Myanmar morning news for August 15

Five Civilians Charged Under Anti-Terrorism Act in Western Myanmar
Police have opened cases against five civilians from a village in Rakhine State’s Buthidaung Township under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law, including a village administrator and a school teacher, the suspects’ families have told The Irrawaddy.
— Irrawaddy

Nationwide power production declines in August
During this month, the country’s total power production has reached over 2,900 MW, according to the figures from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar’s currency black market thrives in banks’ shadow
Even as banks take on a growing share of foreign exchange trading in Myanmar, black market dealers remain firmly entrenched, with the short-lived crackdowns by the government when the kyat moves too sharply doing little to root out the problem.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

MBEI: Measuring Myanmar’s business landscape with data for policymakers
Myanmar’s first business environment index, surveying nearly 5000 companies, reflects how the private sector views governance, transparency and efficiency as implemented by central and local government. The findings provide policymakers with a set of data for making evidence-based decisions.
— Myanmar Times

ShweProperty raises US$3M in fresh funding as 500 Startups marks its entry into Myanmar
ShweProperty.com, one of Myanmar’s leading property portals, has secures US$3 million in Series B round of funding. led by Singapore-based private equity fund Emerging Markets Investment Advisers (EMIA).
— e27

Biometric IDs Issued to Half a Million Rohingya Refugees: UNHCR
Over half a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have now received biometric identity documents, the United Nations’ refugee agency has announced.
— findbiometrics

Gay Myanmar man who took own life ‘mentally weak’: Inquiry
A probe into the death of a gay Myanmar man which cast a spotlight on the marginalised community concluded he was “mentally weak”, findings slammed on Wednesday (Aug 14) by his heartbroken family who blamed bullying at work.
— Channel NewsAsia

Over 46,000 flood victims in Kyaikmaraw need emergency aid
More than 46,000 flood victims from over 8,900 family households in Kyaikmaraw Township are in need of emergency aid and over 100 schools are shut down, according to the township flood relief administrative office.
— Eleven Myanmar

JMC spotlights future work procedures and capacity building matters
The seventh plenary meeting of civilian representatives who are involved in the different levels of Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) was held at the NRPC on Shweli road in Yangon on August 13 and that spotlighted future work procedures and capacity building matters.
— Eleven Myanmar

Flexible spaces: a new offering on the block in Yangon
The number of companies opting for flexible workspaces has been gradually growing annually around the globe. However, unlike other cities in the region that has a fully-matured flexible working landscape; Yangon houses an embryonic niche offering.
— Retalk Asia

Exports through Muse down by a third
A crackdown by China on illegal trade along the vital Muse border crossing located in northern Shan State as well as severe restrictions on agricultural imports continues to affect Myanmar’s border exports to the country.
— Myanmar Times

SMEs need policies tailored for growth to flourish: MRCCI
The Mandalay Region government needs to have specific policies to boost small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to attract and grow high-skilled jobs.
— Myanmar Times

Rice export earnings decline by over 350 m USD
Export earnings from rice and broken rice reached 597.369 million US dollars, down over 350 million US dollars during over 10 months of the current fiscal year, according to an official of Ministry of Commerce.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar to Host Forum to Lure Foreign Investment in Deep South
The Tanintharyi regional government is preparing to hold an investment forum to attract foreign investment to Myanmar’s southernmost region, which is rich in natural resources, particularly pearls and minerals, and home to many tourist destinations on the Andaman Sea coast and islands.
— Irrawaddy

Members of Union Parliament donate K22.5m to flood victims
Union Parliament has decided to donate K22.5 million of its MPs including their daily allowances to the flood victims in Mon and Kayin states and Taninthayi region.
— Eleven Myanmar

Winner announced for Miss Myanmar International 2019 title in Yangon
Khin Ohmar Myint was crowned the title of Miss Myanmar International 2019 which was held in Yangon late on Wednesday.
— Xinhua

Newborn care corners opened at hospitals, rural healthcare centres in states and regions
Newborn care corners have been opened at 51 township hospitals, 71 station hospitals, 610 rural healthcare centres and 1,290 rural healthcare branches in various regions and states with the provision of necessary medicines and medical equipment, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
— Eleven Myanmar

Thai man nabbed for allegedly trafficking Myanmar workers
Immigration Police arrested a 41-year-old Thai man on Wednesday in his home in Chiang Mai’s San Sai district over his alleged role in the smuggling of 27 Myanmar citizens, who were caught at Chiang Mai train station as they tried to board a train to Bangkok in May.
— ThaiVisa

BWA chief concerned about safety of two Myanmar pastors
Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, sent a letter Aug. 14 to officials at the United Nations and the United States government to register concern regarding the safety of two pastors from Myanmar who have criticized their government.
— Baptist Standard

Indo-Myanmar friendship Gates No 1 and 2 closed
As a precautionary measure to avert any untoward incident from happening on the occasion of 73rd Independence Day, Indo-Myanmar friendship gates no 1 and 2 at Moreh have been shutdown temporarily by personnel of 43 AR from 4 am, this morning.
— The Sangai Express

Officials promote state benefits for Myanmar workers killed, injured in Phuket building collapse
Jak Phanchoopet, Adviser to the Thai Minister of Labour ML Chatumongol Sonakul, and Kyaw Soe Wai, the Labour Attache at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, were both in Phuket today (Aug 14) to visit the eight Myanmar workers injured in the building collapse in Rawai on Sunday – and to attend the funerals of the three workers who died in the collapse.
— The phuket News

Clashes take place between Tatmadaw and TNLA for 14 times in August
The clashes broke out between Tatmadaw (Defence Services) and Ta,ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Kutkai Township in northern Shan State for 14 times during August, the information department of the TNLA reported on August 13.
— Eleven Myanmar

The NLD comes to the Tatmadaw’s rescue… again
When the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released its most recent report on August 5, it presented the government with an opportunity.
— Frontier Myanmar

Tanintharyi to focus on tourism, property, mining
Tanintharyi Region, which is located to the far south of Myanmar bordering Thailand, is looking to attract investors in the hotel and tourism, real estate and mining industries during an investment forum the regional government is holding with the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) in October.
— Myanmar Times

Association vows legal action to fight fake thanaka cosmetics
Action will be taken against fake thanaka cosmetics, which have a large impact on people who rely on the business for their livelihoods, said U Kyaw Moe, chair of the Ayadaw Thanaka Planters and Producers Association, on Tuesday.
— Myanmar Times

Stimulant tablets seized in Hpakant
Myanmar authorities seized a total of 138,000 stimulant tablets in Hpakant township, Myanmar’s Kachin state, Xinhua reported.
— Mizzima

New luxury SUV now available in Myanmar
BMW Asia Prestige Automobiles, luxury car importer and service provider, announced the introduction of the first ever BMW X7 to the Myanmar market on August 10.
— Myanmar Times

Official warns of rising landmine casualties
The number of landmine casualties is increasing yearly in Myanmar, said U Win Naing Tun, director general of the Department of Rehabilitation.
— Myanmar Times

ENSA bans employment of Eastern Naga students from Myanmar as domestic helps
The Eastern Naga Students’ Association (ENSA) has resolved to ban the employment of Eastern Naga students from Myanmar as domestic workers/helpers within its jurisdiction.
— Morung Express

Thousand villagers face shortage of food and medicines in Min Bya area
Over 3000 villagers from 30 villages under Min Bya township, 50 miles away from Arakanese capital city of Sittwe, are presently facing acute shortage of essential commodities like food and medicines after Myanmar Army personnel barred the dwellers from traveling, said U HlaThein Aung, a member Rakhine (Arakan) state parliament representing Min Bya township.
— BNI Online

Myanmar surfing team to compete in Philippines SEA Games
A national surfing team will compete in the Southeast Asian Games to be held from November 31 to December 11 in the Philippines.
— Myanmar Times

Government conducts survey of landslide site
Geologists from the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Department have inspected a hill at Thae Phyi Gone village on Yangon-Mawlamyine highway in Paung Township, Mon State after a landslide at Malatt hill of Kalama mountain range.
— Mizzima

Myanmar Military Restricts Movement in Northern Rakhine’s Minbya
Many IDPs trapped as army puts besieged villages in township’s rural areas under lockdown due to heavy fighting with AA, lawmakers and residents say.
— Irrawaddy

Auto industry witnesses 9-month continuous sales drop, 31% slump in July; workers seek govt help
Sales of passenger vehicles to car dealers fell 30.9 per cent to 200,790 units in July, according to data shared by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), amid a deepening crisis in the country’s automobile sector.
— Eleven Myanmar

Headmaster Injured in Clash Between Myanmar Army, TNLA in Northern Shan
The educator was struck by artillery shrapnel while attempting to wait out the clash on a roadside in Kutkai Township; he was later treated at a hospital and released.
— Irrawaddy

Nighttime economy to help drive growth
Authorities nationwide have beefed up measures to develop the nighttime economy, with steps to encourage post-dusk business activities and later closing hours at museums and art galleries.
— Eleven Myanmar

Flow of Water Disrupted at Popular Myanmar Waterfall
The Mandalay regional government is seeking help from geologists to find out what caused a hole to open up in one of the rocky steps that form the Dat Taw Gyaint Waterfall in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, disrupting the water flow at the important tourist site, regional Minister for Resources and Environmental Conservation U Myo Thit told The Irrawaddy.
— Irrawaddy

Feature photo TheoRivierenlaan

This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo focus on life throughout the Asean Community.

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).

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