kim Aris, “, Min Aung Organizations: BBC, AP Locations: BANGKOK, Suu, Myanmar, Zaw, Britain, Naypyitaw, Yangon

☆ Myanmar won't be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026, in blow to generals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

An official ASEAN statement issued Tuesday night confirmed the decision to hand the chair to the Philippines in 2026 and affirmed the group's commitment to a five-point plan for restoring peace and stability in Myanmar. The ASEAN leaders' statement on Myanmar stressed the desire to work with the generals to end the country's crisis, especially in the context of the five-point plan which Myanmar accepted in 2021 but has largely failed to implement. "All of us are aware of the magnitude of the world's challenges today, where the main key to facing them is the unity and centrality of ASEAN," Widodo told fellow leaders. "ASEAN leaders must ensure that this ship is able to keep going, able to keep sailing," Widodo said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said before flying to Jakarta that he plans to offer assurances of the safety of the ongoing release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Joko Widodo, Sonexay Siphandone, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Hun Manet, Anwar Ibrahim, Xanana Gusmao, Adi Weda, Aung, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Retno Marsudi, —, Marsudi, bloc's, Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Li Qiang, Sergey Lavrov, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, Cambodia's, Malaysia's, East Timor's, ASEAN Summit, Afp, Getty, United, Aung San Suu, ASEAN, Indonesia, Associated Press, European Union, Myanmar Armed Forces, Foreign Ministry, ASEAN Chair, Indonesian, Assistance Association for Political, U.S ., U.S, Russian, Japanese Locations: Laos, East, Jakarta, Myanmar, United States, Aung San, Philippines, Philippine, ASEAN, Naypyidaw, South China, U.S, China

☆ ASEAN welcomes world leaders as China-U.S. rivalry overshadows region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies have echoed ASEAN's calls for freedom of navigation and overflight and to refrain from building a physical presence in the area. Just before this week's gatherings, China released a map with its "10-dash line" delineating what it considers its waters, that appeared to expand its claims in the South China Sea. The United States has also courted ASEAN countries with varying degrees of success. 'GREAT DANGER'Lina Alexandra, a political analyst at think tank CSIS, said the draft was "very weak on the issues of the South China Sea". President Joko Widodo of ASEAN chair Indonesia warned on Tuesday that members must not become proxies in big-power rivalry.

Persons: Ferdinand " Bongbong, Marcos Jr, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Li Qiang, Joko Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ASEAN's, Lina Alexandra, Alexandra, Wednesday's, Aung, Suu Kyi, Stanley Widianto, Kate Lamb, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, ASEAN, Wednesday, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S, White, United, Reuters, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Laos, JAKARTA, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, South China, States, South, Indonesia, ASEAN, Myanmar, Suu, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

☆ ASEAN is ‘at a loss for ideas’ on how to address Myanmar crisis, says Indonesia's ex-foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Myanmar migrant workers hold a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during the march to mark International Labor Day in Bangkok, calling for the workers rights and protesting against the Myanmar military government on May 1, 2023. "I get the sense that ASEAN is at a loss for ideas … one can speak with eloquence about one individual member state's wish to happen in Myanmar. "At the moment, I'm reminded more about the divisions rather than the unity … this is not only a litmus test for ASEAN, but in my view is an existential threat to ASEAN," Natalegawa added. Myanmar's military administration, however, has not implemented the peace plan — despite agreeing to it two months after the democratic government was overthrown by the coup. "Some ASEAN member states in dispute feel that they are not being provided a common ASEAN home, so as if they are left on their own devices to deal with this issue," said Natalegawa.

Persons: Aung, Suu Kyi, Marty Natalegawa, CNBC's JP Ong, Marty Natalegawa Indonesia's, Natalegawa, Min Aung Organizations: International Labor, Myanmar, Getty, ASEAN, CNBC, 43rd Association of Southeast, Nations, Suu, Reuters Locations: Myanmar, Suu, Bangkok, Indonesian, Jakarta, South China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

☆ Exclusive: British police investigate exiled former Myanmar envoy for trespass
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( John Geddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his protest, praised by the British government at the time, Kyaw Zwar Minn has stayed at the northwest London ambassador's residence, a mansion surrounded by razor wire and CCTV cameras. Britain last year urged Kyaw Zwar Minn to leave the residence, citing pressure from the junta, Reuters reported. Earlier this week Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police over "an allegation that he trespassed on diplomatic premises," said Neil Swift, his London-based lawyer at Peters & Peters. Myanmar's embassy in London, Britain's Foreign Office and London's Metropolitan Police did not respond to requests for comment. Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police on Aug. 15 but charges have not yet been brought, according to Swift.

Persons: Kyaw, Toby Melville, Kyaw Zwar Minn, Aung San, Zwar Minn, Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, Swift, Chris Gunness, Suu Kyi, John Geddie, Andrew MacAskill, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, British, Reuters, Peters &, Union of Myanmar, Metropolitan Police, National Unity Government, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Britain, London, United Kingdom, Aung San Suu Kyi, British, Union, Myanmar's, Vienna

The BPLA's growth owes much to Maung Saungkha's skills in building bridges with other armed groups, according to a key ally and two analysts. It says armed groups that oppose it are "terrorists" who sow chaos and kill civilians. It has charged Maung Saungkha with sedition as it has done with most opponents of its rule. Some armed ethnic groups have long relied on drug trafficking for funds, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Some soldiers have run away, homesick, bored and tired after two years of war, said Maung Saungkha, who declined to disclose how many members are in his group.

Persons: Maung Saungkha, Bamar, Maung, Aunt Min, Richard Horsey, Nicola Williams, General Nyo Tun Aung, Tun Aung, We've, Shoon Naing, Poppy McPherson, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Liberation Army, REUTERS, Poet, People's Defense Forces, National Unity Government, Strategy, AK, Karen National Union, Arakan Army, Myanmar Resistance, Myanmar Research, United Nations Office, Drugs, Reuters, UN, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, country's, Thailand, Myanmar's, Bamar, China, Russia

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A partial pardon by Myanmar's ruling military of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi means "absolutely nothing", her younger son said on Wednesday, calling on Western governments to do more to step up pressure on the junta. Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military overthrew Suu Kyi's elected government and cracked down on opponents of military rule, with thousands jailed or killed. Suu Kyi had won a 2015 election, held as part of tentative military reforms, and her party won again in 2020, before the military complained of election fraud. Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, poses for a portrait at the Reuters office in London, Britain, August 2, 2023. "But I do not see that this will actually result in any dialogue," he said of Suu Kyi's partial pardon.

Persons: Myanmar's, Aung San Suu, Kim Aris, Suu Kyi's, Suu Kyi, Michael Aris, Myanmar’s, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Dylan Martinez, I've, Aung, Suu, Sachin Ravikumar, Nick Macfie Organizations: Reuters, Aris, REUTERS, National Unity Government, Thomson Locations: British, London, Myanmar, Aung San Suu, Britain, Aung San, U.S

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