Analysis of EIA for Phase I of Thilawa SEZ

EarthRights International (ERI) found serious flaws relating to land rights, resettlement, and environmental protection in the planning and development of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Yangon, Myanmar. These flaws and their impacts on displaced communities and the surrounding environment are documented in two new briefers […]

Burma Air Force Destroys Timber Trucks in order to Gain Timber Monopoly in Kachin State

The Burma Army has been deliberately targeting timber trucks in Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) controlled areas with airstrikes. These targeted attacks have been documented and photographed by the KIO. The sale and shipping of resources through Kachin State, such as timber, is a lucrative revenue source, and this is not the first time that timber trucks have been disrupted en route […]

Myanmar 2014: Civic Knowledge and Values in a Changing Society

After decades of military rule and isolation, a new Asia Foundation survey shows Myanmar’s citizens are hopeful about the future – on elections, respondents say they believe in exercising their right to vote: 77 percent say that voting can lead to improvements in the future, just 10 percent say things will not change no matter how one votes. But this optimism is tempered by challenges that remain. The findings reveal limited knowledge among the public about government institutions and their functions, low level of social trust, a high degree of political polarization, and deep apprehension about economic opportunities.

Thai Oversea Investment on Coal Mining in Myanmar: The Private Business Violating Human Rights and Causing Environmental Impact on Ethnic Communities along Tenasserim Border

Tanintharyi Hills or Tanintharyi Range is the geographical name of a roughly 1,700 km long mountain chain, part of the Indo-­‐Malayan mountain system in Southeast Asia. The Tanintharyi Range covered with lush green forest and is a natural border line between Thailand and Myanmar. Across the hills in Myanmar side is Tanintharryi Region. The capital of this administrative region is Dawei which consists of diverse of ethnicity such as Dawei or Tavoy, Karen or Khayin and Mon. The local languages spoken by majority of the population are Tavoyan and Karen. In the past, the areain which bordering near Kanchanaburi province of Thailand was a former war zone between Karen ethnic group and Burmese junta government. It was intense conflict war zone during 1996 -­‐ 1997 until cease fire agreement between the Burmese junta and the Karen National Union (KNU) was signed in 2012 […]

Statement by the IMF Mission to Myanmar

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Matt Davies visited Myanmar during June 4–17 to hold the 2014 Article IV Consultation discussions with the authorities.1 The mission met with Minister of President’s Office U Soe Thane, Union Minister of Finance U Win Shein, Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) Governor U Kyaw Kyaw Maung, as well as other senior officials, parliamentarians, representatives from private sector and civil societies, donors and the diplomatic community […]

Myanmar’s Moment: Unique Opportunities, Major Challenges

Myanmar is a highly unusual but promising prospect for businesses and investors—an underdeveloped economy with many advantages, in the heart of the world’s fastest-growing region. Home to 60 million inhabitants (46 million of working age), this Asian nation has abundant natural resources and is close to a market of half a billion people […]

A New Dawn for Equitable Growth in Myanmar?: Making the Private Sector Work for Small-Scale Agriculture

A new wave of political reforms have set Myanmar on a road to unprecedented economic expansion, but without targeted policy efforts and regulation to level the playing field, the benefits of new investment will filter down to only a few, leaving small-scale farmers – the backbone of the Myanmar economy […]

Too Much, Too Soon? The Dilemma of Foreign Aid to Myanmar/Burma

At the end of March 2011, Myanmar began an ambitious political transition led by newly elected President Thein Sein. Bold moves in his first year included opening a dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, suspending construction of the Chinese-fund Myitsone Dam, and abandoning a grossly overvalued exchange rate in favor of a market-determined rate. These moves unleashed a swarm of visitors seeking to support the transition and “make a difference”: prime ministers, foreign ministers, heads of donor agencies and international NGOs, chief executives of multinational corporations, and many others […]

World Bank: Emphasize Civil Participation in Burma

The World Bank should promote civil society participation in proposed development programs in Burma, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the World Bank released today […]

Burma’s Economy: Mismanagement as Usual

Contrary to the regime’s rhetoric of substantial economic reform, the Burmese economy remains hostage to the same oppressive and misguided economic policies that have stunted its development for decades.

The military continues to control the bulk of the budget, with no improvement in transparency. The regime also maintains a dual exchange rate system in order to siphon off funds into private accounts, starving the national budget of official revenue and inflating the fiscal deficit […]