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Photo – Displaced children in Gwa Township suffering from skin disease, seen in February 2025. (Gwa Township Displaced Persons Assistance Coordination Committee) Pohtoon (June 27) Mizzima. Over 4,000 people, including ch
In commemoration of World MSME Day, the list of 119 outstanding MSME businesses that have received awards has been announced in state-owned newspapers on June 27. The list of outstanding MSMEs includes micro, small, and
The Speaker of the People's Assembly, U Khin Ri, stated that in addition to laws enacted in Burmese, there are over 100 laws enacted in English in the country, and that necessary amendments and supplements will be studie
KACHIN STATE – Regarding the efforts by Chinese businessmen to mine rare earth minerals near Jik Lwe village in Chipwe Township, Kachin State, an official from the Kachin Environmental Group (KEG) told Mizzima on June 27 that the will of the local residents is paramount, and if the residents do not agree, it is necessary to 'terminate it as soon as possible.' He also stated that new projects that could bring negative consequences to the local population and everyone should be terminated. "What we mean is, if this project is not needed by these people, these local residents, and they do not agree, then the relevant organization, the relevant government, needs to terminate it as soon as possible," said the KEG official. Currently, efforts are underway to mine rare earth minerals in the Shizaw area, about two miles from Jik Lwe village in Chipwe Township. Local residents say that two representatives of the Chinese employer and two village elders are going around persuading the remaining villagers. It is reported that during these persuasion efforts, there have been instances of pressure and threats during meetings, and since elders, rather than young and middle-aged people, are primarily being persuaded to sign agreements, concerns are also rising among local residents. "They said that if they can't do it one way, they will find another way. When they came to talk to us directly in the meeting, there were parts where they threatened us. They also said, 'No matter how you protect it, they will find a way to do it,'" a local resident told Mizzima on June 25. These efforts to mine rare earth minerals began around February of this year, and local residents say that relevant officials from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) have also instructed that if the villagers do not agree, it should not proceed, and it should only proceed if the villagers agree. "They went to survey the ground once. When they went to survey, the village people went to the office, the current KIA/KIO office, with the representative who went to survey and spoke. At that time, the people at the office asked the representative, 'How many years has it been since you stopped living here? ' He replied, '50 years.' He then said, 'This is my grandparents' land, so I want to earn a little.' At that time, the KIA/KIO government said, 'If that's the case, you should stop now, stop immediately. If the people do not agree, it absolutely cannot be done,'" he said. Therefore, although the survey was halted, it is said that they are continuing to persuade people to implement the project by building tents on the ground and stationing two people there. Chipwe region was captured by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in September 2024. Local residents say that similar attempts were made when the region was controlled by the military junta before the KIA took control, but they were halted due to local opposition and the military junta's refusal to allow mining near the village. KEG stated that natural disasters have occurred in areas where rare earth minerals have been mined, and similar disasters could occur in new mining areas. Furthermore, there could be negative health impacts on those working in the mines and local residents. A Global Witness report from May 2024 indicated that Myanmar's export of rare earth oxides to China peaked at 19,500 tons in 2021, the year of the coup, and surged to 41,700 tons in 2023. The report noted that this high demand for the metal is driving further degradation of the ground situation. ISP Myanmar reported in its July 2025 publication that rare earth mining in Kachin State has significantly increased since the military coup, with the number of rare earth mining blocks in Chipwe alone rising from around 100 before the coup to 357 after the coup. ISP Myanmar reported that unregulated rare earth mining has severely damaged the environment, leading to water pollution, air pollution, chemical infiltration, and the destruction of local ecosystems. It has also impacted the agricultural activities of local residents. Due to soil contamination, the harvested crops can no longer be exported and sold to China as before. Furthermore, water and lead contamination have led to a decline in livestock farming, and health and social impacts are also a cause for concern.
Myanmar aims to become a major country that supplies and exports food to the international community, said Head of State Min Aung Hlaing. The Head of State made these remarks while attending and giving a speech at the Fo
Chairman of the Food Policy Commission President U Min Aung Hlaing presided over the commission's meeting at the President's Office in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday. In his opening address, the President called for effective and
Central Committee for the Implementation of the Development of Border Areas and National Races held its meeting on Friday. Chairman of the Central Committee President U Min Aung Hlaing attended the meeting and made a spe
The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, led by Chairman U Thit Lin Ohn and commission members, conducted an inspection of Insein Central Prison on June 25 and 26. The team inspected prison facilities, including inm
Myanmar marked the 39th International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, with nationwide destruction events of confiscated drugs and chemicals substance. In Taunggyi, Deputy Minister for Home Affa
Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Zaw Myint attended the ASEAN Roundtable on Access and Sustainable Development in Higher Education, held online under the theme "Access to Higher Education and Sustainable Development." D
The Ministry of Electricity and Energy announced temporary power outages in several areas on June 27, 28 and July 4 to carry out maintenance and upgrade works on power lines and substations. The outages will affect parts
Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw U Khin Yi on Friday held a coordination meeting with committee chairpersons and secretaries to discuss parliamentary work and committee responsibilities. He stressed the importance of streng
Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Tin Maung Swe held a meeting with the United Nations Resident Coordinator/ Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim and representatives of United Nations agencies in Myanmar at the Ministr
Mekong, June 27 Cattle raised by local residents in the mountainous areas of Myitkyina Township, Shan State, northern Myanmar, are dying one after another from disease, according to local residents. According to local re
MEKONG, June 27 An Australian man has confessed to killing a 17-year-old girl in Pattaya, stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it by the railway tracks, Thai police said. On June 27, at 9 a.m. today, investigato
Mekong, June 27 A 23-year-old man who allegedly raped and murdered his 14-year-old cousin in Theinni Township, northern Shan State, has been arrested and prosecuted by the Shan State Progress Party-SSPP-SSA. The suspect
Mekong, June 27 A resident in Namcho Township, northern Shan State, suffered severe injuries after an explosion occurred when he struck an unexploded ordnance while clearing farmland, according to local residents. The in
Mekong, June 27 In Tachileik city, eastern Shan State, seven individuals involved in theft and robbery were newly arrested along with stolen goods during an investigation of a former thief, according to police sources. O
Mekong, June 25 The judge and deputy judge of Hoppong Township in southern Shan State are demanding exorbitant bribes in cases involving seized goods from eastern Shan State, according to merchant circles. Cargo vehicles
It has been learned from the statements of U Zeyar Oo, Minister of Electricity, Energy, Industry and Road Transport of the Mon State Government, that approximately 15 miles of power lines remain to be installed in Ye Tow
Residents of Chaungsauk Village in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, have fled their homes after the military junta carried out airstrikes on the area for two consecutive days, according to local sources. The airstrikes were
Burma News International (BNI) is a network of 15 independent media and news organizations based in and around Burma The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Battalion 12, under Brigade 11, has issued a warning directing local
The Myanmar military has reportedly conducted airstrikes and bombed Maungdaw township on the western border of Rakhine State, as well as Gwa township in the southernmost part of the state. The attacks injured six people,
The National Unity Government (NUG) Magway Federal Unit Interim Government sent a statement of honour on the 50th anniversary of the execution of student leader Salai Tin Maung Oo who was hanged after fighting against th
The National Unity Government (NUG) said on 25 June that any economic and investment agreements concluded with the military junta lack democratic legitimacy and public oversight, warning that such arrangements “may be su
A Myanmar military airstrike killed five civilians, including two young children and their mother, when two jet fighters targeted Thahmunekonegyi village in eastern Natmauk Township on 25 June. The afternoon assault also
Mizzima A Mayangone District Court has sentenced 54-year-old former Yangon lunch vendor U Kyi to an additional 10 years in prison under Section 50(j) of the Anti-Terrorism Law. The sentence was handed down on 25 June, ju
AFP The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela more than doubled Friday to 589, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said, as rescuers boosted by international teams raced to find survivors beneath collapsed building
RTI United States officials pledged strong support for Taiwan this week to a cross-party delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers. The delegation, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, met with officials from the White House,
AFP Authorities in Russian-annexed Crimea on Friday declared an “emergency situation” in a bid to ease the fallout from increasing Ukrainian aerial attacks on the peninsula. The announcement comes amid fuel shortages and
Myanmar authorities torched on Friday seized drugs worth an estimated $525 million, according to the home affairs minister who blamed rebel factions for the war-ravaged country’s booming trade in illegal narcotics. Analy
AFP A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, less than three weeks after a major tremor in the same area left more than 80 people dead. The quake
Thailand’s Second Army Region took members of the ASEAN observer team to inspect the Thai-Cambodian border today, in the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket. The 13 military attachés, from the Bangkok embassies of the Phi
According to the Chairman of the Central Committee for the Development of Border Regions and National Races and State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, 1397 billion kyats of f
MYANMAR earned more than US$ 240,000 from honey exports dur- ing April and May of the current financial year, according to the Apicul- ture Division under the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department of the Ministry
MICRO, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are widely recognized as a fundamental pil- lar of national and global econom- ic development. MSMEs contrib- ute significantly to employment creation, innovation, industrial d