The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and… there were no others there to make recruits. – Plutarch (more…)

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Some of the greatest achievements of the political transformation in Myanmar over the past two years have been the ceasefire agreements with some of the country’s numerous ethnic militia groups that are still fighting the government. The Karen, for instance in the east, had been fighting for greater autonomy for over 60 years. The majority-Christian Kachin, in the far north, however, resumed fighting again in 2011 after a 17-year ceasefire. The increasing violence of that conflict is threatening to overshadow much of the other good work. (more…)

It’s a curious ceasefire that has supposedly settled over the Himalayan foothills of northern Burma. Since June 2011, when a 17-year truce dissolved, ethnic Kachin rebels have been locked in battle with the Burmese Army, a conflict that has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced some 100,000 Kachin. On January 19, the office of Burma’s President Thein Sein announced a unilateral cessation of violence in Kachin areas of the country. Yet the peace pledge has gone unheeded. Gunfire still crackles in this borderland with China, where the hills boast jade, timber and hydropower. In fact, over the past few days, the Burmese Army has inched steadily toward Laiza, the rebel headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Only a few kilometers now separate the Burmese Army from this last KIA stronghold. (more…)

In a speech delivered in Kachin state’s capital Myitkyina in 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi admonished her audience saying: “At this time there is a very great need for all our ethnic groups to be joined together. We cannot have the attitude of ‘I’m Kachin,’ ‘I’m Burman,’ ‘I’m Shan.’ We must have the attitude that we are all comrades in the struggle for democratic rights.” (more…)

Myanmar’s reform has developed at a dazzling speed. In May 2012, President U Thein Sein publicly announced that the first stage of the reform (political reform centered on the restoration of civilian government and multi-party system) has concluded its initial stage, and the goal for the next stage is to advance the people-centered development. In the first “Development Cooperation Forum” hosted on Jan 19, 2013, under the theme of “assisting Myanmar”, U Thein Sein formally launched the report named “Framework for Economic and Social Reform” (FESR). This indicates that Myanmar’s reform has entered the second phase – the phase of economic and social reform, the center of which is to enhance the marketization of its economy and strengthen the role of civil society.
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Myanmar’s new reformist government has abolished a 25-year-old ban on public gatherings of more than five people, state media reported Tuesday, ending a much-criticized order issued in 1988 on the day a military junta took power after crushing nationwide pro-democracy protests. (more…)

Townships officials have made it illegal for Muslims to pray in mosques. The Maungdaw Township Administration Officer (TAO) issued an official statement in writing on Jan.26 forbidding locals from reciting the Namaz prayer in their places of worship. The Namaz is a Muslim prayer that must be repeated at least 4 times. (more…)

The Pa-O National Liberation Organisation (PNLO) opened their first liaison office last Saturday after signing a ceasefire deal with the government last year. (more…)

Officials from Burma’s Customs Department held a press conference in Rangoon on Saturday to respond to local media reports that the department routinely misuses money collected through the imposition of fines and other penalties. (more…)

In a rare statement, Burma’s Ministry of Defense has lashed out at international criticism of its actions in the Kachin conflict and it accused international organizations, embassies and media of “fabricating news” about the government and military. (more…)

The guns over a key Kachin independence army outpost, Hka Ya Bhum near Laiza in northern Myanmar, may have fallen silent but the situation remains explosive. (more…)

Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce plans to assist taxi drivers in buying their own cars at discounted prices. (more…)

Thailand will turn away any more Rohingya boat people from neighbouring Myanmar [Burma] who try to land on its shores, a top official said Monday after an influx of refugees fleeing sectarian unrest. (more…)

The Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) says the Myanmar government’s policy of segregation in Rakhine state is the main factor in the mass migration of the Rohingya people – and admits it is also at fault for its own failure to act in the past. (more…)

Singapore’s economy grew only 1.2 percent during 2012, while the Burmese economy—after years of stagnation—is predicted to grow more than 6 percent in coming years, if rapid reforms continue. (more…)

The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) announced on Tuesday that it would open an office in Rangoon shortly. (more…)

The expressions “military crony” and “cronyism” have long been associated with Burma, much in the same way as the word “nepotism” might denote the extended family links of monarchies such as in Saudi Arabia, or the way “oligarchy” conjures images of modern Russia. (more…)