A sea patrol unit today arrested two Myanmar migrant workers aboard a fishing boat off Ranong coast after they were found to have power gel explosives and igniting fuses in possession.
Identified only as Ao and Sumya, they were later today handed over to the special action force of the 25th infantry regiment based in Ranong province for questioning. (Courtesy of news.thaivisa.com)
Friday, January 29, 2016
Myanmar president reiterate promise for systematic power transfer
Myanmar President U Thein Sein on Thursday reiterated the promise he made before the country's general election to carry out systematic power transfer in accordance with the existing laws and by-laws.
Addressing the final session of the current Union Parliament, U Thein Sein said no matter which party takes office, it is to continue to implement systematic power transfer to ensure national development.
The outgoing government will cooperate with the incoming government for the implementation, he added.
According to the president the outgoing parliament will also cooperate with the freshers for political stability and national development. (Courtesy of Xinhua)
Addressing the final session of the current Union Parliament, U Thein Sein said no matter which party takes office, it is to continue to implement systematic power transfer to ensure national development.
The outgoing government will cooperate with the incoming government for the implementation, he added.
According to the president the outgoing parliament will also cooperate with the freshers for political stability and national development. (Courtesy of Xinhua)
Peace and Ethnic Disunity
The inaugural Union Peace Conference wrapped up in Nay Pyi Taw on January 16 with all the usual fanfare. President U Thein Sein launched the peace process in August 2011 and has never resiled from making it a central plank of his administration: Even the modest achievements of the ceasefire negotiations have been feted and trumpeted with vigour by the government and the state-run media. Analyst Bertil Lintner derisively dubbed the process as the “peace-industrial complex”.
A case in point was the official revelry that accompanied the signing last March of a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement. Ethnic armed groups withheld their final assent until after convening two summits, first in the Wa stronghold of Panghsang and then at the Karen National Union headquarters at Law Khee Lar. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
A case in point was the official revelry that accompanied the signing last March of a draft text for a national ceasefire agreement. Ethnic armed groups withheld their final assent until after convening two summits, first in the Wa stronghold of Panghsang and then at the Karen National Union headquarters at Law Khee Lar. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Alleged Militia Leader Among NLD Speaker Picks
The National League for Democracy on Thursday morning announced its nominations for the speakers of the next term of Union Parliament, including a returned Union Solidarity and Development Party lawmaker alleged to have led a private militia force in northern Shan State.
U T. Khun Myat, the USDP MP for Shan State’s Kutkai Township and currently the chairman of the Lower House Bill Committee, will be put forward as deputy speaker, according to Thursday’s announcement by NLD spokesman U Win Htein.
In 2011, the Shan Herald Agency for News published an investigative series into members of the Union Parliament with alleged ties to the drug trade, which claimed the ethnic Kachin U T. Khun Myat was a key leader of the 600-strong Kutkai militia, based around 25 kilometres north of Lashio. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
U T. Khun Myat, the USDP MP for Shan State’s Kutkai Township and currently the chairman of the Lower House Bill Committee, will be put forward as deputy speaker, according to Thursday’s announcement by NLD spokesman U Win Htein.
In 2011, the Shan Herald Agency for News published an investigative series into members of the Union Parliament with alleged ties to the drug trade, which claimed the ethnic Kachin U T. Khun Myat was a key leader of the 600-strong Kutkai militia, based around 25 kilometres north of Lashio. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
Myanmar ranked 147 on Corruption Perceptions Index
Myanmar has been ranked 147 out of 168 countries in the 2015 edition of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. The country shares joint position with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). Myanmar had a score of 22 a slight increase from 21 the previous year.
“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). Myanmar had a score of 22 a slight increase from 21 the previous year.
“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International. (Courtesy of Mizzima)
Myanmar president hails 'triumph' of democratic transition
President Thein Sein hailed the "triumph" of Myanmar's transition of power Thursday, addressing a military-dominated parliament for the final time before a handover to Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy movement.
The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political transition after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections.
Myanmar's people are hoping her government can reboot a country eviscerated by half a century of army rule that battered the economy and repressed dissent.
"Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually," Thein Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time. (Courtesy of Channel NewsAsia)
The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political transition after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections.
Myanmar's people are hoping her government can reboot a country eviscerated by half a century of army rule that battered the economy and repressed dissent.
"Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually," Thein Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time. (Courtesy of Channel NewsAsia)
India-Myanmar border trade slumps
On December 1, India ended long-standing rules allowing border trade to be settled by an exchange of goods up to the value of US$20,000, including beans and pulses, spices, bamboo, forest products excluding teak, tobacco, and other commodities.
The move has had the effect of choking off trade, said an official of the Tamu Border Trade Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Though November trade exceeded the target by 120 percent, December trade reached only 70pc of the target and so far in January the figure is only 35pc. One dealer said, “Since the change, official trades have become rare.” (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
The move has had the effect of choking off trade, said an official of the Tamu Border Trade Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Though November trade exceeded the target by 120 percent, December trade reached only 70pc of the target and so far in January the figure is only 35pc. One dealer said, “Since the change, official trades have become rare.” (Courtesy of Myanmar Times)
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