Burma News

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to give a rapturous welcome today Burmese Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as she hit the campaign trail for the first time in her bid to win a seat in the country's parliament.

Burmese pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, center, speaks to supporters at Kaw-Hmu constituency for election campaign, in Rangoon, Burma, February 11, 2012.

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Feb 11, 2012 - As 'positive' news flows out of Burma - release of political prisoners, ceasefire talks in ethnic areas, increased freedom, formation of labour unions A- people inside the country and exiles have been in heated discussion.

Burma Media Association released a press statement on 9 February concerning about the new media law put forward by the Burmese government last week.

The Independent's Asia Correspondent Andrew Buncombe is based in Delhi. His dominion ranges over India, Pakistan, Burma, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, occasionally parts of South East Asia and - or at least he is hoping - The Maldives.

Thousands of cheering supporters swarmed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday as the democracy icon took her historic campaign for a parliament seat to the southern constituency she hopes to represent for the first time.

A four-day workers' strike at the Tai Yi footwear factory in an industrial zone in Rangoon Region on Thursday spread to a nearby factory.

In this Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 file photo, Shin Gambira, a prominent Buddhist monk who was one of hundreds of political prisoners freed in Myanmar, attends a ceremony of "Pray for Peace and Religious Unity" at a church in Yangon, Myanmar.

In an obscure part of southwest China, a refugee crisis from one of the world's longest running and least known conflicts in Myanmar is slowly unfolding, largely ignored by the outside world and denied by China.

Clashes have broken out over a two-day period between the Shan State Army-South and Burmese government forces after the Burmese troops attacked a Shan military base on Tuesday, the SSA-S says.

This January 19, 2012 photo shows U Gambira, leader of the All-Burmese Monks Alliance, after he was released from prison.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: Richard Colwill recalls his days in Burma as he looks at an old picture of himself in uniform The assassination of Burmese General Aung San sparked a chain of events leading to the house arrest of his daughter Aung San Suu Kyi.

Shin Gambira, a prominent Buddhist monk in Burma who has been detained by authorities again.

A prominent Buddhist monk who was one of hundreds of political prisoners freed in Myanmar last month was detained Friday after a pre-dawn visit by authorities, an official said.

In a startling admission of the Burmese government's past failings -including systemic corruption - the speaker of the Lower House has called on Parliament members to pass laws that modernize the government and serve the people.

KNU soldiers stand guard with their assault weapons at Oo Kray Kee village in Karen State near the Thai-Burma border in January.

ANOTHER day, another milestone: there appears to be no let-up in the frenetic pace of Myanmar's political transformation.

In the light of rising prosperity in Burma, Forever Group, a major media company and broadcaster, expects to enjoy a 50-per-cent revenue surge this year after the establishment of a joint venture with BEC-Tero Entertainment to co-produce television programmes for both its existing and new channels.

RANGOON: Last September Burma's economic planners came up with an ingenious scheme to lower the value of the national currency, the kyat, which had pushed up to a level hurting exports, such as beans and rice, and discouraging investment in garments and textiles.

Seeing the real Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar these days may be even easier than spotting the film version.