Myanmar

Union Solidarity and Development Party Vice Chairman Khin Yi said Thursday the results of the election would be different if the election commission was "fair and unbiased." (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Myanmar election

Myanmar military-linked opposition demands election recount

USDP claims 'fraud' after Suu Kyi-led NLD wins landslide

26 November 2020
Aung San Suu Kyi's fervid supporters show a clear contrast from the cool attitude of western media and human rights organizations. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters)
Asia Insight

Suu Kyi's Myanmar election win fails to excite foreign investors

Overseas companies put off by red tape, poor infrastructure and plight of Rohingya

24 November 2020
Unicharm operates in more than 80 countries but has struggled to catch on big in regions beyond Asia.
Business Spotlight

Unicharm takes on COVID-19 and rivals with 'made in Japan' masks

CEO wants to sell to Indonesia and Thailand to build on success with diapers

20 November 2020
Delta Capital Myanmar's managing partner believes the pandemic is a good time to invest in the country, as opportunities are opening up in sectors such as health care and logistics.
DealStreetAsia

Delta Capital Myanmar plans to raise $100m for third fund

Investor eyes deals in telecom, finance, logistics and health care sectors

18 November 2020
Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy proved her extraordinary popularity in the Nov. 8 election. (Source photos by Yuichi Nitta and Reuters)
Myanmar election

Suu Kyi's NLD confirms 396 seats, surpassing 2015 landslide victory

Ruling party's popularity proves decisive as military-linked group cries foul

14 November 2020
Supporters of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party wear T-shirts promoting leader Than Htay as they protest results at the Union Election Commission in Naypyitaw, on November 11.
Myanmar election

Myanmar election latest: Opposition suffers huge defeat

NLD invites ethnic parties into 'democratic federal union' as results roll in

13 November 2020
A National League for Democracy election billboard near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
12 November 2020
Kirin holds a 51% stake in Myanmar Brewery and Mandalay Brewery each, while its partner Myanma Economic Holdings controls the rest.
Food & Beverage

Japan's Kirin declines to take dividend from Myanmar breweries

Move comes after Amnesty's allegations its local partner funds the military

11 November 2020
Supporters of the NLD celebrate election victory in Mandalay on Nov. 9: the political fallout may contradict the electoral results.
Opinion

Myanmar's smooth election disguises systemic failure

Big vote for Suu Kyi obscures country's near irreconcilable divisions

10 November 2020
Supporters of the National League for Democracy hold flags and a picture of Aung San Suu Kyi outside the party's headquarters in Yangon on Nov. 8.
Myanmar election

Suu Kyi's NLD claims to have won majority in Myanmar election

Officials continue to count votes after strong turnout

9 November 2020
Thousands demonstrate in support of the Kachin State People's Party in Myitkyina, Myanmar, on Oct. 17. (Photo by Zau Ring Hpra)
Myanmar election

Frustrated Myanmar minorities aim to thwart Suu Kyi in elections

Ethnic parties in conflict zones merge to challenge NLD in parliament race

5 November 2020
The SociaBuzz marketplace is populated by around 72,000 influencers, creators and other talented folks, along with 1,350 active users.
DealStreetAsia

Myanmar UMG group invests in Indonesia's SocialBuzz

Startup's online marketplace connects businesses and influencers

4 November 2020
A man and a girl stand outside their home in a village in the state of Rakhine, western Myanmar, in 2018. (Photo by Cape Diamond)
Politics

Myanmar Rohingya feel anger and despair before election

Members of Muslim group stripped of citizenship can't vote or run for parliament

30 October 2020
The government has eased work-at-home orders for Yangon in the run-up to the November election. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Myanmar election

Myanmar's Suu Kyi projects 'pro-economy image' before election

Ruling NLD gradually eases restrictions on movement as COVID-19 battle continues

29 October 2020
Workers gather around the Indian Navy's first Scorpene submarine as it leaves a shipyard Mumbai in 2015. India is beefing up its defense industry, both for its own military and for exports.
International relations

With an eye on China, India gifts submarine to Myanmar

New Delhi's naval diplomacy expected to aid its broader Indo-Pacific vision

22 October 2020
Thai protesters defiantly throw up a three-finger salute, their demonstrations part of a regional pattern of instability. The World Bank terms it a "third shock," coming on the heels of both the pandemic and the cost of containing it.
The Big Story

Thai protests build as pandemic fuels unrest across Southeast Asia

How COVID aggravated inequality and triggered political reckoning across the region

21 October 2020
A supporter of the NLD, pictured on Oct. 2 in Yangon: the last thing Myanmar needs is business as usual.
20 October 2020
Thet Thet Khine, left, leader of the People's Pioneer Party, and Ko Ko Gyi, right, head of People's Party, will challenge Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's general elections in November. (Photos by Cape Diamond, Yuichi Nitta and Htet Aung Phyoe)
Interview

Myanmar opposition vows to break Suu Kyi's spell over voters

NLD expected to win in November but new parties, testing waters, set sight on 2025

16 October 2020
Police officers enforce a movement control order at a roadblock on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 14.
Economy

Southeast Asia teeters on deeper GDP downturn as lockdowns return

Malaysia and Myanmar restrict travel, while Thailand finds containment doesn't revive growth

16 October 2020
A trishaw driver with flags of the National League for Democracy on his bicycle waits for his customer in Yangon, Myanmar, October 2.
Politics

Myanmar election fought on Facebook where hate speech is rife

COVID-19 rally ban forces campaigns online as divisions within country rise

9 October 2020
A sign announces a lockdown in Yangon: Myanmar's largest city has imposed strict stay-at-home orders for people working in nonessential industries. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Politics

Myanmar November election overshadowed by COVID-19 surge

Opposition parties call for postponing parliamentary vote as NLD presses on

26 September 2020
FMO says BRAC will use the investment to provide more micro- and small loans to underserved women.
DealStreetAsia

Dutch bank proposes further investment in Myanmar's BRAC

$7.5m from FMO to focus on impact investments in areas hit hard by COVID-19

17 September 2020
Rohingya refugees rest after the boat carrying them landed in Lhokseumawe, Aceh province, Indonesia, on Sep. 7: this is sadly nothing new.
Opinion

Rohingya are being left to die at sea. Does anyone care?

Asia's governments must put politics aside to protect the lives of desperate people

16 September 2020
Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, pictured here at the presidential palace at Naypyitaw in March 2018, has been sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights violations. 
Politics

Amnesty urges Kirin and Posco to cut ties with Myanmar partner

Human rights group says Myanma Economic Holdings funds military and pays generals

11 September 2020
A supporter in Yangon holds a flag of the ruling party, National League for Democracy, September 6. (Photo by Yuichi Nitta)
Politics

Myanmar election race kicks off despite ban on big rallies

Coronavirus fears force Suu Kyi to cancel campaign trip on first day

8 September 2020