Kondele

Extra charges dropped against journalists jailed

Naypyidaw - Muslimchronicle

Foreign and local journalists jailed for flying a drone near Myanmar's parliament could be released from prison in early January after police dropped additional charges that carried at least three more years behind bars, their lawyers said Tuesday. Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Mok Choy Lin from Malaysia, who were on assignment for Turkish state broadcaster TRT, were detained late OctoberRead more

Pope sidesteps Rohingya crisis in Myanmar address

Naypyidaw - Muslimchronicle

Pope Francis urged respect for rights and justice in a keenly-watched address in Myanmar on Tuesday, but refrained from any mention of the Rohingya or the alleged ethnic cleansing that has driven huge numbers of the Muslim minority from the country. Sharing a stage with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the capital Naypyidaw, the pontiff tip-toed around the humanitarian emergency ofRead more

Myanmar govt aims to protect rights, foster tolerance 'for all': Suu Kyi

Naypyidaw - Muslimchronicle

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi said Tuesday her government was striving to protect the rights of "all" its people in a speech delivered alongside Pope Francis, whose visit has turned a spotlight on the plight of the persecuted Muslim Rohingya. She said her government aimed to build peace by "protecting rights, fostering tolerance, ensuring security for all" in a speechRead more

Tillerson says broad Myanmar sanctions won't solve Rohingya crisis

Naypyidaw - Muslimchronicle

Washington's top diplomat on Wednesday said he would not yet push for sanctions against Myanmar over the Rohingya refugee crisis, but he called for an independent investigation into "credible" reports that soldiers committed atrocities against the Muslim minority. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was speaking after a one-day stop in Naypyidaw, as global outrage builds over impunity for a militaryRead more

Philippines' Duterte calls European critics 'crazies'

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has described European lawmakers as "crazies" in a salty-tongued rebuttal of criticism of his deadly drug war, while vowing again that all traffickers will be killed. Duterte fired his broadside in a late-night speech Sunday in Myanmar after the European Parliament issued a resolution last week condemning "the high number of extrajudicial killings" in his warRead more

Myanmar peace summit ends with long road ahead

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi concluded a landmark peace summit with ethnic rebels on Saturday, calling it the first step in what promises to be a tough road to peace in a country riven by civil wars since its birth. The conference in the capital Naypyidaw is Suu Kyi's first big drive to end ethnic minority insurgencies that have rumbledRead more

Suu Kyi's party to propose giving her special 'advisor' role

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Aung San Suu Kyi's party will on Thursday submit a proposal to create a new "state advisor" role for her, MPs said, giving her power to liaise between the president and parliament. The Southeast Asian nation is witnessing the dawn of a new era following nearly half a century of military repression, with surging hopes that Suu Kyi's newly sworn-inRead more

Suu Kyi aide sworn in as Myanmar president

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Myanmar entered a new era on Wednesday as Aung San Suu Kyi's democracy movement took power after 50 years of military domination, with a close aide of the Nobel Laureate sworn in as president. Htin Kyaw, a school friend and confidante of the democracy champion, succeeds former general Thein Sein who has helmed reforms that have transformed Myanmar from hermitRead more

Blocked from presidency, Suu Kyi set

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Aung San Suu Kyi was nominated as a cabinet minister in Myanmar's civilian government on Tuesday, giving the democracy veteran a formal position despite being blocked from the presidency in a nation ruled for decades by the military. The Nobel laureate, who has vowed to rule above the next president Htin Kyaw, was named first in a list of ministersRead more

Myanmar president-elect says ethnic ministry 'vital' for peace

Naypyidaw - Arab Today

Myanmar's new president-elect told lawmakers Monday that plans to create a new ethnic affairs ministry were "vital" as he put efforts to heal relations with minorities at the heart of policy in a nation torn by civil wars and sectarian conflict. Htin Kyaw, a close confidante of Aung San Suu Kyi who will rule as her proxy, indicated that tacklingRead more