Myanmar Morning News For March 15

UN suspects Myanmar is guilty of genocide
On March 9, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a news conference in Geneva that what he suspected were “acts of genocide” against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority should be referred to the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution.
— Asia Times

Samsung Abandons Myanmar Investment Plan Claiming No Incentive
South Korean electronics conglomerate Samsung has cancelled plans to build a manufacturing facility in Myanmar, citing political uncertainties and an ‘unfavourable administrative environment’ as behind the decision.
— AEC News Today

Myanmar verifies fewer than 400 Rohingya for repatriation
Myanmar has only been able to verify 374 Rohingya Muslim refugees for possible repatriation from Bangladesh, officials said today, blaming their neighbour for not providing the correct information about the refugees.
— The Daily Star

Bulldozing the truth in Myanmar
Western condemnation of Myanmar’s military campaign against Rohingya Muslims – as well as less noticed offensives in northern Kachin and Shan states – was at high volume this week at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
— Asia Times

A Front Row Seat to Five Years of Rapid Change in Myanmar
In 2012, when I first started to travel to Myanmar from my base in Hanoi, where I was The Asia Foundation’s Vietnam country representative, the big question that everyone I met would raise was: “Is this transition to be believed?” The military generals who shed their uniforms to become civilians in the first government elected under the 2008 Constitution sought to convince the public at home and abroad that the transition was real.
— The Asia Foundation

Myanmar urged not to drag out case against Reuters reporters
Some international observers urged Myanmar on Wednesday not to drag out legal proceedings against two Reuters journalists, as they appeared in court for the 10th time since they were arrested in December and accused of possessing secret government papers.
— Reuters

Financial inclusion crucial to reducing inequality
Financial inclusion is vital for Myanmar’s economic growth as it benefits the country’s diverse communities and ethnic groups and narrows the divide between cities and rural areas. It also reduces gender inequality, according to developmental experts and officials.
— The Myanmar Times

Exclusive: Myanmar-focused PE Delta Capital closes $7m funding in Easy Microfinance
Yangon-based private equity firm Delta Capital Myanmar has invested $7 million in Meridian Capital-backed Easy Microfinance, the companies announced in a statement on March 13.
— DealStreetAsia

Elephant Poaching Crisis in Myanmar
Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have found that poaching is an emerging crisis for Asian elephants in Myanmar.
— Smithsonian Insider

Index ranks Myanmar fourth in military power in Southeast Asia
Myanmar ranked 31st in the 2017 Global Firepower Index, which categorises the military strength of 133 countries based on 50 factors, including military budget, manpower and equipment, among others.
— The Myanmar Times

Pathways from pariah for Myanmar and North Korea
Myanmar and North Korea were Asia’s pariahs. Both countries emerged from colonial rule to face immediate and existential security threats. Myanmar feared that internal insurgents would tear the country apart. North Korea was competing for legitimacy against South Korea and its superpower ally the United States, which at the time occupied half of what Pyongyang considered to be its rightful territory.
— East Asia Forum

Government support needed to develop digital payment habits in Myanmar
Government support is badly needed for the local digital payments sector to develop further, U Zaw Lin Htut, CEO of Myanmar Payment Union (MPU) told The Myanmar Times in a recent interview.
— The Myanmar Times

South Korea plans to employ more Myanmar workers in 2018
South Korea is planning to employ over 10,000 Myanmar workers for their factories in this year, according to Government Overseas Employment Agency under Labour Department.
— Eleven Myanmar

Draft Myanmar Trademark Bill: Information and Documentation Required for Trademark Applications
Myanmar’s Trademark Bill is currently being considered by the Lower House of the Myanmar Parliament. Pending the enactment of the bill into law, trademark owners who plan to file applications under the new framework can begin their preparatory work by collating the necessary filing information and documents.
— Lexology

Company registration fees to halve from April 1, more SMEs expected
Company registration fees for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be halved from K500,000 to K250,000 from April 1 onwards, according to a statement issued by the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) Tuesday.
— The Myanmar Times

Feature photo Jaume Escofet

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 March 15 added by Leakhena Khat on March 15, 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.