LFM News Service 11-30-18

Religious freedom at risk in one of five countries: report
Religious freedom is under threat in one of every five nations around the globe, in part because of an increase in "aggressive ultranationalism", a Catholic NGO said in a report this week.  Read More

Dr. Cynthia Maung Wins UNDP’s N-Peace Award
Dr. Cynthia Maung, who for decades has been the guiding light of the Mae Tao Clinic just across the Thai border from Myawaddy in Karen State, is among the recipients of this year’s N-Peace Awards, bestowed by the United Nations Development Program Asia-Pacific to honor those working to build peace and empower women in conflict zones.  Read More

Back to Myanmar with fresh insights
When Myanmar’s military junta tightened its grip in the late ’80s to quash a nationwide democracy movement, Yee Htun fled the brutal crackdown on dissent along with her mother, a doctor turned human rights activist, and three siblings. After five years in a refugee camp in Thailand, they immigrated to Canada as government-sponsored refugees, unsure of when they might return home.  Read More

Inside the Tatmadaw's schools
IT IS NOT widely known that throughout the country there are schools where the students gather regularly before class in their green and white uniforms to sing the National Anthem before a military officer.  Read More

Yangon considers smart-parking system to ease traffic woes
The traffic in downtown Yangon is considered some of the worst, if not the worst in the country, as tens of thousands of cars jam the streets during certain hours of the day.

True, there was a time not too long ago when Yangon was a ghost town, when only three or four cars were plying the streets.  Read More

Upgraded Yangon airport to handle 19 flights per hour
Yangon International Airport has been upgraded to handle up to 19 flights in an hour but currently only eight flights are being serviced per hour, according to airport sources.  Read More