Myanmar Morning News For April 5

Sanctions risk gives some investors pause in Myanmar
THE government of Aung San Suu Kyi is opening the economy and growth is rebounding in Myanmar, though the possibility of broader Western sanctions over the Rohingya refugee crisis is nevertheless giving some foreign investors pause, according to a senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official.
— The Business Times

Lawyers for Reuters reporters argue for Myanmar court to dismiss case
Lawyers for two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar asked a judge on Wednesday to dismiss the case against them, arguing there was insufficient evidence to support charges of obtaining secret government papers.
— Reuters

EU calls on Myanmar Government to take action against landmine use
On the occasion of today’s International Mine Awareness Day, the Ambassadors of the European Union and its Member States have called on the Government of Myanmar to take action against the use of landmines in order to better protect the high number of civilians living in mine contaminated areas in Myanmar.
— Mizzima

Can Myanmar’s new president deliver?
Htin Kyaw, Myanmar’s president for almost two years under the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government, resigned on March 21 for health reasons, and on March 30 Win Myint was elected to the post.
— Asia Times

Two Thai companies face flak over practices in Cambodia and Myanmar
THAI OVERSEAS investments in Cambodia and Myanmar have come under criticism for irresponsible business operations and human rights violation, which has also led to the first-ever class-action lawsuit against a Thai company in its home country.
— The Nation

Myanmar Hopes UN Security Council Visit Can Help Repair Frayed Ties With International Community
Myanmar’s agreement to receive a delegation from the United Nations Security Council is a positive step towards improving relations with the international community, which has been highly critical of the Southeast Asian nation for months over its handling of the Rohingya crisis, former politicians and other officials said Wednesday.
— Radio Free Asia

Will Canada heed the call to action in Myanmar?
Six months ago, over the span of a few weeks, some 670,000 Rohingya undertook a desperate journey out of Myanmar to safety in Bangladesh.
— The Globe and Mail

Terry Glavin: Bob Rae spoke the truth on Myanmar’s genocide. Will it be ignored?
It is sober reading, as you might imagine. Released Tuesday under the title “Tell them we’re human: What Canada and the world can do about the Rohingya crisis,” the 12,963-word final report by former Liberal foreign affairs minister Bob Rae, appointed Special Envoy to Myanmar last October, is a study in surrender.
— National Post

Myanmar in the Dragon’s jaws
In August last year, 150 armed Rohingya attacked 30 police stations and a Myanmar army base in Mangdu district of Rakhine state, leaving 70 dead and prompting a military crackdown that triggered more killings and a Rohingya exodus.
— Asia Times

Yoma Strategic’s Myanmar project nets funding from International Finance Corp
THE World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) is taking a stake in a Yoma Strategic Holdings project to power rural communities, the mainboard-listed Yoma Strategic said on Tuesday.
— The Business Times

Myanmar seeks compensation for 20 Thai bus fire victims
Myanmar is seeking compensation for 20 Myanmar migrant workers who died in a bus fire on Friday while travelling to their workplaces in Thailand, a Myanmar Embassy official in Thailand said.
— The Myanmar Times

Myanmar Migrants in Thailand Face Barriers of Race, Religion
Human rights and migrant assistance groups in Thailand say Myanmar migrant workers of Muslim and South Asian heritage have faced barriers in proving Myanmar nationality which is a required step in gaining legal status in Thailand.
— VOA

Myanmar Digest: Siam GS Battery, Kalbe Farma draw up investment plans
In multiple investment updates from Myanmar, Thailand’s Siam G S Battery is putting in $10 million to set up its plan while Kalbe Farma is pumping in $18.25 million for its pharma products factory.
— DealStreetAsia

Myanmar seeks ASEAN aid on Rakhine
Myanmar has sought the help of its allies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to solve the crisis in northern Rakhine State through the help of a panel of experts that advises the government on how to go about rehabilitating the strife-torn state.
— The Myanmar Times

Microsoft seeks expansion opportunities in banking sector
Microsoft Corporation, the US technology company founded by Bill Gates, has set its sights on the Myanmar market as it seeks to expand its empire.
— The Myanmar Times

Rohingya genocide is an affront to Buddhism, argue Burmese Buddhists abroad
Myanmar’s violent persecution of the Rohingya and other minorities directly contradicts the teachings of Buddhism, writes a collective of 72 members of the Burmese Buddhist diaspora in an open letter addressed to Burmese Buddhists at large.
— Coconuts Yangon

Myanmar drafting sea fishing law to officially send marine workers abroad
The government is drafting a sea fishing law to be able to officially send Myanmar workers to international fishing sites, said Thein Swe, Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population, during a workshop held on April 3 on protection of migrant workers working in the Thai fishing industry against the dangers they are facing.
— Eleven Myanmar

For e-Government, rules needed from the start: State Counsellor
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended and addressed the First Coordination Meeting of e-Government Steering Committee held in the meeting hall of the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
— The Global Newlight of Myanmar

HIV transmission among injection drug users is the highest
HIV transmission rate among those who inject drugs is the highest in Myanmar. More than 20 in 100 drug addicts who inject drugs are found to have been infected with HIV, said Dr Htin Aung Saw, a specialist from Waibargi Specialist Hospital.
— Eleven Myanmar

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Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Myanmar morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Myanmar news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Myanmar Morning News For April 5 added by Leakhena Khat on April 5, 2018
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.