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Htin Kyaw sworn in as Myanmar’s president

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By Esther Htusan Associated Press Htin Kyaw, a trusted friend of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, took over as Myanmar’s president on March 30, taking a momentous step in the country’s long-drawn transition toward democracy after more than a half-century of direct and indirect military rule. But democracy in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation […]

Myanmar migrants found guilty of killing British backpackers

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By Yves Dam Van and Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press KOH SAMUI, Thailand (AP) — A Thai court on Dec. 24 sentenced two Myanmar migrants to death for the murder of two British backpackers on a resort island last year, in a case that raised questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand. Human […]

Myanmar icon Suu Kyi casts first-ever ballot

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By Aye Aye Win Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Though championed worldwide as a pro-democracy icon, there is something Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to do until Sunday: vote. The 70-year-old smiled but said nothing to waiting reporters as she cast her ballot at a polling station near the lakeside villa that served […]

Jolie, Suu Kyi visit Myanmar female factory workers

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AP Wire Service YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Angelina Jolie has joined Myanmar’s opposition leader and democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, in sitting down with female workers to learn more about their dire conditions. Jolie, who is a special envoy for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, is on a four-day visit to the Southeast […]

Journalists charged by Thai navy

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By Thanyarat Doksone Associated Press PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Testimony began July 14 in a criminal defamation lawsuit filed by Thailand’s navy against a small news website over a report it posted saying naval forces accepted money to assist or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Myanmar by sea. The navy […]

Myanmar’s parliament blocks changes to constitution

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By Aye Aye Win Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s parliament voted against several constitutional amendments June 25, ensuring that the military’s veto power remains intact and that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president in an election this year. The legislature ended a 3-day debate on proposed changes to the 2008 […]

Karen students act out their lives’ journeys

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By Maja Beckstrom St. Paul Pioneer Press ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — When it was time to choose roles in the play, Mu Pa chose the part of a Burmese soldier. “I know how to do it,” said the young Karen woman, who was a toddler when Burmese soldiers burned her village and killed her […]

Malaysia finds graves of trafficking victims

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By Eileen Ng and Todd Pitman Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian authorities said Sunday that they have discovered a series of graves in at least 17 abandoned camps used by human traffickers on the border with Thailand where Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar have been held. The finding follows a similar discovery earlier […]

UN chief says save migrants, deal with cause of flight

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By Robin McDowell and Tran Van Minh Associated Press YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to deal with the causes behind a growing humanitarian crisis that has forced thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshi migrants to flee by sea, leaving many still stranded in boats. Ban […]

Rohingya hope to seek better life in Malaysia

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By Eileen Ng Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia has been a sort of promised land for Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar. The tens of thousands who endured perilous journeys to get here find more work opportunities than in Indonesia and a more Muslim-friendly environment than in Thailand. But in the 25 […]