First COVID-19 cases confirmed as country prepares for worst
The Ministry of Health and Sports has announced its first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Myanmar. At the time of writing, three people have tested positive for the disease. The first two cases, both Myanmar citizens, were a 26-year-old man arriving f
Myanmar officially virus-free despite lockdown
Myanmar remains one of the only countries in Asia with no official cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Nevertheless, the country has redoubled its prevention efforts, banning travelers from the hardest-hit countries and pouring resources into domestic
Military drops charges against journalists
The Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) will no longer pursue controversial defamation charges against international news agency Reuters and the Irrawaddy News. The Myanmar Press Council announced that the military has abandoned its plan to sue Reuters and an Ir
Parliament rejects constitutional amendments
With support from the military bloc, the Union Parliament struck down proposed amendments Tuesday to the 2008 constitution that would have limited the military’s role in politics. The proposed amendments were written by the NLD-backed Charter A
Military police to sue Reuters for defamation
Myanmar’s military police will pursue legal action against international news agency Reuters for a report on Rohingya civilian deaths. The report, published in late January, quoted sources that blamed Myanmar army (Tatmadaw) artillery shells fo
