Volume 6, Issue 15
More than two months after they were introduced, residents and officials in Yangon are increasingly ignoring stay-at-home orders, yet the government insists infection rates need to fall before they can be rolled back.
It was perhaps inevitable that the disbursement of billions of kyat to help needy households weather the COVID-19 storm would lead to questions about administrative.
A poor showing for Karen parties has re-opened discussions about forming one group to represent Karen interests – a strategy that served its southerly neighbours in the Mon Unity Party well on November 8.
Voters and politicians in Yangon and Kachin State say inadequate voter education and bureaucratic ineptitude meant some ethnic minority voters were denied ballots to elect ethnic affairs ministers.
Hopes are rising that elections can soon be held in the nine Rakhine State townships where voting was cancelled on November 8, but the National League for Democracy seems unconvinced.
Bitter infighting threatens to fell the Chin State Hluttaw’s only ethnic party, which suffered devastating losses amid the National League for Democracy landslide on November.
A wave of disinformation that engulfed social media on November 8 and the days after the election sought to raise doubt about the result and send some sinister messages.
Snap rule changes and snails-pace processing mean truck drivers have at times been forced to wait for days at checkpoints on Myanmar’s major trucking routes during the country’s “second wave” of COVID-19.
Existing free trade agreements and longstanding non-trade barriers could limit the RCEP’s impact for Myanmar, but the country may benefit from increased investment due to improved access to global value chains.
Only when the Tatmadaw is brought under civilian control can the government address Rohingya citizenship claims. Until then, international pressure tactics won’t help. By SITHU.
Residents in one of Yangon’s largest constituencies are urging the ruling party to use its powerful mandate to provide work for young people, and to deliver more urban development.
Kachin State People’s Party members are split on who or what is to blame for their election failure on November 8 – but they’re sure it’s got nothing to do with them.
Latest Issues
Become a Frontier Member
Support our independent journalism and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content and analysis.
Keep your team in the loop
Take a a team membership today so that your organisation is always on top of the latest news from Myanmar.
Join the community
Sign up for Frontier Fridays, our free weekly round-up, and get access to one article a month on the Frontier website.