Iran

Myanmar inches slightly ahead of Laos in latest graft index

March 5, 2018 by Thiha

Myanmar has inched up a few positions to rank 130th in the latest annual index of countries deemed the least corrupt, from 136th in 2016. The country attained a score of 28 in graft watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2017. This was an incremental improvement compared to its score in 2016 (28) and […]

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After Chabahar Port, Myanmar’s Sittwe big on India’s radar

January 15, 2018 by Thiha

After Chabahar Port in Iran, Sittwe in Myanmar may emerge as the next overseas strategic port for India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is helping to develop Sittwe Port, located at the estuary of Kaladan river in the troubled Rakhine province of Myanmar, for improving connectivity with Mizoram in the North East. Arun Kumar […]

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Myanmar has maintained military ties with North Korea, US officials claim

July 24, 2017 by thiha

Myanmar’s military was believed in the past to have imported North Korean-made weapons and North Korean personnel also worked in Myanmar Myanmar’s military has maintained ties with North Korea, even though the civilian-led government denies any cooperation, and the Trump administration is pressing for a complete break-off of remaining links, current and former US officials […]

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Myanmar aims to become Asian maritime hub

July 13, 2017 by thiha

Development of shipping industry, ports to be in focus to integrate with global economy As Asean countries prioritise on improving connectivity within and beyond the region, Myanmar has planned to take advantage of its strategic location between the two mostpopulated nations – China and India – to become a hub of maritime trade in Asia, […]

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India plans to set up SEZ in Myanmar

August 8, 2016 by thiha

NEW DELHI: It is not just Iran’s Chabahar port and connectivity to Eurasia that has caught attention of the Modi government. India plans to set up a SEZ in Sittwe in Myanmar where it has already built a port. The proposed SEZ by India will rival Chinese SEZ located 80 km down of strategically-located Sittwe […]

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Boldly going: the exotic ‘frontier’ markets that intrepid investors are tipping for take-off

April 20, 2016 by thiha

It was 15 years ago that academics began to predict a shift in economic power from the old order of developed economies to the newly named “Bric” nations. Ever since, Brazil, Russia, India and China have been regarded as the coming powers, blessed with young populations, fast-urbanising societies and natural resources to fuel rapid growth. But the Bric […]

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Armenians in Myanmar

February 19, 2016 by thiha

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar is not the first destination that comes to mind while planning a vacation. It does not have the breathtaking skyline of Hong Kong or the amazing beaches of Thailand. It does not have the cultural gravitas of Paris or London. Until a friend had mentioned it, I had never thought much […]

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How does one get off the US Sanction List?

July 2, 2014 by andrew

Based on the discussion that I had with a US Embassy official in Yangon on their recent activity in inviting Myanmar people (eg Tay Za of Htoo & Company and Steven Law of Asia World) on the OFAC SDN List for a discussion on what they can do to remove themselves from the SDN List […]

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Tracing the Last of Myanmar’s Once Influential Armenians

November 25, 2013 by thiha

YANGON — A hand-drawn map showed the way to the colonial teak house that my Armenian grandmother’s family left behind when the Japanese captured Yangon in 1942. My relatives are thought to have hidden jewels in the well before fleeing the family home that was reportedly turned into a brothel during the Japanese occupation. Last […]

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Marrybrown scores a first in Myanmar

July 26, 2013 by thiha

Malaysia-based quick service restaurant operator Marrybrown Sdn Bhd became one of the first international company to open an outlet in Myanmar, according to Malaysian media reports. The company’s business development manager Joshua Liew told The Star that Marrybrown wanted to take advantage of the country’s open-door policy by becoming the first Malaysian quick service restaurant […]