Myanmar Morning News For March 21

Myanmar is worst-performing country for aid access
Myanmar tops a list of countries where the ability of aid groups to reach people in need has worsened in the past six months, the Geneva-based research group ACAPS has said.
— The Daily Star

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi can’t be the messiah we want her to be
The West has long had a messiah fantasy: a belief in the power of a charismatic individual to carry the hopes of his or her nation.
— ABC

‘We have no intention of hiding anything’: Myanmar rebuilding in Maungdaw, Rahkine state
“We want to live peacefully like other communities in Myanmar. We don’t need to be discriminated (against),” 51-year-old Dil Mohammed shouted from across barbed wire fencing in the “no man’s land” area between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
— Channel NewsAsia

Myanmar Muslims mute on Rohingya amid fear of violence
In Dalla Township across the river from downtown Yangon in Myanmar, a group of 50 Muslims aged 13 to 21 sit in huddles as they study Arabic, English and Islam at a local madrasa, or religious school.
— UCA News

Rohingya children forced to change names, hide ethnicityto attend Myanmar schools
A very small number of Rohingya children had gotten the chance to get admitted to schools with their real names after 2012
— Dhaka Tribune

Will Myanmar complete its transition towards an evidence-based approach to drug control?
The recent publication of two single pieces of legislation – the amended 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law and the first National Drug Control Policy – is likely to form the basis of Myanmar’s drug policy for several years to come.
— Transnational Institute

China taps Bangladesh to supply electricity through Myanmar despite Rohingya crisis
“There are sensitivities now among us [Bangladesh, Myanmar], but things are still going on that means there can be hiccups, and still we can move on,” he said, speaking on regional grid connectivity among the BIMSTEC countries on Tuesday in Dhaka.
— Bdnews24

Myanmar AirAsia Could Be Tony Fernandes’ Next Big Thing
Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia, the largest Asian budget carrier as per the size of its fleet, is in talks with a partner to set up an airline in Myanmar as a next step to increase its outreach in Southeast Asia.
— Investvine

In a Horrifying New Twist, Myanmar Elephants Are Being Poached For Their Skin
For three years, the postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute had been working with a team of researchers to track Asian elephants in Myanmar using GPS collars. By learning how the massive animals moved in areas they shared with humans, they hoped to find ways to help pachyderms and humans coexist. But the researchers soon began noticing something strange.
— Smithsonianmag

As capacity crisis looms, closing Myanmar’s power gap
Myanmar’s government recently gave the go-ahead to some of the largest power projects in recent years, but it now faces a major short-term challenge – providing the country’s immediate energy needs.
— Frontier Myanmar

Analysis:What Lied Behind the NLD’s Protest Law Amendments?
A recently proposed list of amendments to the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, better known as the protest law, has become the most controversial piece of legislation of the past two years.
— The Irrawaddy

Vietnam’s Eurowindow expands into Myanmar, more investments expected
Investors from Vietnam are taking an interest in the Myanmar market. After opening its first overseas office in Yangon last Friday, Vietnamese company Eurowindow, which makes doors and facades for buildings like office towers and apartments, also announced plans to invest up to $120 million to build two factories in the country.
— The Myanmar Times

China to assist Myanmar to build new bridge
China and Myanmar on Tuesday signed a letter for implementing the new Kunlong Bridge Project aided by Beijing in Myanmar’s northern Shan state to replace the old one.
— Business-Standard

Opinion: Myanmar’s infrastructure investors must commit to human rights
On 20 March 2018, investors, the business community, development financing institutions, and other stakeholders will meet in Yangon, Myanmar, for the fourth Myanmar Infrastructure Investment Summit, organized by the government under the title “Building an Inclusive, Integrated, and Modern Myanmar.”
— Devex

Myanmar Police Charge Seven in Riot Demanding Handover of Rape Suspect
Myanmar authorities have filed charges against seven rioters who stormed a police station complex in the central region of Mandalay, demanding that a young girl’s alleged rapist be turned over to them for punishment, a police official said Tuesday.
— Radio Free Asia

Cooperation from INGOs, NGOs welcomed for ecosystem revamp
As part of efforts to conserve Myanmar’s ecosystem, the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry has initiated discussions with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to obtain funds from the Green Climate Fund.
— The Global Newlight of Myanmar

Water on tap makes life flow better in Kayin village
For as long back as people can remember, the four-kilometer walk to the nearest water supply had a big effect on the life of residents of Pyin Kadoe Kone village in Myanmar’s Kayin State.
— Relief Web

Ministry To Consult Private Sector on Tax Rate for Unexplained Income
The Ministry of Finance and Revenue will hold extensive discussions with the business sector on whether to reduce the tax rate on income from unidentified sources.
— The Irrawaddy

Displaced villagers protest as army troops linger in Hpapun
Villagers displaced by the Tatmadaw’s move into a remote part of Kayin State earlier this month have publicly rallied to demand the army’s withdrawal.
— Frontier Myanmar

Feature photo Jean-Marie Hullot

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 March 21 added by Leakhena Khat on March 21, 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.