SUBIR BHAUMIK IN YANGON | THE passage of an ‘emergency proposal’ in the Myanmar parliament late January for a committee to discuss constitutional amendments has led to speculations that de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi may finally push the powerful military for change. On Jan 29, ruling NLD lawmaker Aung Kyi Nyunt, submitted an “emergency…
Read moreMOE MYINT IN YANGON | ABOUT 250 newly displaced Arakanese and ethnic Chin from Chin State’s Paletwa Township were driven from their homes into neighboring Bangladesh last week by fierce fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA). Some of the children in the group are reportedly gravely ill as the refugees lack…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | THE Myanmar Army has taken control of the headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Khaplang (NSCN–K) in the Naga Self–Administered Zone of Sagaing Region without any clash between soldiers and rebels. U Kyaw Wan Sein, a member of the NSCN(K)s Central Executive Committee, told Burmese media that the group withdrew its fighters…
Read moreSUBIR BHAUMIK | KOLKATA’s new Chinese consul Zha Liyou says a bullet train connecting Kolkata and Kunming through Myanmar and Bangladesh may not happen immediately but is “definitely possible” in not–too–distant future. “Cooperation between India and China is growing fast. Our leaders have decided to take BCIM (Bangladesh China India Myanmar) grouping forward. Kolkata and Kunming…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | A sensational plot to assassinate Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members besides top leaders of the ruling Awami League ahead of the recently concluded December 30 parliamentary polls had been foiled, sources from Dhaka claimed. Bangladesh government with support from friendly partners had stumbled upon an alleged plan by…
Read moreALEX ELLIS | IN contrast to critics’ claims, Bangladesh’s national elections last year were more peaceful and ran more smoothly than previous elections. During the 2008 election, as many as 108 people died. The 2014 elections were even more violent. Instead of participating in 2014, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) instigated nationwide strikes and…
Read moreSUBIR BHAUMIK | THE merger of the erstwhile Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim into India in May 1975 was the result of a top secret operation by India’s external intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), says a book by a retired senior official who was involved in it. “Sikkim Dawn of Democracy: The Truth behind…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT | Bangladesh Election Commission plans to introduce a voter registration system for Bangladeshi expatriates living abroad, Chief Election Commissioner K.M. Nurul Huda said media in Dhaka. The CEC said the commission will set up offices in several places in Singapore, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, UK, US, Italy, Australia and Canada, the hub of…
Read moreSHOAIB DANIYAL | FOR some time now, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been on the lookout for historical icons. After building an impressive present as India’s largest party, it is only natural that it would now look to construct a notable past. Given the colossal role that the Congress played in the freedom struggle, the…
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