More than 1,000 Palaung ethnic residents in northern Shan state have fled their homes as fighting between government forces and several ethnic armed groups continues to erupt in the region. (more…)

YANGON — Hundreds of Buddhist monks in Myanmar have staged a rally in support of the president and his proposal to send the members of a Muslim minority group to another country. (more…)

The Karen National Union (KNU) and government peace negotiators signed the second draft of a troop “code of conduct” after two-day peace talks concluded in the Karen State capital Pa-an on Tuesday. (more…)

Burma’s parliament on Tuesday approved the formation of four new ministries within the President’s Office while at the same time voting to close the Ministry of Myanmar Industrial Development, and amalgamate the Ministries of Electricity 1 and 2 into one office. (more…)

Burma’s new information minister, Aung Kyi, says he expects privately owned newspapers will be published on a daily basis from next year. (more…)

NAY PYI TAW, 3 Sept- The Commander-in-Chief (Army) Office allowed 42 minors from respective commands to quit military services, handing them over to their parents at No (1) Transit Centre in Yangon this morning.
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Chiang Mai – The Burmese government has increased its military presence in Hpakant Township in Kachin State, and residents are worried that serious fighting will soon break out again. (more…)

THE wave of unrest sweeping the country over land confiscations has spread to Katha District in Sagaing Region, where residents recently staged a legal protest demanding the return of their land or adequate compensation. (more…)

YANGON – Myanmar and Japan are making progress in bilateral economic cooperation, especially in the past four months following Myanmar President U Thein Sein’s first historic milestone visit to Japan in 28 years in April. (more…)

Thailand’s top oil and gas explorer, PTT Exploration and Production Pcl (PTTEP) (PTTEP), said on Monday it had selected units of French Total SA and JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration Corp to be its partners in Block M11 in Myanmar. (more…)

NEW DELHI: India has finally reacted to the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state by handing over $ 200,000 to the state administration for the riot-affected people. Government sources here said that the money, which was handed over to Rakhine chief minister U Hla Maung Tin by Indian ambassador V Seshadri, is meant for both refugees from both the communities – the majority Rakhine Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims. (more…)

Yangon: Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar met at his office here today the Head of the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (more…)

A Burmese human rights activist told me a story about the last time his office was raided, two years ago. Government security forces kicked down his door and stormed the office, with a mandate to seize the organization’s electronic data. Not exactly savvy in computer hardware, the raiders grabbed only the monitors and marched out. A few days later, the activist was hauled before a judge and accused of deleting all his data. He was convicted and imprisoned. (more…)

As a Mandalay-born dissident with deep roots in Buddhism, I find it revolting that thousands of Buddhist monks, human rights dissidents and the public in my hometown of Mandalay staged an anti-Rohingya rally this past weekend. (more…)

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi extols Buddhism as a source of personal strength, allowing her to endure 15 years of house arrest at the hands of Burma’s generals. Buddhist precepts such as loving kindness and compassion can also guide Burma’s democratic transition, she says, by fostering reconciliation with the military. (more…)

WASHINGTON – Profound disagreements among careful observers and participants on the Myanmar scene are still prevalent on President Thein Sein’s current reforms, including over their significance, extent, and likely longevity. (more…)