The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy is dedicated to providing accurate and unbiased news about Burma/Myanmar and Southeast Asia. In a world filled with turmoil and strife, the media serves an essential function by bringing attention to issues and scandals while uncovering the reality of situations in conflict areas. Independent and critical journalism cannot merely observe crises from a distance; we view the media as a vital part of the solution, not as a contributor to the problem. Therefore, we do not adhere strictly to neutrality; our responsibility is to pursue the truth and keep our readers informed.

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Guest Column | Examining the Role of Private Security Firms in Chinese Force Projection

3 weeks ago | irrawaddy.com | Vaishali Basu Sharma

China appears to be responding to evolving global dynamics by deploying private security personnel, many of whom are suspected to be covert operatives from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In a prominent example, following a series of terrorist attacks directed at Chinese nationals in Pakistan, China has implemented notable measures to safeguard its citizens involved in initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Commentary | Assessing the Oval Office Showdown’s Fallout for Myanmar

1 month ago | irrawaddy.com | Aung Zaw

It was great television. But it was shocking to watch Friday’s shouting match in the Oval Office between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with US Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s attack dog, also present. Many have asked whether it was spontaneous or an ambush. Analysts underscored after the fiasco that the White House was now largely siding with the Kremlin.
Plundering Paradise: China’s Role in Myanmar’s Environmental Crisis

Jan 24, 2025 | irrawaddy.com | Vaishali Basu Sharma

For travelers with an interest in local crafts, a stop at Bogyoke Aung San Market in Yangon is a must. Once known as Scott Market, it is a veritable goldmine of antique stores, traditional jewelry shops, and boutiques filled with Burmese handicrafts. Among the many precious goods, the jade items stand out. But talking to the shopkeepers reveals a more troubling story.
Guest Column | Navigating Controversy: China and the Funan Techo Canal

Jan 13, 2025 | irrawaddy.com | Vaishali Basu Sharma

The Chinese-backed Funan Techo Canal is a 180 km waterway that will link the Mekong River to Cambodia’s Kep province on its south coast, connecting the capital of Phnom Penh to the sea. Once completed at an estimated cost of US$ 1.7 billion, it will enable Cambodia to export directly to world markets, reducing reliance on the Vietnamese ports that currently transport one-third of Cambodia’s shipments.
On Leadership and Power in Myanmar

Dec 10, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | David Steinberg

Professor David Steinberg, a prominent expert on Myanmar, who traced the historical and cultural roots of the country’s ongoing political crises, died on Dec. 5 in Maryland. He was 96. A long-time Myanmar observer and expert in the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia and US policy in Asia, Prof. Steinberg was country representative of the Asia Foundation’s Myanmar Office from 1958 to 1962 and also served the US government for almost two decades as an Asia expert.
How Ne Win’s Diplomacy Weakened Burma’s Communists

Dec 2, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | Bertil Lintner

The Irrawaddy revisits an article from July 2000 that shows how former Burmese dictator Ne Win, by visiting Khmer Rouge-controlled Cambodia, cunningly played his communist enemies off against each other. In late November 1977, Burma’s military dictator Ne Win became the first-and only-head of state of a non-communist country to visit Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge was still in power. He spent several days in the country, hosted by Khieu Samphan and other Khmer Rouge leaders.
Guest Column | From Balkanization to Pakistanization: China’s Risk in Myanmar

Nov 7, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | Yun Sun

China’s position in Myanmar is changing. After the coup in 2021, China opted for a policy of strategic ambiguity towards Myanmar’s domestic politics, treating the military junta, or State Administration Council (SAC), as the de facto functional government but not the formal legitimate government of the country.
Commentary | Min Aung Hlaing Goes to China: From Pariah to Legitimacy… For Now

Nov 5, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | Aung Zaw

There is no more strategic ambiguity. On the morning of Nov. 5, Myanmar Airways International Flight 779 landed at Kunming International Airport in China’s Yunnan Province. The plane carried Myanmar’s regime leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who surprised everyone in July this year by declaring Chinese New Year a national holiday amid renewed fighting near the border with China.
Guest Column | Attack on Consulate in Myanmar Rattles China

Nov 3, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | Vaishali Basu Sharma

At a time when China is working on several plans to save Myanmar’s military junta from collapse in the face of an aggressive offensive from rebels, Beijing is struggling to digest the shock it received from an attack on its consulate in Mandalay—the first such attack in more than five decades. According to The Irrawaddy, which has been extensively covering Myanmar-China relations, the attack took place on Oct.
Guest Column | A Rigged Game: The Regime's Manipulative Call for Participation in Elections

Oct 4, 2024 | irrawaddy.com | Ye Myo Hein

On September 26, Myanmar’s military council issued a statement urging resistance forces to lay down their arms and participate in regime-organized elections. Titled “Offer to Resolve Political Issues by Political Means”, this statement sparked confusion, with some, including reputable international media, mistakenly interpreting it as an “appeal for talks on a political solution to the armed conflict”.