EU renews sanctions against Burmese regime

Mungpi, Mizzima News, 27 April 2010.

Oklahoma City (Mizzima) – European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to extend its existing economic sanctions against military-ruled Burma for another year, and called on the military regime to stop “violation of international human rights and humanitarian law”.

“The Council deems it necessary to extend the restrictive measures provided for in the current EU decision by another year,” a statement by the Foreign Ministers of the 27 European nations said.

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Vietnamese PM discusses cooperation with Burmese leader

VNA news agency, April 3, 2010.

Nay Pyi Taw (VNA) -Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on April 3 made a courtesy call on Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar [Burma] in Nay Pyi Taw capital city.

During the meeting, PM Dung thanked the government and people of Myanmar for their warm welcome and hospitability to his delegation.

The PM said he hoped Myanmar would successfully conduct its roadmap towards democratisation for the sake of its people and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.

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India's Tata Motors to set up truck plant in Burma

Mizzima News, 23 March 2010.

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Tata Motors, ‘India's largest automobile company’ has signed a contract with Myanmar (Burma) Automobile and Diesel Industries Ltd. under the Ministry of Industries - 2, to set up a heavy truck unit in the military ruled country.

“The MADI is setting up a heavy truck plant at Magwe under the line of credit (LoC) from the Government of India,” Mr. Debasis Ray, the Head of Corporate Communication, Tata Motors told Mizzima.

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Change Comes to Myanmar, but Only on the Junta’s Terms

By THE NEW YORK TIMES, March 17, 2010.

PYAPON, Myanmar — In the dried mud of the Irrawaddy Delta, workers are welding together the final pieces of a natural-gas pipeline that the country’s ruling generals say will keep the lights on in Yangon, Myanmar’s main city, after years of debilitating blackouts.

Residents who for years were lucky to get eight hours of power a day may soon have the luxury of refrigerators that stay cold and televisions that stay on.

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For Sex Workers, A Life of Risks

By MON MON MYAT / IPS WRITER, Irrawaddy News, March 6, 2010.

RANGOON — When Aye Aye leaves her youngest son at home each night, she tells him that she has to work selling snacks. But what Aye Aye, 51, actually sells is sex so that her 12-year-old son, a grade 7 student, can finish his education.

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