Myanmar Morning News For January 19

Myanmar arrests MP after Rakhine riot
Myanmar police on Thursday arrested a prominent Rakhine Buddhist MP for allegedly provoking ethnic violence, state media and his party said, after a deadly riot highlighted simmering tensions in the troubled state.
— Bangkok Post

Myanmar makes record drug bust with 30 million meth pills
Myanmar has seized 30 million meth pills along with more than two tonnes of “ice” and heroin in a record bust, the government said on Thursday (Jan 18), as drugs pour from labs in lawless border regions.
— Channel NewsAsia

Will Rohingya issue alter Myanmar’s ties with China?
Although Myanmar has deftly managed its relations with China and is not a Chinese satellite state, this could change due to mounting pressure over the Rohingya crisis.
— The Phnom Penh Post/ The Straits Times

Myanmar to target illegal charcoal trade with China
Myanmar has pledged to stem the massive tide of charcoal being illegally harvested, produced and exported from their forests to Chinese factories. Last week a senior official from the country’s Department of Forestry told the Myanmar Times that the charcoal trade has “exacerbated” deforestation.
— Mongabay

Rohingya Repatriation Agreement Fails to Address Accountability and Safety Concerns
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today expressed concern over an agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled brutal violence in Myanmar.
— Relief Web

MP accused of mutiny and misinformation
The Rakhine State government will sue Lower House MP Dr Aye Maung for “incitement” at literary events that they claim encouraged mutiny against the nation, along with defamation and spreading fake information.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar Buddhists do not hate Muslims; majority of Rohingyas remain in the country: Retired general
Buddhists in Myanmar do not hate the country’s Muslim Rohingyas, with the majority of them continuing to live peacefully there, a retired 4-star general and current Member of Parliament has told Channel NewsAsia.
— Channel NewsAsia

CPI increases by 4.4% in last year’s December
With commodity prices increasing, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) that measures the cost of a mix of household necessities, in December 2017 stood at 138.29 per cent of its 2012 baseline, a 4.45 per cent increase over the same period last year.
— Eleven Myanmar

Rakhine political leader Dr Aye Maung arrested in Sittwe after Mrauk U violence
State Counsellor’s Office spokesman U Zaw Htay has confirmed the Thursday arrest of Rakhine political leader Dr Aye Maung at his home in Sittwe.
— Frontier Myanmar

Labour law reform is key to sustainable development for Myanmar – Forum
Representatives of the Myanmar government, employers, workers, civil society and international partners gathered for the third time since 2015, in a forum to discuss progress and challenges in labour market reforms as part of the ‘Initiative to Promote Fundamental Labour Rights and Practices’ in Myanmar. The forum kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw on 17 January, hosted by the Government of Myanmar and funded by the European Union.
— Mizzima

What Does Myanmar’s ‘Biggest Ever’ Drug Bust Actually Mean?
Though the record seizure deserves mention, focus on such developments also obscures the massive scale of the problem.
— The Diplomat

Reviewing the economy in 2017
The economy of Myanmar is set to continue gaining momentum in the near and medium term while the slow pace of economic reforms has led to a drop of investor confidence, according to the Oxford Business Group. This growth is anticipated to take place despite concerns over the slow pace of economic reforms and the Rakhine crisis.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar Metals to revive forgotten lead-zinc treasure
Seventy years after being destroyed in WWII, one of the richest mines in the British Empire could soon have life breathed back into it by Perth-based Myanmar Metals, ably supported by revered “prospector” Mark Creasy.
— BusinessNews

Fifth firm to list on stock exchange next week
TMH Telecom Co will commence trading on the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) on January 26, YSX senior executive manager U Thet Tun Oo said.
— Myanmar Times

Police arrest Rakhine leaders for inciting armed rebellion
Two prominent leaders of the ethnic Rakhine community have arrested after delivering fiery speeches in support of Rakhine independence and armed struggle against the Myanmar government.
— Coconuts Yangon

Japan to boost help on the environment
Myanmar and Japan will soon sign a memorandum to promote cooperation on environmental issues, said U Hla Maung Thein, director general of the Department of Environment, on the sidelines of a wastewater management workshop held in Nay Pyi Taw.
— Myanmar Times

800 endangered Burmese star tortoises released into the wild
Conservation groups have released 800 Burmese star tortoises into two of Myanmar’s wildlife sanctuaries in an effort to resurrect a species that for years has been considered “ecologically extinct.”
— Coconuts Yangon

Feature photo Bernard Oh

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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 January 19 added by Leakhena Khat on January 19, 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.