Retired Myanmar general set for powerful role in new parliament, sources say

A retired general from an army-backed party that swept Myanmar’s election is set to take the powerful role of speaker of parliament, party sources said, which could help the military cement control of government after a return to democratic rule. A junta that has run Myanmar since a 2021 coup will formally cede power after […]

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Myanmar rebel leader Bo Nagar surrenders to junta amid resistance infighting

Associated Press A prominent leader of an independent resistance group in Myanmar that had come under attack by rivals who are loyal to the mainstream opposition force has surrendered to the country’s military authorities, state media reported on Thursday. The surrender of Bo Nagar, a leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA), in the […]

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Thailand seeks leading role in restoring Myanmar to Asean fold

Thailand hopes to bring Myanmar back into Asean nearly five years after a military coup, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has said after meeting his Myanmar counterpart. “Thailand wants to be a bridge connecting Myanmar back to Asean,” Sihasak told reporters. He also urged civil war-ravaged Myanmar to make moves to adhere to a long-standing […]

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China has executed several Myanmar criminals. What does that say about their regional influence?

By Sylvie Zhuang in Beijing In less than a week, China has carried out executions on a scale rarely seen in recent decades. Sixteen key members of a mafia-like crime syndicate have been sentenced to death for crimes ranging from murder to fraud and human trafficking. While all of the victims in the case were […]

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Rohingya survivors expect UN top court to rule Myanmar committed genocide

Rohingya survivors of Myanmar’s 2017 military crackdown said on Friday they expect the United Nations’ highest court to rule that Myanmar committed genocide against them, following the conclusion of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Judges at the court, also known as the World Court, are expected to take several months to deliver […]

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Myanmar election delivers victory for military-backed party amid civil war

Myanmar’s military-backed party has completed a sweeping victory in the country’s three-phase general election, state media said, cementing an outcome long expected after a tightly controlled political process held during civil war and widespread repression. The Union and Solidarity Party (USDP) dominated all phases of the vote, winning an overwhelming majority in Myanmar’s two legislative […]

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Asean cautioned against legitimising Myanmar junta as ministers meet on peace plan

By Sam Beltran As foreign ministers from Asean member states gathered in the Philippine city of Cebu this week, the bloc faced a familiar dilemma: how to keep pushing for peace in Myanmar without sliding into what critics warn could become “de facto acceptance” of its military regime. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) […]

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Myanmar’s loaded election brings win for junta allies: ‘What was the point?’

By Aidan Jones Myanmar’s military proxy party has claimed a predictable victory in an election widely condemned as a sham, a result likely to hardwire the junta into power indefinitely. For millions of disenfranchised citizens like May*, who fled to neighbouring Thailand to escape the crackdown, the landslide win holds no credibility. “None of us […]

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Myanmar general looms over poll seen as cementing junta’s power

YANGON: Myanmar’s top general Min Aung Hlaing was months from retirement five years ago when he made an about-face, deposed the democratic government and promoted himself to leader. The bespectacled officer became military chief in 2011, just as Myanmar broke with its history of iron-fisted martial rule and began its latest experiment with democracy. Now […]

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ASEAN will not certify Myanmar election or send observers, Malaysia says

KUALA LUMPUR: The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will not send observers to army-ruled Myanmar’s ongoing three-stage election and will therefore not ​endorse the poll, Malaysia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military staged a coup against a civilian government in 2021. The election, which began in […]

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