27 December , 2023

On December 26th, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's capital, a significant step was taken in the development of the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone. The signing of the Addendum to the Concession Agreement for the deep-sea port project marks a substantial commitment from China, signifying an investment of millions of dollars dedicated to the project's realization.

Kyauk Pyu town is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is a place of great strategic value for future development. Therefore, it has been designated as a special economic zone and international investments have been invited, said Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister of Transport and Communications, General Mya Tun Oo, who is also a member of the State Administration Council and a member of the Central Committee on Myanmar Special Economic Zones.

General Mya Tun Oo expressed confidence that the deep-sea port projects within the Kyauk Phyu SEZ would significantly bolster Myanmar's economic development through substantial investments.

General Mya Tun Oo highlighted that the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) spans 1,700 kilometers, traversing China's Yunnan Province, linking Kunming to Mandalay City in central Myanmar, and ultimately leading to Kyauk Phyu City, serving as the western sea outlet.

He mentioned that following the signing of the project agreement, the project's implementation has faced a delay of over two years, primarily due to the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, ongoing negotiations between the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee and CITIC have contributed to this delay.

He outlined that to swiftly reinstate the deep-sea port project, it's imperative to enhance the comprehensiveness of the prior Concession Agreement and ensure a clearer, more precise understanding. Consequently, today's signing of the Addendum aims to achieve this objective.

He elaborated that this project serves not only to enhance trade and economic collaboration between Myanmar and China but also offers a strategic corridor. Leveraging this corridor, the transportation of goods imported from South Asia, West Asia, and Africa to mainland China will be expedited, resulting in significant time and cost savings.

The Kyauk Phyu Deep Sea Port project represents Myanmar's inaugural internationally recognized deep sea port. This project includes the simultaneous implementation of an industrial park within the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone, complementing the construction of the port.

General Mya Tun Oo expressed a desire for the swift implementation of the project, hoping for increased cooperation between Myanmar and China across multiple sectors, such as trade and investment.

Following that, U Aung Naing Oo, who serves as the chairman of the central working committee for Myanmar Special Economic Zones and as the union minister for the Union Government office(1), alongside the Chairman of China’s CITIC and the Charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, provided clarification concerning the signing of the Addendum to the Concession Agreement.

After that, for the implementation of the deep sea port project within the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone, an addendum that supplements the Concession Agreement was signed by U Kyaw Shwe Tun, Chairman of the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone Management Committee, and Mr. Liang Chuanxin, Director of the Kyauk Phyu Special Economic Zone Deep Sea Port Company Limited.

-ymg/knl

19 December,

In a press release issued by the SAC information team, it was emphatically stated that the report from Khit Thit, an illegal subversive media outlet, alleging the deaths of 10 security personnel due to an attack involving approximately 200 rounds of artillery on the headquarters of the 101st Infantry Division in Pakokku and a military camp in Ahnauk PhoneKan village, is entirely false and constitutes fake news.

Based on the results of the on-site investigation, it was determined that explosions occurred in the vicinity of the villages as a result of indiscriminate firing by terrorist insurgents using homemade weapon. Additionally, the report claiming the death of 10 soldiers has been confirmed as false news.

A press release stated that the illegal subversive media is reportedly disseminating solely false information on social networking sites, purportedly to obscure the actions of terrorist insurgents and undermine the morale of the security forces.

-ymg/knl

19 December (YMG)

Yangon's relentless battle against its infamous traffic congestion receives a promising ray of hope with the ongoing construction of the Bago River Bridge, referred to as Thanlyin Bridge No. 3.

This ambitious project, aimed at easing the city's traffic gridlock, is swiftly nearing its final stages.

Serving as a crucial link between the vibrant Thilawa Special Economic Zone and the pulsating heart of Yangon City, this monumental infrastructure endeavor is inching towards completion, currently boasting an impressive 94 percent finalization rate.

The construction of the Bago River Bridge, also known as Thanlyin Bridge No. 3, began in 2013, leveraging advanced technology and a collaborative effort involving the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Myanmar’s Ministry of Planning and Finance, the Ministry of Construction, and other pertinent ministries.

The Bago River Bridge, classified as a Steel Suspension Bridge or cable-stayed bridge, spans a total length of 8,638 feet. This comprises a river crossing section extending 6,663 feet and an overpass section stretching 1,975 feet. The bridge boasts a width of 75 feet and accommodates four lanes of traffic, with dedicated 5-foot motorcycle lanes on either side.

The bridge can support vehicles weighing up to 75 tons each.

Upon its full completion, the bridge is poised to alleviate the traffic congestions plaguing Thanlyin Bridge No. 1. This development holds significant promise for the Thilawa Special Economic Zone and surrounding regions, including Yangon's southern districts like Thanlyin, fortifying their socio-economic landscape amid an influx of foreign businesses.

The transformative impact won't be limited to the development of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone and Thanlyin. It will also leverage the East-West Economic Corridor, linking Hpa-an -Myawaddy and facilitating enhanced connectivity with Mon State.

This vital infrastructure isn't limited to local advantages. It's set to enhance communication and strengthen development connections with neighboring regional countries, fostering a wider network of growth and cooperation, as gathered from reports.

-ymg/knl

13 December 2023

In a recent incident reported by Myanmar State media, the Mandalay-Yangon passenger train fell victim to an attack involving remote mines in Kyauktagar township. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the aftermath.

The train, led by locomotive No. DF/2083 and helmed by locomotive driver U Khin Maung Than, departed from Mandalay Station at 5 pm on December 12 bound for Yangon. According to the report, at approximately 3:45 am on December 13, as the train traversed between railway mile post No. 103 mile 24 furlong and 104 mile 1 furlong, roughly 7500 meters southeast of Kyauktagar township, it came under attack by KNLA and PDF forces who deployed remote mines from both sides of the tracks, said report.

The explosive impact caused the locomotive and two coaches to derail, resulting in significant damage to the train tracks and sleeper blocks. However, despite the derailment, both railway staff and passengers emerged unharmed from the incident.

Efforts are underway by relevant authorities to promptly initiate repair work at the site of the railway damage. Additionally, security forces are intensifying measures to ensure the area's security in light of this attack.

-ymg/knl

Published 18 November 2023

Singapore titled a number one investor by investing more than 300 million dollars in foreign direct investment in Myanmar in the last seven months of this year, according to information from the Directorate of Investments and Companies (DICA),

During a financial year of 2023-2024, From 1 April to the end of 31 October for seven months, foreign direct investment (FDI) entered Myanmar in the amount of USD (567.3 80) million.

In this entry, Singapore invested the most FDI sum of US$ 337.087 million, and China invested the second highest sum of FDI with US$ (205.215) million, DICA said.

Among the highest investors, Hong Kong (SAR)places in the fourth with $14.559 million followed by  Chinese Taipei with 2.2million dollars, the Marshall Islands with 1.3 million dollars , Samoa with $1 million  and The United States with  $1.087 million respectively.

Most of the foreign investment gained by Myanmar was from the electricity sector and invested more than 374 million of the total investment. These figures represented the new entry of FDI not the increments of existing investment, DICA said.

The manufacturing is the second largest investment sector with more than 88 million dollars, followed the transportation and communication sector with more than 77 million dollars and the livestock and aquatic products sectors with  more than 23 million dollars, respectively.

-ymg/nn.kk

18 Nov 2023

( The following is the full text of a statement from Ministry of Foreign Affair, Myanmar respond to UN's the Third Committee resolution)

During the 78th United Nations General Assembly held in New York, a combined briefing on reports on Myanmar by the United Nations Secretary-General, Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM) and Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar was made at the Third Committee on 23 October 2023. Additionally, the resolution entitled “Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar” was adopted on 15 November 2023 without the participation of legitimate representatives of the concerned country, Myanmar.

The combined briefing was participated and briefed by Mr Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) who was never mandated for such a task. Mr Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar also presented his unethical and unprofessional report on 23 October 2023. Regarding the IIMM, the accuracy of the so-called twenty-three million pieces of information items said to be collected by the IIMM remains unknown since a functional tool to scrutinize them does not exist but solely depends on the self-interpretation of the mechanism. Myanmar has registered its objection with the United Nations against the acts of Kyaw Moe Tun in respective meetings under the banner of Myanmar as he has been representing the NUG terrorist group.

As in its previous versions, the resolution tabled by the EU and OIC on 15 November 2023 contained unfounded allegations from opposition groups and certain biased media. While the resolution was tabled due to the incident in northern Rakhine State that occurred in August 2017, it intentionally excluded the root causes of that incident and reality on the ground. In fact, the mass displacement started in late September 2017, following threats, killings and coordinated attacks committed by the so-called ARSA aka Aqua Mul Mujahidin terrorist group in northern Rakhine State. Hundreds of displaced persons from camps in Bangladesh have been killed for not following the agenda of the terrorist group and for advocating the repatriation process whose realization has been affected by such life threats. Myanmar stands ready to receive those who are verified as displaced persons from Rakhine State under the existing laws and bilateral arrangements signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh. The two sides keep negotiating to kick-start the repatriation of verified displaced persons. The Government of Myanmar has been repeatedly requesting Bangladesh’s support for the early repatriation of the hundreds of displaced Hindus who volunteered to return. The repatriation process cannot be materialized only by Myanmar and cooperation from Bangladesh is required. Myanmar does not recognize the invented term “Rohingya” which has never existed in legal and historical records of the country.

The resolution fails to condemn the terrorist attacks committed by the socalled NUG and PDFs which have claimed the lives of over 6,700 unarmed civilians including more than 230 children. The said resolution itself amounts to hate speech and creates more polarization and escalation of tension among different communities in the country.

Due to sweeping allegations and intrusive elements contained in the resolution as well as Myanmar’s consistent position against the country-specific resolutions, Myanmar categorically rejects the whole resolution and dissociates itself from the adoption of it. Myanmar expresses its gratitude to the friendly countries which dissociated themselves from the adoption of the resolution.

MOFA, MYANMAR