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 […]
Myanmar has maintained military ties with North Korea, US officials claim
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 […]
India plans to set up SEZ in Myanmar
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 […]
Armenians in Myanmar
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 […]
How does one get off the US Sanction List?
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 […]
Marrybrown scores a first in Myanmar
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 […]