Myanmar: Anti-Muslim monk now faces defamation charge
Arakan News Agency A notorious firebrand monk whose hate speech has helped fuel attacks on Myanmar’s Muslim community now faces a defamation charge days after the ultranationalist group he belongs to was labeled an unlawful association under monastic law. An official from Tarmwe township’s police station confirmed to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that a […]
Myanmar migrants rescued from boat off Thai coast
Arakan News Agency Some as young as 13 – promised employment at factory on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, but instead taken elsewhere Almost 20 Myanmar nationals have been rescued off the coast of southern Thailand after police raided an Indonesian-flagged fishing vessel. Local media reported Tuesday that the group was discovered near Pattani province after families […]
Malaysians hold mass rally calling for end to Burmese persecution of Rohingyas
Arakan News Agency SEVERAL thousand protesters marched to the Burmese (Myanmar) embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to denounce the treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority in the predominantly Buddhist country. Local reports say about 5,000 people took part in the rally to submit a memorandum to the Burmese mission in the Malaysian capital, […]
Rumors abound Myanmar anti-Muslim group to be dissolved
Arakan News Agency Ultra-nationalist monk-led group backs down from demand government apologize as rumors build it may be disbanded An ultra-nationalist monk-led group in Myanmar has backed down from a demand for an apology from the ruling party, with social media rife with rumor that the anti-Muslim group may soon be disbanded. During a […]
Rights groups give NLD poor marks on party’s ‘100 days’ record
Arakan News Agency Two international advocacy organisations have slammed the new Myanmar government for failing to address fundamental human rights shortcomings in its first 100 days in office, echoing recent criticism from the international community. In a joint statement, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Alternative ASEAN Network of Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) […]
Myanmar radical monk endorses ruling party in election, raps opposition
Arakan News Agency Myanmar’s firebrand Buddhist monk Wirathu has openly endorsed President Thein Sein’s ruling party in the Nov. 8 general election, saying Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party was “full of themselves” and unlikely to win the vote. Hardline monks will push for laws banning Muslim dress and other Muslim customs, Wirathu told Reuters […]
Rising Rakhine party looming threat to Myanmar’s Muslim minority
Arakan News Agency Myanmar’s historic elections next month are likely to worsen the plight of the country’s oppressed Rohingya Muslim community, with a new, hardline Buddhist party on the brink of becoming a formidable force The empowerment of ethnic nationalists in Rakhine State at the western edge of the Southeast Asian nation could intensify discrimination […]
Islamic Cooperation and the European Union have been discussing the issue of Rohingya
Arakan News Agency Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Iyad bin Amin Madani discussed the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , Ms. Federica Mogherini in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the seventieth session of the General […]
OIC Contact Group on Myanmar adopts plan of action on Rohingya Muslims of Arakan
Arakan News Agency The OIC Contact Group on Myanmar held a meeting on the sidelines of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) of the OIC Foreign Ministers at the UN in New York on Wednesday Sept. 30 in which it welcomed the proposals of the OIC’s Special Envoy to Myanmar and adopted his recommended plan of […]
Police end probe into deadly Rohingya trafficking trade
Arakan News Agency SONGKHLA: Police have wrapped up their five-month investigation into Rohingya migrant trafficking with warrants issued for the arrest of 232 suspects involved in the human trade and money laundering. But Deputy Provincial Police Region 8 commander, Pol Maj Gen Pawin Phongsirin, said Tuesday the problem is not completely eradicated yet, as a […]
Myanmar’s opposition admits avoiding Muslim candidates
Arakan News Agency Myanmar’s main opposition party, led by Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has deliberately avoided selecting Muslim candidates as part of the group’s strategy to succeed in upcoming national elections, according to a senior figure in the party. Win Htein, a 74-year-old sitting parliamentarian with the opposition National League for Democracy, […]
Upcoming elections represent milestone in Myanmar’s democratic transition – Ban
Arakan News Agency 29 September 2015 – The upcoming elections represent a milestone in Myanmar’s transition to democracy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said , adding that their credibility will depend on acceptance of its outcome among the political leaders and the broader population.… “It is crucial that these proceed in a fair, inclusive and transparent atmosphere. […]
Thailand seizes assets of officials suspected of human trafficking
Arakan News Agency Bangkok – Thai authorities seized over $1.5m in assets from officials charged with human trafficking, the government said on Tuesday.… The assets included homes, boats, cars and land belonging to officials charged in absentia with trafficking, the government’s public relations department said. One of the missing suspects had turned himself in, it […]