Stories about Myanmar (Burma) from August, 2012
Myanmar: Reshuffling the Cabinet
In a bold move, Myanmar President Thein Sein reshuffled[my] his cabinet by appointing non-army officers and removing controversial ministers. Among those replaced included the Minister of the Ministry of Electric Power who was criticized for the electricity shortage last summer and the Minister of the Ministry of Information who is...
Thailand: Police Collect Wedding Fees from Myanmar Workers
Htoo Chit wrote [my] about the illegal wedding fees collected by Thai police from Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand.
Myanmar: Mizzima Website Hacked
“We regret to inform you that Mizzima’s websites have come under DDoS attack. Mizzima has received several threats in reference to our coverage of ongoing hostilities in Rakhine State.” Mizzima, a Myanmar independent media website, issued a statement about the DDoS attacks.
Myanmar: Delta Region Hit by Worst Flooding in a Decade
More than 30,000 people were displaced from their homes as floods hit the delta region of Myanmar. Residents have described the flash floods as the worst in a decade.
Myanmar: Abused Child Goes to Court Without Lawyer
Wira Thu, a monk activist, wrote[my] about an ‘unfair’ trial where a 14-year old girl victim in a child labor case appeared in the court without a lawyer.
Debit Cards in Myanmar
Starting September 2012, Myanmar consumers would be able to use[my] debit cards serviced by the Myanmar Payment Union. Using a credit/debit card as a mode of payment in Myanmar has never been popular though it was once introduced in 2000 but cancelled in 2002.
Myanmar: Curfew in Kyaut Taw, Rakhine State
A curfew has been imposed [my] in Kyaut Taw, Rakhine State, where another riot has occurred between the Rohingya and Rakhine ethnic groups. Myanmar government army troops were sent in to maintain security.
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi as New Parliamentary Committee Head?
Netizens discuss [my] whether Aung San Suu Kyi could succeed as the head of the Rule of Law and Tranquility Committee in Myanmar's parliament.
Myanmar: Barcamp X
As part of the successful BarCamp events in Myanmar, BarCamp Yangon organisers held [my] a three day BarCampX event focusing on Data Camp, Edu[cation] Camp & Health Camp from 3-5 August, 2012.
Historic Photos Commemorate 1988 Myanmar Uprising Anniversary
August 8, 2012, marks the 24th anniversary of the largest uprising in Myanmar's political history - the 1988 pro-democracy protests. A Facebook page known as Myanmar Political Review was created in July and gathered 1,000+ fans in few days, shared several rare photos of the 1988 uprising.
Myanmar: Appeal to Global Community
The Muslim Organisation of Myanmar has appealed [my] to the international community to stop threatening the country, manipulating and propagating news and insulting the national flag and country's leaders regarding the Rohingya issue and the violence in the western part of the country.
Myanmar: Freedom of Press T-Shirt Protest
After three weekly journals were stopped from being published in Myanmar, journalists and editors in the country campaigned for press freedom by wearing black shirts saying “Stop Killing the Press” while they were attending events and covering the news on 4 August, 2012.
Bangladesh: Citizenship Rights for Myanmar's Rohingya?
Myanmar's Rohingya are stateless, not wanted by any country. The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party in Myanmar is calling for the segregation of Rohingya Muslims from ethnic Arakanese and the Bangladesh government recently ordered three international charities to halt aid to Rohingya refugees living in camps to stop their influx from Myanmar.
Myanmar: Outrage Over ‘Buddha Shoes’
Myanmar netizens are outraged over the ‘Buddha shoes' created by a United States company called Icon Shoes. They flooded the website and Facebook page of the company with complaints and it seems to have worked because the controversial shoes have been removed from the online store
Myanmar: Claims of Media Bias Towards Rohingya
Opinion is divided in Myanmar about the status of the Rohingya living in the western part of the country. Human rights groups have condemned the violence against the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine. But some Myanmar netizens feel that international news networks have been distorting information about the situation in their country.
