MANDALAY—A missing US citizen who was charged by a court in Myanmar with growing cannabis fled the country on a new passport and is now back in the United States, a source who personally knows him has confirmed to The Irrawaddy. John Fredric Todoroki, 63, was arrested by Mandalay police in April 2019 along with […]
Three Arrested in Yangon for Sending Myanmar Workers Abroad Illegally
December 16, 2019 by
YANGON—Yangon police arrested a Chinese national and two Myanmar citizens in Yangon on Dec. 7 for sending workers to China illegally. Chinese citizen Chen Siyi, Ko Thant Zin Htet of Naypyitaw and Ma Bawk Seng of Sadong, in Kachin State near the Chinese border, were arrested for sending Burmese women to China without work permits […]
Myanmar Times Co-Founder Ross Dunkley Jailed for 13 Years in Drugs Case
August 15, 2019 by
YANGON—After a trial lasting more than a year, Australian national Ross Dunkley, the co-founder of the Myanmar Times newspaper, and his compatriot John Mckenzie, a former IFC and World Bank adviser, were sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Yangon judge on Tuesday for violating Myanmar’s anti-narcotics law. The two foreigners were apprehended in […]
90 Pct. of Money Laundering Cases Tied to Drugs
July 4, 2019 by
NAYPYIDAW—According to U Maung Maung Kyaw, director general of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Bureau of Special Investigations, 90 percent of the money laundering cases his bureau investigates are tied to drugs. The bureau leads international money laundering investigations in partnership with the Central Bank of Myanmar, the Income and Revenue Department, the Department of […]
Amid Int’l Espionage Concerns, Mandalay to Embrace Huawei for ‘Safe City’ Project
June 20, 2019 by
As part of its high-tech makeover to become a “smart city” with a view to enhancing the rule of law and security, Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay is ready to embrace Huawei, prompting questions about whether upper Myanmar’s business hub will become prone to data theft and state-sponsored spying—both of which the Chinese telecom giant […]
Yangon Police hope to tackle crime via CCTV
June 19, 2019 by
The Yangon regional government will try to control crime and security threats in the city through a closed circuit TV command centre, a government official said. “In Yangon, our police force is not big enough to carry out all police duties, so we have to enlist the aid of technology,” said Col Aung Soe Moe, […]
Yangon to Put Up More CCTV Cameras in High-Crime Neighborhoods
June 11, 2019 by
YANGON—The Yangon regional government has unveiled plans to install more surveillance cameras in crime-ridden neighborhoods of the country’s largest city. “The police force is overstretched in Yangon, and therefore needs technical support to control crime. We are currently installing CCTV cameras,” said Colonel Aung Soe Moe, the Yangon regional security and border affairs minister, at […]
Myanmar works to improve corruption image
April 3, 2019 by
Myanmar has fallen further in a global corruption ranking but could improve its image following some high-profile arrests this year and as the government moves to strengthen the anti-graft agency. The Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International ranked Myanmar 132 out of 180 territories in 2018, down two places from 2017. The Berlin-based global […]
Anti-corruption drive dodges political donations and criminal liability
September 28, 2018 by
Nay Pyi Taw has stepped up its efforts to curb corruption by empowering the anti-graft body and reaching out to the private sector. Yet, the announcement from the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA) has created confusion among businesses. Crucially, there are still no criminal liability for offering bribes and no effective regulations on […]
Yangon under pressure to solve car park shortage
March 20, 2018 by
The Yangon Region government has once again come under pressure to solve the chronic shortage of parking space in the city. It will now take action against those responsible for leaving containers in car parks meant for public use, Yangon Mayor U Maung Maung Soe said in Parliament last week. In Yangon, some have been […]
