State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gave a lecture titled “Democratic Transition in Myanmar: Challenges and the Way Forward” on 22 August 2018 at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. The ceremony was opened with the address by Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Teo Chee Hean. In her lecture, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi talked about Myanmar’s transition processes, five goals and three pillars of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, which could also be seen as a roadmap for the country’s transition, efforts of the Myanmar government for resolving the Rakhine issue and cooperation with UN agencies, reforms and relaxation of rules for the economic sector and investment in Myanmar, situation of the education and health sectors in Myanmar and cooperation between Myanmar and Singapore. The State Counsellor and officials concerned also replied questions raised by the attendees there. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute is a Singaporean statutory board and research institution established by an Act of Parliament in 1968. Previously known as the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-ISEAS, the organization was renamed as the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in August 2015, in honour of Singapore’s first President.

Full text of the speech

At least five people have been killed and over 95,000 people have been forced to flee their homes by widespread flooding in seven states and regions during the past week, the Disaster Management Department said.

It said two people died in the floods in Magwe, and one each in Tanintharyi, Bago and Nay Pyi Taw.

Sagaing and Ayeyarwady regions, and Mon and Kayin states were also hits by flooding, the department said.

On Thursday, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited Hpa-an township in Kayin to console evacuees, and on Saturday, President U Win Myint visited Bago Region to check on flood victims.

Knut Ostby, United Nations resident coordinator in Myanmar, expressed great concern about the flooding and devastation of the country caused by heavy rain.

The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Peter Maurer is visiting the northern areas of Rakhine State for the first time. During his three-day visit he observed a Red Cross Movement mobile medical clinic in Buthidaung and joined a food distribution in Maungdaw. The Red Cross Movement is scaling up and doubling its distributions as monsoon season approaches, so people have enough food to last when roads are inaccessible.

President U Win Myint received Mr. Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), yesterday afternoon at the Presidential Palace in Nay Pyi Taw.
During the meeting, they exchanged views and discussed matters related to the status of expanding ICRC operations, works carried out by ICRC in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states, along with humanitarian aid, as well as social, economic and health rehabilitation for returnees and their families
Present at the meeting were Union Ministers Dr. Myint Htwe, Dr. Win Myat Aye and U Kyaw Tin, Deputy Minister Maj-Gen Aung Thu and other officials.—MNA

YANGON — Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein vowed to focus on economic growth in 2018 and laid out a five-point vision for the city’s development at the Yangon Investment Forum on Wednesday.

U Phyo Min Thein said boosting the city’s economy would be one of the regional government’s priorities this year, along with improving the rule of law and cleanliness — some of Yangon’s main challenges.Organized by the Yangon Region Investment Committee (YRIC), the forum aims to boost foreign investment in Myanmar’s largest city and commercial capital. 

President U Win Myint, in Singapore to attend the 32nd ASEAN Summit, visited Gardens by the Bay yesterday morning.
The President and his delegation arrived at Gardens by the Bay at 10am and were given a tour of the park by Chief Executive Officer Mr. Felix Loh. After the tour, the President signed the Gardens by the Bay visitors’ book and presented Mr. Felix Loh with a commemorative gift.
Later in the afternoon, the President met separately with heads of state and leaders of ASEAN governments.
During the meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana Presidential Palace, the two sides discussed increasing bilateral relations and cooperation, trade and investment, Singapore’s continued assistance to the human resource development sector and the vocational training sector in Myanmar, as well as its humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State.

In the coming year 1380, our Union Government has decided to keep in high regard the need for “collective strength” to overcome our country’s challenges – State Counsellor (2nd anniversary of National League for Democracy government speech: 2 April 2018)

On March 12, 2018, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Myanmar. Myanmar’s economy stabilized in 2016/17. The new government saw a challenging first year with lower-than-expected growth of 5.9 percent in 2016/17 mainly due to weak agriculture production and exports, and temporary suspension of some construction projects in Yangon.

SYDNEY: “A resounding success” – that was how Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the first ever ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. Speaking at the close of a two-day meet with nine ASEAN leaders on Sunday (Mar 18), Mr Turnbull said the summit comes at a “critical time in history” where the pace and scale of change is “utterly without precedent”.