Myanmar Morning News For February 26

Myanmar Parliament approves $15M for Rakhine border fence
Myanmar’s Parliament has approved a budget of about $15 million for the construction of a fence and related projects along the border with Bangladesh in Rakhine state, from which about 700,000 members of its persecuted ethnic Rohingya minority have fled violence since last August.
— The Borneo Bulletin

Amara pledges 4G broadband lifestyle for Myanmar
GIVEN THE HIGHER data consumption in Myanmar, Amara Communications Co, a locally-owned turnkey solution provider with expertise in telecommunications, has been working around the clock to play a critical role in the nation’s digital transformation with the commercial launch of Ananda, its new 4G+ broadband data service.
— The Nation

‘Everything is gone’: satellite images in Myanmar show dozens of Rohingya villages bulldozed
Myanmar’s government is using bulldozers to erase dozens of villages in Rakhine state in a vast operation that rights groups say is destroying evidence of mass atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority.
— The Guardian

[UPDATE] Three bombs hit capital of Myanmar’s Rakhine state: Police
[UPDATED] Three bombs exploded early Saturday in the capital of Myanmar’s Rakhine state, a cauldron of ethnic tensions roiled by insurgencies and a military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya, injuring one police officer, officials said.
— Coconuts Yangon

Over 190 mining sites will expire in March as environmental plans drawn up
YANGON-Licences for over 190 mining sites in Lonekhin, Hpakant, Mohnyin, Mogok, Hkamti, Mongshu and Nantyarseik townships are set to expire in March, according to the Ministry of Resources and Environmental Conservation.
— Eleven Myanmar

Ninety Percent of Rohingya Population Ejected from Rakhine
At least 90 percent of the Rohingya population of conflict-torn northern Rakhine State has fled to neighboring Bangladesh in the wake of the government’s clearance operations following Muslim militant attacks last year, according to The Irrawaddy’s calculations based on government and INGOs’ statistics.
— The Irrawaddy

Myanmar, India vow to cooperate in drug control
Myanmar and India have vowed to cooperate in drug control, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.
— Xinhua Net

Myanmar using JICA’s assistance to spruce up slumping shrimp exports
Japan’s development aid agency is helping Myanmar leverage sagging shrimp and prawn exports, urging the emerging country to boost capacity enough to compete with its Asian rivals.
— The Japan Times

Rohingya reflect: Six months since Myanmar exodus
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are living day-to-day, six months on since the start of a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar military.
— Al Jazeera

Myanmar: Nationalists disrupt pro-Muslim event
Some 50 nationalists on Sunday disrupted a news conference in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, which was organized by a group of Buddhist monks who have been pressing the government to take action against an anti-Muslim monk.
— Anadolu Agency

Rohingya women: Female Nobel laureates highlight Myanmar sexual violence
Three female Laureates have headed to Bangladesh to meet women from Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim community. The three women aim to raise the profile of the plight of women who were tortured and raped by soldiers.
— Deutsche Welle

Tokyo’s Rakhine aid emphasises “humanitarian-development nexus”
TOKYO is funding two projects involving about US$20.6 million (2.2 billion Yen) in humanitarian assistance to address the crisis in Rakhine. Japan is urged to appeal to Myanmar to respect human rights in the restive Rakhine State.
— Myanmar Times

New Myanmar envoy: Naypyidaw wants to improve bilateral ties with Dhaka
Newly appointed Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka Lwin Oo has met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and discussed various bilateral issues, including the Rohingya crisis.
— Dhaka Tribune

Rohingya exodus still growing, six months into crisis
Hundreds of desperate Rohingya Muslims are still pouring over the Myanmar border into Bangladesh every week, bringing harrowing accounts of torture and murder, six months after a military crackdown sparked the massive refugee crisis.
— Coconuts Yangon

The government, the Rakhine crisis and media access
FOREIGN MEDIA coverage of Rakhine State made headlines again this month when the Union government denied a report by the Associated Press about the discovery of mass graves containing civilians and accused the American newsagency of harming the country’s image.
— Frontier Myanmar

Four Rohingya Sentenced to Death for Deadly 2016 Attack in Rakhine
Four Rohingya involved in an attack on a police outpost in northern Rakhine State in October 2016 were sentenced to death on Friday by a special court in the state’s Maungdaw District.
— The Irrawaddy

World Bank ready to support disaster-response efforts
The World Bank stands ready to support Myanmar’s efforts to help its people in times of disaster, said an official of the international financial institution.
— Myanmar Times

People in Myanmar get a taste of Japan
People in Myanmar have enjoyed Japanese food and entertainment in an event aimed at promoting cultural exchange.
— NHK World

Feature photo Jean-Marie Hullot

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 February 26 added by Leakhena Khat on February 26, 2018
View all posts by Leakhena Khat →

Bio
Latest Posts

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.