Feb 04, 2013 (English Version)

Women’s Groups Condemn Sexual Violence by Govt Army

Thirty-one ethnic women’s groups in Burma speak out against the government army for committing sexual abuses against women in war-torn Kachin State. Read More

KIO and Govt Peace Delegation Start Peace Talks

Kachin and Burmese government peace negotiators meet in Ruili, China, for a fresh round of peace talks aimed at ending the war in Burma’s north. Read More

Police Seize Drugs, Weapons in Town on India Border

A large cache of pseudo-ephedrine tablets and weapons are captured in a raid on a home in Tamu, Sagaing Division, near Burma’s border with India. Read More

‘Fictional Characters Inspired Me Politically,’ Suu Kyi Tells Litfest

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi told participants at Burma’s first international literary festival that she found political inspiration in fiction and strength in poetry. Read More

Kachin Rebels, Govt to Hold Talks in China

The KIA and the Burmese government agree to hold talks in China this week, even as fresh shelling booms across the front line. Read More

The Crisis in Thai Buddhism

As Thailand’s unique brand of Buddhism comes under increasing scrutiny, some wonder how it manages to keep its revered place despite recurring scandals. Read More

Tibetan Leader Accuses China of ‘Sham’ Trials

The political leader of Tibetan exiles accuses China of holding “sham” trials against eight Tibetans convicted of inciting others to set themselves on fire. Read More

China and Japan Seek to Dial Down Tensions, but Risks Remain

Japan and China move to tone down a bitter territorial dispute, but deep mistrust, regional rivalry and pumped up nationalism continue to complicate matters. Read More

Salaries as Elusive as Justice at Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge Trial

Cambodian staff at a Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal have gone two months without pay and are threatening a walkout amid allegations of government obstruction. Read More

Tay Za Wants Stop Chairing Gems Association

Tay Za, a US sanction-listed businessman, wants to quit chairing Burma’s gem industry association, but the organization claims that it wants him to stay. Read More

Probe: Pilot Error May Have Caused Burma Crash

An investigation into the Christmas Day crash of an Air Bagan Fokker 100 jet in Burma’s Shan State that killed two people suggests pilot error may have been to blame, Civil Aviation Department Deputy Director General Win Swe Tun said on Friday. The pilots failed to decide quickly enough whether to use visual or instrument [...] Read More

Best Western Plans Burma Hotels

Best Western International Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel chains, will open its first establishment in Burma this year, Bloomberg reports. The company decided to enter Burma as the investment climate has improved following the country’s reforms, and because it is also experiencing a rapid growth in tourism. Glenn de Souza, the US company’s [...] Read More

Sri Lanka Rescues 138 from Sinking Boat

Sri Lanka’s navy saved 138 people from Burma and Bangladesh from a small boat that was sinking off the island’s eastern coast, AFP reports. One of the passengers was found dead, while many of the other 138 in the vessel were dehydrated. “We sent three ships for the rescue at a location (80 kilometers) off [...] Read More

Carlsberg to Open Burma Brewery

Danish brewer Carlsberg is returning to Burma following the easing of international sanctions which forced it out of the country in the mid-1990s. The world’s fourth-largest brewer said on Friday it had signed a deal with its former partner, privately-owned Burma Golden Star Breweries, to build a new brewery in the country. “There is no [...] Read More

Man City Drops 2 More Points in Pursuit of United

Liverpool held Manchester City to a 2-2 draw on Sunday to leave the stuttering champions nine points behind in the Premier League title race. Read More