Myanmar morning news for May 22, 2020

Myanmar fuel consumption rises as business resumes
Following the easing of traffic restrictions in Myanmar, domestic oil consumption has risen from its trough in late April and prices are expected to remain on the upside .
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar Finds 18 Imported COVID-19 Cases In a Week
Returning migrants from Malaysia and UAE have brought fresh coronavirus cases after a lull in new infections.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar to reopen schools in mid-July
The Myanmar government has been planning to reopen basic education schools in the middle of July, an official from the Education Ministry said on Thursday evening.
— Xinhua

Myanmar’s integrity test in an international court
The clock is ticking down to a May 23 deadline for Myanmar’s government to provide demonstrable evidence that it has taken substantive action in the first four months of 2020 to protect its Rohingya minority from genocide.
— Asia Times

Preacher who defied lockdown appears in court
A preacher who said Christians were immune to the coronavirus and then contracted it himself appeared in a Myanmar court to face charges over organising services in defiance of a ban on gatherings.
— The Star Online

Bago Region sees timber smuggling amid night-time curfew
Defying the night-time curfew in Bago Region during the Covid-19 outbreak, timber smugglers are being active, and over 3,400 tons of illegal timber were seized from January to April, according to the Bago Region Forest Department.
— Eleven Myanmar

Xi says China to continue to support WHO playing leading role in COVID-19 fight
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China stands ready to work with Myanmar and other countries to continue to support the World Health Organization (WHO) playing a leading role in the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Xinhua

Ant Financial Invests in Myanmar’s Wave Money
Ant Financial, the Chinese operator of Alipay, announced its plans to invest US$73.5 million for a minority stake in Digital Money Myanmar Limited, a fintech company based in Myanmar locally known as Wave Money, the companies announced in a press release.
— The Asean Post

Myanmar Strips Rakhine Politician Jailed For Treason of MP Status, Bars Him From Elections
Myanmar’s Union Election Commission (UEC) has stripped jailed Rakhine politician Aye Maung of his status as a Lower House member of parliament and barred him from running for office, citing his conviction on charges of treason, according to state media reports.
— Radio Free Asia

Myanmar govt seeks parliament nod for COVID-19 loans
The government has sought approval for US$750 million in loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to be used in the fight against COVID-19.
— Myanmar Times

UPDATE: Six more Myanmar returnees test positive for COVID-19
Six returnees from the United Arab Emirates have tested positive for COVID-19 as at 8pm on May 20, according to the health ministry. No new COVID-19 cases have been reported as at noon on May 21.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar returnees arrive back from Singapore, Viet Nam
A total of 145 citizens in the fifth group from Singapore by the Myanmar National Airlines and 9 nationals by Vietjet Air of Viet Nam arrived back to Myanmar yesterday afternoon.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar’s Remote Naga SAZ Has Only Two Doctors for Its 130,000 Residents
The self-administered zone is among other least-developed areas in Myanmar facing a serious shortage of health care workers.
— Irrawaddy

ADRA Provides Learning Solutions in Myanmar, Despite Closed Schools
Adventist humanitarian agency is ramping up opportunities for vocational education.
— Advertiset Review

Myanmar meteorology department warns of super cyclone Amphan
The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) has issued a warning of flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas. It also cautioned vessels and ships off and along the Myanmar coastal area of rough sea conditions as the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm [Cyclone Amphan], begins to make landfall in Bangladesh and India.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar military accuses ethnic Karen armed group of violating truce
The Tatmadaw (military) accused the Karen National Union (KNU) of recruiting villagers in Hpapun district of Kayin State in violation of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
— Myanmar Times

Commerce Minister talks with Chinese ambassador to foster bilateral trade
Union Minister for Commerce Dr Than Myint discussed with Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Mr Chen Hai about improvement of trade sector between the twocountries.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar prison population grows by 1200 per month
The number of prisoners in Myanmar is rising between 1000 and 1200 every month, resulting in overcrowding at some prisons in the country, a senior official said.
— Myanmar Times

Union Information Minister Dr Pe Myint inspects MRTV
Union Minister for Information Dr Pe Myint visited the Myanma Radio and Television to look into its ongoing works and safety measures of staff members against the COVID-19 pandemic.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

China to continue support Myanmar, Bangladesh in fighting COVID-19
China will continue to support Myanmar and Bangladesh to fight the COVID-19 pandemic at its best in terms of medical supplies and teams of medics based on their needs, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday during separate phone calls with Myanmar’s President U Win Myint and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
— CCTV

Myanmar, Cambodia pin hopes on China tourists for post-pandemic restart
Tourism authorities in Myanmar and Cambodia are looking to recapture the Chinese market once travel resumes.
— TTG Asia

New World Bank package for Myanmar to focus on pandemic recovery
The World Bank Group says it will help Myanmar recover from the COVID-19 pandemic over the next few years, assisting economic growth with a “strong focus on social inclusion”, including conflict-affected areas.
— Myanmar Times

Vitol returns to Myanmar as fuel supplier after Hin Leong’s exit – sources
Vitol returned to Myanmar as a fuel supplier in April for the first time in months after Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd left the market, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
— Reuters

Markets reopen in second phase of easing stay home restrictions in Mandalay
Under the phase by phase relaxing of stay home restriction programme, markets in Mandalay reopened yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Xi Hopeful on Belt and Road Projects in Myanmar During COVID-19
During a call on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Myanmar President U Win Myint discussed how to speed up cooperation on Belt and Road Initiative projects.
— Irrawaddy

Pyidaungsu Hluttaw discusses referendum postponement, loan proposals of President’s Office
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw held its second day meeting of 16th regular session yesterday, with discussions of Union-level organizational members on postponement of referendum to amend some provisions in the 2008 Constitution and the loan proposals sent by the President’s Office.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Nantha Island and Mayyu Estuaries awarded Ramsar Site status
The Ramsar Convention, also known as the Convention on Wetlands, inscribed Myanmar’s Nantha Island and Mayyu Estuaries as a Ramsar Site on 22 May, according to the convention’s secretary office.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Thailand Detains 15 Rohingya Migrants for Illegal Entry
Thai police in Mae Sot have detained 15 Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State for illegal entry; they are believed to have been heading for Malaysia.
— Irrawaddy

Women’s Affairs Federation donates PPE, face masks to NVSC
The Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation supplied 200 personal protective equipment (PPE) and 5,000 face masks to the National Volunteers Steering Committee at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

COVID-19 in Myanmar
Result on testing of 160 samples at the Department of Medical Research and 188 samples in the first group at the National Health Laboratory (Yangon), totalling 348 on 21 May afternoon showed No new cases.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

U of T’s Myanmar digital library shares rare manuscripts with scholars around the world
“Which colour longyi makes the best background when photographing Pali palm-leaf manuscripts?” writes Tony Scott, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, referencing the long piece of cloth widely worn as a garment in Myanmar.
— Utoronto

Myanmar Parliament Indefinitely Postpones Referendum on Charter Amendments
Myanmar lawmakers have approved a request by the Election Commission to indefinitely postpone a referendum on charter amendments, citing its estimated $10-million cost.
— Irrawaddy

Fruit sellers at Popa market unhappy with low number of buyers
With the number of buyers declining in fruit shops at Popa market in Kyaukpadaung Township, in Mandalay Region, the shopkeepers are selling their fruits, having to rely only upon the buyers from Kyaukpadaung town, said Daw Ah Mar Sein, a fruit shop owner at Popa market.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar doctor charged for insulting monks over sex education
A Myanmar doctor who criticised conservative Buddhist monks has been charged with insulting religion, officials said on Thursday, as a debate heats up over a proposal to teach sex education at school.
— WKZO

Myanmar AJINOMOTO donates products to 2 philanthropic organizations
By Nyein Nyein Japanese seasoning Company Myanmar AJINOMOTO Foods Co., Ltd donated its products to the two leading philanthropic organizations — Khit Thit foundation and Wai Lu Kyaw foundation yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar’s Largest Ethnic Armed Group Invites Military Chief to Visit
It’s the second time Wa State has invited Myanmar’s military chief to visit the area controlled by the best-equipped ethnic rebels in Myanmar.
— Irrawaddy

Non-Muslim places of worship in Malaysia’s green zones to reopen under strict health protocols
A total of 174 non-Muslim places of worship in green zones will be allowed to open on selected days starting Jun 10, said Malaysian Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
— CNA

Feature photo Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association – BANCA-BirdLife Myanmar
This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo focus on International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22.

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).

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About Myanmar morning news.

Myanmar morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Myanmar English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the freshest Myanmar English language news today.

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