Myanmar morning news for May 10

Govt begins digitising personal information for ID cards
The Labour, Immigration and Population department has already digitised information of some 1.3 million citizens as part of the government’s modernisation process, Labour Minister U Thein Swe said.
— Myanmar Times

Trade deficit shrinks to $700 mln as imports decline
A fall in imports in the past seven months of the fiscal year has helped narrow Myanmar’s trade deficit to US$700 million, a significant drop from a deficit of $2.4 billion registered in the corresponding period of the 2017-2018 FY, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
— Global Newlight of Myanmar

Myanmar’s Central Bank warns against cryptocurrency use
The Central Bank of Myanmar has joined the view of many central banks across the globe that see cryptocurrency as a risky investment that should be avoided at all cost, according to industry website coingeek.
— Mizzima

Ring road construction to start in July: commerce ministry
Phase one of the proposed Yangon elevated highway will begin construction in July 2020, according to the Ministry of Construction (MOC).
— Myanmar Times

MEB offering two-step loans to develop MSMEs
The Myanmar Economic Bank has been providing two-step loans, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, since September, 2018 to help develop Myanmar’s small and medium enterprises.
— Global Newlight of Myanmar

Myanmar: Some seasonal fruits to be imported from border areas
The Myanmar Ministry of Commerce announced that seasonal fruits such as apple, peach, mangoes, lemon and others will be allowed to be imported out of their seasons from areas bordering the nation.
— Fresh Plaza

State Counsellor calls on people to promote peace
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has called on people to promote a peace in order to build mutual understanding and trust among the different faiths and ethnic groups in the country.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar workers stranded in Thailand
About 60 Myanmar workers who went to Thailand to work have now been stranded for over a week now after they were allegedly cheated by their prospective employer, the workers told to The Myanmar Times on Wednesday.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar Army’s Plan to Investigate Itself Over Rakhine Killings Raises Widespread Doubts
Rights activists and religious leaders on Wednesday expressed deep doubt that a Myanmar military investigative team probing last week’s shooting deaths of civilians held in custody in troubled Rakhine state’s Kyauk Tan village will be impartial and that justice will be rendered if violations are found.
— Radio Free Asia

New Terminal Construction to Begin with Port Traffic Expected to Rise
Infrastructure builder Adani Myanmar has been granted permission from the MIC to begin the first of two phases of construction on a $290 million port in Yangon.
— Irrawaddy

Alcohol consumption kills over three million people a year
An official of the Public Health Department said: “According to the surveys, alcohol addicts consume colourless alcoholic spirit every day. Foreign Alcoholic Liquors are expensive.
— Eleven Myanmar

35 more detainees suspected of linking with insurgent groups freed in Myanmar
Thirty-five more detainees, suspected of linking with an ethnic insurgent group, the Arakan Army (AA), have been freed after they were found not in connection with the group, said a release of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services late Wednesday.
— Xinhua

Concerns raised over Army investigation
Rights activists and religious leaders have expressed deep concern that a Myanmar military investigative team probing last week’s shooting deaths of civilians held in custody in Rakhine state’s Kyauk Tan village will be impartial, RFA reported.
— Mizzima

Myanmar, Mekong Region countries discuss M&E on resistance to antibiotics
Organized by the National Health Laboratory Department under the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar is hosting the Workshop on Monitoring the Resistance to Antibiotics and Performing Research in the Mekong Region.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Huawei to Supply Mandalay’s ‘Safe City’ Project with Cameras, Security Equipment
CCTV with facial-recognition technology among infrastructure to be supplied in 1.9-billion-kyat deal.
— Irrawaddy

Norwegian Constitution Day held in Nay Pyi Taw
Norwegian Embassy celebrated the Norwegian Constitution Day at Hilton Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw. Chairman of Union Election Commission U Hla Thein and wife, Union Minister of Information Dr. Pe Myint , Union Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing, Minister of Social Welfare, Relief.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Three women arrested in Myanmar for trying to mail drugs abroad
Three women have been arrested in Myanmar’s former capital of Yangon for trying to send methamphetamine (ICE) to a foreign country through express mail service, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the Yangon General Post Office late on Wednesday.
— Borneo Bulletin

Union Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe receives Representatives of UNDP, UNHCR
Union Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor U Kyaw Tint Swe received Mr. Peter Batchelor, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, and Mr. Johan Cels, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at 10:30 hrs today at his office.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Opposition to Myitsone Dam Will Be Outgoing Chinese Ambassador’s Chief Legacy
YANGON–It has been a busy week for the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar. Just a week after Beijing hosted the 2nd Belt and Road (BRI) forum, Hong Liang has been bustling around the government offices in Naypyitaw attending a series of meetings since Monday.
— Irrawaddy

State Counsellor visits Mann Shwe Settaw Pagoda, elephant camp, wildlife sanctuary
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Chairperson of the Central Committee for Development of Border Areas and National Races, visited the Mann Shwe Settaw Pagoda, and the nearby elephant camp and wildlife sanctuary in Minbu Township yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Mytel in the lead despite recent start
According to a report by Opensignal, recently launched telecom operator Mytel has trumped over its competitors in some categories despite its relatively short time entering Myanmar’s fledgling mobile broadband market.
— Eleven Myanmar

Three ministries jointly hold press conference on achievements in third year in office
The Office of the Union Auditor-General, Ministry of Border Affairs and Ministry of Electricity and Energy jointly held a press conference on their undertakings in third one-year period of the government at the Ministry of Information in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Gov’t Weighs Legal Action against Monk for Speeches Attacking State Counselor
The government is considering taking legal action against ultra-nationalist monk U Wirathu over his recent speeches in Yangon and Tanintharyi’s Myeik.
— Irrawaddy

Hpa-an and Kalay inmates protest non-inclusion in amnesty
Inmates from Sagaing Region’s Kalay township and Kayin State’s Hpa-an township on Wednesday protested against the selection of 6520 prisoners included in the latest presidential amnesty declaration.
— Myanmar Times

Second Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’s 12th regular session holds fifth-day meeting
The fifth-day meeting of the Second Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’s 12th regular session was held at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw meeting hall yesterday morning.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

After the Sri Lanka bombings: why Myanmar won’t be next
Despite government concern and suspicion in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Sri Lanka, Myanmar is not a likely target for Islamic extremism.
— Frontier Myanmar

State Counsellor meets people of Magway
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Chairperson of the Central Committee for Development of Border Areas and National Races together with Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, U Min Thu, Dr. Aung Thu, U Ohn Win and Dr. Myint Htwe and officials met with people of Magway at Magway.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

4 shot dead in Myanmar prison riot
Police in Myanmar shot down at least four inmates and injured several others during a prison riot late Wednesday, an official said on Thursday.
— AA

Feature photo Travel to Myanmar

This week’s Myanmar morning news photo features World Migratory Bird Day, May 11.

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.