Rangoon—Although Burma’s new government led by ex-Gen Thein Sein has reduced the country’s export tax from 10 to 7 percent, the measure is unlikely to help Burmese exporters as long as the kyat continues to rise in value, according to business sources. (more…)

Bali, Indonesia — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and top diplomats from Europe and Asia gather over the weekend to discuss recent flare-ups in the South China Sea, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and other issues that threaten to undermine regional security. (more…)

It seems that ASEAN continues to place faith in Myanmar despite allegations that the reclusive country is developing nuclear weapons, without any attempts to verify the allegations. (more…)

Bangkok — In a meeting with Scott Marciel, the then-US ambassador for Asean Affairs and current ambassador to Indonesia, Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said “that the Burmese FM told the Cambodian ambassador recently that elections will be held in May 2010 and that 10 political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s, would be allowed participate.” (more…)

Washington—The US House of Representative renewed its sanctions on Burma by another year on Wednesday, the same day that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on India to use its good relationship with the Burmese military rulers to push for a genuine democracy in the Southeast Asian country. (more…)

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved renewal of sanctions on Burma first passed in 2003 in response to alleged rights violations and failure to adopt democratic reforms.
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According to Voice of America,  on 19th July,  Maj Gen Aung Than Tut, Director of Bureau of Special Operations #2 which oversees all Burma Army units in Shan State, was said to have given inhumane instruction to his troops in  Murng Nawng, Shan State, to kill all males and rape all females during their operation against the Shan State Army (SSA). (more…)

The fighting between Burma’s armed forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) increased soon after the Kachin people abandoned new ceasefire talks with the government at Laiza on July 12 and 13.
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Permission given by the Burmese government to opposition figureheads to attend the annual Martyrs’ Day ceremony in Rangoon will prove to be beneficial for both sides of the political spectrum in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi has said. (more…)

The defection of two senior officials from the Burmese embassy in Washington, DC earlier this month may have been linked to a high-profile visit to Burma by US Senator John McCain in June. (more…)

Chiang Mai – Seven Burmese soldiers including a captain in Infantry Unit No. 21 under the Northern Command have been captured by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). (more…)

The fresh and fierce fighting in Burma’s Kachin and Shan states is a signal that Burma is on the verge of a civil war that may ultimately involve a large percentage of the country’s ethnic armed groups. (more…)

Bangkok — Thai rescuers were hunting Wednesday for an army helicopter with nine people aboard that went missing during a mission to retrieve five bodies from a previous crash, a military spokesman said. (more…)

Cox’sbazar: Bangladesh stepped up checking on Burmese cross-border trading and passenger boats in a move to stop narcotic trafficking from Burma, according to the Burmese traders. (more…)

Private banks in Myanmar are set to issue bank cards as soon as the Central Bank approves the scheme. Although only the ATM (automatic teller machines) cards are to be issued in the first phase, arrangements are underway to provide services for credit cards, debit cards and smart carts, according to the sources in the banking industry. (more…)

Myanmar and Germany will cooperate in upgrading ports and airports of Myanmar aimed at raising freight handling capacity of the country, the local Pyi Myanmar News reported Tuesday. (more…)

Chennai: Against the backdrop of China’s increased assertiveness in East Asia, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday pitched for a bigger role for India and reminded New Delhi of “its duty” to speak out against rights violations in Myanmar. (more…)

Chiang Mai – Thailand currently has more than 1.45 million legal Burmese migrant workers, but an estimated 500,000 illegal Burmese workers did not register for work permits in the recent round that has just concluded, according to experts. (more…)

Legislative loopholes hinder Australia’s capacity to prosecute war criminals. (more…)

While doubts are now being levelled at recent claims made by a Burmese man that he executed 24 people whilst working as an undercover agent in Burma, his story nevertheless raises an interesting issue: anyone who has studied institutionalised abuse and the corruption of power in dictatorial states must have asked themselves whether, had they been born into such a society, they would end up on the ‘right’ side of the moral spectrum. While the hope is certainly there, a realist would answer that no guarantee can be given – our environment heavily influences our development as humans, and when that environment is debased, our perceptions of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’ are distorted, even reversed, creating the potential for inhumane acts to be normalised. (more…)