Telecommunications Revolution Leaves Pauktaw Villagers Behind

Moe Pauk 03 Nov 2022

The rapidly expanding access to smartphones saw Myanmar leapfrog into the mobile internet age, which improved the socioeconomic lives of millions of people in many parts of the country. But Phadu villagers were left behind.

As Sittwe Creek Narrows, Its Prospects Dim

DMG 01 Oct 2022

On a recent visit, DMG found that at least five vessels had been abandoned in Sat Roe Kya Creek, with some badly rusted out and others left in the middle of the creek. DMG was told that some of those vessels are owned by the department of Inland Water Transport and previously ran routes on various waterways in the state, but had been retired and left to ruin in the creek.

Can Sittwe Be Saved From Itself?

DMG 01 Sep 2022

Consider that in 2018, there were just eight garbage trucks, an inadequate number to meet the needs of the Sittwe population. What’s more, the lack of skilled manpower for trash collection has led to avoidable negative consequences, such as the spread of disease. Underfunding of Sittwe’s trash collection system is just one facet of a much larger dysfunction when it comes to municipal environmental policy.

In Myanmar’s West, a People Remain Oppressed

Nay Myo Linn 31 Jul 2022

Arakan State is the second poorest state in Myanmar, with very limited job opportunities. Arakanese people therefore often seek work abroad, or in large Myanmar cities like Yangon and Mandalay. Muslims, however, can’t do so. They are barred from leaving Arakan State, and those who try to leave are arrested and locked up by authorities if caught. 

Opening Closed Doors in Arakan State

27 Jul 2022

Last year, AA officials came and met with Muslim faith leaders, Buddhist monks and community elders, and called for peaceful coexistence between the two communities. It was followed by members of the two communities getting back in contact with each other after a lengthy gap in communications for many.

Mro Ethnic Group’s Ritual Slaughter Carries On Among Some

Min Tun 21 Jul 2022

On the second day of the ritual slaughter, villagers must go up the hill to cut bamboo to build a traditional platform. The villagers use the bamboo they have to cut to build a traditional platform attached to the host’s home.

Drumbeats of War Leave Arakan on Edge

Gaung 01 Jul 2022

Over the past year, the AA has consolidated its control of large parts of Arakan State, strengthening its administrative grip — complete with a judicial system and police force separate from the junta’s own. Operating alongside the regime’s administration, perhaps it was inevitable that the AA and its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), would find themselves on a collision course with the military. 

Ethnic Thet People Fear a Fading Identity

Gaung 27 Jun 2022

A large segment of the Thet population resides in remote areas with very limited access to public services as well as opportunities to improve their living standards. To make matters worse, many from Maungdaw, who mainly have engaged in farming for their livelihoods, were forced to flee after violence broke out in the border town. The displaced have since reached different parts of the country, scattering among big societies of other ethnic people.

In Arakan and Beyond, Journalism Bent but Not Broken for Post-Coup Myanmar 

Nay Myo Linn 12 Jun 2022

Myanmar’s young democracy vanished abruptly when the military seized power from the elected civilian government in a coup on February 1, 2021. Myanmar people, who were just starting to become familiar with the democratic process, were pushed back into yet another era of dictatorship. 

Mourning an Arakanese Martyr, Celebrating a Revolutionary Spirit

Gaung 04 Jun 2022

Nine leaders who were serving at the naval base in Thanlyin, including Khaing Moe Lun and Khaing Ray Khaing, were detained and jailed, marking a period of hiatus for their armed revolution. In 1972, they were released in a general amnesty by the BSPP government. Khaing Moe Lun then returned to his native village and worked as a merchant, according to family members. 

Arakanese Political Parties at a Crossroads

Nay Myo Linn 03 Jun 2022

U Pe Than, a 66-year-old veteran Arakanese politician who won a seat in two consecutive general elections, stepped away from party politics last year in favour of what he describes as an activism that is instead based on national interest. His decision came in the context of an era in which the popular stance increasingly seems to view party politics as having come to a dead end in Arakan State. 

Sparks of Conflict Threaten a Return to Flames of War in Arakan State

Gaung 30 May 2022

With the regime under increasing military pressure from resistance forces collectively known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF) as well as ethnic armed organisations like the Karen National Union (KNU), the AA is again under the spotlight and is widely viewed as a potential game changer in what is known as the anti-coup “Spring Revolution”. 

Abandoned Tinma village still waits for return of its conflict-displaced residents

DMG 24 Apr 2022

Tinma village was once a so-called “model village,” with a cottage hospital and a basic education high school that neighbouring villages also relied on. Today, the village is anything but a model. Scores of homes in Tinma, as well as the village monastery, were damaged or destroyed in fighting between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army (AA), which plagued much of Arakan State from late 2018 to 2020.

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