New Delhi – Burma’s short-lived release of political prisoners falls short of a serious effort toward national reconciliation, says Win Tin, a senior National League for Democracy (NLD) leader.  (more…)

Deadly armed clashes between Burmese government troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) continued in Kachin and Shan states on Monday, according to KIA officials who said they believe the latest military offensives by the government side are aimed at taking control of their major strongholds. (more…)

The Nationalities Brotherhood which represents five ethnic parties has urged pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to form a legitimate political party to contest the 2015 general election. (more…)

Renowned Burmese comedian Zarganar who was released from jail last week says he will soon set off on a trip around the country to visit the nearly 1,700 political prisoners not included in the controversial amnesty. (more…)

Dhaka: Myanmar has agreed to take back all its citizens lodged in two refugee camps in eastern Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said here Saturday. (more…)

New Delhi – Traditional dress for men in Myanmar combines an Indian-influenced sarong with a Chinese-style coat — fitting, perhaps, for a nation trying to balance ties with two giant neighbours as it looks outwards and relaxes decades of tightly buttoned rule. (more…)

Chiang Mai – There is “no evidence on the ground that the [Myitsone] dam project has indeed been suspended,” the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) said in a statement released on Friday. (more…)

Mae Sot – In conflict-afflicted eastern Myanmar, until recently obstetric care was often crude, unsterile and dangerous for both mother and child, health experts say. (more…)

Singapore – Myanmar’s cautious relaxation of strict government control has grabbed the spotlight in recent weeks, but it’s only the latest act in a summer of political change in Southeast Asia. (more…)

Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba plans to announce the resumption of official development assistance (ODA) to Myanmar (Burma), which has been mostly suspended until now in response to the regime’s anti-democratic actions, when he holds talks with his Myanmarese counterpart in Tokyo on Oct. 21. (more…)

Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia and Myanmar are mulling over the possibility of implementing an exchange programme for immigration detainees, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. (more…)

Washington — The U.S. government says Myanmar needs to release more political prisoners and end abuses against ethnic minorities if it wants to transform its relations with Washington. (more…)

One of the world’s most famous champions of freedom, Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi, spent most of the past 21 years under house arrest, considered a pariah by the military dictators who cancelled elections, shut down free speech and cut Burma off from the democratic world. (more…)

It’s not my “patch” any more, but I couldn’t resist writing about the news that Zargana – Burma’s best-loved comedian – has been released from prison. I wrote about him when I was based in Asia, and below is the report I’ve just put together for the BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent programme. (more…)

Something is happening in Myanmar. The government in that reclusive country has recently taken a number of steps that suggest change may be afoot. It is too soon to tell how substantial and enduring the changes will be, but they must be acknowledged and encouraged. It is time to engage the government in Naypyidaw and test its commitment to real reform. (more…)

It was Aung San Suu Kyi’s darkest hour – and it very nearly ended in her murder. Here, in an exclusive extract from a major new biography of the Burma democracy leader, Peter Popham uncovers the truth about the terrible events of 30 May 2003 (more…)

The European Parliamentary Caucus on Burma (EPCB) welcomes the release of around 200 political prisoners in Burma. The release of all political prisoners, along with the implementation of a nationwide ceasefire, are essential first steps in creating a climate in which there can be a genuine dialogue process to solve political problems in the country. (more…)

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) today called on the international community to maintain pressure on the regime in Burma to implement significant and substantial change, release all political prisoners, stop war crimes and crimes against humanity and end impunity. (more…)

Prisoners of conscience Zarganar, Su Su Nway and Zaw Htet Ko Ko have been released in Myanmar’s latest mass prisoner amnesty, after sustained campaigning by human rights organisations including Amnesty International. (more…)