Myanmar

YANGON, May 31 (NNN-MNA) – The Myanmar government has ordered all staff to return to work as usual, starting tomorrow, a government official told a press briefing on Saturday.

“Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government ordered half of the staff to stay at home in recent months,” said Zaw Htay, spokesperson of the President’s Office.

The offices must follow the health measures issued by the Ministry of Health and Sports, he said.

Meanwhile, basic education schools will be reopened in mid-July.

YANGON, May 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — A police outpost in Myanmar’s Rakhine state was attacked by Arakan Army (AA) rebel, leaving 10 police personnel and three family members missing early Friday, an official from the Military True News Information Team said.

“All of the missing ones can’t be seized by the group. Some may be killed in the attack and some may be taken away by them,” said Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, secretary of the team, adding that more reinforcement troops have been sent to the scene.

13 May 2020; AFP: Myanmar's military has conceded its troops abused prisoners in Rakhine State after a video of soldiers battering blindfolded detainees spread on social media -- a rare admission of wrongdoing by a force often accused of acting with impunity.

The video, which emerged on Sunday, shows plain-clothed men punching and kicking the heads of handcuffed and blindfolded detainees.

YANGON, May 5 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar’s trade deficit recorded over 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, in the first seven months of present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, up from over 651 million U.S. dollars in the corresponding period of last FY, the Commerce Ministry said, Tuesday.

From Oct 1 to Apr 24 of this FY, the country earned over 10.4 billion U.S. dollars, while its import reached over 11.6 billion U.S. dollars.

YANGON, April 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Myanmar will release almost 25,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the traditional New Year, the president’s office said on Friday.

President Win Myint said 24,896 people jailed across the country, including 87 foreigners, would be freed unconditionally “to bring delights to the citizens of Myanmar and taking into consideration humanitarian concerns”.

The president gave no details of the crimes the prisoners were convicted of.

17 April 2020; AFP: More than a quarter of Myanmar's prison population is being released, the president's office announced Friday, after calls grew to ease pressure on overcrowded jails with coronavirus fears gripping the country.

The Southeast Asian nation grants an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners to mark its April New Year holiday, but this is the largest recorded in recent years.

YANGON, Mar 30 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar’s Yangon International Airport announced that, the landing of all international commercial passenger flights will not be allowed, at all Myanmar airports, with effect from today, Mar 30 to Apr 13, to contain COVID-19 spread, according to a notice from the Ministry of Health and the Department of Civil Aviation.

(Reuters) - Myanmar’s army said on Wednesday it had withdrawn a criminal complaint it filed against Reuters news agency after being requested to do so by the Myanmar Press Council and in the interest of good relations with the media.

Police said last week the military had filed a lawsuit against Reuters and a local lawmaker for criminal defamation weeks after objecting to a news story about two Rohingya Muslim women, who died as a result of shelling in Rakhine state.

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s parliament rejected on Wednesday a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the country’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to officially become president.

The rejection had been expected because the proposal was opposed by the military, which under the constitution adopted when it held power, holds enough parliamentary seats to block any constitutional change.

YANGON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Eight ancient human fossils and its utensils recently unearthed in Myanmar's Mandalay Region will be shown to the public soon, an official from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture told Xinhua on Monday.