Burmese journalists have gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to discuss issues at the Burma Media Conference’s 6th anniversary. (more…)

A four-day forest fire in Myanmar crossed the southwest China border on Sunday, where it quickly engulfed more than 60 hectares of forest, according to the forest police in Yunnan Province. (more…)

Asked whether it would take 230 years -like the US Constitution -before the Asean Charter would bring about human rights, democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights, Asean secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said “he’s not a dreamer” but will have to “coordinate” many issues. (more…)

Malaysia plans to put Burma under the spotlight over the plight of the Rohingya boat people at an ASEAN summit later this week. (more…)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on Myanmar’s military junta to release all political prisoners, including the main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was not among those freed over the weekend. (more…)

The United States Monday urged the military junta in Myanmar to free all political prisoners, including Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, after the country announced an amnesty for 17 others. (more…)

Campfires twinkle along the Chinese border as soldiers sing raucous freedom ballads and strum beat-up old guitars. They sing in Jinghpaw, the main language of the Kachin people, and their joy is irrepressible on this cold night in the Himalayan foothills of northern Myanmar. (more…)

Burma’s military government last week announced it would release more than 6,300 prisoners, of whom just 23 were classified as political prisoners-including nine Buddhist monks. State-run television in Burma reported that the prisoners were being released for the “social consideration of their families” and to take part in the 2010 elections. (more…)

As a general election approaches, the world has no clear objective on how to deal with the junta (more…)

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Asian tour signalled that important shifts in US policy may soon take place. (more…)

Hundreds of members of the Muslim Rohingya minority of Burma have been rescued in waters off the coasts of Indonesia and India in recent months. Dehydrated and in need of medical attention, some of the men bore scars on their backs from beatings reportedly received by Burmese soldiers. (more…)

The Presidency of the EU notes the recent visits by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari and UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tomás Ojea Quintana. The Presidency also notes the briefing by Mr. Gambari in the Security Council last Friday (20th February), and attended the meeting of “Group of Friends of SG on Myanmar” today. (more…)

BURMA Burma Policy Under Review / Looking at Ways to Engage Burmese People / Seek Representative Government Responding to Will of People / No Change on Sanctions (more…)

Myanmar’s military government announced an amnesty Friday night for more than 6,000 prisoners but did not mention whether any political detainees will be among those released. (more…)

Ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s closed session on Burma on Friday, the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) said it disagreed with a joint-statement by UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari and Japan’s foreign minister on Thursday. (more…)

The United Nationalities Alliance (UNA) today said that they were opposed to the Burmese military junta’s proposed general elections scheduled to be held in 2010. (more…)

Rangoon divisional court today upheld an appeal by blogger Nay Phone Latt and reduced his sentence by eight and a half years, according to his mother Aye Aye Than. (more…)

The prison sentence of labour rights activist Su Su Nway, who was jailed for 12 and a half years in November 2008, has been reduced by four years by Rangoon division court, according to her lawyer. (more…)

Myanmar’s fruit export to neighboring countries through border trade reached over 35 millionU.S. dollars in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2008-09 ending March, increasing by 11 million dollars compared with the same period of 2007-08, sources with the agricultural department said on Friday. (more…)

The United Nation’s World Food Program says food insecurity and malnutrition faced by Burma’s Muslim Rohingya people, remains a key reason for thousands of Rohingya fleeing the region each year. The WFP is calling on Burma’s military government to ease transport restrictions in the country to improve overall food security. (more…)