Myanmar’s junta calls for elections amid civil war

Four years after overthrowing Myanmar’s democratically elected government in a 2021 coup, the military regime is intensifying efforts to legitimize its rule by advancing plans for a 2025 election. 

In 2024, China’s state-owned aerospace company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), provided the Myanmar military with eight new aircraft, according to a report by Burma Campaign UK.

India and China have reached an agreement to resume direct air travel between the two countries after a gap of almost five years, according to a statement from India`s Ministry of External Affairs on Monday. This development marks a positive shift in relations between the two neighbors following heightened tensions over a deadly border clash in 2020.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on China and India to take meaningful steps to enhance mutual understanding and support. His remarks came during a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Beijing on Monday.

The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) released a detailed report on Wednesday, exposing ongoing systematic persecution of the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The report comes five years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Myanmar to take measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya population.

China and India are locked in a strategic competition over access to Myanmar’s Rakhine State, as the Arakan Army (AA) continues to expand its control over the crucial Bay of Bengal coastline.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a detailed video discussion on strengthening their bilateral relationship shortly after Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th President of the United States.

Southeast Asian nations have called on Myanmar`s military leadership to abandon its plans for elections and focus instead on ending the ongoing civil conflict in the country. 

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained by police Wednesday, marking an historic first for a sitting leader of the country, the state news agency Yonhap reported.

The ongoing civil conflict in Myanmar, now entering its fourth year has provided fertile ground for drug cartels to expand their operations. The Shan State, in particular, has become a key hub for the production of illicit narcotics, posing significant challenges to neighboring countries, especially Bangladesh.

A devastating earthquake struck China`s Tibet region on Tuesday morning, leaving at least 95 people dead and many others injured, as reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared on Tuesday that China’s reunification with Taiwan is inevitable and cannot be obstructed.

China has expressed strong opposition to US President Joe Biden`s recent approval of 571.3 million US dollar in military aid for Taiwan, calling it a violation of its sovereignty and security interests.

The United States has raised serious concerns about the ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, warning of its potential to destabilize the surrounding region.

Myanmar’s military junta has actively suppressed information about the country’s escalating hunger crisis by pressuring aid organizations and researchers to withhold data. 

The United States has called for India and Bangladesh to address their differences through peaceful means, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing Monday.