12 May 2026 By Ko Myo YANGON, Myanmar — The Myanmar military has begun a controversial campaign to recruit children from the country’s poorest families into military-run schools, a move critics describe as a desperate attempt to bolster its dwindling ranks through long-term indoctrination. Local administration officials in Yangon are reportedly being pressured to find candidates for the newly established "Military Youth Education Schools"...

1 May 2026 By Hlaing MABEIN, Myanmar — Intense clashes have broken out between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Myanmar’s military junta in Mabein Township, a strategic gateway connecting Northern Shan State and Kachin State, local sources confirmed on Monday. The latest round of fighting was triggered on 9 May when junta troops from the Nga Oh-based Light Infantry Battalion 121, under the...

11 May 2026 By Mon Lay YANGON, Myanmar — The Myanmar military junta has lashed out at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), accusing the regional bloc of persistent discrimination and violating its own charter by interfering in the country’s domestic affairs. In a late-night statement issued on 10 May, the junta-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that despite Myanmar’s "constructive cooperation" and...

11 May 2026 By Ko Myo SEOUL, South Korea — Myanmar nationals working in South Korea are increasingly warning one another against returning home for family visits, following a surge in reports of the military junta blocking migrant workers from departing the country once they arrive. The warnings have become a focal point within Myanmar community groups in South Korea. Activists and labor unions...

11 May 2026 By Hsu Yee MANDALAY, Myanmar — At least 19 young volunteers from a local social welfare group were forcibly detained by Myanmar military personnel in Mandalay on Friday night, as the junta ramps up its aggressive recruitment drive in the country’s second-largest city. The raid took place around 11:30 PM on 8 May at the "Helping Hands" (Fay Ku Let Myar)...