One of the six suspects arrested in an area clearance operation made by Myanmar Army columns on 14 October died on the way to hospital three days later, state media reported on 27 October.

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A local villager in central Shan state’s Monghsu Township was reported dead as the Burmese Army launched attack on the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) in the area on Wednesday, according to the ethnic armed group.

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Dozens of Muslim women have allegedly been raped by state security forces in northern Rakhine State during counter-insurgency operations there, according to rights groups citing “credible” sources. Tight military controls in the region, including shutting out international humanitarian organisations, means independent verification has not been possible.

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Outside government control and subject to the whims of numerous, often armed and competing actors, the enforcement of justice in ethnic areas is a tumultuous affair, according to a new report by the Asia Foundation.

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Oilfield workers in Magwe Region’s Yenangyaung township claim they are not being properly compensated for overtime work and that they do not have the appropriate safety gear. Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise, which is accused by the workers of the labour violations, is a state-owned firm.

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A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck 80 kilometres (50 miles) southeast of Mawlaik township in Sagaing Region yesterday morning, according to the Myanmar Earthquake Committee.

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Hundreds of villagers took to the streets in Mon State on October 24 to demand the restoration of their religious rights. The demonstrators, in Kawt Ka Dut village, Bilin township, say they want to retake control over a local pagoda.

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The tourism industry in Myanmar has grown rapidly since reforms began in 2011, with Ministry of Hotels and Tourism figures showing that the total number of foreign arrivals has soared from 1.6 million in 2012 to 4.68 million last year.

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A crackdown on illegal gambling at gaming centres in Yangon Region has resulted in scores of arrests and the seizure of millions of kyat so far this year, the regional assembly was told this week.

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Veteran activist and former political prisoner U Htin Kyaw faces the possibility of another jail term after being arrested on October 26 for criticising the military in comments made outside a Yangon court earlier this month.

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Burma’s ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), is aiming to field candidates in all vacant constituencies at next year’s by-elections, according to party spokesperson Nyan Win.

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As the first wave of Myanmar refugees is repatriated from Thai border camps this week, returning to a home some have not seen for decades, others in the camps fear they will soon have no choice but to follow suit.

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Visiting Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw said yesterday that his country agreed to consider becoming a full member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), Xinhua reported on 26 October.

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Members of Ya Sa Ka, the country’s private vessel supervisory committee, have responded to allegations of negligence in the wake of the Aung Soe Moe Kyaw 2 ferry sinking, saying they had made complaints about overloaded vessels in the past but that their authority is constrained.

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Fifteen workers from the Sagaing-based Myanmar Veneer and Plywood Private Ltd (MVPPL) company have been given prison sentences by a court in Naypyidaw’s Tatkon Township for scuffling with police during a protest in May.

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Amid a dearth of independently verifiable information coming out of heavily militarised northern Rakhine State, a report that hundreds of Muslims were recently forced from their village was met with twin denials yesterday.

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The United Wa State Army is seeking to allay fears that it has invaded the territory of its neighbouring ethnic armed group and ally.

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Footage of a comedy skit criticizing Burma’s de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has gone viral and prompted the group responsible to defend the performance as “not an insult” but a bridge between the government and the people.

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In preparation for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, women’s rights organizations are hosting a singing contest to raise community awareness about the issue.

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Burma has been listed in the top ten countries to visit in 2017 by renowned travel guide the Lonely Planet.

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