New security checks at Shwedagon Pagoda symptomatic of SPDC’s mounting paranoia Wed 10 Mar 2010,Mehm Oa According to sources in Rangoon, a combined security force comprised of the Rangoon police and State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) soldiers have maintained strict security and baggage checks at Rangoon’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda since the 27th,...
Visitors in Rangoon encounter increased security and travel restrictions Tue 09 Mar 2010,IMNA Travelers arriving in Rangoon are encountering a series of heightened security measures and travel restrictions by Burmese military government administration.
Beginning in March, travelers have reported authorities conducting...
Families of deported migrant workers fear grim job prospects Tue 09 Mar 2010,Kon Chan Families of migrant workers employed in Thailand report to IMNA that they fear that Thailand’s commencement of the proposed mass deportations of unregistered migrant workers back to Burma, set to begin at the close of February 2010, will result in...
Mon youths complain of heightened surveillance following monk’s arrest Mon 08 Mar 2010,Nai Marn Mon State youth are complaining of being increasingly targeted for surveillance efforts by Burmese government authorities since the arrest of Ashin Uk Kong Sah, a Mon monk, in Thanphyuzayart this January. A youth leader in Moulmein informed IMNA that...
Mon Business community launches new company Mon 08 Mar 2010,Rehmonnya A new Mon business corporation, known as the “Talamon Company”, has officially formed, aiming to meet key tenets, besides turning a profit, that include a commitment to non-political business and philanthropic community development.
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Summer paddy cultivation crippled by agricultural costs and labor shortages Fri 05 Mar 2010,IMNA Due the high costs of fertilizer, low water availability and accompanying diesel costs, and reduced amounts of workers willing to work as day laborers in summer paddies, rice farmers around Mon State have confirmed that their summer paddy harvests...
WHO donates H1N1 vaccines to Burmese Ministry of Health Fri 05 Mar 2010,Kon Chan According New Light of Myanmar on March 4th, Burmese authorities have announced that only 63 Burmese citizens have been infected with H1N1 in 2010, and the disease is “under control”; nevertheless, the World Health Organization (WHO) has opted to...
Monastic award ceremony deferred indefinitely due to H1N1 Thu 04 Mar 2010,Taw Lawi The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has this year put off an annual Naypyidaw-based religious ceremony, in which senior monks around Burma are granted honorific titles, purportedly due to the H1N1 threat in the area.
The...
Future of community events unclear after increased government scrutiny Wed 03 Mar 2010,Jaloon Htaw and Yin Mon Increased inquiry by Burmese government administration members at community festivals and events, intended to curb political discussion, has prompted communities to freeze all community events for fear of government suspicion.
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New Customs Department ‘land tax’ overburdens owners with acreage Mon 01 Mar 2010,IMNA The Customs Department in Mudon and Thanphyuzayart Townships is collecting a ‘land tax’ for the first time from farmers and plantation owners in the region. Landowners that are subject to the tax have reported extreme difficulty in fronting the funds...
Burmese artillery and other units, seen advancing towards the Thai/Burma border Fri 26 Feb 2010, IMNA mese army forces are advancing towards the border of eastern Burma, though the specific target of the advance remains unclear, say sources from the area.
Nearly 200 Burmese soldiers from an unidentified battalion were seen ma...
