Myanmar’s next election may not be nationwide, junta chief says
Reuters Military-ruled Myanmar plans to have an election if there is peace and stability in the country but may not be able to hold it nationwide, its top general said, as the junta battles to contain a rebellion on multiple fronts. The military, which has been in power since a coup three years ago, still […]
A Chinese pastor is released after seven years in prison, only to find himself unable to get an ID
Beijing, China AP Unable to buy a train ticket, or even see a doctor at a hospital, a Chinese pastor found that even after release from prison, he is not quite free. Rev John Sanqiang Cao was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison while coming back from a missionary trip in Myanmar. Now back in […]
Over 70 Rohingya dead or missing after boat capsizes off Indonesia’s Aceh
Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters More than 70 Rohingya are “presumed dead or missing” after a boat they were on capsized off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province, while 75 have been rescued, the UNHCR refugee agency said on Friday. The UNHCR said in a joint statement with the International Organization for Migration that if the death […]
UN secretary-general alarmed by reports of Myanmar airstrikes
Reuters United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by reports that military airstrikes in Myanmar, including on Monday in Minbya township, have killed and injured many civilians, a UN spokesman said. Myanmar has been convulsed by turmoil since the military seized power from an elected government in a 2021 coup. “The expansion of conflict in […]
India begins deporting first group of Myanmar refugees who fled 2021 coup
Guwahati, India Reuters India on Friday began deporting the first group of Myanmar refugees who sought shelter there after a military coup in 2021 and plans to send back more in the coming days, weeks after saying it would end a visa-free border policy with Myanmar. Thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops from Myanmar […]
Myanmar junta’s conscription plan lays bare toll of fighting rebels
Reuters The Myanmar’s military conscription plan reveals the heavy toll that months of incessant fighting against rebels have had on its troops and the struggles the generals are facing to replenish their ranks, analysts, diplomats and a defector said. The plan, which was announced this week, comes after the junta lost control of swathes of […]
Myanmar junta enforces mandatory military service for young people
Reuters Myanmar’s junta made military service mandatory for all young men and women, state media said, as it struggles to contain armed rebel forces fighting for greater autonomy in various parts of the country. All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve for up to two years, while specialists […]
Thailand confident aid effort will lead to Myanmar crisis dialogue
Bangkok, Thailand Reuters A new Thailand-led humanitarian initiative aims to pave the way for talks between warring camps in military-ruled Myanmar, a senior Thai official said, three years after a coup triggered instability and a wave of violence across the country. Thailand plans to establish a humanitarian safe zone later this month at its border […]
More than 130 Rohingya arrive in Indonesia’s Aceh
Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters Over 130 Rohingya landed on the shores of Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday, an official at the UN refugee agency said, the latest in a series of such arrivals that have drawn controversy in the South-East Asian country. The Rohingya, a persecuted religious minority in Myanmar, have faced rejection and hostility from […]
Myanmar: Three years after coup, junta chief under unprecedented pressure
Reuters correspondents report on the situation in Myanmar, three years after a military coup… Reuters In mid-January, at a small gathering in a cantonment town in Myanmar, hard line pro-military monk Pauk Kotaw suggested that the country’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing step down and his deputy take over. The crowd cheered in agreement, according to […]