Myanmar morning news for May 30

Rights group accuses Tatmadaw of war crimes in Rakhine State
Amnesty International has accused the Tatmadaw of committing war crimes in its operation against the Arakan Army in Rakhine State and has called on United Nations Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.
— Frontier Myanmar

Emergency power plans impossible without price rises: official
Electricity prices need to rise before the government can move forward with plans to meet demand for next hot season, a senior Ministry of Electricity and Energy official says.
— Frontier Myanmar

Arrest warrant issued for Myanmar firebrand monk Wirathu
Myanmar police issued an arrest warrant Tuesday evening for an ultra-nationalist monk known as the “Buddhist Bin Laden” for his vitriol against Islam and particularly the Rohingya Muslim community.
— Mizzima

Gov’t Seeks Green Light from Parliament to Join BRI Tax Scheme as Observer
China’s multilateral BRITACOM mechanism aims to remove taxation hurdles along trade routes.
— Irrawaddy

Illegal jade trade still thriving despite mining suspension
Myanmar jade is still being smuggled across the border to China in large quantities despite the government having suspended new licences for two years now, U Zaw Bo Khant, vice chair of the Myanmar Gems and Jewellery Entrepreneurs Association said at a gems forum last week.
— Myanmar Times

Yangon Sangha Council Cancels Meeting with Firebrand Monk
Clerical body had summoned U Wirathu for involvement in secular affairs due to his participation in Yangon rally.
— Irrawaddy

Mandalay sees more Chinese tourists
During four months this year, the number of tourist arrivals in Mandalay region reached over 240,000.The Chinese tourist arrivals has increased by over 70 per cent and there are more direct flight schedules between Myanmar and China.
— Eleven Myanmar

Former Mytel head wins industry recognition
Mytel, Myanmar’s newest and most caring operator congratulates Mr Nguyen Thanh Nam, the former CEO of Mytel and current vice president of Viettel Group, for being named Telecom CEO of the year during the Telecom Asia Awards 2019.
— Myanmar Times

Initial technical report on Muse-Mandalay railway project submitted
A technical report that is a part of a feasibility study being conducted on the Muse-Mandalay railway as part of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor has been submitted to the government, according to Myanma Railways and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
— Myanmar Times

Call made to publicize the Myitsone Dam contract
The National Network for the Total Shutdown of Myitsone Dam Project yesterday called on the government to transparently publicize the Myitsone Dam contract within one month and to officially allow copying the contract.
— Eleven Myanmar

Local, foreign media cover ground situation in Inndin Village in Maungtaw Tsp
A group of local and foreign journalists visiting Rakhine State covered ground situation in Inndin Village in Maungtaw Township yesterday. During the trip to the village, the media group interviewed Maungtaw District Administrator U Soe Aung at the district General Administration Department office.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Mandalay CM promises development plans will focus on the people
Mandalay Region government Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung said that lands under the management of the region government used for development would focus on the people and not the government.
— Mizzima

USDP and Military Propose 4 New Charter Amendments
This is the second move by USDP and military lawmakers to have their own amendment bill considered by Parliament in parallel with the NLD’s constitutional amendment efforts.
— Irrawaddy

Commerce, P&F, I&FER ministries give press conference on achievements in third-year period
The press conference on the third-year journey of the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Planning and Finance, and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations answered to reporters in the Ministry of Information’s meeting hall in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Desperate refugees caught on cross-border narcotics runs: police
Growing numbers of Rohingya refugees are risking their lives by crossing the closed Myanmar-Bangladesh border with narcotics pills packed into their stomachs, police said Tuesday.
— Mizzima

UNHCR, UNDP, Myanmar extend memo by 1 year
The government of Myanmar, UNDP and UNHCR have extended a memorandum of understanding on repatriation of the Rohingyas for one year following an agreement between all parties.
— Newage BD

Myanmar Investment Commission approves the projects in energy storage and distribution, telecommunication services and education services
The Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) meeting (8 / 2019) was convened at the meeting room of MIC in the morning on 29th May 2019 in Yangon. U Thaung Tun, Chairman of MIC, Dr. Than Myint, Vice Chairman of MIC and (9) members attended the meeting.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Risk still outweighs reward in Myanmar markets
Soon after Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi started her second year in office in 2017, then-finance minister Kyaw Win proclaimed that the economy was like an airplane at full throttle on a runway “ready to take off.”
— Asia Times

Myanmar heatwave kills dozens of rare star tortoises
Dozens of Burmese star tortoises, an endangered species found only in Myanmar, have died at a sanctuary in Magwe Region due to the extreme heat of the past few weeks, a conservation official said.
— Myanmar Times

MoP&F will use Dutch loans for Pyigyidagun Tsp water supply, says Deputy Minister
A project that will provide 7 million gallons of water per day to the 70 per cent of Pyigyidagun Township, Mandalay Region, that are not connected to a water supply system, will be implemented using loans from Dutch based Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and ING Bank and financial.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Four more Chinese nationals arrested for illegal entry
Authorities in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state have arrested four Chinese nationals for illegally entering the country and working on banana plantations, bringing the number of Chinese in police custody to nine in the last two weeks, RFA reported.
— Mizzima

EII Pilot Project launched in Mandalay
The EII Pilot Project, a joint effort by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, and Population and ILO-VZF was launched at the Yadanarbon Supercenter in Chanmyathazi Township of Mandalay. U Myo Thit, the Mandalay Region Minister for natural Resources, Environmental Conservation and Labour,
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Rohingya refugee, four others arrested in Bandarban
A Rohingya woman refugee from Myanmar and her four Bangladeshi accomplices were arrested on Tuesday as she attempted to obtain Bangladeshi passport from passport office in Bandarban.
— The Daily Star

No report of mistaken recruitment of underage soldiers: Permanent Secretary
There were no reports of mistaken recruitment of underage soldiers by the army during the third-year tenure of the government, said Brig-Gen Aung Kyaw Hoe, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence.
— Eleven Myanmar

Signing ceremony of Loan Agreement on NEP-IT held in Nay Pyi Taw
The Signing Ceremony of interest-free Loan Agreement on National Electrification Project: Off-Grid Component (NEP-IT) was held at the office of the Treasury Department under the Ministry of Planning and Finance in Nay Pyi Taw on 23 May, 2019.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Military Chief Pardoned Soldiers Involved in Rohingya Massacre
Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing reduced sentences of seven soldiers after group of citizens submitted petition on their behalf.
— Irrawaddy

UEC chairman receives IFES, Hornbill, MYNFREL delegates
Union Election Commission Chairman U Hla Thein received delegations led by International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Hornbill and Myanmar Network Organization for Free and Fair Elections (MYNFREL) at his office in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Union Election Commission Chair receives Dutch Ambassador
Chairman of Union Election Commission (UEC), U Hla Thein, received Dutch Ambassador Mr. Wouter Jurgens and delegation at the his office in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Dr. Ba Maw, Facilitator of Myanmar’s Struggle for Independence
During his lifetime under British and Japanese rule, Dr. Ba Maw held several important roles in Myanmar’s leadership and supported the people and the independence movement.
— Irrawaddy

Two Myanmar- UK Motourlogue motorbikes visit Mann Oil Field in Minbu
Two Myanmar- UK Motourlogue motorbike that left from People’s Square on 26th May arrived in Magway Region and visited Mann Oil Field in Minbu. Two bikes, Ko Aung Kyaw Win and Ko Sai Zwam Pha arrived in Pyay in the evening of 26 May.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Operationalizing an Agricultural Drought Monitoring and Early Warning System in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region
The countries that share the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – frequently experience agricultural, hydrological, meteorological, and socioeconomic droughts.
— Reliefweb

We do not support international pressure on Myanmar: Japanese Ambassador
The Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar, Mr. Maruyama, said Japan would not support efforts by the international community to put pressure on Myanmar on the Rakhine issue.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Feature photo UNICEF Bangladesh

This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo acknowledges Cambodia Children’s day, June 1.

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.