New Delhi – NLD leader Soe Myint, a veteran freedom fighter, activist, politician and colleague of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, died in his sleep at home in Rangoon at about 1:30 p.m. today, a relative said.   (more…)

Rights activist Kyaw Soe, who was arrested during the September 2007 “Saffron Revolution”, on Wednesday morning became the 144th political prisoner to die in a Burmese jail since 1988, after inadequate treatment at a prison hospital in Mandalay Division, a rights group said on Wednesday. (more…)

The new Burmese flag to be hoisted following elections this year is evidence of the ruling regime’s attempt to wipe out ethnic armies, Burma observers say. (more…)

Beijing – When the military regime in Burma launched a campaign last August to disarm the ethnic rebels in the Kokang region, made up mostly of ethnic Chinese and where a two-decade-long ceasefire had been in place, the push triggered an exodus of more than 37,000 refugees into China’s Yunnan province. (more…)

The Thai government’s announcement of curfew on Wednesday, following unrest and violence by anti-government protesters has put many migrant labourers working in northern Thailand’s Chiangmai province in a spot. They are finding it difficult to move freely and work normally. (more…)

The Burmese junta is preparing to allow major business cronies free reign to open banks, with the new entrants into the sector all industry leaders in other fields. (more…)

A fresh batch of over 300 Chinese dam construction workers arrived in Myitkyina capital of Kachin State in northern Burma today, replacing an earlier lot, who fled to mainland China in the wake of the serial bomb blasts on April 17, said eyewitnesses. (more…)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who postponed his trip to Southeast Asia in April following the deadly earthquake in northwest China’s Quinghai province, is now expected to visit Burma and meet with Snr-Gen Than Shwe between the end of May and early June, diplomatic sources said. (more…)

As the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh continues to worsen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni is insisting on their return to Burma “in the soonest possible time.” (more…)

Three resolutions on the situation in Thailand, the pre-election climate in Burma and religious freedom in Pakistan were adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday. (more…)

1. The Government of Myanmar has this year issued a raft of laws and rules for the holding of national and regional elections for new parliaments under the army-prepared 2008 Constitution. The elections are expected late in 2010 but no firm announcement has been made and they could be postponed until any time in the future, as have so many other undertakings by the military regime in Myanmar: the preparations for drafting the new constitution alone took over a decade to complete. Anyhow, it is widely acknowledged that the minimum conditions for free and fair elections are absent from Myanmar and whatever takes place this year or thereafter will not constitute an electoral process as understood in most other countries. (more…)