Suu Kyi urges investment in Rohingya crisis' epicenter.

Myanmar leader keen to boost rural economy as 2020 election looms

NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW
YUICHI NITTA, Nikkei staff writer

FEBRUARY 27, 2019 12:42 JST

The economic potential of Rakhine State "remains untapped," Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi told investors and businesses last week. © Reuters

THANDWE, Myanmar -- Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, has chosen impoverished Rakhine State as a venue to issue a new call for foreign investment, even as her government faces international criticism for failing to stop persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority there.

What's Behind the New Constitution Change Push in Myanmar?

A closer look at the move and what it may mean for the country’s politics.

THE DIPLOMAT

By Prashanth Parameswaran
January 30, 2019

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

On Tuesday, Myanmar’s parliament voted to create a new committee to propose amendments to the country’s military-enacted constitution, formally putting the contentious issue of constitutional change on the agenda for the first time since historic elections brought to power the country’s opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi three years ago.

The idea of constitutional change in Myanmar itself is far from new. But understanding the context for its reemergence as well as its potential impact is nonetheless important within the context of the National League for Democracy (NLD’s) position within the country’s broader politics heading into elections expected in 2020.