Category: Burma

Burma Court Jails Celebrities Who Supported Democracy Protests

A court in military-ruled Burma (also known as Myanmar) jailed three prominent show business figures for three years each on Thursday for their part in protests against a February coup, media reported. The military overthrew an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, triggering protests and turmoil that is still unfolding….


Burma Military Acquires Used Chinese Submarine After Receiving Indian Submarine Last Year

The Burmese military has reportedly acquired a diesel-electric submarine from China last week, a Type 035 submarine that the Chinese navy had used, just a year after being gifted a secondhand Kilo-class Russian-built submarine by India. The military regime acquired the submarine, dubbed “Min Ye Kyaw Htin,” through a secret deal with China and commissioned…


Indonesia Allows Rohingya Boat of Refugees to Dock, Amid Pressure From Rights Groups

The Indonesian government has allowed a stranded boat carrying 120 Rohingya refugees near Aceh province to dock, the authorities said on Wednesday, relenting under pressure from rights groups. The boat was first sighted in waters off the coast of Bireuen on Dec. 26. The boat was leaking and damaged, with dozens of Rohingya refugees onboard,…


Thailand Says Burmese Military Aircraft Did Not Breach Airspace Amid Airstrike in Karen State

The Royal Thai Airforce said the Burmese military aircraft did not breach Thailand’s airspace, following reports of the military junta launching airstrikes on a rebel-controlled region near the Thai border last week. The military regime ousted a civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a February coup, sparking protests and clashes…


Save the Children Claims 38 Killed in Military Massacre in Burma, 2 Staff Missing

Save the Children, a United Kingdom-based humanitarian organization, claimed that at least 38 villagers were killed by military troops in the Kayah state of Burma, also known as Myanmar, while two of its staff members went missing. The organization said in a statement that two of its employees who were traveling home for the holidays after…


Landslide in Burma Mining Area Leaves Dozens Missing

BANGKOK—A landslide at a remote jade mine in northern Burma (also known as Myanmar)’s Kachin state killed one person and left at least 70 missing Wednesday and a search and rescue operation was underway, rescue officials said. Reports were scant from the area in Hpakant, which is the center of the world’s biggest and most…


Over 2,500 Burmese Flee to Thailand Amid Fight Between Rebels and Junta Forces

More than 2,500 Burmese were forced to flee and seek shelter in Thailand’s Tak province amid the recent armed conflicts between a rebel Karen ethnic group, the Karen National Union (KNU), and the military regime in Burma. Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj, deputy governor of western Tak province, said that about 2,503 refugees from Burma, 545 of whom…


Empty Streets in Burma as Protesters Hold ‘Silent Strikes’ Against Military

Burma, also known as Myanmar, braced for empty streets on International Human Rights Day as protesters staged nationwide “silent strikes” in defiance of the military regime that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February coup. Photos on social media showed the streets of Yangon, a densely populated city usually crowded with public…


Sentence for Burma’s Suu Kyi Reduced to 2 Years in Prison

BANGKOK—State television in Burma (also known as Myanmar) announced Monday night that country’s military leader reduced Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence by two years. Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a de facto coup this year, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier in the day after being convicted on charges widely dismissed as…


Burma’s Suu Kyi Convicted, Prison Sentence Reduced to 2 Years

BANGKOK—Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of Burma (also known as Myanmar) who was ousted in a de facto coup this year, was convicted on two charges Monday and handed a four-year sentence that was quickly cut in half—in proceedings widely criticized as a further effort by the country’s military rulers to roll back…