Myanmar morning news for April 17, 2020

Covid-19 infections surge to 85 in Myanmar
The number of Covid-19 infections has surged to 85, with 11 more new confirmed cases reported on Thursday (April 16), according to a statement from the Health and Sports Ministry.
— The Star Online

Hotel and tour businesses in Myanmar get one-year exemption on licence fees
Myanmar hotel and tour businesses will be exempted from paying licence fees for a period of one year as the sector continues to struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel ministry said on April 16.
— Myanmar Times

Bangladesh coast guard rescues 396 Rohingya from drifting boat; 32 dead
At least 32 ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after it failed to reach Malaysia, officials of the Bangladesh coast guard said on Thursday (Apr 16), following the rescue of 396 starving survivors.
— Channel NewsAsia

Myanmar bans gatherings of five and more as COVID-19 spreads
The Myanmar government banned gatherings of five and above following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, now at 85 as at 10:30pm on April 16.
— Myanmar Times

He’s Alive! Myanmar Pastor Presumed Dead Returns Home to Family
A national pastor in Myanmar supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) was forcibly removed at gunpoint from his home by five men on January 19, 2019. The men are believed to have been members of a rebel army that has been seeking control of the Rakhine state.
— Mission Box

More than 15,000 Myanmar migrant workers return from China
More than 15,000 Myanmar migrant workers will return from China and pass through the Kachin State border gates starting April 16, a senior state minister said.
— Myanmar Times

Silent streets for water festival in Myanmar lockdown
Myanmar’s New Year festival of Thingyan is the country’s biggest public holiday — normally a week of nation-wide celebration and water-fights, with soaked revellers partying late into the night.
— Pulse

Health check-ups and personal bio data taken at entrance to Naypyitaw
Checking of health conditions and taking personal bio data is taking place on all people entering Naypyitaw.
— BNI Online

Scores of detained Rohingya freed in Myanmar as virus fears mount
Cases against scores of Rohingya Muslims detained after fleeing Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state have been dropped, as fears grow of a potential coronavirus outbreak in the country’s overcrowded prisons.
— Pulse

Hope flies high in the Chin Hills
A privately funded airstrip being built in a remote area of Chin State is the latest expression of one man’s ambition for better healthcare for his people.
— Frontier Myanmar

In Myanmar, JobNet works to fill essential roles
Across the globe, recruitment sites have responded to a slowdown in hiring by launching support programs and initiatives to fill essential roles. In Myanmar, leading recruitment site JobNet is listing essential jobs for free, as well as organizing a virtual career fair in anticipation of increased demand.
— Aim Group

Two Myanmar Editors in Hiding Over Interview With Banned Arakan Army
Two editors facing charges under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law for interviews with the Arakan Army after the ethnic force was declared a terrorist group have gone into hiding to avoid arrest amid domestic and international appeals to drop their cases, supporters said on Wednesday.
— Radio Free Asia

Myanmar banking: Digital evolution, not revolution (yet)
Cash is still king in Myanmar; banks are still trying to figure out what to do with the power of technology.
— Euromoney

Myanmar allows Korean and Thai banks’ entry to boost investment
Seven banks from around Asia are to enter Myanmar, raising the prospect that a more active presence by foreign lenders will encourage further inward investment from other industries.
— Nikkei Asian Review

State Counsellor: Regarding COVID-19, interventions will begin with legal actions
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote on her Facebook page yesterday that the requirements for prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 have now become clearer and more precise and that with regard to COVID-19, interventions will begin with legal actions.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar military steps up attacks as coronavirus spreads
Tatmadaw steps up attacks in Rakhine despite epidemic, killing more than 40 people in April alone, say rights group.
— Aljazeera

A decisive month for Covid-19 in Myanmar –and region beyond
Nestled between giants comprising half the global population, control or contagion in Myanmar has huge ramifications.
— lowyinstitute

Myanmar charges preacher for defying virus ban on services
A Myanmar preacher who posted a sermon online saying Christians were immune to the coronavirus will face charges along with three other people for organising services in defiance of a ban on mass gatherings, local authorities said on Wednesday.
— The Star Online

Protect civilians in Myanmar conflict, 132 rights groups appeal
132 civil society organizations have called for the protection of civilians in armed conflict in Myanmar.
— Nenow

Fencing work along India-Myanmar border in Manipur to check coronavirus
The government has started fencing along the India-Myanmar international border near Moreh town in Manipur to check the movement of people in the wake of coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.
— Deccanherald

Manipur police seize truckload of fuel smuggled from Myanmar, 3 held
Manipur police have made a major seizure of smuggled fuel in Churachandpur district.
— NeNow

Myanmar to acquire Chinese long-range strike system
Myanmar’s military is reportedly soon set to receive an initial batch of SY-400 precision-guided strike weapons from China.
— Shephardmedia

COVID-19 prevention processes ongoing in IDP camps
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is cooperating with relevant departments and organizations to implement protection, containment and response towards COVID-19 in IDP camps across the nation.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Mizoram asks forces to tighten security along Myanmar, B”desh borders
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has asked the Assam Rifles and BSF officials to further tighten security along the state”s border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, officials said on Wednesday.
— Outlook India

State Counsellor participates in ASEAN Summit on COVID-19
State Counsellor and Chairperson of the National-Level Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Daw Aung San Suu Kyi participated in the video conferences of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 and the Special ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit on COVID-19 yesterday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw, state media reported.
— Mizzima

Myanmar enters New Year 1382 ME: Greetings of Sayadaws
Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic so far. No effective medicine has been found yet to cure this disease.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Covid-19: Access to full mobile data and telecommunications in Myanmar and Bangladesh is essential to save lives
Coronavirus affects us all, and every measure to protect all vulnerable communities must be employed to end this pandemic and ensure that no person is left behind.
— Politics home

Republic of the Union of Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports
Order No 37/2020 9th Waning 1381 ME (16 April 2020) The Ministry of Health and Sport has issued this order under the authority of Article 21 (b) of the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law. 1.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Bangladesh coast guard rescues 396 Rohingya from drifting boat; 32 dead
At least 32 ethnic Rohingya died on a ship that drifted for weeks after it failed to reach Malaysia, officials of the Bangladesh coast guard said on Thursday (Apr 16), following the rescue of 396 starving survivors.
— CNA

Recipe for disaster: Vietnam embraces kitchen nightmares in COVID-19 lockdown
Some shared pictures of congealed black lumps in pots. Others posted snaps of unhappy children refusing to eat what their parents have cooked.
— CNA

Greetings from President U Win Myint for Myanmar New Year
I urge all of you cooperate and participate to solve this problem by combatwting this global pandemic in unity as a national duty as everyone has a responsibility.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

COVID-19: LWF on frontlines of response in rural Myanmar
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread globally, developing countries with internally displaced populations, high labor migration, and weak health systems are especially vulnerable.
— Lutheranworld

Chinese medical team calls on Union Minister for Health and Sports
A team of Chinese medical experts assisting in combatting the COVID-19 disease in Myanmar called on Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Earthquake of magnitude 5.9 strikes Myanmar-India border region – EMSC
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck Myanmar-India border region on Thursday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.
— The Star Online

Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing makes Myanmar New Year Wishes
I would like to extend my greeting to all the national people, while making wishes for their well-being. The Myanmar Era 1381 has ended.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Anxious days for journalists in Myanmar
Few Myanmar journalists enter the profession with the expectation that it offers a path to riches. On the contrary, most understand that they are far more likely to struggle financially.
— BNI Online

New Year Greetings of VPs, Hluttaw Speakers, C-in-C of Defence Services
No matter the difficulties that lie ahead, with the unity and collective strength of the people, by being mindful of health regulations, and with discipline and unity, I believe that we would be able to overcome this pandemic successfully.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

An ethnic militia with daring tactics is humiliating Myanmar’s army
The government’s flailing response seems to be boosting the Arakan Army.
— Economist

New Year greetings from Myanmar artistes
Actor Lu Min May all Myanmar citizens be free from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic and swiftly receive the joyous New Year. We are currently in the dangerous red zone so, please, don’t be careless. Be patient and stay at home.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Feature photo Myanmar Red Cross Society
This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo focus on COVID-19 in Asean.

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).

—

About Myanmar morning news.

Myanmar morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Myanmar English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the freshest Myanmar English language news today.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Myanmar daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Myanmar news headlines and first paragraphs before 7.00am Naypyitaw time.

We clearly identify the source of all the Myanmar news headlines, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the news site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you too. If a website uses particularly invasive pop-up adverts, we’ll tell you.

This enables you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original Myanmar news article, or keep on reading the remaining Myanmar daily news headlines.

Click here to get your Myanmar English language news today by email before 7.30am Naypyitaw time daily. Remember to watch out for the confirmation email from us to confirm your subscription. Check your trash folder if you do not see it.

For more immediate updates download the AEC News Today Mobile App from the Apple or Google stores, or follow us on Twitter.

#Independentmedia

Governance, not government; policies not politics.