The Union Election Commission's censoring of political party speeches underscores the need for Myanmar to unambiguously enshrine freedom of expression in law.
BY Frontier
The Union Election Commission's censoring of political party speeches underscores the need for Myanmar to unambiguously enshrine freedom of expression in law.
U Shwe Mann’s party has grown rapidly thanks to the wealth and influence of its leaders, but their military backgrounds cast doubt on its claim.
The health ministry was able to rapidly scale up testing when the second wave of the virus first broke, but since the wave turned to a flood it has struggled to stay afloat.
Politically engaged monks have been active in Myanmar since before independence but their role in the November election is unlikely to be as divisive as it was in 2015.
U Kyaw Myint's shady past and sudden arrest has captured the headlines but in Mon State his party has been accused of deceiving residents with job promises.
The election in the southern coastal region is expected to be a walkover for the National League for Democracy, despite a more crowded electoral field.
The digital payments sector has boomed in Myanmar over the past six months as consumers have sought to minimise contact with others to curb the spread of COVID-19, and new investment and plans for interoperability could soon deliver a much bigger boost.
The explosion of COVID-19 cases throughout since mid-August is dealing a heavy blow in key sectors and the worst may not be over.
If Myanmar needs a guide in its fight against COVID-19, it need look no further than what human rights law already demands of it.
Successive generations of Myanmar hip hop have pushed back against a repressive government and a conservative culture – at least, until the National League for Democracy came to power.
The recent publication of famed historian Dr Than Tun’s PhD thesis on Buddhism and Bagan provides a reminder that the primary sources do not support much of what we have been taught about Myanmar’s first empire.
Two Frontier reporters have been kept in isolation in eastern Shan State since August 31, despite having tested negative for COVID-19. At home in Yangon, a pregnant wife and a two-month-old baby wonder when they’ll be allowed back.
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