Explore past headlines, AI summaries and source reporting. Full articles follow the FREE and PRO access rules.
Page 117
A ceremony to provide cultivation subsidies to farmers participating in the Rice Export Zones within the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area was held Saturday morning at the site of the rice mill and bran oil mill of Myanmar Agricu
A man returning to Ye town, Mon State, from Yangon has been found to be infected with the severe diarrhea and vomiting disease (cholera), according to sources close to the township health department. The man, identified
It is known that the Yangon University of Distance Education and the Myanmar Youth Development Association have jointly organized a "Job-Ready Skills Workshop for Youth". The opening ceremony of the "Job-Ready Skills Wor
In Town-goo City, Bago Region, long queues of people are seen buying cooking oil due to its scarcity, with the market price of cooking oil reaching around K18,000 per tical, according to Town-goo residents. Regarding the
It is reported that a truck overturned on the new Asia Road near Myawaddy, crossing the Dawna mountain, on the downhill section of the Kwanchang intersection, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to two peop
Myanmar’s military regime said Saturday that more than 300,000 Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh are former residents of Arakan State and that it will accept their return once security conditions improve. T
The Irrawaddy Times August 15th The closure of Christian churches in some areas in "Wa" state is due to religious extremist activities, and the "Wa" People's United Water Army - UWSA responded by saying that it will be t
AYEYARWADDY TIMES (PAKKOKU), August 15 Revolutionary allied forces have been launching counterattacks as the military under the interim government has been advancing with a large number of troops into Pakokku district, M
The Irrawaddy Times August 15th Yangon Region Private Transportation Regulatory Committee (YRTC) announced yesterday that the fares of YBS bus lines operating in Yangon will be increased from 300 kyats to 600 kyats on Se
The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology announced on August 15 that the water level of the Ngwan River may reach the water level of concern in the city of Yingthay River within the next 36 hours. According to the gau
The demand from the US government and Senate for the immediate and unconditional release of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has affected the fundamental principles of the judiciary, and the interim government expre
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced the launch of an emergency response plan due to the possibility of further exacerbating food shortages caused by ongoing floods in Myanmar. WFP began distributi
To be able to promote Myanmar-Belarus tourism cooperation, Union Minister for Hotels, Tourism and Culture U Maung Myint met with the delegation led by Ms. Olga Chemodanova, Chairperson of Belaya Rus Party in Nay Pyi Taw
The Magway Region Government provided food and financial assistance to families affected by flooding from the rising Ayeyawady River. The ceremony was held on August 14 at the village monastery in Myay Nu Kyun Village, w
Yangon Region Chief Minister U Aung Naing Thu inspected the water level and riverbank conditions along the Ayeyawady River in Aphyauk of Taikkyi Township on Friday. Together with officials, the Chief Minister inspected e
Deputy Minister for Border Affairs Maj-Gen Kyaw Swar Oo along with the officials inspected rehabilitation and restoration works in Falam Township of Chin State on Friday. With the close management by the Deputy Minister
Union Minister for Commerce U Tun Ohn on Friday inspected factories operating in the Hlaingthaya Industrial Zone (1) in Yangon Region. During the visit at Shwe War Yaung Agriculture Production Co., Ltd and Thamadi Family
The Ministry of Construction team won the 2026 Inter-Ministry Futsal Championship after defeating the Ministry of Defence 4-3 in the final on Friday. The final was closely contested, with both teams level at 3-3 at the e
Kayin traditional wrist-tying ceremony marking the month of Wagaung was held at the City Hall in Nyaungdone Township on Friday morning. The ceremony was organized by the Nyaungdon Township Kayin Literature and Culture As
Aung San Suu Kyi visited Insein Prison on Friday and met with inmates. This was her first visit to the prison since her detention under the military junta. During her visit, she met with the inmates and listened to their
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued press statement on Saturday, regarding the Myanmar's ongoing efforts on repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine State. It stated that the global news media have presented dif
The Ministry of Electricity and Energy announced that the prices for household power meters and industrial power meters per kW will be announced for those who want to apply for a new digital smart meter. People who want
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on August 15 strongly protesting allegations that boat refugees and those residing in other countries under ethnic names not existing in Myanmar are from Myanmar, and st
It is reported that food items worth 300 million kyats and cash assistance of over 100 million kyats were provided to 412 flood-affected households, comprising 1,569 people, in Sagaing city. Dr. Soe Win, Union Minister o
Chlorine booster dosing work is being carried out in eight townships in Yangon to prevent diarrhea and vomiting and to ensure the supply of clean drinking water, said Daw Thwe Nwe Oo, Deputy Director (Director) of the En
Chlorine booster dosing work is being carried out in eight townships in Yangon City to prevent diarrhea disease and ensure the availability of clean drinking water, according to Daw Thwe Nwe Oo, Deputy Director (Director
A passenger bus belonging to the Elite passenger transport line, traveling from Naypyidaw towards Yangon, crashed into the central median of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway near the 58th mile marker and plunged off the br
Although some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) based along the Myanmar-China border have begun meeting with the junta amid pressure from China, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has vowed to uphold its policy o
Junta forces killed 32 women and children and injured 84 others across southeastern Myanmar between January and June 2026, according to a report by the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). During the six months,
A flag hoisting ceremony to commemorate India's 80th Independence Day was held at the Indian Consulate located on Diplomatic Road in Yangon on the morning of August 15. Before the flag hoisting ceremony began, attendees
The interim president, who is facing military defeats amidst escalating clashes in Kachin State, has replaced the Border and Security Affairs Minister with a trusted aide for the coordination between the military and civ
The 5th International Conference on Burma Studies (ICBMS5) officially opened on Friday at Chiang Mai University (CMU) under the theme “Between Crisis & Possibility.” The three-day international gathering brings together
Burma News International (BNI) is a network of 15 independent media and news organizations based in and around Burma Military junta airstrikes have triggered at least 11 mass-casualty events in Myanmar’s Rakhine State an
The role of government departments is very important in carrying out the country’s development activities. Government employ- ees discharge their duties every day to ensure that the policies, plans and public services laid down by the State are effectively delivered to the people. There- fore, government employees must not only discharge their official duties and obligations but also place due emphasis on the meaning and responsibili- ty of public service whenever they directly interact with the people. In fact, government em- ployees are also members of the general public. Their family members, friends, relatives and they themselves are all citizens of a single country. When pro- viding services to the public through their respective de- partments, they must carry out every process with empathy and understanding. For example, when they themselves need to obtain a ser- vice from another department, they may need to seek some- one’s assistance because they may not be fully familiar with the procedures of that depart- ment. Whenever they encounter such situations, they should put themselves in the position of the people and consider their needs when performing their depart- mental duties, as people may require assistance to ensure that procedures are completed smoothly and promptly. Although one may be a government employee, it does not mean that one knows and understands the procedures of every department. Likewise, it is perfectly natural for members of the public not to be familiar with departmental procedures that differ from the occupations and livelihoods they engage in on a daily basis. When a member of the pub- lic comes to a government de- partment to obtain a service, it should not be assumed that the person is already familiar with the department’s procedures, the steps for submitting an ap- plication, the required docu- ments, or the relevant rules and regulations. Even if they have some prior knowledge, they may not be able to complete all the procedures smoothly because these are not tasks they handle daily. A task that is routine and familiar to a government em- ployee may be something a ci- vilian is encountering for the first time. Therefore, rather than speaking to them with an attitude of “You don’t even know this? ”, it is better to guide them with the understanding that “Naturally, you may not know this yet; this is how it should be done.” Such an attitude re- flects the true meaning of public service. Courteous public relations Therefore, government employees should treat the people with courtesy and re- spect. When a civilian asks about something they do not know, employees should avoid showing displeasure, speaking impatiently or harshly, using disparaging words, or send- ing the person away without clearly explaining the matter. They should understand that guiding and assisting a civilian who needs help is not an act of personal kindness or favour on the part of an employee, but an integral part of the duties they are responsible for carrying out. In particular, when dealing with members of the public, government employees should not adopt an attitude that cre- ates a hierarchy or distinction between “employees” and “the public”. A government employ- ee serves within an adminis- trative system operated with public taxes and the State’s resources. Their primary re- sponsibilities are to meet the needs of the people, help them understand the policies and procedures of the State, and effectively provide the services to which they are entitled in ac- cordance with established rules and regulations. Responsibilities of the peo- ple However, people also have responsibilities. Just as govern- ment employees are required to carry out their duties in accord- ance with rules and regulations, people are also required to fol- low established procedures, bring all necessary documents, and respectfully comply with the guidance provided by gov- ernment employees. Public services can operate smoothly only when both the people and government employees respect and understand one another. For example, an employee of the Agriculture Department may have a good understand- ing of agricultural technologies within their own department but may not be fully familiar with land registration proce- dures, tax-related procedures, or specific procedures of an- other department. Likewise, an employee from another depart- ment may not be familiar with the details of agricultural pro- cesses. If government employ- ees themselves may encounter such situations where they are unfamiliar with the procedures of other departments, it is clear that they should show greater understanding, patience and willingness to assist the people who are completely unfamiliar with departmental procedures. Therefore, government employees should not regard a civilian’s lack of knowledge about a particular procedure as a fault. It is the responsibility of employees to guide people so that they understand the proce- dures, and they should recog- nize that their assistance may be necessary to ensure that all procedures are completed smoothly. The responsibility of a government employee is not merely to repeat what the peo- ple already know, but also to ex- plain what they do not yet know so that they can understand it. A member of the public’s time is also valuable. For gov- ernment employees, coming to the office and processing a particular matter may be part of their daily routine. For a person, however, handling the same matter may require taking time away from their daily work, incurring travel expenses and spending considerable time. Therefore, clearly explaining all the requirements so that people do not have to make unneces- sary return visits is a way of showing respect for the people. Likewise, special atten- tion should be given to elderly people, persons with disabili- ties, those who have travelled from distant areas, and those who may have difficulty under- standing procedures. Since not everyone has the same level of knowledge, experience and circumstances, service provid- ers need to understand each individual’s situation when de- livering public services. Strengthen trust in govern- ment departments through good public relations Building good relation- ships with the people can also strengthen their trust in gov- ernment departments. When a civilian is respectfully wel- comed at a department, and their needs are patiently ex- plained, they are likely to de- velop greater trust in that de- partment. Such trust can have an impact not only on individual employees but also on the de- partment and the State’s ad- ministrative system as a whole. On the other hand, man- agers also need to give due attention to addressing exces- sive pressure on employees and imbalances between workloads and available resources. To enable employees to serve the public patiently, it is also im- portant to distribute workloads appropriately, provide neces- sary training, and streamline procedures to make them clear and easy to follow. The quality of public service does not de- pend solely on the attitude of individual employees; it is also closely linked to the quality of the system as a whole. Therefore, all employees need to adopt the attitude that “they do not know yet, so we should explain it to them,” rath- er than looking down on some- one for “asking because they do not know”. They must assist and serve the people with com- passion, empathy, courtesy and respect. They must also pro- mote mutual understanding and cooperation among government departments so that the servic- es needed by the public can be provided seamlessly from one department to another. Being able to understand a member of the public’s problem as if it were one’s own, and being able to patiently guide members of the public when they are un- familiar with something, just as one may need assistance from others in areas one does not know, are fundamental qualities of a good public servant. If more and more capable and dedicat- ed public servants emerge, and trust, understanding and coop- eration between government departments and the public are further strengthened, pub- lic services will become more effective and efficient. Everyone should under- stand that the essence of pub- lic service is not “exercising authority” but “serving with a sense of responsibility”. Re- specting the people does not di- minish one’s position; rather, it means fulfilling one’s duties in a way that gives them greater val- ue. Speaking courteously to the public is not a sign of weakness but a reflection of good char- acter and a positive attitude. Patiently assisting and guiding the people is not an additional favour, but a duty that a public servant can take pride in. By Aung Kyaw Thant
Ensuring sufficient electricity supply is very important for the development of the country and for improving the socioeconomic living standards of the people. Currently, the State Government is implementing various proj
PROMOTION tourism co-operation, mutual travel and exchanging informa-tion between Myanmar and Belarus, photos and videos about the two coun-tries’ tourist destinations were discussed during a meeting between Union Minist