Affairs

A sharp increase in household plastic waste amid COVID-19 has exacerbated the threat posed by Yangon’s near-capacity landfills and poor waste management systems.
The Kayan New Land Party has not traded fire with the Tatmadaw for 26 years, but the armed group says it’s still striving to uplift the Kayan people and secure their autonomy.

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In recent months the KIO’s armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army, has come under sustained attack by the Tatmadaw, resulting in the loss of several key mountain posts and bases. These offensives have put IDPs in the firing line, prompted the Northern Alliance counter-offensive in northern Shan State in late November and jeopardised progress at next month’s planned 21st Century Panglong – Union Peace Conference.
Since the NLD government took office, Japan has promised billions in aid and investment, much of which will be administered through its development aid arm, the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The agency’s chief representative in Myanmar, Keiichiro Nakazawa, spoke to Frontier’s Thomas Kean about the government’s donor coordination efforts, the next phase of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone and plans for a new port and airport in southern Yangon.
Founded by legendary missionary Adoniram Judson, the First Baptist Church in Mawlamyine is set to undergo significant restoration, including the replacement of its leaking roof and removal of sheeting containing deadly asbestos fibres.
While interfaith marriage has been a hot topic in recent years, mixed ethnicity marriages can also be a sensitive issue in Myanmar, where women in particular come under pressure to shoulder the burden of cultural preservation by marrying within their ethnic group.

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Myanmar enters 2021 with more friends than foes

The early delivery of vaccines is one of the many boons of the country’s geopolitics, but to really take advantage, Myanmar must bury the legacy of its isolationist past.

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Will the Kayin BGF go quietly?

The Kayin State Border Guard Force has come under intense pressure from the Tatmadaw over its extensive, controversial business interests and there’s concern the ultimatum could trigger fresh hostilities in one of the country’s most war-torn areas.

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