Myanmar Morning News For June 1

Chinese Whispers in Yangon as Myanmar Weighs Rohingya Deal With UN
The Myanmar government is in a bind. In order to stave off Western sanctions for its alleged mistreatment of the Rohingya minority, it is considering signing a memorandum with UN agencies that would set terms for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. But China does not want Myanmar to sign it.
— The Irrawaddy

Myanmar and UN announce deal for safe return of Rohingya
Myanmar’s government has announced an agreement with two UN agencies for their help in the return of refugees who fled violence in western Rakhine state.
— The Guardian

Myanmar’s Jade-Fueled War
In 2015, Naw Aung, a 30-year-old miner from Mogaung Township, watched as the hillside he and his friends were working on started to collapse.
— The Diplomat (paywall)

Myanmar builds repatriation camps devoid of Rohingya returnees
Immigration officials stand ready at a newly built refugee reception centre, waiting to conduct airport-style body scans and document checks on Rohingya Muslims returning from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
— Financial Times

Asia Digest: Myanmar Strategic raises $3.07m; Funding Societies, UOB Malaysia pact
Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd has raised $3.07 million through the issue of new ordinary shares to expand its existing operations while peer-to-peer startup Funding Societies has partnered with UOB Malaysia to provide alternative financing to small businesses.
— DealStreetAsia

MyTel to extend SIM sales nationwide in June
Myanmar’s newest full-service mobile operator MyTel plans to launch the nationwide sale of SIMs next month as it expands its operating footprint.
— Telecomasia.net

China and Myanmar: Behind the headlines wide-june
It may seem surprising, but China’s relations with Myanmar have always been volatile rather than “steady as she goes”.
— New Mandala

Myanmar’s Ethnic Minorities Continue To Face Violence, Displacement
A new U.S. State Department report says Myanmar’s campaign to kill or displace ethnic and religious minorities got worse last year, despite international efforts to curb abuses.
— The Denver Channel

Myanmar anti-war protesters call on Suu Kyi to act against ‘violent’ police
Anti-war protesters in Myanmar on Wednesday urged government leader Aung San Suu Kyi to take action against police who this month broke up a peace rally and arrested them, and raised new concern about freedom of speech.
— Business Insider

Learn how Myanmar is set to become the next mobile-first success story at Echelon
In 2012, one of the biggest stories in the Myanmar telecommunications industry was the announcement that the price of SIM cards would be reduced from US$500 to US$250. If that still sounds absurdly expensive, well, it is. The industry was highly regulated and phones became a luxury of the rich.
— e27

Myanmar signs anti-corruption agreement with South Korea
Myanmar and South Korea’s anti corruption agencies on Wednesday signed an agreement to enhance cooperation and knowledge sharing and expertise to prevent, if not eliminate, corruption.
— The Myanmar Times

Yoma estimates middle-class population to reach 10m by 2020
Yoma claims the number of middle-class earners will reach 10 million in Myanmar by 2020 and that they will be looking to expand their businesses to serve them.
— Eleven Myanmar

Rakhine Govt Undecided on How to Use Farmland Abandoned by Rohingya Refugees
The Rakhine State government has not yet made a decision regarding some 70,000 acres of abandoned farmland in Maungdaw Township left behind by Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh last year.
— The Irrawaddy

Bangladesh plans to buy more rice from Myanmar in July
Bangladesh is planning to buy 100,000 to 200,000 tons of rice from Myanmar in July under a government to government agreement, according to Lu Maw Myint Maung, Associate Secretary of Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar’s eco-resorts open up Asia’s new tourism frontier
A few hours boat ride from the port of Kawthaung, a school of dolphins nudged up to our 30-meter wooden junk. As the captain cut the engine, their silver backs heaved in and out of view; all else was still.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Laos, Myanmar move forward in energy cooperation
Laos and Myanmar have taken another step towards implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on power cooperation that was signed in January this year.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar to Set up Inquiry Commission to Examine Human Rights Violations in Rakhine
Myanmar announced on Thursday that it will set up an independent inquiry commission to probe human rights violations that occurred during the brutal military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that left more than 1,000 dead and drove nearly 700,000 across the border into neighboring Bangladesh.
— Radio Free Asia

Dutch feedstuff factory commence operations in Myanmar
Netherland based De Heus feedstuff factory that invested more than Euro 15 million into a 2600 tons per month produce capacity factory commenced operations in the second week of May. It is situated in Mandalay Myothar industrial zone project which is about 10000 acres wide.
— Eleven Myanmar

Feature photo Jacques Beaulieu

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Myanmar morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Myanmar news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Myanmar Morning News For June 1 added by Leakhena Khat on June 1, 2018
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.