August 23: A Burmese political prisoner who was actively involved in the 1988 nationwide pro-democracy uprising and sentenced to life, died in the notorious Insein Jail recently, according to sources close to political prisoners.
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Yangon: Establishment of a special economic zone in Myanmar’s Myawaddy, a border town with Thailand, is underway under an economic cooperation strategy program of four Mekong countries, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.
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August 22: US Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugee and Migration Affairs Ellen R Sauerbrey arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a short trip as part of her three-nation visit to study the condition of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
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Kuala Lumpur: The United States said Thursday that its sanctions against Myanmar were unaffected by a trade pact to be signed with the military-run country as part of the Southeast Asian bloc.
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Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Plc has postponed plans for commercial gas production in Burma until next year because of low gas flows at recent exploration sites, according to an official with the company.
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Kuala Lumpur: Southeast Asia’s new mini-constitution could include a mechanism to expel members, a senior official said Thursday in a move seen squarely aimed at Myanmar.
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August 23: Burma will have to put up with more pressure and condemnation from the region as of now, for its persistent refusal to implement democratic reforms, restore human rights and its defiance in not ending the political stalemate.
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August 23: Encouraged by the reopening of the ancient Silk Route on the Nathula Pass in Sikkim for trade between India and China, there is now a demand for throwing open the historic Stilwell Road that connects northeast India with Southeast Asia including Burma.
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Tehran: Iran-Myanmar-Meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Thursday that Iran sees no obstacle to expansion of its ties with Myanmar in all fields.
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Naypyidaw, Burma: Evidence of Burma’s new capital is apparent long before you actually arrive. Heading to huge construction sites, trucks carry supplies of timber, gravel, bricks and cement along the Rangoon-Mandalay highway. Most bear the logos of Burma’s biggest construction companies, Htoo Trading and Asia World.
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Burma is a byword for political repression and exploitation. But its pro-democracy movement is burgeoning.
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