Myanmar morning news for June 27

Myanmar must give Rohingya ‘pathway to citizenship’ – U.N. investigator
Myanmar must grant citizenship to stateless Rohingya with roots in the country, a senior U.N. investigator said on Wednesday, as she urged the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi to “be the democrat she once told us she was”.
— Reuters

ICC prosecutor asks to open an investigation on Bangladesh, Myanmar
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court took the next step toward opening a full investigation into alleged crimes against the Rohingya people who were driven from Myanmar to Bangladesh, a statement from the prosecutor said on Wednesday.
— Yahoo News

Myanmar Journalists Reject Army Criticism of Coverage as Politicians Defend Rakhine Internet Shutdown
Days after Myanmar’s powerful military criticized domestic media for reporting only negative stories about the armed forces, some journalists fired back on Tuesday, saying they are not tools for disseminating army propaganda in the Southeast Asian nation.
— Radio Free Asia

MYANMAR AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL SOARS ON SEVEN-STAR SAFETY RATING
Established in 1993, Myanmar Airways International (MAI) has been recently awarded 7-star safety rating by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, and product rating agency.
— Airline Rating

Govt Has Duty to Solve This: Kayah Farmers
Despite a township government ban, Kayah State farmers held a press conference Wednesday appealing to the Union government for help solving land disputes with the army.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar announces first power tariff hike in five years
Electricity rates will increase substantially beginning in July for both residential and business users in the first changes in tariffs in five years, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) announced yesterday.
— Myanmar Times

Investment Promotion Committee launched
The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations formally launched the Investment Promotion Committee (IPC) at a ceremony held in Thingaha Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. The ceremony was attended by U Thaung Tun, Union Minister for Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations (MIFER), Deputy Ministers, U Aung.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Mobile phone sales without revenue stamps to face fines
Sales of mobile phones without revenue stamps will face fines starting July 1, according to Daw Swe Swe Khaing, deputy director of the Internal Revenue Department (IRD).
— Myanmar Times

Australian Developer Proposes $38 billion Project in Sittwe
Lawmakers from conflict-torn Rakhine State meet Gold Coast KPMG executives to discuss proposal, which includes housing, hotels, factories and a jetty on 7,000 acres.
— Irrawaddy

The diplomat who was a bridge between Japan and Myanmar
Satoshi Oyama had a bright future ahead of him as a diplomat, but his life was cut short at the age of 39 in a senseless stabbing attack in Kawasaki outside Tokyo last month.
— Asahi

ILC report highlights forced labour in three states of Myanmar
There have been forced labour cases in Shan, Rakhine and Kachin States where armed conflicts occur, according to a report by the International Labour Conference (ILC).
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar holds its first blockchain roundtable
Last week Facebook released the whitepaper for its new cryptocurrency Libra, attempting to link its social media platform with a blockchain payment ecosystem.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar: How tech is transforming a frontier market
Just six years ago, in 2013, a mobile user in Myanmar had to pay USD 250 for a SIM card—this in a country where the average annual income was less than USD 200.
— Kr-Asia

Men Detained by Myanmar Army Show Signs of Abuse While in Custody in Rakhine State
Nine civilians detained by the Myanmar military on suspicion of attacking an army column appeared on Tuesday in court in war-ridden Rakhine state’s Mrauk-U township, with two of them accusing soldiers of torture and rights abuses while in custody, their family members and a rights group said.
— Radio Free Asia

Myanmar university investigates suicide of gay librarian
A Myanmar university said on Wednesday it had suspended three staff while it investigates the suicide of a gay employee who said he was bullied at work in social media posts widely shared in the conservative Asian country.
— Reuters

Seized drugs worth over 301 mln USD burned in Myanmar
The Myanmar authorities ceremonially burned seized narcotic drugs worth over 451.7 billion kyats (301.2 million U.S. dollars) in three cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi on Wednesday, to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
— Xinhua

Mandalay project with telco under review, says chief minister
Cooperation between China-based telecommunications giant Huawei and Mandalay city in a “Safe City” project is being reviewed, says Mandalay Region Chief Minister U Zaw Myint Maung.
— Myanmar Times

Authorities seize narcotic drugs, guns and ammunition in Mawlamyaing
Authorities found narcotic drugs, handmade guns, air guns and ammunition from a compound owned by Major Naing Aung Aung aka Naing Aung from Mon Peace Defence Front (MPDF) in Mawlamyaing on June 24, sources said.
— Eleven Myanmar

Union Minister for Education meets with teaching staff of schools in Southern Shan State
Union Minister for Education Dr Myo Thein Gyi attended met with the teaching staff of basic education schools in the meeting hall of B.E.H.S No. 2 Kengtung, Shan State on 25 June.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Southeast Asia Urged to Improve Women’s Rights to Stop China Bride Trafficking
More than 1,100 foreign women from Southeast Asian nations were rescued in China in a six-month operation that ended last year, Chinese police said last week.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar Destroys Illegal Drugs Worth $300 Million on Anti-Drug Day 2019
Flames billow from burning narcotic drugs during a destruction ceremony of seized illegal narcotic drugs on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar on June 26, 2019. Myanmar burned over USD 300 million worth of assorted drugs seized around the country to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
— News18

Bangladesh Police Kill Three Suspected Rohingya Traffickers, Rescue 15 Refugees
The smugglers themselves were Rohingya known to be human traffickers living in the area in Bangladesh since before the 2017 attacks.
— Irrawaddy

Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker receives Chinese Ambassador
Speaker of Pyithu Hluttaw U T Khun Myat received Chinese Ambassador Mr. Chen Hai at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw meeting hall in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Letter to be sent to Education Ministry seeking teen’s release
An appeal letter will be sent to the Ministry of Education seeking the release of a student who was detained for protesting against the coal-fired cement factory project in Aung Thabyay village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay Region, said the student’s father, U Shwe Ohn.
— Myanmar Times

Senior General receives outgoing German Ambassador
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing received German Ambassador Mrs Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel, who has finished her tour of duty, at the parlour of Bayintnaung Villa in Nay Pyi Taw. During the meeting, they discussed collaboration between two countries, progress towards amending the Constitution,
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Yangon Hotel Expo 2019 to Stress City’s History While Looking to Future
Event aims to promote attractions and facilities that will encourage travelers visiting Myanmar to spend more time in the commercial capital.
— Irrawaddy

Grade 2 skilled worker certificates to be issued to poultry workers
The Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department is planning to issue Grade 2 skilled worker certificates to poultry workers from 2019-2020 fiscal year. The National Skills Standards Authority has drawn up the norms for issuing the certification after scrutinizing the skills of poultry workers.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar warns of increasing drug production from chemicals, precursors
A Myanmar anti-drug official on Wednesday warned of increasing synthetic drug production from chemicals and precursors instead of producing from poppy in the country, saying that using of such drugs was on the rise and demand was far from falling.
— Xinhua

Military Hospitals Host Blood Drives to Mark Fugitive Monk’s Birthday
Supporters participate in events in Yangon, Mandalay as firebrand nationalist, who is wanted for sedition, turns 51.
— Irrawaddy

Where are the world’s stateless people?
An estimated 10 to 15 million people are not recognised as nationals by any country, often depriving them of basic rights most of the world takes for granted such as education, healthcare, housing and jobs. An international conference opening in The Hague will assess progress on a United Nations campaign called #Ibelong which aims to end statelessness by 2024.
— Economic times

Villager Dies in Military Custody in N. Rakhine
Bricklayer, 23, was detained on his way home from work on June 21. Military says autopsy results pending; family says body showed signs of a beating.
— Irrawaddy

Norway advocated women role in Myanmar
On June 24, Ambassador of Norway to Yangon Tone Tinnes signed an agreement together with Chair of Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process (AGIPP) Daw May Sabe Phyu to support AGIPP’s project on gender inclusion in the peace process in Myanmar.
— Scandasia

A Missing Middleman in the Peace Process
The government’s Peace Commission needs to be reformed and given the capacity to act as middleman in order to get the peace process back on track.
— Irrawaddy

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking Art Contest held
Art, cartoon, poster and graphic design contest marking International Day against Drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking was held at Yangon Drug Elimination Museum yesterday morning. At the event, Yangon Region minister for security and border affairs Col Aung Soe Moe delivered key note speech.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Press Council Requests Role in Case Against Journalists
The military sued three reporters covering a Loikaw protest for privacy law violations. The Myanmar Press Council says those charges should be filed under the Media Law.
— Irrawaddy

Union Peace Commission Chairman meets Chinese Special Envoy
Dr. Tin Myo Win, Chairman of the Union Peace Commission, met with Mr. Sun Guoxiang, Special Envoy for Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center in Yangon yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

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