Sittwe, Myanmar – With fearful residents cowering indoors, security forces patrolling a tense town in western Myanmar collected bodies Monday from the debris of homes burned down over the weekend in some of the country’s deadliest sectarian bloodshed in years. (more…)

The United Nations has begun evacuating non-essential international staff from western Myanmar. The sectarian violence that has hit Rakhine state is seen as a major test for Myanmar’s civilian government. (more…)

Yangon, Myanmar—An outbreak of sectarian violence in western Myanmar is helping nudge this once-reclusive country further into the Internet age as people take to the Web to condemn the clashes and help organize street protests of their own, creating a new set of challenges for the country’s military-backed government. (more…)

Mae Sot, Thailand—She is calm, modest, down-to-earth, and a woman of few words. In 2003, Time magazine dubbed her a “hero” for her commitment to humanitarian work.
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An exploration contract on Block EP-5 in the Inpin Tegyigon area of Burma has been signed by the government and a Singapore’s Istech Energy EP-5 Pte Ltd.  A Burmese privately owned firm, Smart Technical Services Ltd, will also share in the deal.
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Singapore—Myanmar wants to privatize its state-owned enterprises as much as possible to create jobs, but some control mechanisms may be needed to protect local residents, an economic adviser to the country’s president said. (more…)

Yangon — The hotels are full or eye-wateringly expensive, creased dollar bills are worthless and credit cards are widely refused — welcome to Myanmar, Asia’s next big tourist destination. (more…)

Australia is set to become Burma’s largest donor toward education following the unveiling of a new US $80 million aid package.
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London – Britain on Sunday urged authorities in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state to open talks to ease sectarian violence, following deadly clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in the region. (more…)

BOB Carr is an expert on US politics and the American Civil War. But sadly the Foreign Affairs Minister is fast proving he knows little about the democratic struggle in Burma, where 55 million citizens remain shackled under strict military rule. (more…)

Burma is a combustible place. This month, ethnic riots have erupted in the country’s far western Arakan (or Rakhine) state, claiming at least 17 lives, according to Burmese state media. A state of emergency was declared late on June 10, as gangs of Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim Rohingya (also known locally as Bengalis) clashed, looted and set fire to hundreds of buildings, according to local news reports. Curfews were set in the most affected towns. (more…)

HONG KONG – It’s a sad and nasty problem that’s playing out in western Myanmar, a dispute that has turned violent in recent days and perhaps even threatens to derail the country’s fragile attempts at democratic reform. (more…)