Myanmar morning news for May 29, 2020

Myanmar Parliament Slashes Military’s Budget Request for First Time
US$7.5 million removed from military’s extra budget request, marking the first time the armed forces’ full spending request has been denied by the NLD government.
— Irrawaddy

300,000 Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand jobless due to COVID-19 pandemic
More than 300,000 Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand are facing unemployment due to COVID-19 pandemic, said Htoo Chit, Executive Director of the Foundation for Education and Development based in Thailand during a webinar held at Yangon Journalism School about the challenges faced by migrant workers in Thailand in the time of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
— Inquirer.net

Myanmar’s Opposition, Military Lawmakers Seek House Speaker’s Impeachment
The MPs have called for the Parliament Speaker to be removed over his handling of the charter change debate and for allegedly failing to fulfill his duties.
— Irrawaddy

Investigation exposes European firms exploiting loophole to import Myanmar teak
Investigators have uncovered a scheme by European timber traders to evade E.U. laws by supplying Myanmar teak to the continent’s marine sector, including for decking on superyachts.
— Mongabay

Myanmar receives approval to seek funds from IMF, JICA
Myanmar on May 26 received parliament approval to borrow funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to help fund the country’s response to COVID-19.
— Myanmar Times

Is COVID-19 a smokescreen for labour abuses?
Labour activists say they are being dragged unjustly before the courts and that factory owners are exploiting the disruption caused by the pandemic to purge union leaders.
— Frontier Myanmar

Border trade increases over $ 440 million
Yangon—The total border trade value has reached over 7.1 billion US dollars in seven and half months of the current fiscal year, up over 440 million US dollars, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
— Eleven Myanmar

In Myanmar, campaigners oppose US$21 million conservation project
Campaigners in the Tanintharyi region of southern Myanmar have urged international donors to support community conservation efforts, rather than what they see as a top-down approach that excludes indigenous groups.
— Eco-business

Myanmar Govt Borrows US$925 M from Central Bank to Cover Deficit
The loan was approved by Parliament on Wednesday and will cover 20 percent of Myanmar’s deficit for the year as spending increases due to impacts of COVID-19.
— Irrawaddy

Feature: Myanmar female delivery rider stays strong in pursuit of prosperous life amid COVID-19 pandemic
The restriction of sit-in dining at the eateries across Myanmar during the COVID-19 pandemic have let food delivery services ride the waves since a couple of months ago.
— Xinhua

Myanmar to receive Austrian loan for national e-ID system
Myanmar will receive a €33 million loan from Austria’s Unicredit Bank to create e-IDs for the country’s population registry, said U Thein Swe, Minister of Labor, Immigration and Population.
— Myanmar Times

Onepay app helps Myanmar move to a cashless society
The e-payments space has been one to watch during the past 10 years in Myanmar, with Onepay’s interbank app being the most recent innovation to reach the market.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar parliament approves amendments to election law
Parliament has approved amendments to the country’s election law that would remove polling booths from inside Tatmadaw (military) bases and reduce the residency requirement for migrants to register to vote.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar parliament cuts Defence Ministry budget by K10.6 billion
Parliament has reduced the supplementary budget for the Ministry of Defence by K10.6 billion (US$7.55 million), half of the cut proposed by a legislator of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar Parliament Approves Half-Million USD for ICJ Genocide Defense After Debate
Lawmakers and ministers debated whether the proposed budget to cover the cost of the ICJ defense was in line with laws and procedures.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar: Hundreds Jailed for Covid-19 Violations
At least 500 people, including children, returning migrant workers, and religious minorities, have been sentenced to between one month and one year in prison in Myanmar since late March 2020 for violating curfews, quarantines, or other movement control orders, Human Rights Watch said today. Myanmar authorities should stop jailing people for Covid-19-related infractions.
— Human Rights Watch

Pandemic Adds New Threat for Rohingyas in Myanmar
This is what life is like for the 130,000 internally displaced Rohingyas trapped in detention camps in central Rakhine state in Myanmar: in the camps, they have no future, with little access to land or livelihoods.’
— The Diplomat

Gay people in Myanmar have adopted a secret language
Wednesday has just turned into Thursday in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, and pleasure-seekers are on the prowl in a glitzy neighbourhood. Drivers slow down to inspect sex workers waiting by the kerb.
— Economist

Singapore Agency to Help Myanmar Find Partners for Key Infrastructure Projects
Singapore’s Infrastructure Asia has signed an agreement to help Myanmar find ‘quality’ investors and partners for its Project Bank of high-priority development plans.
— Irrawaddy

Pyidaungsu Hluttaw focuses financial sectors in 6th-day meeting
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw held its 6th-day meeting of the 16th regular session yesterday, with the topics on getting international loans and signing a memorandum of understanding to initiate the 8th round of relaxing ASEAN financial services.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

We’re watching you, Myanmar
The global coronavirus pandemic has understandably dominated the attention of Asia and the entire world in recent months. But the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has a message to send: our investigations are open and the virus will not blind us to ongoing crimes.
— Bangkok Post

Myanmar to reopen schools in July with strict guidelines
Schools in Myanmar will reopen in July, beginning with basic education high schools on July 21, followed by primary and middle schools two weeks later.
— New Straits Times

Amyotha Hluttaw MPs raise queries to MoHA, MoE
The second Amyotha Hluttaw convened the 5th-day meeting of its 16th regular session yesterday, with queries of MP to the ministries of Home Affairs and Education.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Myanmar’s unsteady exit from China’s orbit
When Myanmar’s military regime began opening up the country politically and economically in 2010, one motive was to alleviate the country’s overreliance on China.
— East Asia Forum

COVID-19 aid reach IDP camps
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is providing medical supplies and aid to the IDP camps across the nation to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Social Security Board approves financial compensation for insured workers
The Social Security Board has been operating in line with the Ministry of Health and Sports’ notifications and directives to protect and treat COVID-19 in factories, workshops, and workplaces.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Europe’s Rich Continue to Buy Myanmar’s Illegal Teak: EIA
Alec Dawson, a forestry campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency, tells The Irrawaddy that illegally logged teak continues to end up in European yachts.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar women busted for contraband liquor
Two Myanmar women were arrested by the General Operations Force (GOF) for possessing contraband liquor worth close to RM12,000.
— The Star Online

Republic of the Union of Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports
The Ministry of Health and Sports is implementing action plans to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a timely manner and announced for 10 townships in Yangon Region and 1 township in Sagaing Region, a total of 11 townships, to have its.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

When a Burmese Cane Ball Juggler Dazzled London
On this day in 1924, a Burmese juggler performed at the British Empire Exhibition in London, entertaining audiences with a display of traditional chinlone cane ball prowess.
— Irrawaddy

Republic of the Union of Myanmar Announcement of National-Level Central Committee for Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19
7th Waxing of Nayon, 1382 ME 28 May 2020 It is announced that the statements to public , orders, notifications, and directives (excluding eased restrictions)of Union-level organizations and Union ministries effective until 31 May 2020 for prevention, control and treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be extended to 15 June 2020 as it is.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Pyithu Hluttaw raises asterisked questions to ministries
Pyithu Hluttaw posed questions to the relevant ministries and tabled a proposal on the 5th-day of 16th regular meeting yesterday.
— The Global New Light of Myanmar

Feature photo Time Ayeyar
This week’s Myanmar morning news feature photo focus on World No-Tobacco Day, May 31.

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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