A village official in Rangoon division’s Hlegu township was shot in the shoulder by an army captain last Sunday.

National League for Democracy (NLD)’s Information officier Tint Htun said Thein Zaw, an official from Pantawgon village, was shot by captain Kyaw Oo last Sunday after the two quarreled around 7pm. (more…)

A UN body tasked with pushing for workers’ rights and an end to forced labour in Burma has been granted access to conflict zones in the country’s border regions that for years have been largely off-limits to international monitoring groups.
(more…)

RANGOON—Members of the 88 Generation Students set off for a tour of conflict-ridden eastern Burma on Wednesday in order to meet ethnic leaders and learn more about minority issues in the region.

“We will go to Kayah State to attend the Kayan National Day ceremony where we can meet ethnic leaders in the region,” said Pyone Cho, one of the group leaders. He added that they also plan to survey what was required for reconciliation in the area. (more…)

Nearly 90 percent of protesters who were interviewed in Egypt and Tunisia a year ago said that they used Facebook to organize demonstrations and spread awareness about the Arab Spring uprising.

Once again, but this time in Burma, social networking proved to be the key medium for disseminating the flow of news and in encouraging citizens to stand together against the threats of a dictatorship.
(more…)

The Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burma Government ‘peace talk’ delegations reached an understanding to avoid further armed conflict and to formalize the initial ceasefire agreement at the State Level meeting held yesterday in Pa-an.
(more…)

If there is one clear sign that Burma is in the midst of a political and cultural shift, it’s in its music scene.

Two years ago, the only pop songs being generated in the country were “copy tracks,” slavishly reproduced hits copying international stars like Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and various “K-Pop” idols from South Korea. The country was in mired in decades of military rule, its people reluctant to speak out against political leaders for fear of brutal repercussions. “Democracy” was a loaded word. (more…)

A Washington Post story earlier this week about the sweeping victory of Burmese democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi in last weekend’s election was headlined: “Burmese Government Says It Was Surprised By Scale of Suu Kyi Victory”. (more…)

The United Wa State Army (UWSA) delegation is scheduled to meet Naypyitaw’s Peace Negotiating Team led by U Aung Thaung sometime after the Water Throwing Festival (13-16 April), according to sources from the Wa capital Panghsang on the Sino-Burmese border.
(more…)

As reforms continue to expand in Burma, so will the country’s tax base.

The Ministry of Finance and Revenue introduced a new tax system on 1 April requiring returns from the public sector and private enterprises that earn a minimal of 120,000 Kyat per month.

The new system aims to collect revenue from high earners who will pay nominal returns, while reducing the burden on residents that make little.
(more…)

Beijing — China on Thursday called for Western countries to immediately lift their punitive sanctions on Myanmar in the wake of by-elections won by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party.

The call by the Foreign Ministry echoes one made by Southeast Asian leaders after a summit Wednesday, where Myanmar’s President Thein Sein received a flurry of praise for his country’s recent reforms, most recently Sunday’s by-elections.
(more…)

Japan’s plan to resume official development assistance (ODA) to Myanmar, announced this week, is problematic for a country faced with a dauntingly large disaster recovery budget for areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami last year.

But proponents of renewing ODA to Myanmar (also known as Burma) argue that the move is important for Japan, a country that seeks to boost its diplomatic clout in the world through development funding. (more…)

With travel restrictions easing for the first time in decades, now is the perfect time to visit the once-isolated country of Burma.

The easing of travel restrictions for U.S. citizen to Burma, also known as Myanmar, will made it easier than ever to explore the wonders of the long-closed country. (more…)

The European Union may lift some sanctions on Burma, but British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday it was too early to judge how free the elections were.

“But certainly they appear to have been a very important moment of change,” he said. (more…)

U.S. officials said they’re ready to start easing some of their strictest sanctions against Myanmar in response to the country’s recent string of social and economic reforms. But they’re not yet ready to let go of one of their longstanding rules: Official use of the name “Burma.” (more…)

Burma held its long anticipated by-elections on April 1 for 45 seats in the national parliament. What was variously hyped as “Myanmar Decides,” “Burma’s Decision,” and “Myanmar’s Historic Vote” really achieved three things: it granted the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi a seat in parliament, gave President Thein Sein and his reformist camp significant international cachet, and demonstrated that even with serious limitations, Burma was on the road to reform. (more…)