The People’s Defence Force has suffered a major symbolic setback by losing control of the first town it seized – accusing the Myanmar military of destroying Kawlin in order to reclaim it – but its troops vow to fight on.
BY

  

The People’s Defence Force has suffered a major symbolic setback by losing control of the first town it seized – accusing the Myanmar military of destroying Kawlin in order to reclaim it – but its troops vow to fight on.
Residents in Mon State say drug use among young people is getting worse and a programme led by the New Mon State Party aimed at combatting drug abuse is facing capacity constraints.
Despite Myanmar’s nationwide commercial logging ban in 2016, illegal loggers continue to find work cutting down trees with chainsaws, imported largely from China and often obtained illegally and used without training or protective gear, according to a months-long investigation by Mongabay.
With the next Union Peace Conference to begin in the coming weeks, an image of a grief-stricken grandmother provokes a reflection on the innocent civilian victims of decades of conflict among armed organisations in Myanmar.

Latest Issue

Stories in this issue
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.
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.