Myanmar morning news for June 17

Over 530 political prisoners die since 1962: AAPP
Till date since the military coup in 1962, the number of political prisoners who died in and out of the prisons has reached 535, according to the statement by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on June 14.
— Eleven Myanmar

Gov’t to call for re-tender to upgrade Kawthaung Airport
As Tender winner Company Golden Myanmar Airlines relinquished rights to carry out the upgrading tasks on Kawthaung Airport in Taninthayi Region, government will be calling for a re-tender to upgrade Kawthaung Airport, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar, int’l media institutes extend MoU on media cooperation
Myanmar and two international media institutes have extended a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on media cooperation for another one year until March 2020, according to the country’s Ministry of Information on Sunday.
— Xinhua

Repatriation of refugees to Myanmar deferred: Official
Southern Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district administration Saturday deferred the proposed repatriation of over 200 refugees to Myanmar on ‘humanitarian ground’, an official said.
— Business Standard

Gems mines in Kachin State ordered to suspend during rainy season
Myanmar Gems Enterprise has issued a directive suspending jade mining in Hpakant and Lonekhin gems fields from July 1 to September 30 as waste pit collapses, landslides, human deaths and property and machinery damage usually occur in the rainy season.
— Eleven Myanmar

METRO eyes expansion to other cities
THOUGH some multinational companies are still hesitant about investing in Myanmar, Frankfurt-listedMETRO AG’s bold entry into the market has yielded satisfactory returns, said Jens Michel, chief executive of METRO Wholesale Myanmar.
— Eleven Myanmar

Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker inaugurates Myawady-Wawlay concrete road in Kawkareik
Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than attended an opening ceremony of Myawady-Wawlay concrete road constructed by Ministry of Construction Department Road, Kawkareik District, Kayin State held at a pandal on the road section yesterday morning.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar and Lao to get infrastructure boost
Myanmar and Lao PDR look to be the biggest winners of an ASEAN plan to boost connectivity with a series of infrastructure projects.
— The Asean Post

Myanmar seizes over 7 tons of illegal timbers in Yangon
Myanmar authorities have seized a truck, loaded with illegally harvested timbers, in Yangon’s northern district, arresting the driver, police said on Sunday.
— Xinhua

Greased palms and discrimination at the passport office
Applying for a passport ought to be straightforward for any citizen, but those who are of mixed ancestry or belong to minority faiths are humiliated and extorted by officials.
— Frontier Myanmar

MoI, IMS, Fojo Media Institute sign extended MoU on media cooperation
Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Information, International Media Support – IMS, and Fojo Media Institute signed the existing extended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on media cooperation yesterday at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Armies of India, Myanmar target NE militants in coordinated operation
The armies of India and Myanmar carried out a three-week-long coordinated operation from May 16 in their respective border areas, targeting several militant groups operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam, defence sources said on Sunday.
— Business Standard

Fight poverty to stop forcing children to enter labour force
A fall in child labour goes hand in hand with living standards and a nation’s economy, as well as the levels of education in the country. Children are leaving schools and working as child labourers due to armed conflicts, poverty, migration, climate change and disasters.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar renews deal for media ties
Myanmar was announced to have renewed a memorandum of understanding sealed with a couple of international media institutes.
— Menefn

Thai firm sees ‘progress’ on LNG project despite delays, cost blowout
Thai-listed firm TTCL says it is making progress on power purchase agreement negotiations with the government for its liquefied natural gas power project in Yangon and expects a deal to be reached by the end of the year.
— Frontier Myanmar

Union Minister for NREC inspects training centres, state-own Saw Mill
Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation U Ohn Win inspected the pilot cultivation for bio-fuel at the 39-acre camp of the ministry in North Dagon, Yangon Region yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Debt and misery stalk the delta’s salt farms
Life’s hard for the salt farming communities in the far south of Ayeyarwady Region, where services are basic, food is scarce and debt is never-ending.
— Frontier Myanmar

Foreign demand hikes up price of sesame seeds
Foreign demand has driven up the price of sesame seeds (samon variety) in Yenangyoung Township of Magway Region, according to the sesame market. “At present, sesame cultivated using irrigation water is being harvested. It is fetching a good price of K80,000 per basket on account of its quality.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar doctor-turned-model hits back at ban over revealing photos
A Myanmar doctor and model who had her medical licence revoked for posting lingerie photos of herself blasted the government for “interfering” with personal freedoms, vowing on Saturday (June 15) to appeal against the medical council’s decision in a deeply conservative country.
— The Straits Times

Building trust and finding solutions
Ethnic Armed Organization (EAO) signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) Secretariat held a two-day informal meeting in Yangon last week.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Dengue fever kills eight in Yangon in five months
In the first five months of 2019, there were 670 reported dengue transmission cases and eight deaths in Yangon Region, said Dr. Myo Thant, deputy head of the Yangon Region Public Health Department.
— Eleven Myanmar

Resource persons discuss China-US trade war, consequences of Yemen war
Two resource persons led the talk on global affairs under two themes – the China-US trade war and the war in Yemen and its ill consequences — at Shwe Oudaung Hall of the News and Periodicals Enterprise (Head Office) in Yangon yesterday afternoon. Union Minister for Information Dr Pe Myint gave the opening speech at.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar Security Forces Crackdown on Drug Dealers in Golden Triangle
The Myanmar Army and local police have started anti-drug operations in the Shan State (Chiang Rai-Myanmar Border) which has led to seizure of large number of Drug haul and illegal weapons
— Chiangrai Times

Vice President U Myint Swe hosts dinner for Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy PM
Vice President U Myint Swe hosted a dinner yesterday in Nay Pyi Taw for a Vietnamese delegation led by Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee Communist Party of Viet Nam and Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam who is paying a working visit to Myanmar.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Suspects put on trial for alleged intimidation of Yangon Muslim communities
So-called nationalists Michael Kyaw Myint and Thiha Myo Naing were produced before the South Dagon Township court on June 14 for allegedly inciting religious unrest.
— Mizzima

The month of Nayone holds religious examinations
By Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt (Maha Saddhamma Jotika Dhaja, Sithu ) The 3rd month of the Myanmar Lunar calendar “Nayone ushers in the wet season monsoon. As the rain wind beating cloud blows from the north- west direction showers spray the scorched earth of Myanmar. In no time Myanmar’s drylands become green carpets of grass.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Conflicts spur alarming increase in missing persons: Red Cross
The UN Security Council have adopted the first-ever resolution on missing persons in conflict as the International Red Cross reported an alarming increase in cases of disappearances worldwide including Myanmar.
— Mizzima

Union Minister inspects No. 24 Heavy Industry (Dagon) and staff house (Dagon)
Union Minister for Industry U Khin Maung Cho went to No. 23 Heavy Industry (Dagon) yesterday morning and inspected the test drive of 220 KW and 140 KW Silent Type Gen Sets driven by converted LNG/LPG/CNG/Biogas and diesel multi fuel engines.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Benefits of music stressed at Myanmar Music Festival 2019
The Myanmar Music Festival (MMF), which has entered its 6th year in Yangon with some elements of Russian music, merges musicians’ hearts and their culture into one through training and inspiring performances.
— Mizzima

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Offers Condolences to Former Dictator Than Shwe
On the death of the former junta leader’s son-in-law, Myanmar’s State Counselor sent a letter of condolence to the man who once ordered her house arrest.
— Irrawaddy

First Lady inaugurates tube-well, tank donated by President’s family in KhinU, Sagaing Region
An artisan tube-well for drinking water and a concrete tank donated by the family of President U Win Myint and First Lady Daw Cho Cho in the village of Shwelu-Ai in KhinU Township was inaugurated yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Senior General visits Kakku Pagoda in Taunggyi, meets PNO leader
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla visited the historic Kakku Pagoda in Taunggyi, Shan State, yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

MoI holds Monsoon Football Competition
An opening ceremony of the Ministry of Information 2019 Monsoon Football Competition was held at Nay Pyi Taw Zabuthiri Township Wunna Theikdi Sports Practice Ground yesterday afternoon. This is the third time it was being held.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar-India relations as Narendra Modi secures a second term
Mizzima editor and producer Myo Thant recently interviewed the new Indian Ambassador to Myanmar H.E. Mr Saurabh Kumar. In light of the recent re-election of Indian PM Narendra Modi, we took the opportunity to take a look at Myanmar-India relations.
— Mizzima

Natma Taung ASEAN Heritage Park
By Maung Yin Kyay Natma Taung known locally as Khaw Nu M’ Cong and in the past as Mt. Victoria is situated in southern Chin State Mindat, Matupi and Kanpetlet townships covering an area of 275.35 sq. miles (176,202 acres) at an altitude of more than 10,200 ft. above sea level.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Feature photo UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo acknowledges World Refugee Day, June 20.

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.