Page 11 - Myanmar

718 Myanmarese including 301 children entered Manipur illegally: Home Dept

Manipur government has said that at least 718 Myanmar nationals, including 301 children, have illegally entered the northeastern state last week. A statement issued by Home Department said that the illegal influx was reported on July 22 and 23 in Chandel district by Assam Rifles, the India-Myanmar border guarding force. Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi sought to know from the Assam Rifles how the Myanmarese were allowed to enter India without proper travel documents and asked the force to push them back immediately. "Report has been received from the Headquarters 28 Sector Assam Rifles that 718 fresh refugees have crossed India-Myanmar border and entered into the general area of New Lajang," Joshi said in the statement. Of the 718 Myanmarese, 209 are men, 208 are women and 301 are children. Thirteen Myanmar nationals entered Lajang area on July 22. On July 23, a total of 230 Myanmarese arrived in New Lajang, 89 in New Samtal, 143 in Yangnomphai village, 175 in Yangnomphai Saw Mill, 3

Myanmar to issue highest denomination banknote amid as economy suffers

The Central Bank of army-ruled Myanmar will issue a new banknote worth twice as much as the current highest denomination, state-run media reported Sunday, in a possible reaction to the economy becoming more unstable since the generals seized power in 2021. The reason for issuing a higher denomination note of 20,000 kyats (about $9.50) was not explained. Since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, economic boycotts and sanctions imposed by Western nations have hurt both big businesses and ordinary people, many of whose lives have already been disrupted by civil war and the coronavirus pandemic. The issuance of new, higher denomination currency is associated in popular belief with a risk of inflation, though there isn't necessarily a link. Older Myanmar residents are especially sensitive to changes affecting the currency, recalling the sudden demonetization of banknotes in 1987 during an earlier dictatorship, which reportedly affected around 80% of the money

Myanmar burns seized drugs worth $446 mn amid rise in illicit trade

The authorities in Myanmar destroyed more than USD 446 million worth of illegal drugs seized from around the country to mark an annual international anti-drug trafficking day on Monday, police said. The drug burn came as U.N. experts warned of increases in the production of opium, heroin and methamphetamine in Myanmar, with exports threatening to expand markets in South and Southeast Asia. Myanmar has a long history of drug production linked to political and economic insecurity caused by decades of armed conflict. The country is a major producer and exporter of methamphetamine and the world's second-largest opium and heroin producer after Afghanistan, despite repeated attempts to promote alternative legal crops among poor farmers. In the country's largest city, Yangon, a pile of seized drugs and precursor chemicals worth USD 207 million was incinerated. The destroyed drugs included opium, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, kratom, ketamine and crystal meth, also known as ice. The

India's position is clear on Myanmar, says External Affairs Ministry

The External Affairs Ministry on Monday refused to comment on whether the ongoing situation in Myanmar will come up for discussion during PM Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit to the US this week

Earthquake recorded off Myanmar's coast, shakes buildings in Thailand

An earthquake was recorded off the southern coast of Myanmar on Monday with tremors also felt in Thailand, but there were no immediate reports of major damage. The 5.1 magnitude quake was recorded about 152 kilometers (95 miles) south of Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, at 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the surface at 8:10 a.m., according to Myanmar's meteorology department. Thailand's meteorological department reported the earthquake as 6.0 magnitude at 8:40 a.m. and said tremors were felt in the capital Bangkok and nearby Nonthaburi province, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) from the epicenter. The United States Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 5.6 magnitude. Different agencies often have different preliminary measurements for earthquakes. Many people in high-rise buildings in Bangkok reported feeling the tremors for 15 to 30 seconds, according to the public report section of the Thai government's Earthquake Observation Division website. There were no immediate report

Fierce fighting in Myanmar between army, resistance groups kills nearly 26

Recent fierce fighting between Myanmar's army and local militant groups has killed at least 26 civilians, including six children, in area east of the capital, according to reports on Wednesday by a resident, a rights group and a medical assistance group. The fighting took place in Shan State's Pekon township, a hotly contested area in the armed struggle that arose after February 2021 when the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover prompted widespread public protests, whose violent suppression by the security forces triggered an armed resistance that now spans much of the country. The recent fighting has focused on Mobye, a conglomeration of villages covering about 175 square kilometers (about 70 square miles) located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital, Naypyitaw. The area is between the capital and an area dominated by the Karenni ethnic minority group, which also has been fighting against the military-installed ...

Rupee-kyat trade arrangement negotiations may conclude by Jun-end: Myanmar

Early May, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) had said that it had concluded the Myanmar Port sale for a consideration $30 million

Myanmar suspended int'l aid deliveries to cyclone-hit areas: UN agency

Myanmar's military government has rescinded its approval for international organizations to distribute food, shelter and medicines to thousands of residents of cyclone-hit areas in the country's west, a U.N. agency said Friday. Cyclone Mocha hit the coastline of Bangladesh and Myanmar in mid-May with winds of up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour. The damage was worst around the coastal city of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state, but was also severe as the storm moved inland into Chin state. The military authorities also suspended travel authorizations for international humanitarian organizations, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a situation report. It said the suspension of aid activities could not have come at a worse time because of the arrival of the annual monsoon season. The report did not say why the military government's Disaster Management Committee suspended the travel authorizations. Myanmar's military has long kept acc

Chinese foreign min's visit reignites anti-China demonstrations in Myanmar

According to GSCB, as long as the Chinese government publicly supports the dictatorship, people would continue to stage anti-China protests not just in Myanmar but also overseas

Myanmar's SC to hear appeal of Suu's bribery conviction: Legal officials

Myanmar's Supreme Court has agreed to hear a special appeal of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's bribery conviction for allegedly receiving gold and thousands of dollars from a former political ally, legal officials said Tuesday. Suu Kyi, 77, was arrested when the army toppled her elected government in February 2021, and was tried on a range of charges for which she was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison. Her supporters and independent legal experts say the cases were politically motivated in an attempt to discredit her and legitimise the military's takeover while preventing her from returning to politics. Two legal officials familiar with Suu Kyi's cases said the Supreme Court decided last Friday to hear the special appeal of the corruption case, in which she was convicted of receiving USD 600,000 and seven gold bars in 2017-18 from Phyo Min Thein, the former chief minister of Yangon, the country's biggest city. She was sentenced to five years in prison in April last year .

Manipuri civil society, students demand action against illegal migrants

Members of Manipuri civil society and students' organisations on Sunday held a 'peace rally' at Jantar Mantar here and demanded that the government check the influx of "illegal migrants" into the state from Myanmar. The rally, organised by the Manipur Coordinating Committee, Delhi, a group of civil society and students' organisations, was attended by a large number of people from the state living in the national capital. Chan Meitei, a member of the committee, said the rally was held for peace in Manipur and to lodge a protest against the "divisive forces and external aggression" faced by people in the state. The participants demanded that the government stop "illegal migrants" from Myanmar entering Manipur. "The illegal migrants from Myanmar are responsible for the unrest and violence faced by Manipur. They indulge in poppy cultivation that has also added to deforestation on the hills," said Joy, a medical student from Thoibal in Manipur. The committee members said the government

Adani Ports fourth-quarter profit takes hit from Myanmar port sale

Adani Ports had earlier this month said it sold its sanction-hit Myanmar port for $30 million, significantly lower than its investment in the project

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar among global hunger hotspots: UN

Two UN agencies warned Monday of rising food emergencies including starvation in Sudan due to the outbreak of war and in Haiti,Burkina Faso and Mali due to restricted movements of people and goods. The four countries join Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen at the highest alert levels, with communities that are already facing or projected to face starvation or otherwise risk a slide towards catastrophic conditions. The report by the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation calls for urgent attention to save both lives and jobs. Beyond the nine countries rating the highest level of concern, the agencies said 22 countries are identified as hotspots' risking acute food insecurity. Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today's risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind. said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General. He called for immediate action in the agricultural sector to pull

Concern in Myanmar as supplies needed for recovery from cyclone coming slow

As residents of Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin states worked Monday to repair the devastation from last week's Cyclone Mocha, concern is rising about whether the urgent needs for shelter, food, drinking water and medical assistance can be met before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains. Mocha hit the coastline of Bangladesh and Myanmar on May 14 with winds of up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour. The damage was worst around the coastal city of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, but was severe even as the weakened storm moved inland into Chin state. At least 148 people in Rakhine were killed by the storm, which brought flash floods and power outages, tore roofs off buildings and crumpled cellphone towers. Myanmar state media said more than 186,000 buildings were damaged by the cyclone. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Sunday that it was still in talks with officials in the national capital, Naypyitaw, for approval of a pla

Earthquake of 4.5 magnitude jolts Myanmar; second quake in a month

An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale hit Myanmar, informed National Center for Seismology on Monday.The earthquake hit Myanmar at 08:15 am on Monday.According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 14 Km.This month, this is the second earthquake as the last one took place on May 2."Earthquake of Magnitude:4.2, Occurred on 04-05-2023, 05:19:05 IST, Lat: 27.03 & Long: 96.34, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar," tweeted NCS.

Myanmar: Cyclone Mocha death toll surpasses 140 of which 91 were from camps

Cyclone Mocha damaged 183,024 houses, 1,711 religious buildings, 59 monasteries, 1,397 schools, 227 hospitals or clinics, 11 telecom towers, 119 lamp posts, 2 airports, and 340 departmental buildings

Official death toll from cyclone Mocha at least 145, says Myanmar

The official death toll from the powerful cyclone that struck Myanmar has burgeoned to at least 145, including 117 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority, state television reported Friday. It said the figure applied to the western state of Rakhine, where Cyclone Mocha did the most damage, but did not say how many storm-related deaths there have been in other parts of the country. The accounting of casualties from the cyclone has been slow, in part due to communication difficulties in the affected areas and the military government's tight control over information. The military government has said that unofficial death tolls surpassing 400 are false, but in the absence of independent confirmation, uncertainly remains about the actual extent of casualties and destruction. Mocha made landfall near Sittwe township in Rakhine state on Sunday afternoon with winds of up to 209 kilometres (130 miles) per hour before weakening inland. The cyclone, the nation's most destructive in at least

India sends relief materials to Myanmar for people affected by cyclone

India has sent relief materials in four naval ships to Myanmar for its people affected by a powerful cyclone. The mission to help the neighbouring country to deal with the devastating impact of the cyclone has been named as 'Operation Karuna'. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the ships are carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators and clothes. A Navy official said Indian naval ships Shivalik, Kamorta and Savitri were the first vessels to arrive at Yangon with relief materials. "India extends a hand of friendship to the people of Myanmar affected by #CycloneMocha. #OperationKaruna underway. Three Indian Navy ships carrying relief material reached Yangon today. A fourth ship will be reaching tomorrow," Jaishankar said on Twitter. "The ships are carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators, clothes, sanitary and hygiene items, etc," he said. "India continues to be the first ..

Myanmar military imported $1 billion in weapons since 2021 coup: UN expert

Myanmar's military has imported at least USD 1 billion worth of weapons and related material from Russia, China and other countries since its February 2021 coup, some of which it has used to carry out atrocities against civilians, according to a UN report released Wednesday. The weapons continue to flow to the military despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for the atrocities, including some that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, said Tom Andrews, the UN independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar. As an example of what he called the junta's brutality, Andrews pointed to its April 11 airstrike using a Russian Yak-130 fighter jet on a ceremony attended by some 300 opponents of army rule, which was quickly followed by an attack by Russian Mi-35 helicopters on those who came to help. He said at least 160 people were killed, including many children. In addition, the machine guns and bombs used in the attacks included parts and materials from companie

Millions of children at risk as cyclone hits Myanmar, Bangladesh: UNICEF

The trail of destruction left by Cyclone Mocha, which tore through parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, is causing severe disruption to the lives of millions of vulnerable children, said the UNICEF