Burma

Why is Myanmar's junta holding an election during a civil war? - explainer

Myanmar’s junta-led election is widely viewed as a bid to legitimize military power amid civil war, low turnout, and the exclusion of opposition parties.

|ByREUTERS
Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup, presides at an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021; illustrative.
Election Commission officials count ballots at a polling station during Myanmar's general election in Yangon, Myanmar, December 28, 2025; illustrative.

Final phase of Myanmar's election underway, military-backed party set to win

Myanmar opened polling stations for the final phase of a junta-led election, with low turnout, ongoing fighting, and a military-backed party poised to consolidate power.

|ByREUTERS
Rohingya refugees stand on a capsized boat as a rescuer throws a rope to rescue them in the waters of West Aceh, Indonesia, March 21, 2024.

Over 70 Rohingya dead or missing after boat capsizes off Indonesia's Aceh

More than 2,300 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia last year, UNHCR data showed, surpassing the number of arrivals in the previous four years combined.

|ByREUTERS
Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends the IX Moscow conference on international security in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2021.

Myanmar military defends deadly airstrike after accusations of war crime

Myanmar's military has defended air strikes on a concert organized by an ethnic minority force as a justified response to attacks in the area.

|ByREUTERS

There are echoes of Holocaust in Rohingya genocide - opinion

World leaders have showed a willingness to support humanitarian relief efforts. But words ring hollow without meaningful action.

AUGUST 28, 2022ByWAI WAI NU, DAVID WIRTSCHAFTER
ROHINGYA REFUGEES rebuild their shelters after a massive fire broke out at their camp in Bangladesh, March 2021.

Myanmar soldiers accused of killing 11 after charred remains found

Video footage purporting to show the burned bodies was circulated on social media and images were published by some media, including the Myanmar Now news portal.

DECEMBER 8, 2021ByREUTERS
Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, presides an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021.

Burma Road is in flames - opinion

We have a huge and important task at hand, we must not ignore it: the restoration of our nature.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021ByMATAN VILNAI
CHILDREN WATCH a military plane disperse fire retardant to extinguish a blaze near Kibbutz Tzuba, outside Jerusalem, last month.

Myanmar coup opponents call for new show of force

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decried the new criminal charge, saying it was "fabricated" by the military.

FEBRUARY 17, 2021ByREUTERS
Demonstrators take part in a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, February 16, 2021.

Myanmar coup opponents defy bans as protests resume - Watch

The civil disobedience movement, led by hospital workers, has resulted in a plunge in coronavirus tests, official testing figures showed.

FEBRUARY 9, 2021ByREUTERS
Demonstrators protest against the military coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 6, 2021.

Myanmar’s tiny Jewish community is rattled after military coup

British rule ended when the Japanese bombed Rangoon on Christmas Day, 1941, and invaded the country at the outset of World War II. Many Burmese Jews fled to India and never returned.

FEBRUARY 6, 2021ByBEN FRANK/JTA
Inside the Musmeach Yeshua Synagogue in Yangon, Myanmar

The story of the Jews of Burma

Like Israel, Burma has faced a plethora of challenges in the years since the heady days of independence.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020ByJULIE L. KESSLER
THE COLONIAL-ERA exterior facade of the synagogue flanked in front by street merchants plying their goods

Jewish groups praises sanctions Burma for persecution of Rohingya Muslims

Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Todd Young, R-Ind., introduced the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act on Thursday. It was co-sponsored by 14 lawmakers.

APRIL 12, 2019ByJOSEFIN DOLSTEN/JTA
MK MASOUD GNAIM (center) participates in a protest against the killing of his Rohingya Muslim ‘brothers’ in Myanmar, outside the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv, September 11, 2017.

BRIEF: A loving heart

Hanna is the first child ever to come from Myanmar (Burma) to undergo free congenital heart surgery at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon as part of the Save A Child Heart program.

APRIL 18, 2018ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Hanna arrives in Israel for heart surgery at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

Rohingya insurgents say they have no option but to fight Myanmar

The United Nations condemned the Myanmar military campaign as ethnic cleansing.

JANUARY 7, 2018ByREUTERS
Rohingya refugees walk after crossing the border in Palang Khali, Bangladesh, October 9, 2017.