BRI implementation leading committee formed under State Counsellor leadership
A leading committee for implantation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been formed with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi as chairperson to establish China-Myanmar economic corridor, according to a press release issued by the Chinese Embassy to Myanmar on November 28.
— Eleven Media
U.N. rights investigators comb new conflict zone: Internet hate speech
U.N. human rights investigators are increasingly combing cyberspace to track how websites can stoke hatred and possible violence as part of expanding forensics … to strengthen traditional fact-finding in flash points such as the Himalayan region of Kashmir, Gaza and Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
— The Washington Post
Corporate Japan urges Myanmar to address business concerns
The most senior Japanese business leader in Myanmar urged the government to recognise how liberalisation, efficient bureaucracy and reliable power supply allowed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to attract considerable investments.
— The Myanmar Times
Analysis: National leaders send a chilling message over media’s role
Myanmar’s senior leaders offered a revealing glimpse of their perceptions of the media last week—and their view of the country’s Fourth Estate appears to be one of deep skepticism that some media professionals fear could have a chilling effect.
— The Irrawaddy
Travel boycotts won’t fix Myanmar
The country’s treatment of its Rohingya minority is vexing tourists, but not enough to stop the violence.
— The Nation
Rohingya refugees say they would choose death over repatriation to Myanmar
Two weeks ago the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar deemed it safe to start repatriating Rohingya refugees to their home country.
— ABC News
At site of Rohingya massacre, Burmese villagers wary of press
Kyaw Soe Moe, the head man of Inn Din village in northern Rakhine state best known as the site of a massacre of 10 Muslim men and boys by their Buddhist neighbors and the Burmese military, isn’t much inclined to speak with the press.
— Voice of America
Human casualties will be the cost of war as RCS moves north
With sadness, we look on at the conflict between two ethnic Shan sides using their resources and efforts against each other instead of banding together in their fight against the common enemy – the Myanmar Army.
— The Irrawaddy
UK aid, WWF to help Myanmar develop ‘green’ rubber
The UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Dawei Golden Land Co (DGL) have made a joint investment of over US$2.4 million to catalyse change in Myanmar’s rubber production, emphasising “green” (environmentally friendly) rubber.
— The Myanmar Times
Myitsone’s moment of truth
Seven years after it was suspended, the Chinese developer of the Myitsone Dam is ramping up efforts to lobby residents amid a strengthening of China-Myanmar relations.
— Frontier Myanmar
Suhyup bank to set up financial center in Myanmar next year
Center to be bank’s first (South Korean) overseas base under Southern Strategy designed to explore financial market in S.E. Asia, and extend financial services to the fishing industry in Myanmar
— News World
Hluttaw urges effort to expand market for value-added goods
Parliament will discuss ways to expand the international market for the country’s processed agricultural and livestock goods.
— The Myanmar Times
Villagers support Dawei SEZ resumption but demand fairness
Villagers residing on the site of the initial phase of the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Tanintharyi Division cautiously welcomed a recent agreement by Thailand and Myanmar to resume the project’s initial phase and upgrade a highway leading to the location, saying their homes are almost entirely lacking in basic services.
— The Irrawaddy
Impoverished Chin sees little progress in drawing investment
Long plagued by poor road connectivity and the absence of power infrastructure, Chin has not succeeded in securing investments to develop the region thus far, but opportunities in tourism, energy and agribusiness abound.
— The Myanmar Times
Dialogue titled “Is Doing Business in Myanmar Easy?”
MRTV presents the dialogue titled “Is Doing Business in Myanmar Easy?” in which Director General U Aung Soe of Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization, Director General U Aung Naing Oo of Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration, Director Daw Thidar Myint of Internal Revenue Department and Secretary Daw Khaing Khaing Nwe of Myanmar Garment Entrepreneurs Association are participating.
— Ministry of Information
International MPU Union Pay electronic payment card introduced
Gary Von, Executive Vice-President, Head of Consumer Banking, said that this payment card could be used at 2.6 million ATMs in over 170 countries and territories across the world.
— Mizzima
Elephant camp to be built near popular pagoda in Magwe
A Conservation-based elephant tourism project will be set up near Mann Shwe Set Taw (The Golden Footprints) pagoda in Magwe Region, U Myint Zaw, regional minister of Resources, Environment, Electricity and Energy, said.
— The Myanmar Times
Around 250,000 cattle exported illegally to Thailand in three years
There were illegal exports of around 250,000 cows and buffaloes to Thailand during three fiscal years, said Aung Htoo, Deputy Minister for Commerce.
— Eleven Media
CSOs say they have to rely solely on international donors
Civil society organizations (CSOs) have to rely on international donors by 100 percent for their survival, and the government is not yet in position to allot budgets to them, according to discussions over the introduction of a sustainability index report for CSOs.
— Eleven Media
Lawmaker calls on ministry to set up labour arbitration council
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population should form an arbitration council to settle disputes between employers and employees, Daw Ei Ei Pyone, Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) MP for Ayeyarwady Region constituency 8, said.
— The Myanmar Times
Dr. Cynthia Maung wins UNDP’s N-Peace Award
Dr. Cynthia Maung, who for decades has been the guiding light of the Mae Tao Clinic just across the Thai border from Myawaddy in Karen State, is among the recipients of this year’s N-Peace Awards, bestowed by the United Nations Development Program Asia-Pacific to honor those working to build peace and empower women in conflict zones.
— The Irrawaddy
Witness in murder trial of Facebook comedian contradicts statement to police
A prosecution witness in the high-profile murder trial of a popular comedian has told the court that he did not see the suspects attack the victim, contradicting his statement to police.
— The Irrawaddy
Media sector development coordination meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw
A coordination meeting to discuss different avenues of cooperation for the sustainable development of the media sector was held at 10:30 a.m. yesterday in the Assembly Hall at the Ministry of Information in Nay Pyi Taw.
– Ministry of Information
Myanmar, China to cooperate in movie production
Movie experts of Myanmar and China held discussions on cooperation in developing movie industry at the Cultural Center of the Chinese Embassy in Yangon along with the closing of the Chinese film festival.
— Xinhua
Mandalay master’s first exhibition in 20 years
The fourth solo exhibition of one of the most important Myanmar modern artists, U Kyaw Moe Thar, is currently taking place in Lawkanat Gallery in Yangon.
— The Myanmar Times
New MP sworn in amid accusations of election bribery
U Nay Myo Aung, the USDP MP-elect being sued on suspicion of bribing Seikkan district voters by getting them access to easy loans ahead of the November by-election, was today sworn in at the Yangon Regional Parliament alongside six other military representatives in a televised broadcast.
— Coconuts Yangon
No returnee is arrived yet: an official
No returnee is arrived yet since the repatriation program started on November 15 and no information is received from Bangladesh in related with the returnees, said Soe Aung, Maungdaw district administrator on November 27.
— Eleven Media
UPDJC political parties group, local people hold talks on peace, building federal union in Sittway
Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee’s political parties group held a pace talks titled “From Union Peace Conference-21st Century Panglong to the peoples- presenting and discussing peace making processes and talks on internal peace and building a federal Union” in Sittway Township yesterday.
— Ministry of Information
Women use less mobile phone and internet than men: a survey
Women are using less mobile phone and internet than men, according to the 2017 Myanmar Living Conditions Survey (MLCS) jointly conducted by the Central Statistical Organization of the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the World Bank (WB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
— Eleven Media
Myanmar’s own Henry Ford
After reading an article in a newspaper in 2013 about cars powered by motorcycle engines in India, 33-year-old inventor U Zaw Myo Oo in Meiktila, Mandalay Region, was inspired to build a tangerine-coloured sports car.
— The Myanmar Times
Pyin Oo Lwin festival to showcase 200,000 flowering plants
he 13th Pyin Oo Lwin flower festival will feature over 200,000 flowering plants, according to U Wai Myo Aung, project manager of the National Kandawgyi Gardens in Mandalay Region, where the event will be held.
— The Myanmar Times
Chonburi agrees to sign defender Zaw Min Tun
Thai League 1 club Chonburi is agreed to sign Yangon United defender Zaw Min Tun to one-year contract, sources said.
— Eleven Media
Feature photo UNOPS
This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, December 2.
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.

A a professional photographer since the days of film, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photomedia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.

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