The ceasefire Shan State Army (SSA) ‘North’ is likely to split into two factions due to some of its brigades’ response to comply with Naypyidaw’s demand that requires 900 to 1,000 of their men to form three home guard battalions without agreement by all the fighters, according to reliable sources from the Sino-Burma border. (more…)

Teknaf – Continuing with its drive against infiltration, Bangladesh pushed back 40 Arakanese Rohingyas arrested from various places along the border. The push back to Burma was done by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on April 26, said a Teknaf source. (more…)

Padaeng Industry is witnessing progress on its new concessions in Laos and Burma, while preparing for the orderly shutdown of its Mae Sot mine in 2016 when it reaches the end of its commercial viability. (more…)

Burma is now preparing for elections at the state, regional and national level. But the country’s much-criticized election laws prompted the main opposition party to opt out, leaving many activists disheartened and disgruntled. (more…)

Bangkok – International pressure is mounting on multinational oil and gas companies operating in Burma to reveal how much they have paid to the junta over the last 18 years, campaigners say.   (more…)

The recent rejection of the Burmese regime’s Border Guard Force (BGF) plan by up to a dozen armed ethnic groups exposes the cease-fire agreements as increasingly unsustainable. The grim prospect of conflict looms on Burma’s horizon yet again. (more…)

As preparations for the sham elections in Burma get into full swing, it is not difficult to notice similarities in electoral practices between the Burmese generals in uniform and Singapore’s leaders in civilian clothes. (more…)

Bangkok, Thailand — In an initiative launched today, over 160 non-governmental organizations, labor unions, investment firms, scholars, and policy leaders, including the former Prime Minister of Norway and the former President of Ireland, called on the oil companies Total, Chevron, and Thailand’s PTTEP to publish over 18 years of payments to the Burmese military regime. The companies, who partner with the military government on the Yadana natural gas pipeline to Thailand, stand to become the first to practice revenue transparency in the military-ruled country. (more…)

Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer tried to clarify a controversial remark over the weekend by Burmese pro-democracy leader on the Thai political situation, saying it was a general conversation, not a policy comment. (more…)

Yangon – Myanmar’s prime minister and at least 17 other ministers and deputy ministers on Monday resigned their military posts in what appears to be a step towards contesting upcoming polls, military sources said. (more…)

Hundreds of Mon refugees are fleeing into Thailand as the possibility of fighting increases after the New Mon State Party (MNSP) last week rejected proposals to become a Border Guard Force. (more…)

The property market in Burma has high growth potential, especially after general elections are held and with the support of new economic networks in the region, according to the Bangkok-based developer Fragrant Property. (more…)

Nay Pyi Taw – A Myanmar delegation led by Deputy Minister for Finance and Revenue Col Hla Thein Swe arrived back here on 21 April after participating in the Ninth Ministers of Finance Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (9th ASEM-FMM) in Madrid, Spain, on April 17 and 18. (more…)

Hong Kong – T he Association of Southeast Asian Nations is not a “magic wand” for the region’s problems and could not ensure free elections in military-ruled Myanmar, the 10-member bloc’s chief said on Monday. (more…)

Luxembourg – EU foreign ministers on Monday extended European Union sanctions against Myanmar for another year, but said they were ready to ease them and hold talks if there was democratic progress. (more…)

THE UN and the world must protest against a sham poll held by a criminal regime. (more…)

The best course of action for India [ Images ] remains to work within the space it has created in Myanmar and not make the junta too apprehensive, while still trying to nudge for greater political reforms, writes Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd) (more…)

For more than 20 years, the plight of Burma’s political prisoners has shocked the world. Now, their struggle for freedom has been documented in a brave new project (more…)

1. At a time when the political emergency is at a high point, the National Democratic Front (NDF) successfully held its Central Presidium Meeting of the 7th NDF Congress, at a certain place in the liberated area, for 2 days from April 23 to 24. Eighteen presidium members from 7 NDF member organizations, out of eight, attended the meeting and participated in frank and cordial discussions. (more…)

Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the renewal of European Union (EU) sanctions against Burma for a further year, and a call by the European Union for Burma to “end to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.” In March the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma called for a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. (more…)