19th September 2021 There have been a number of incidents by rebels in Myanmar with infrastructure damage designed to hurt the junta members financially being at the forefront of their activities. Monywa in the Sagaing region was the centre of much of this activity. The Monywa office of Mytel, the
9th September 2021 There have been few reports from Myanmar because it has settled down into a state of impasse. The attrition goes on as each side is wearing each other down. The National Unity Group (NUG) has pushed for a declaration of war on the Junta and is aiming
On July 23rd, the good ship Brothers’ Pride departed from London bound for New Zealand. On the 26th, it made its last port of call in England and the passengers waved goodbye to England as it left Gravesend. Being a ship of 1,236 tonnes, it departed Gravesend with 371
29th August 2021 As the conflict settles down into a regular pattern of civil disobedience and sporadic violence with frequent clashes between the military and the informal armies, things are stirring in the background. The army is showing signs of splitting. It’s not enough to cause a major problem
23rd August 2021 The action taken by the PDF and the ethnic armies is beginning to take effect. The junta have instructed all its troops to be combat ready as a direct result of increased ambushes and urban attacks. The regime’s crackdown on its opponents is expected to intensify
August 15th, 2021. Boris Johnson is plummeting in the ratings. Some 48% of those polled thought he was a “poor” or a “terrible” Prime Minister. He was “average” in the eyes of 25%, and “good” or “great” according to just 20%. Boris Johnson’s poll lead over Labour has collapsed
16th August 2021 The disastrous American extraction from Afghanistan has major geopolitical implications for the region. The manner of the pull-out sends a message to its allies, and NATO and the UK are especially brassed off with the USA. Russia and China have responded speedily, saying that they will recognise
13th August 2021 In a surprising move, the USA disclosed that their UN ambassador has held discussions with a well-known pro-bono medical expert in Myanmar. The funding will be supplied to NGOs to disburse in the Thai-Myanmar border areas. This is a clever move, as it will reduce the pressure
8th August 2021 Two Myanmar nationals were arrested in New York and charged with the attempted murder of Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, who has refused to support the Junta. If the military were involved, then its clumsy execution was typical of the Tatmadaw’s organisation.
Death from starvation and Covid or death from revolution? That is the stark choice facing many Burmese citizens. The sense of despair is getting so strong, especially in the non-metropolitan regions, amongst the young that they are declaring that it is better to die in action against the Junta than
1st August 2021 The following piece carries on the theme from yesterday’s piece about the UK ambassador to the UN. The covid epidemic is getting out of control and has the potential to devastate the region which in turn could spread it to the rest of the world. Not
31st July 2021 On Thursday, I took part in a webinar on the banking crisis in Myanmar and its impact on the economy. Hosted by Monash University the academic and business experts gave a wide range of views on the economy, but basically concurred on one thing – it’s close
25th July 2021 Myanmar’s economy is set to shrink by 18 percent this fiscal year amid the ongoing political upheaval caused by the military coup and a rapid surge in the third wave of COVID-19 in the country, the World Bank said in its latest report. The World Bank
25th July 2021 The UN special rapporteur on Myanmar gave an interview to Radio Free Asia, which highlights the difficulties in trying to give aid and find a diplomatic solution. RFA: What is your opinion of the situation in Myanmar right now? Andrews: There’s very, very deep concern within
22nd July 2021 Following on from previous pieces on Covid in Myanmar, we see how the people of Myanmar have to be creative in transporting and disposing of bodies. It really is getting beyond surreal in Myanmar. All this is happening in the monsoon, which makes everything difficult and uncomfortable.
July 20th, 2021. In 1966 6% of young people went to university but by 2018 this had reached 50.2%. Tony Blair achieved this as one of his policies. With the long march of socialism through the universities and higher education, this means that the young are now being trained
