Myanmar morning news for May 22

Parliament approves US$749m Japan loan for Yangon, Mandalay
The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) has approved a ¥82.27 billion (US$748.5 million) loan for urban development projects in Yangon and Mandalay.
— Myanmar Times

Death Penalty Possible in Myanmar Cannabis Farm Case
A court in Myanmar on Tuesday formally charged an American man and two local co-workers with violating drug laws concerning marijuana, with potential penalties ranging from five years’ imprisonment to death.
— VOA

Tax on mobile phones kicks in June 1
Starting June 1, a five percent commercial tax on mobile phones and accessories shall be collected from buyers at the time of purchase and the relevant tax stamps affixed to the receipts in accordance with the Commercial Tax Law, the Internal Revenue Department (IRD) announced earlier this month.
— Myanmar Times

Ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State prompts street protests
Monks and others joined a weekend protest rally calling for Myanmar’s military to declare a unilateral ceasefire in an internationally little-known conflict with largely Buddhist insurgents.
— UCA News

Myanmar Metals eyes $30m raising
The Mark Creasy-backed Myanmar Metals is raising $30 million for its flagship Bawdwin project in the South East Asian country.
— The West

Google ban on Huawei a potential problem for Myamar: users
Google has barred China’s Huawei, the world’s second biggest smartphone maker, from some its Android operating system.
— Myanmar Times

UN High Commissioner for Refugees visits Maungtaw, Buthidaung Tsps
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, (UNHCR) Chief Mr. Fillippo Grandi, and entourage toured around Ywar Ma Village and Ywar Ma Gone Nar Village in Buthidaung Township, yesterday morning.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar launches big raising
MYANMAR Metals has launched a A$30 million equity raising in order to advance its 51%-owned Bawdwin project to a decision to mine by the second quarter of next year.
— Mining news

Ooredoo Myanmar appoints Airtel’s Sethi as CEO
Ooredoo Myanmar has appointed Rajeev Sethi as its CEO. He succeeds Vikram Sinha, who will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors of Ooredoo Myanmar. Sethi was most recently chief commercial officer of Airtel Africa, where he was responsible for the 15 countries within the Airtel African Region. Sethi previously served as CEO of Bangladeshi operator Grameenphone where.
— Telecompaper

Where to send your mother in law in Myanmar?
Think of yourself as an expat in Yangon and are leading an interesting lifestyle that keeps you busy with work, sports, social networking and a bit of travel in the region. Then your curious friends and family want to know where you live, what you’re doing in Myanmar and have booked their flights to Yangon.
— Myanmore

Myanmar seeks to shun Bitcoin craze
Myanmar’s central bank is seeking to shun Bitcoin as cryptocurrency adoption grows at a fast pace, concerned about how it might negatively affect the existing banking system, according to a report 20 May in Bitcoin Exchange Guide.
— Mizzima

Chinese nationals arrested in Kachin forestry encroachment case
Kachin State’s forestry department has reportedly filed charges against five Chinese nationals and company manager for allegedly expanding a banana plantation into protected forests, according to a report by RFA.
— Mizzima

Myanmar Navy ships arrive to participate in 8th Indo-Myanmar coordinated patrol at Andaman
Myanmar Navy ships UMS King TabinShweHtee and UMS Inlay have arrived at Port Blair to take part in the 8th Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR), officials said Tuesday.
— Wion

Meeting held on mechanism for resolving complaints on forced labour
In a step towards the elimination of forced labour, the Labour Affairs Cooperation Work Committee’s High Level Working Group held a coordination meeting yesterday in Nay Pyi Taw to set down processes for addressing complaints before the National Complaints Mechanism.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Pope issues new warning against fake news
Pope Francis has urged journalists to desist from publishing fake news, saying it could cause harm, and instead “take time to understand” issues before reporting on them.
— Mizzima

Ramadan, Iftar nostalgic for Rohingyas
The World Food Programme is distributing iftar foods among refugee Rohingyas in Bangladesh
— Dhaka

President meets UEC for free and fair 2020 General Elections, gives instructions on work processes
President U Win Myint met with Union Election Commission (UEC) Chairman U Hla Thein and UEC members at the Presidential Palace yesterday morning for a free and fair 2020 General Elections (2020 GE).
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Pyithu Hluttaw to discuss signing International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The eighth-day meeting of the Second Pyithu Hluttaw’s 12th regular session was held at Pyithu Hluttaw meeting hall yesterday morning where a decision was made to discuss signing of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Left Without Electricity or Shade, Cyclone Fani Victims Face Dangerous Heatwave
When Cyclone Fani made landfall in May, it tore off roofs and snapped electricity poles and shade-giving trees; now, residents face rising temperatures without relief.
— Irrawaddy

Police in Myanmar Raid Village, Arrest Residents For Protest Against Cement Plant
Police on Tuesday raided a village in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region and arrested 13 residents along with a reporter for allegedly participating in a protest that turned violent against the Chinese operators of a coal-powered cement factory, a community resident said.
— Radio Free Asia

What Is So Fascinating About Smoking Weed?
What Is So Fascinating About Smoking Weed? So long as your marijuana usage isn’t abusive, and insurance organizations define as smoking till a few joints per week, you may not be penalized. It’s simply a question of time until bud is legal throughout the nation.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Int’l Food, Hotel Expo To Be Held In Myanmar
An international food and hotel expo is scheduled to take place in Myanmar’s commercial city of Yangon in June, aimed at developing the country’s tourism industry, according to the organizer Tuesday.
— Urdupoint

State Counsellor observes district level discussion/training course on new curriculum
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi went to Nay Pyi Taw Council Pyinmana Town No. 2 Basic Education High School yesterday morning to observe the Nay Pyi Taw Dekkhinathiri District Basic Education Middle School Grade 6 level discussion/training course on new curriculum attended by teachers.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

KNU Wants to Leave Peace Steering Team
KNU leaders say they want a reformed steering committee that includes NCA non-signatories to move the peace process forward.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar, Mozambique sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of sharing source code
A Memorandum of Understanding over permitting Mozambican Ministry of Industry and Trade to copy the source code of Myanmar website, National Trade Portal and Trade Repository Website was signed yesterday afternoon at the meeting hall of Ministry of Commence in Nay Pyi Taw.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Mandalay Police Officer Seriously Injured in Landmine Training
A military trainer mistakenly used a real landmine instead of a sample during a training session conducted for Mandalay Region police.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s political prisoners struggle with life after jail
In 2013, after spending more than eight years in jail for owning an independent newspaper during the military government’s decades-long rule in Myanmar, Sonny Swe was granted his freedom in a prisoner amnesty.
— Aljazeera

Making Yangon a green city
As Myanmar develops and urbanises, buildings, roads and bridges that meet international standards alone will not do. It is also important to systematically grow and preserve trees and green spaces in the city.
— Myanmar Times

China-Myanmar media forum held in Yangon
The China-Myanmar media forum, held on Tuesday in Myanmar’s Yangon, focused on the Belt and Road Initiative and relations between China and Myanmar.
— Business Standard

Forex reserve levels appropriate: Central Bank
Myanmar’s foreign exchange reserves are currently at an appropriate level, U Soe Thein, vice governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) said on May 17. He did not disclose the exact amount of the reserves, saying that the Central Bank only reveals whether levels have increased or decreased.
— Myanmar Times

Taste for Western diet reshapes trade in Myanmar
THE arrival of a large cargo of American wheat at Myanmar’s newly opened port signals its leap into the global grain trade as the country’s demand for Western food rises.
— Business Times

Singapore overtakes China on Myanmar FDI list
Singapore has topped the list of foreign investment countries, overtaking China which once was the top investor in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).
— Eleven Myanmar

Uphill struggle for ethnic women in peace talks participation
Women from ethnic minorities face an uphill battle to scale up their participation in ethnic political parties as well as in the peace process, a recent study reveals.
— Myanmar Times

Army Officer Jailed for 10 Years for Killing Civilian Who Failed to Present ID Card
Rights Commission helped persuade Army to deliver suspect to civilian court in Mon State.
— Irrawaddy

Certificates conferred on winners of 71st Tipitakadhara Tipitakakovida Selection Examination
Ninety-Five members of the Sangha who passed the 71st Tipitakadhara Tipitakakovida Selection Examination organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture were honoured yesterday in Yangon.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

YC-backed dahmakan raises US$5M to roll out its chef-cooked food delivery in Thailand, Malaysia
By vertically integrating the entire value chain from food production to delivery, its mission is to make food delivery affordable for office workers dahmakan, a Y-Combinator-backed cloud kitchen startup in Malaysia, today announced the closing of over US$5 million in Series A round of funding with.
— e27

New UK-Myanmar distance learning unit opened at Yangon University
The 3rd Residential School by TIDE (Transformation by Innovation in Distance Education) held an opening ceremony at the Scientific Research Building of Yangon University on 20 May, according to the New Global Light of Myanmar.
— Mizzima

Over 60 armed conflicts reported in late April
There were 64 armed conflicts across the country, in late April, according to a report released by Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS) on May 19.
— Eleven Myanmar

Nagas angry as Myanmar military hits rebel groups
The Naga Hoho, which is Nagaland’s apex tribal organisation, urged Indian and Myanmar armies for immediate cessation of the military action “against the Nagas”.
— New Indian Express

Feature photo Plan Bee

This week’s morning news photo features World Bee Day, May 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.