Entry into Myanmar by foreign visitors, including businesspeople, tourists and students, will get easier starting today.
The Ministry of Immigration is now offering six new types of entry visa and three types of re-entry visa to international visitors effective January 11.
The move reflects a proliferation in the ways that foreign visitors can now enter the country, whether by air, by sea or via border gateways, said U Aung Thiha, deputy director of the Immigration and National Registration Department under the Ministry of Immigration.
“That’s why we need new entry and re-entry visa types that make the process easier,” he told The Myanmar Times.
According to the immigration ministry’s website, foreign visitors can now apply for one of 12 types of entry visa and three types of re-entry visa as of today.
“We granted the new visa types because of the various kinds of visitors who come to Myanmar, whether for work, study, meditation or holiday,” he said. (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Hopes for peace as Myanmar ethnic Karen celebrate their New Year
Myanmar's ethnic minority Karen rung in their New Year with song, dance and traditional kickboxing, in celebrations a day before fresh efforts to reach a ceasefire to end the country's myriad rebel conflicts.
Tens of thousands of people, many in bright traditional clothing, thronged through teeming Yangon streets, in a three-day celebration ending on Monday.
The Karen, who are Buddhist and Christian, have their own calendar and have officially celebrated their New Year since the 1930s.
"I love my Karen people and value my ethnicity in my heart," Sa Ye Kyaw Oo, an event volunteer told AFP.
New Year events, marked by dance competitions and bouts of the country's lethwei kickboxing, were also held across southeastern Karen state.
The guns have largely fallen silent in the state after ethnic minority rebels waged one of the world's longest insurgencies – although recent months have seen sporadic clashes linked to smaller rebel factions. (Courtesy of theSundaily)
Tens of thousands of people, many in bright traditional clothing, thronged through teeming Yangon streets, in a three-day celebration ending on Monday.
The Karen, who are Buddhist and Christian, have their own calendar and have officially celebrated their New Year since the 1930s.
"I love my Karen people and value my ethnicity in my heart," Sa Ye Kyaw Oo, an event volunteer told AFP.
New Year events, marked by dance competitions and bouts of the country's lethwei kickboxing, were also held across southeastern Karen state.
The guns have largely fallen silent in the state after ethnic minority rebels waged one of the world's longest insurgencies – although recent months have seen sporadic clashes linked to smaller rebel factions. (Courtesy of theSundaily)
Navigating the choppy waters of Myanmar's post-election era
Myanmar's historic general election on Nov. 8 led to a landslide victory for the opposition National League for Democracy. Having served in the present government since 2011, I stood as an independent candidate and won a seat in the new parliament.
The elections were widely hailed -- both at home and abroad -- as free and fair, and the first such national poll for 25 years. This broad approval was largely due to the results. If the incumbent party had scored well, I doubt that international observers would have reacted so positively. Nevertheless, it was a convincing win which will usher in a new era for our country. As a minister in the current government of President U Thein Sein, I believe this administration has performed its historic role to the very best of its ability, and I wish our successors all the best.
The big issue facing leaders of the new administration however is how they handle the many daunting challenges ahead. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
The elections were widely hailed -- both at home and abroad -- as free and fair, and the first such national poll for 25 years. This broad approval was largely due to the results. If the incumbent party had scored well, I doubt that international observers would have reacted so positively. Nevertheless, it was a convincing win which will usher in a new era for our country. As a minister in the current government of President U Thein Sein, I believe this administration has performed its historic role to the very best of its ability, and I wish our successors all the best.
The big issue facing leaders of the new administration however is how they handle the many daunting challenges ahead. (Courtesy of Nikkei Asian Review)
Gold mining, conflict threaten Myanmar’s Indawgyi Lake
Khaung Tong Creek was a 1.5-meter deep, pristine creek some 10 years ago, but these days this important tributary of Kachin State’s famed Indawgyi Lake is just a little stream some 10 cm deep, filled with red-brownish mud.
Local villagers said years of unregulated gold mining several kilometres away has caused the environmental degradation as dumped waste and chemicals has flowed into the stream.
“The water in this creek was clean when I was young, but it has turned into a muddy stream. Groups of gold miners can be found upstream of the creek. It is threatening Indawgyi Lake’s environment,” Yan Khaung, a native of the area and a local coordinator for Myanmar branch of UK-based Fauna and Flora International, told me during a recent visit to the lake in northern Myanmar. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Local villagers said years of unregulated gold mining several kilometres away has caused the environmental degradation as dumped waste and chemicals has flowed into the stream.
“The water in this creek was clean when I was young, but it has turned into a muddy stream. Groups of gold miners can be found upstream of the creek. It is threatening Indawgyi Lake’s environment,” Yan Khaung, a native of the area and a local coordinator for Myanmar branch of UK-based Fauna and Flora International, told me during a recent visit to the lake in northern Myanmar. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
New Zealand Primate visits Myanmar’s Family Gathering
Archbishop Philip Richardson, one of the Primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia with responsibility for the seven tikanga Pakeha Dioceses, called in at the third “Anglican Family Gathering” of the Church of the Province of Myanmar on his way to this week’s Primates Meeting, Anglican Taonga reports.
Myanmar, the poorest country in South-East Asia, is only now leaving 64 years of military dictatorship.
Several thousand Anglicans from across Myanmar gathered for the once-every-five year gathering, along with a sprinkling of other Anglican leaders, most of whom were from the Asia Pacific region.
Archbishop Philip says November’s landslide election victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy has left the people he mingled with cautiously optimistic. (Courtesy of anglicannews.org)
Myanmar, the poorest country in South-East Asia, is only now leaving 64 years of military dictatorship.
Several thousand Anglicans from across Myanmar gathered for the once-every-five year gathering, along with a sprinkling of other Anglican leaders, most of whom were from the Asia Pacific region.
Archbishop Philip says November’s landslide election victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy has left the people he mingled with cautiously optimistic. (Courtesy of anglicannews.org)
Myanmar reluctant for trade across Moreh border due to security concerns
anmar traders are reluctant to start trade with India along the border in Moreh due to poor roads and security concerns.
Director, Ministry of Commerce, Department of Trade Promotion and Consumer Affairs, Aung Mgg, told this to ANI during an interview at the Classic Grand.
Meanwhile, Manipur Government has been working relentlessly to complete construction of the Integrated Check Post ( ICP ) at Moreh, to give impetus to trade between India and the South Asian Countries, including Myanmar by the end of this year.
The First Imphal-Mandalay service carrying 27 officials was flagged off by the Chief Minister of Manipur on the 10th of December 2015.
India's plans to remove travel bottlenecks with Myanmar, with a bus service from this Manipur capital to Mandalay appears to be faced with a major impediment - poor road conditions along the border areas. (Courtesy of Times of India)
Director, Ministry of Commerce, Department of Trade Promotion and Consumer Affairs, Aung Mgg, told this to ANI during an interview at the Classic Grand.
Meanwhile, Manipur Government has been working relentlessly to complete construction of the Integrated Check Post ( ICP ) at Moreh, to give impetus to trade between India and the South Asian Countries, including Myanmar by the end of this year.
The First Imphal-Mandalay service carrying 27 officials was flagged off by the Chief Minister of Manipur on the 10th of December 2015.
India's plans to remove travel bottlenecks with Myanmar, with a bus service from this Manipur capital to Mandalay appears to be faced with a major impediment - poor road conditions along the border areas. (Courtesy of Times of India)
Kerry Logistics wins concession to operate inland ports in Myanmar
Hong Kong - Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘Kerry Logistics’ or the ‘Company’; Stock Code 636.HK), a leading logistics service provider in Asia, announced that its subsidiary, KLN (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has been awarded concession to operate inland ports in Yangon and Mandalay, two major commercial cities in Myanmar. The awarding ceremony organised by the state-owned Myanma Railways under the auspices of the Ministry of Rail Transportation of Myanmar was held at the Sule Shangri-la Hotel, Yangon.
In a bid to seize new opportunities for cross-border trade upon entering the ASEAN Economic Community, the government of Myanmar is committed to developing the railway transportation potential and promote mass cargo transportation in the country. The inland ports will serve as container and cargo terminals linked by railway to major routes in the country, and as hubs for the exporters, importers and domestic logistics service providers of cargoes in and out of Yangon and Thilawa Ports, as well as for cross-border cargoes from neighbouring countries such as China and Thailand. (Courtesy of ajot.com)
In a bid to seize new opportunities for cross-border trade upon entering the ASEAN Economic Community, the government of Myanmar is committed to developing the railway transportation potential and promote mass cargo transportation in the country. The inland ports will serve as container and cargo terminals linked by railway to major routes in the country, and as hubs for the exporters, importers and domestic logistics service providers of cargoes in and out of Yangon and Thilawa Ports, as well as for cross-border cargoes from neighbouring countries such as China and Thailand. (Courtesy of ajot.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)