Myanmar

India keeps watch on developments concerning its security, says MEA

Speaking on the issue, Arindam Bagchi said without naming anyone, India keeps constant watch on all developments bearing India's security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard the same

Kolkata Port profit up 152% in FY23; test run to Myanmar's Sittwe port soon

Kolkata port, now known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, on Tuesday announced that it has handled 65.66 million tonnes of cargo in the 2022-23 financial year, up by 12.87 per cent. It clocked a net surplus (profit) of Rs 304 crore in FY'23, increasing by over 152 per cent from Rs 120 crore in the previous fiscal. The port also said a long-awaited trial run to Sittwe Port in Myanmar will be conducted in April with a cargo of 3,000 tonnes of cement. The initiative is part of Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project. The objective of the project is to provide alternative connectivity to the North East region from Kolkata port through Sittwe Port up to Paletwa in Myanmar by waterway and Paletwa to Zorinpui by road in Mizoram. SMP Chairman P L Haranadh attributed the net surplus growth to higher cargo handling, cost-cut measures and reduction in the requirement for contribution to the pension shortfall fund. He also said that provisioning for the pension liability shortfall has bee

Pakistan has choice whether to become Turkiye or Myanmar: Imran Khan

In a fresh attack on Pakistan's powerful military, ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said the country is left with two choices -- either follow Turkiye or become another Myanmar. In Myanmar, the military ousted democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 while in Turkiye, a bloody military coup to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016 was foiled after people came out on the streets and resisted a regime change. "Today, we stand at a turning point in our Constitutional history where we can be like Turkiye or become another Myanmar.

UN calls for democracy in Myanmar after army dissolves Aung San's party

After the dissolution of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the United Nations has called for a return to democracy in the country

India, Australia express deep concern over crisis in Myanmar and Ukraine

India and Australia expressed their deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, and Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of violence, according to the joint statement released

Myanmar's trade with ASEAN countries tops $10.3 bn in 9 mths till Dec 2022

The Ministry reported on Thursday that imports surpassed exports, with exports reaching more than $3.538 billion and imports valued at more than $6.77 billion, Xinhua news agency reported

Over 31,500 Myanmar, Bangladesh refugees took shelter in Mizoram: Official

Over 31,500 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh have taken shelter in different parts of Mizoram, an official said. The number of Myanmar nationals taking refuge in the northeastern state was 31,050 as on January 27, and those from Bangladesh were 541, he said. The Bangladeshi nationals are lodged in 160 makeshift camps set up in eight villages in Lawngtlai district, the official said. The Myanmar nationals, mostly from Chin state, fled to Mizoram following a military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021, while the asylum seekers from Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) came to the state after a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group, he said. Mizoram shares a 510-km long porous border with Myanmar and a 318-km boundary with Bangladesh. Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana had recently informed the assembly that the state government has so far released over Rs 3.8 crore as part of relief measures for the Myanmar nationals, and Rs 30 lakh for those

Myanmar's maritime trade up 19.42% to $22.24 billion in over 10 months

The Southeast Asian country usually does most of its foreign trade through sea routes as it has a long coastline. It conducts border trade with China, Thailand, Bangladesh and India

Myanmar's military government to let 'loyal' civilians carry guns

Myanmar's military government plans to allow loyal civilians, including government employees and retired military personnel, to carry licensed firearms, but they must comply with orders from local authorities to participate in security and law enforcement actions, the military and media reports said. The announcement fanned fears of even more violence in a country wracked by what some United Nations experts have called a civil war. The military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi two years ago, triggering widespread peaceful protests that turned into armed resistance after security forces used lethal force to suppress all opposition. A 15-page document about the new gun policy attributed to the Ministry of Home Affairs was initially circulated on pro-military Facebook accounts and Telegram channels. It was also published by pro-military and independent news outlets, which stated that it had been issued on Jan. 31 after being approved in December at a Cabinet

After extension of emergency, Myanmar declares martial law in 37 towns

The council gave the administrative and judicial power to commanders of respective military commands to perform security, maintain the rule of law and tranquility

ASEAN foreign ministers to meet in Indonesia under shadow of Myanmar crisis

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are meeting in Indonesia's capital Friday for talks bound to be dominated by the deteriorating situation in Myanmar despite an agenda focused on food and energy security and cooperation in finance and health. Myanmar belongs to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but the annual ministers' retreat is being held in Jakarta without Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin. The absence was forced by the fallout over Myanmar's lack of cooperation in implementing a five-step agreement made in 2021 between ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. In the agreement, Myanmar's military leaders promised to allow a special ASEAN envoy to meet the ousted and jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others to foster dialogue aimed at easing the crisis. Last year, when ASEAN was chaired by Cambodia, Min Aung Hlaing was not invited to the November meeting of ASEAN leaders in Phnom Penh after Myanmar declined to let a

Myanmar resistance steadfast against military rule two years later

The prospects for peace in Myanmar, much less a return to democracy, seem dimmer than ever two years after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, experts say. On Wednesday, legions of opponents of military rule heeded a call by protest organisers to stay home in what they call a silent strike to show their strength and solidarity. The opposition's General Strike Coordination Body, formed soon after the 2021 takeover, urged people to stay inside in their homes or workplaces from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photos posted on social media showed empty streets in the normally bustling downtown area of Yangon, the country's largest city, with just a few vehicles on the roads, and there were reports of similar scenes elsewhere. Small peaceful protests are an almost-daily occurrence throughout the country, but on the anniversary of the Feb. 1, 2021, seizure of power by the army, two points stand out: The level of violence, especially in the countryside, has reached th

China extends diplomatic, military support to Myanmar despite resistance

According to the report, Myanmar saw a wave of protests and all sections of society participated in it. The demonstrations have morphed into an armed struggle against the military in the past 2 years

UN chief backs democracy for Myanmar 2 years after military seizes power

Two years after Myanmar's military seized power, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support Monday for the democratic aspirations of Myanmar's people and warned that the military's planned elections amid a crackdown on civilians and political leaders risk exacerbating instability. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general strongly condemns all forms of violence in Myanmar as the crisis in the country deteriorates and fuel serious regional implications." The army seized power on February 1, 2021, from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, arresting her and top members of her governing National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide victory for a second term in a November 2020 general election. Security forces suppressed widespread opposition to the military takeover with lethal force, killing almost 2,900 civilians and arresting thousands more people who engaged in nonviolent protests. The savage crackdown triggered armed resistance in muc

Singapore doesn't authorise transfer of arms to Myanmar: Foreign Ministry

Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or "items with potential military application" to Myanmar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said

Myanmar's military extends ceasefire agreement period until end of 2023

According to the statement released on Saturday, the military has extended the ceasefire agreement with ethnic armed groups for 21 times from December 21, 2018, till December 31, 2022

World leaders need to act against Myanmar junta: UN Special Rapporteur

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that the junta needed "more than words of condemnation" and urged the world leaders to take action

Myanmar court finds Suu Kyi guilty of corruption, sentences 7 yrs in prison

A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Friday convicted the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption, sentencing her to seven years in prison in the last of a string of criminal cases against her, a legal official said. The court's action leaves her with a total of 33 years to serve in prison following a series of politically tinged prosecutions since the army toppled her elected government in February 2021. She has also been convicted of several other offenses, which previously gave her a total of 26 years' imprisonment. Her supporters and independent analysts say the charges against her are an attempt to legitimise the military's seizure of power while eliminating her from politics before an election it has promised for next year. Friday's verdict in the purpose-built courtroom in the main prison on the outskirts of the capital, Naypyitaw, was made known by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities. The trial was closed t

Myanmar's exports up 15.09% in over 8 months of FY 22-23: Govt data

During the period, the country's imports were higher by 26.19 per cent to $12,325.87 million

Political turmoil in Afghanistan, Myanmar impacting Indian projects: MEA

India-backed projects have suffered setbacks in Afghanistan and faced numerous challenges in Myanmar due to the current political and security situations in these countries, the Ministry of External Affairs has informed a parliamentary panel. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs chaired by BJP MP P P Chaudhary noted that there has been a reduction in allocation in aid to Afghanistan. In an action taken report tabled in Parliament last week, the Ministry of External Affairs said it has noted the parliamentary panel's observations and will work towards addressing them. India's development partnership with Afghanistan includes more than 500 projects spread across each of its 34 provinces and in various sectors. "Several proposals in this regard are already under process. Due to the political and security situation in Afghanistan, projects implementation has suffered setbacks," the ministry said in the report. Responding to the parliamentary committee's observation