Interfaith leaders pledge to back Myanmar peace efforts
Arakan News Agency Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon has joined other interfaith leaders in declaring their commitment to peace initiatives in strife-torn Myanmar, a move welcomed by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi. In an open letter to Myanmar’s people, Cardinal Bo and 17 other members of a high-level delegation from Religions for Peace International and […]
US officials: Our stand with Rohingya is not enough and we need Russian and Chinese support
Arakan News Agency A delegation from the legislative branch of the US Congress met Rohingya refugees in the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh and discussed with them the background of the Myanmar crisis which prompted them to flee and the process of their return . Arakan News Agency correspondent said the meeting focused on two main […]
Myanmar continues trial of Reuters journalists in Yangon city
Arakan News Agency The Myanmar authorities on Monday continued the trial of Reuters journalists, most notably the journalist Wa Lon and Kyaw Su, who has been in police custody for a year. The testimony of journalists is being held today in Yangon, Myanmar. The most prominent charges involving Reuters journalists are the violation of Myanmar’s […]
Aung San Suu Kyi seeks new relationship with UN over Rohingya crisis
Arakan News Agency Aung San Suu Kyi hopes to restore her battered reputation by allowing UN human rights and development organisations to enter Myanmar to prepare the ground for the large-scale return of Rohingya Muslims. Her aides hope the offer, linked to internal political changes strengthening her position and the appointment of a UN special […]
EU readies more sanctions against Myanmar
Arakan News Agency The European Union will extend its arms embargo on Myanmar for another year this week and may then move to target more Yangon generals with fresh sanctions, EU diplomats and officials said. The EU accuses Myanmar of “serious and systemic” human rights violations in a military operation in the country’s northwest last […]
UN team to visit Myanmar’s Arakan state next week, official says
Arakan News Agency A United Nations Security Council delegation that wants to see first-hand the impact of the Rohingya refugee crisis will arrive in Myanmar on Monday (April 30) and visit Arakan state, a senior government official said. It will be the highest-profile UN visit to Arakan since the start last August of a violent […]
Kachin Groups Urge UN to Refer Myanmar to ICC
Arakan News Agency Ethnic Kachin communities at home and abroad are urging the United Nations Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing a recent military campaign in Kachin State’s Tanai Township that has displaced thousands of civilians and trapped many in the conflict zone. A letter issued Monday and endorsed […]
Leeds urged to help Rohingya during ´odd´ Myanmar tour
Arakan News Agency Amnesty International has urged Leeds United to play their part in helping to ease the human rights crisis in Myanmar during a post-season tour to the country. The club will play two friendly matches against an MNL All Star Team and the Myanmar national team next month in Yangon and Mandalay, in […]
Australian military cooperation with Myanmar ‘untenable’, Labor says
Arakan News Agency Military cooperation with Myanmar is currently “totally untenable” due to the treatment of Rohingyas, Labor’s shadow defence minister has said. The comments on Tuesday came after a speech to the National Press Club in which Richard Marles argued Australia should develop its domestic defence industry. Australia has been criticised for continued cooperation […]
Myanmar policeman testifies arrested reporters were set up
Arakan News Agency A Myanmar police officer testified Friday that he and several colleagues were ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency, dealing a major blow to the government’s case against the journalists. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been detained since Dec. 12 on charges of violating the colonial-era […]
Did Soldiers Jailed for Killings Go Free? Myanmar TV Says Yes (Briefly)
Arakan News Agency For about an hour on Wednesday, the website of Myanmar National Television carried a surprising report: A mass prisoner amnesty the previous day, it said, had included seven members of the country’s military who were briefly jailed for a massacre of Rohingya Muslims. The report was quickly taken down and was strongly […]
Myanmar must ensure citizen rights of Rohingyas: US ambassador
Arakan News Agency United States ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback on Wednesday emphasized on ensuring religious freedom and citizen rights of Rohingyas in Myanmar. Talking to the reporters after visiting the Rohingya camp at Kutupalong in Ukhia, Brownback said United States was working to ensure religious freedom and citizen rights of Rohingyas after […]
Clashes in northeastern Myanmar drive 2,000 people to flee
Arakan News Agency More than 2,000 civilians have been trapped in the north-east of the country and denied access to humanitarian aid for seven days after being displaced for fear of clashes between armed ethnic groups and army troops, local civil society organizations in Myanmar reported. “Civilians from three villages in the town of Tanai […]