BURMA: Loophole Gives Junta Room to Go Nuclear in Secrecy

Thanks to a loophole in the international regime to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, military-ruled Burma could very well carry out its reported intent to go nuclear behind a veil of secrecy, free of scrutiny from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Burma’s Nuke Ambitions to Come under Scrutiny

When South-east Asian foreign ministers gather in Hanoi this week for a series of annual security meetings, the region’s most troublesome member, military- ruled Burma, is due to come under scrutiny over reports of its nuclear ambitions.

BURMA: ILO Steps into Political Minefield to Help Revive Trade Unions

Nearly 50 years after a Burmese military regime crushed what was once a vibrant trade union movement in the South-east Asian country, hints of a revival are beginning to emerge.

BURMA: ‘No Rallies, No Slogans’ Order Shackles Parties Ahead of Poll

Burma’s military regime is giving its critics more ammunition, tightening its grip ahead of a general election this year by seeing to it that independent political parties are barred from chanting slogans, marching in rallies and displaying their party flags when they campaign.

BURMA: Public Education a Drain on Family Incomes

Once again, parents in military-ruled Burma are counting the cost of a primary education for their children in public schools. It is an annual ritual that comes with the beginning of a new school year, which coincides with the onset of the monsoon rains in June.

POLITICS: China-Burma Talks a Step Forward in Improving Relations

Relations between China and Burma have been shaky of late – due in large part to border skirmishes in Burma that have frustrated Beijing. But one would not know it from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s two-day state visit, which ended Friday.

POLITICS: Rising Border Tension Threatens China-Burma Relations

When the military regime in Burma launched a campaign last August to disarm the ethnic rebels in the Kokang region, made up mostly of ethnic Chinese and where a two-decade-long ceasefire had been in place, the push triggered an exodus of more than 37,000 refugees into China’s Yunnan province.

BURMA: Donors View Civil Society in New Light after Nargis

Local civil society organisations and community groups who rushed to help victims after the powerful Cyclone Nargis tore through military-ruled Burma two years ago are reaping rewards for their risky and tireless labour.

BURMA: Two Years after Nargis, Life Is Far from Normal

Kyaw Moe is just in his 30s, but he is already on his second shot at life – just like the rest of the residents of Thakan Ngu, a tiny Burmese village in this township of Bogalay.

BURMA: Pressure Mounts on Energy Giant Chevron to Disclose Revenue

When shareholders of the multinational company Chevron gather for their annual meeting in the U.S. city of Houston in late May, they will come face to face with Naing Htoo, whose community has suffered due to the exploits of the energy giant in military-ruled Burma.

ASIA: Journalists Lament Media Bias vs Ethnic Minorities

Despite issues of discrimination and violence hounding ethnic minorities, they continue to lack ‘voice' in the mainstream press and suffer prejudices from journalists themselves.

POLITICS-BURMA: Ethnic Rebel Groups Defy Junta’s Order

Burma’s military regime is facing a formidable challenge from ethnic rebel groups that are refusing to kowtow to its order that they join the South-east Asian country’s army as border guard forces.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA: Leaders Take Softly, Softly Approach to Burma

South-east Asian leaders did not push Burma’s junta too hard at their just- finished annual summit, hoping that a more subtle approach would nudge it to make sure the elections planned for later this year are credible.

RIGHTS-BURMA: Displaced Children Getting Traumatised – Report

"Our village was attacked many times. (The Burmese military) would come and take whatever they wanted from the village. Anything they don't want, they'd burn," said 19-year-old K K, recalling his experiences six years ago in the country’s southern Karen state.

BURMA: Ahead of Poll, Junta Prepares to Score Political Points

As election fever grips Burma, the ruling junta is busy preparing a series of steps, including an amnesty of political prisoners, to try to make this year's vote more credible in the international community.

BURMA: In Opting for Poll Boycott, Suu Kyi’s Party Goes for Broke

If Burma’s military regime goes ahead with its promised general election this year, some 27.2 million voters will be deprived of the chance to cast a ballot for the political party that has come to symbolise democratic hope in that oppressed nation.

BURMA: To Contest or Not? Suu Kyi’s Party Faces Tough Elections Test

Is pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi condemning the opposition party that she heads in military-ruled Burma to political irrelevance or, worse still, a burial ahead of forthcoming elections?

POLITICS-BURMA: A Poll, Yes, But Not Political Change

In teashops and markets, the national election due this year in Burma is the talk of the town, so much so that Thuzar, who did not take part in the 1990 poll, is quite eager to cast her vote this time.

BURMA: Despite Loss at Oscars, Film A Testament to Courage

It may have not won an Oscar, but its having been a final contender for the prestigious statue at the U.S. Academy Awards on Mar. 7 has taken ‘Burma VJ’ to heights never achieved by previous films depicting the oppression and courage in military-ruled Burma.

THAILAND: Migrant Worker Law Hits Hurdle as 500,000 ‘Disappear’

Thailand’s labour ministry is on the hunt for half a million migrant workers from neighbouring Burma who have gone underground rather than join a new foreign workers’ programme, one that some critics have described as a "confusing" initiative.

BURMA: Amid Threats, Women Dissidents Stick to Political Beliefs

While Aung San Suu Kyi remains the most widely-known woman suppressed for her political views in Burma, the jails in that military-ruled country continue to be filled by lesser-known women dissidents being held on a range of questionable charges.