Coloured waste bins line the walls of RecyGlo’s office in Yangon. Blue is for paper, red for plastic, green for aluminium and black for general waste. The waste is being separated for recycling. “If the plastic, glass and cans that we discard daily are not systematically sorted, recycled and reused, it will have an impact […]
Cruise ship arrives in Mergui
March 5, 2019 by
The ‘last island paradise’ of the Mergui Archipelago, straddling Myanmar and Thailand, has been in the spotlight with a high-level inspection and a day visit by a large super-cruise ship last week. The group of over 800 islands, for decades dubbed ‘the forbidden islands’ following its closure to all by the Burmese military junta since […]
Parliament passes gemstone bill amid criticism
February 15, 2019 by
Myanmar’s parliament has passed a controversial bill governing the gemstone sector, paving the way to restart the licensing of mining companies after a two-year moratorium. Upon taking office in 2016, the National League for Democracy-led administration suspended issuing new or extension of existing gemstone licences pending a governance review intended to clean up the sector. […]
Myanmar’s opium farmers cling on to lucrative crop
February 7, 2019 by
HOPONG, Myanmar: Fields of purple opium poppy stretch across the pastures and peaks of mountainous eastern Myanmar, with many farmers reluctant to give up the profitable cash crop in spite of incentives offered. Myanmar is the second biggest source of opium in the world after Afghanistan, with Shan state its main production hub. AFP hiked […]
Muse: Myanmar’s militia-run, billion-dollar gateway to China
February 6, 2019 by
With tinted windows and their militia name emblazoned on the side of their Ford truck, “Pan Say” fighters cruise the sleazy streets of Muse, Myanmar’s main gateway to China and awash with weapons and cash from casinos, drugs and sex. Ten armed groups run the Shan State border town of Muse, which is separated by […]
Myanmar Launches First Inquiry into Agricultural Chemicals and Their Effects
October 15, 2018 by
The Upper House of Parliament’s agriculture committee has launched its very first parliamentary inquiry into chemicals used in agriculture and their effects on the health and quality of life of farmers, workers and consumers across the country, according to the committee chair. Myanmar’s Upper House of Parliament and chair of the Agriculture Committee, U Aung […]
Waiting for Godot: farmers seek return of seized land
August 23, 2018 by
Farmers in Myanmar are still waiting for justice as many of their lands were confiscated by government officials, military personnel, authorities and their cronies for various reasons, a new report from New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed. The NGO launched the report “Nothing for Our Land: Impacts of Land Confiscation on Farmers in Myanmar” […]
Dialogue on Pakbaeng Hydropower Project Begins
January 23, 2018 by
CHIANG RAI PROVINCE, Thailand (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The first dialogue meeting of the Pakbaeng Hydropower Project on the Mekong River yesterday took place to further react with the recommendations raised by the Mekong River Commission in regards to the PNPCA process of the project. Officials from the Thailand National Mekong Committee Secretariat (TNMCS) and Lao […]
NGO Urges Gov’t To Halt Kachin Hydropower Project
September 11, 2017 by
A new report published by the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) implored the government to cease construction on the Ngo Chan Hka Hydropower projects on the Ngo Chang Hka River, citing various adverse ecological and social effects. The project’s four dams are the Laung Din, Tongxinqiao, Khan Kang, and Gaw Lang on the Ngo Chang […]
