Yangon, Myanmar — Aung San Suu Kyi’s party raised the prospect of a major hitch in Myanmar’s political reforms Thursday, saying it may not take the seats it won in Parliament because the lawmakers’ oath of office has unacceptable wording.
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On April 1, the day that Burma abandoned its longstanding dual exchange rate system, it effectively adopted its political equivalent—a system that grossly overvalues the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), while tacitly acknowledging that its real political capital is essentially nil. (more…)

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), the winning party from the 1990 election in Arakan State, was reportedly granted leave to stand as a political party by the Myanmar Union Election Commission on 6 April, 2012.

The Burmese regime’s newspapers reported on 7 April that the ALD was allowed to establish as a political party as its application is in conformity with the law and rules of the election commission. (more…)

Yangon – He’s the flashiest tycoon in one of Asia’s poorest cities, with a canary-yellow Lamborghini parked outside his neoclassical mansion.

Tay Za is also one of the most vilified associates of Myanmar’s former junta. The U.S. Treasury has branded him a “notorious henchman and arms dealer,” slapping him with sanctions that froze his assets and blocked his jet-setting family from cities across the globe. (more…)

David Cameron will become the first western leader in a generation to visit Burma tomorrow. Some guidance for tourists seeking to follow in his footsteps would be helpful, says Michael Kerr.
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Bangkok — Following the political reforms he has unleashed, Burmese President Thein Sein is on the cusp of reaping a financial harvest from Japan—new loans for development assistance.

A likely setting for the deal to be unveiled is an upcoming Japan-Mekong summit on April 21, when Thein Sein visits Tokyo to join government leaders from the four other Southeast Asian countries that share the Mekong River. (more…)

The price of bricks has risen 20 percent over the past year in Myanmar, one of many ways the country is struggling to cope with the sudden shift in its economic landscape.

Yangon — It is a time of exuberance and hope in Myanmar, but the business owners who file into the office of Daw Saw Yu Nwe, a prominent fortuneteller, are fretting about the future. (more…)

This VOA Special English Health Report examines health needs in Burma, where “[h]ealth workers are warning about the spread of a form of drug-resistant malaria.” The report discusses recent political changes in the country, stating, “In the past year, Burma has opened its political system and reached cease-fire agreements with some ethnic militias,” but “many aid groups say their jobs have not gotten any easier.” The report states, “Until 2009, just three international non-governmental aid organizations had the required approvals to operate inside Burma,” but ” many were able to get a memorandum of understanding that allowed them to work without an official registration.” (more…)

Bangkok – Long Southeast Asia’s black sheep, Myanmar is enjoying an image change following its landmark Apr. 1 by-elections. Tongues are now wagging about the region’s new beacon of hope for democratic change.

The just concluded summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Cambodian capital revealed hints of the new image of Myanmar (also known as Burma) as it embraces political reform after 50 years of military dictatorships. (more…)

David Cameron has prepared the ground for his historic visit to Burma by praising President Thein Sein for his “courage” in introducing political reforms.

In the main speech of his five-day Asian trip, at Al Azhar university in Jakarta, the prime minister also hailed the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as “inspirational”.
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Washington D.C.—The United Nations Security Council has hailed April’s successful by-elections in Burma and praised the Burmese government and opposition for their commitment to moving the country forward.

Susan Rice, US ambassador to the world body, made the comments following a meeting of the 15-member council to discuss Burma. Rice has assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April. (more…)

The press conference held by Burma’s Special Branch on Wednesday to counter an interview with former secret police chief Khin Nyunt published by The Bangkok Post last Sunday demonstrates that the country’s political transition remains fragile and that the old guard remains powerful and ready to pounce. (more…)