Interview
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‘Very few soldiers are happy in the Tatmadaw’ – Q&A with expelled major now vying for NLD candidacy
Booted from army for supporting NLD charter amendment, ex-major Kyaw Swar Win wants to reform an ‘unjust, unequal’ military system
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Myanmar well equipped to battle Covid-19, says health ministry spokesperson
Hospital capacity is sufficient, and weather and quarantines will limit spread of virus, ministry spokesperson says
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Microfinance sector oversupplied and under-regulated, economist says
Hopes that microfinance would lift Myanmar out of poverty also being stymied by sluggish economy and oversupply, says leading economist
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‘Gender equality is crucial to a culture of peace’
NAYPYIDAW — A gender equality proposal, outlining a 30 percent women’s quota in the peace process, was submitted to the “political” breakout session of the just-concluded Union Peace Conference in the capital Naypyidaw. The conference ran 11-16 July and marked the third instalment since 2016 of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s “21st Century Panglong” series of conferences, which aim to inject life into a flagging peace process between the government and ethnic armed groups. Gender equality was also discussed in the “social” breakout session. Women made up 120 delegates out of 700 delegates at the conference, or 17 percent, up only 2 percent from the previous year’s conference. Daw Khin Ma Ma Myo, director of the Myanmar Institute of Gender Studies, was one of many conference participants who hope the peace process can lead ultimately to a re-drafting of the military-written 2008 Constitution, to allow greater equality across ethnic groups and across genders. Myanmar Now spoke to her on the sidelines: Is there anything special about the third ‘Panglong’ conference compared to the first two? A: Everyone is discussing national policy, and, this time, there are more observers and more women. How has the discussion on gender equality…
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Khun Myint Htun: ‘All Political Processes Need Sincerity’
Khun Myint Htun is the chairman of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), which signed the recent ceasefire agreement with Burmese government and seven other non-state armed groups on Oct. 15. A former youth leader in the National League for Democracy (NLD), he was elected to parliament in the 1990 election, the results of which were ignored by the then ruling junta. He was held in prison for more than seven years, and on his release he joined the insurgent arm of the Pa-O people. Speaking to Myanmar Now this week, the 52-year-old discussed the reasons the PNLO joined the ceasefire accord, relations between the group and the military, and his views on the 2015 general election. Why did the PNLO decide to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)? Our unwavering ideology is to solve political problems through political means. In accordance with the NCA, prior discussion will be needed before making any decision. However, both sides are required to negotiate a political roadmap. Neither side should try to take advantage. So we decided to sign the NCA. What were the fundamental reasons for the PNLO to sign the deal? Our decision was a reflection of the existing political and military situation,…