President Thein Sein has visited President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington. The visit is being promoted by both Myanmar and the United States for its symbolism. This is a shame.
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Meikhtila, Myanmar – A Myanmar court sentenced seven Muslims to prison Tuesday — one of them to a life term — in the killing of a Buddhist monk amid deadly sectarian violence that was overwhelmingly directed against minority Muslims but has not led to any criminal trials against members of the country’s Buddhist majority. (more…)

An armed militia in northeastern Burma’s Shan state forced more than 50 National League for Democracy (NLD) members at gunpoint to resign from the party on Sunday following a land dispute in the area. (more…)

The main investor in the controversial Myitsone hydropower dam in Kachin State has expressed a desire to restart the suspended project, according to members of a National League for Democracy (NLD) delegation that traveled to China earlier this month. (more…)

President Thein Sein has met with representatives of varied political, economic and social interests since his reformist government took office, leaving some analysts to wonder why he has yet to meet with perhaps Burma’s most prominent activists, the 88 Generation Students group. (more…)

Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) expect to meet with a Burmese government peace delegation in June, when the ethnic group hopes hammering out a “code of conduct” agreement will top the agenda. (more…)

Myanmar is planning to hold elections in 2015. Key to the success of the elections will be a free and uncensored press. Recent changes to media law mean that there are more newspapers going to print and censorship has for the most part been lifted. Myanmar’s journalists are now busier – and freer – than ever before. (more…)

The first state visit to the United States by a Burmese president in almost 50 years went off largely as expected, with a strong emphasis on trade and investment, and some discussions of the ethnic and religious violence that has clouded the country’s transition from army rule. (more…)

Nai Kun Oung, a resident from north Mon State, remembers when he first decided to send his son to a drug rehabilitation center run by ethnic rebels. He had heard success stories about the center, where former drug addicts were known to have recovered after several months, and he thought his son might benefit. (more…)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay a state visit to Myanmar soon, an official announcement said here Tuesday without specifying the date of his visit. (more…)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I want to welcome President Thein Sein to the United States of America and to the Oval Office.
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The US State Department on Monday again designated Myanmar as a country of special concern for its severe violations of religious freedom, as it has since 1999 in an annual global assessment. (more…)

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the congressional sponsor of economic sanctions against Myanmar, said he won’t seek their extension in light of the nation’s movement toward democracy. (more…)

The United Nations on Monday praised the Myanmar government and army for its steps made toward ending the recruitment of child soldiers. (more…)

Myanmar’s president has received an official welcome by US President Barack Obama. The reception represents more than a reward for the military state’s gradual reform process; it also reflects US interests. (more…)

Authorities in the north of Arakan State added another measure to the restrictions imposed on Rohingya Muslims last week, by introducing a regional order that sets a two-child limit for local families. The directive, which is effective in Maungdaw District, also bans polygamy. (more…)

Burma’s ethnic leaders have accused the United States of providing inadequate support for the Southeast Asian country’s peace process and are urging US President Barack Obama to stress the issue during his meeting with Burmese counterpart Thein Sein on Monday at the White House. (more…)

The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and the Burmese government are tipped to resume union-level peace talks at the end of the month in the Kachin state capital, according to mediators. (more…)

Twelve factory employees, who are being held in remand after brawling with their supervisors, claim they are being treated unfairly and forced to work in Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison. (more…)

Days after communal violence rocked central Myanmar in late March, leaving more than 40 people dead and raising tensions in the mostly Buddhist country, a group of Muslims and a group of Buddhists decided enough was enough. (more…)