Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma with 1,700 prisoners taken. This makes for a fascinating time to discover the countless stupas of Bagan, mythical caves of Pindaya, picturesque mountain trails and the gentle Inle Lake with its floating gardens and myriad monasteries. Myanmar was bombed extensively by the Allies. The persecution of Burmese Indians, Burmese Chinese and other ethnic groups after the military coup headed by General Ne Win in 1962 led to the expulsion or emigration of 300,000 people. With 139 countries reported on, Myanmar ranked number 133 overall in the 2016 NRI ranking.[354]. Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead. [270][79] Myanmar asked for admittance to a least developed country status in 1987 to receive debt relief. Adventure travel books 2021: our top 10 picks. The online inscription on the list of speakers will close shortly before the debate starts. Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as Burma (Myanmar). By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War against Qing China. [199] In January 2007, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council[200] calling on the government of Myanmar to respect human rights and begin a democratic transition. Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns said, the UN Security Council must urgently refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court. [347] According to The World Factbook, the Burman population is 68% and the ethnic groups constitute 32%. Each centre is fully equipped with one of the latest medical technologies in its respective field. [67] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. [88], In early August 2009, a conflict broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. There are four international schools acknowledged by WASC and College Board—The International School Yangon, Myanmar International School, Yangon International School, and International School of Myanmar in Yangon. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. [273], Myanmar produces precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, pearls, and jade. [295] The Kayin make up 7% of the population. [295] The Rakhine people constitute 4% of the population. [69] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Previously giving Myanmar its lowest rating of 7, the 2012 Freedom in the World report also notes improvement, giving Myanmar a 6 for improvements in civil liberties and political rights, the release of political prisoners, and a loosening of restrictions. Kinetic Myanmar Technology Co.,Ltd. In February 2021, Myanmar military declared a one-year state emergency and First Vice President Myint Swe became the Acting President of Myanmar and handed the power to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing and he assumed the role Chairman of the State Administration Council. The northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). The Intha people on Inle Lake grow vegetables on floating islands, which are a collection of floating weeds and water hyacinth. NPR's … [348] Football is played all over the country, even in villages, and its national team is ruled by the Myanmar Football Federation. In 2005, the estimated adult HIV prevalence rate in Myanmar was 1.3% (200,000–570,000 people), according to UNAIDS, and early indicators of any progress against the HIV epidemic are inconsistent. [40] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie. The first Burmese sound film was produced in 1932 in Bombay, India with the title Ngwe Pay Lo Ma Ya (Money Can't Buy It). Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty. Rice accounts for 97% of total food grain production by weight. [350] In April 2013, international media reports were published to relay the enactment of the media liberalisation reforms that we announced in August 2012. And I’ll make an effort to say Myanmar from time to time so you all feel comfortable."[24]. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Ava fought wars of unification but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Artists born after the 1980s have had greater chances of art practice outside the country. [132], International development and aid partners -- business, non-governmental, and governmental -- hinted at suspension of partnerships with Myanmar. [287] This figure includes an estimated 1,206,353 persons in parts of northern Rakhine State, Kachin State and Kayin State who were not counted. [314][315], A large majority of the population practices Buddhism; estimates range from 80%[316] to 89%. [21], In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: Burma became Myanmar. The arts, particularly literature, have historically been influenced by the local form of Theravada Buddhism. In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. [78] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries. “Myanmar is not well known outside of Asia and completely unknown as a producer in the specialty coffee industry. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines. During this time, Suu Kyi and her party (the National League for Democracy or NLD) called for a tourism boycott, reasoning that the bulk of tourist dollars went straight to the generals. [256], The informal economy's share in Myanmar is one of the biggest in the world and is closely linked to corruption, smuggling and illegal trade activities. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. After independence, the country was in ruins with its major infrastructure completely destroyed. [165], Myanmar's political history is underlined by its struggle to establish democratic structures amidst conflicting factions. Myanmar was known as Burma until 1989 when the military junta renamed the country Myanmar. [53], By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. [54], Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. "[326] Burmese folk religion is practised by many Bamars alongside Buddhism. (Source: The Guardian), 20. This page was last edited on 10 March 2021, at 07:07. She continued, "I use Burma very often because I am used to using it. [13] In the 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. [234], Rohingya are not allowed to travel without official permission, are banned from owning land, and are required to sign a commitment to have no more than two children. It is located on Min Ye Kyaw Swar Road in Lanmadaw Township and 20-minute walk from Yangon General Hospital. Many of the films produced in the early Cold War era had a strong propaganda element to them. Overall, 170,000 to 250,000 Burmese civilians died during World War II. As of 2009[update], 110,000 Burmese refugees were living in refugee camps in Thailand. [75] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was secretary-general was Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Her entreaty lasted until her release in late 2010. Burmese cuisine also includes a variety of salads (a thoke), centred on one major ingredient, ranging from starches like rice, wheat and rice noodles, glass noodles and vermicelli, to potato, ginger, tomato, kaffir lime, long bean, and lahpet (pickled tea leaves). Today, Mount Popa and Taung Kalat are regarded as sacred sites home to 37 venerated ‘nats’ (spirits). The purpose-built city has a 20-lane highway, golf courses, fast wifi and reliable electricity. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar. [11] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. [281], The most common way for travellers to enter the country is by air. Within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon, and the British administration had collapsed. There is a lot of education ahead that will be necessary to raise awareness of the country and coffee [among foreign buyers],” he said. 151, Room B503, Myawaddy Bank Luxury Complex (MBLC), Wardan Street, Lanmadaw Tsp, Yangon Region, Myanmar. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[73] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960. For other uses, see, Head of Government, Deputy Head of Government, and Head of State, 2020 elections and 2021 military coup d'etat, Genocide allegations and crimes against Rohingya people, Based on the estimated overall population, including both the enumerated and non-enumerated population (51,486,253), and on the assumption that the non-enumerated population in. According to Eleven magazine, "In the past, there were only 15 international airlines and increasing numbers of airlines have begun launching direct flights from Japan, Qatar, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and Singapore. The 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index ranked the country at number 171, out of 176 countries in total. [87] Humanitarian aid was requested, but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies. [22] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century. [134][132], Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). [173], Despite Western isolation, Asian corporations have generally remained willing to continue investing in the country and to initiate new investments, particularly in natural resource extraction. [186] [66] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943. Burmese contemporary art has developed quite rapidly on its own terms. The renaming remains a contested issue. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. But it does not mean that I require other people to do that as well. [18][19] Both names derive from the earlier Burmese Myanma or Myamma, an ethnonym for the majority Bamar ethnic group, of uncertain etymology. In villages, secular schooling often takes place in monasteries. Working closely with partner farm cooperatives, Sawbwa Coffee Co. bring you a taste of Myanmar's nascent specialty coffee sector Freshly roasted Sawbwa search the country for the most exceptional coffee beans, buying direct from small farms and batch roasting fresh in Yangon. [2][25] In English, the country is popularly known as either Burma or Myanmar. "[216] The UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, who stepped down from her position a week later, met representatives of the government of Myanmar in July 2012 and stated that she hoped the government's signing of an action plan would "signal a transformation. I guarantee to you that by the end of this year, there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar. Top Myanmar Speciality Museums: See reviews and photos of speciality museums in Myanmar, Asia on Tripadvisor. But peace has finally come to Myanmar, and it is most definitely open to tourists now, making a range of endemics, near-endemics, and other specialty … The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016,[116] and on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962. The government of Burma makes little effort to eliminate human trafficking. Women’s designs are referred to as acheik and are tied differently. [352][353] Myanmar's internet used to be subject to censorship, and authorities viewed e-mails and posts on Internet blogs until 2012 when the government removed media censorship. The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma. (Source: CNN), 2. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. [155], In April 2015, it was announced that the World Bank and Myanmar would enter a full partnership framework aimed to better access to electricity and other basic services for about six million people and expected to benefit three million pregnant woman and children through improved health services. [147][148] Myanmar is one of the most highly vulnerable countries to climate change; this poses a number of social, political, economic and foreign policy challenges to the country. Myanmar Business Today; Print Edition, 19 June 2014. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females). [219] The military is also notorious for rampant use of sexual violence. Besides the pour-overs made with … Our Association main office is located in Pyin Oo Lwin City (formerly Maymyo), a scenic hill town in Mandalay division, Myanmar. Rubies are the biggest earner; 90% of the world's rubies come from the country, whose red stones are prized for their purity and hue. "[282] There are a few border crossings that allow the passage of private vehicles, such as the border between Ruili (China) to Mu-se, the border between Htee Kee (Myanmar) and Phu Nam Ron (Thailand)—the most direct border between Dawei and Kanchanaburi, and the border between Myawaddy and Mae Sot, Thailand. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since the 1990 general election (which was annulled[114]).The results gave the NLD an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[114][115]. [213], Based on the evidence gathered by Amnesty photographs and video of the ongoing armed conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), attacks escalated on civilians in Rakhine State. Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest, China to its northeast, Laos and Thailand to its east and southeast, and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to its south and southwest. Standing allows the fishermen to see through the reeds that lie just beneath the surface in the shallow waters of the lake. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. [47] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Region. In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division. Who stands behind the foundation of Nat Coffee? But in July 1947, political rivals[71] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[72]. [59] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period. [17] As of 2020[update], according to the Human Development Index, Myanmar ranks 147 out of 189 countries in human development. [90][91][92], Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. The Speciality coffee of Myanmar comes mainly from Ywar Ngan (Shan State). Currently, Suu Kyi and the NLD face international criticism for their handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority Rakhine region. Myanmar, also called Burma, country, located in the western portion of mainland Southeast Asia.In 1989 the country’s official English name, which it had held since 1885, was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar; in the Burmese language the country has been known as Myanma (or, more precisely, Mranma Prañ) since the 13th century. Myanmar is one of only three countries not to adopt the metric system of measurement. [80] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 18 June 1989 by enacting the adaptation of the expression law. In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. [201], There is consensus that the former military regime in Myanmar (1962–2010) was one of the world's most repressive and abusive regimes. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Betel stains the teeth and gums and causes oral cancer. The upper house consists 168 members who are directly elected and 56 who are appointed by the Burmese Armed Forces. [317] There are some 500,000 Buddhist monks and 75,000 nuns in this country of 54 million. Known as thanaka, the paste cools skin, prevents sun damage, clears up acne and can even reduce fevers and headaches when ingested. [16] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the military government. The legislature, called the Assembly of the Union, is bicameral and made up of two houses: the 224-seat upper House of Nationalities and the 440-seat lower House of Representatives. However, the military junta refused to cede power[82] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011. The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar occupies an area of 676,578 square kilometers and houses a population of about 54 million inhabitants. The online system of inscription on the list of speakers for the 29th special session of the Human Rights Council on the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar, scheduled for Friday 12 February 2021, will open on Thursday 11 February 2021 at 2 p.m (Geneva time). We reflect on the interesting facts about Myanmar we learnt during our cycling tour through the country. In May 1990, the government held free multiparty elections for the first time in almost 30 years, and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won[81] earning 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). It was established by renovating the building that the Ministry of Energy used in the past. Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. [309] According to the 2010 estimates of the Pew Research Center, 7% of the population is Christian; 4% is Muslim; 1% follows traditional animistic beliefs; and 2% follow other religions, including Mahayana Buddhism, Hinduism, and East Asian religions. [180] International relations progress indicators continued in September 2012 when Aung San Suu Kyi visited the United States[181] followed by Myanmar's reformist president visit to the United Nations. The military expelled NLD party Members of Parliament from the capital city, Naypyitaw. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. The writer George Orwell lived in Burma from 1922 to 1927. Myanmar performs best (ie. Myanmar is building a research nuclear reactor near Pyin Oo Lwin with help from Russia. [149] The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.18/10, ranking it 49th globally out of 172 countries. Religious edifices and orders have been in existence for many years. A novitiation ceremony called shinbyu is the most important coming of age events for a boy, during which he enters the monastery for a short time. [297], Refugee camps exist along Indian, Bangladeshi and Thai borders while several thousand are in Malaysia. It is also used to write Pali, the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism, as well as several ethnic minority languages, including Shan, several Karen dialects, and Kayah (Karenni), with the addition of specialised characters and diacritics for each language.[307]. According to the report named "Preventable Fate", published by Doctors without Borders, 25,000 Burmese AIDS patients died in 2007, deaths that could largely have been prevented by antiretroviral therapy drugs and proper treatment. [319], According to 2014 census, 6.2% of the population identifies as Christian; 4.3% as Muslim; 0.8% as followers of tribal religions; 0.5% as Hindus; 0.2% as followers of other religions; and 0.1% follow no religion. The previous capital city, Yangon (formerly Rangoon), is home to the gilded Shwedagon Paya. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. [20] The terms are also popularly thought to derive from Brahma Desha or ब्रह्मादेश/ब्रह्मावर्त (Sanskrit) after Brahma. Founded in the second century AD, the kingdom once had over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries. [39], Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. (Source: New York Times), 12. Volcanic plugs like Taung Kalat are formed when magma hardens within a vent of an active volcano. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship under the Burma Socialist Programme Party. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border. Danny Fisher", "TIFF List 2011: A Complete Guide To The Toronto International Film Festival", "Burma's Western Border as Reported by the Diplomatic Correspondence(1947–1975)", Republic of the Union of Myanmar – President's Office, Interactive timeline of turning points in Burmese history, Online Burma/Myanmar Library: Classified and annotated links to more than 17,000 full-text documents on Burma/Myanmar, Myanmar: Southeast Asia's Last Frontier for Investment, A Roadmap to Building Myanmar into the Food Basket of Asia, Myanmar's Institutional Infrastructure Constraints and How to Fill the Gaps, World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Myanmar, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myanmar&oldid=1011317924, States and territories established in 1948, Articles containing Burmese-language text, Articles with dead external links from September 2016, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text, Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the symbol caption or type parameters, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from February 2021, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2019, Articles needing POV-check from November 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with TDVİA identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [262] The military has stakes in some major industrial corporations of the country (from oil production and consumer goods to transportation and tourism). [52] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation. Various foreign observers questioned the fairness of the elections. Myanmar's fertility rate as of 2011[update] is 2.23, which is slightly above replacement level[290] and is low compared to Southeast Asian countries of similar economic standing, such as Cambodia (3.18) and Laos (4.41). There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. However, she did not comment on the government's progress towards reform in this area. Myanmar used to be known as Birmânia in Portuguese, and as Birmanie in French. [163] After unexpected reforms in 2011, NLD senior leaders have decided to register as a political party and to field candidates in future by-elections. Bamar culture has been influenced by the cultures of neighbouring countries, manifested in its language, cuisine, music, dance and theatre. [269], The 1962 coup d'état was followed by an economic scheme called the Burmese Way to Socialism, a plan to nationalise all industries, with the exception of agriculture. This tea is just a mix of local tea leaves and boiled water. [271], The major agricultural product is rice, which covers about 60% of the country's total cultivated land area. (Source: The Guardian), 10. Myanmar is home to Bagan, the world’s largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins. As for Thu Zaw, he didn’t realize that Myanmar was sitting on a coffee gem until the association learned how to properly cup and taste their beans. [306] It is written in a script consisting of circular and semi-circular letters, which were adapted from the Mon script, which in turn was developed from a southern Indian script in the 5th century. Following the announcement, newspapers and other outlets no longer required approved by state censors; however, journalists in the country can still face consequences for what they write and say. [107], Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. By Kim Sangmin. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[151]. The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Myanmar is 240. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the war, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan. Official figures for military spending are not available. However, traffic in Myanmar also drives on the right-hand side, so vehicles should really be left-hand drive. (Source: Independent), 14. [306] More than a hundred languages are spoken in total. [247] A 2011 report by the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations found that, while contact with the Myanmar government was constrained by donor restrictions, international humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) see opportunities for effective advocacy with government officials, especially at the local level. Later on most young children learned the concepts from them. They are forced into prostitution, marriages, and or pregnancies. Avenue J. They are mainly targeted or deceived by brokers into making them believe that better opportunities and wages exist for them abroad. [295][296] Myanmar's ethnic minority groups prefer the term "ethnic nationality" over "ethnic minority" as the term "minority" furthers their sense of insecurity in the face of what is often described as "Burmanisation"—the proliferation and domination of the dominant Bamar culture over minority cultures.
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