Humanitarian workers battling the novel coronavirus in Myanmar's Rakhine State have urged authorities to restore high-speed internet access to help tackle rising infections in an area where tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

The region has seen the fastest spread of the coronavirus in Myanmar in recent months with more than 80 confirmed cases out of the country's total of 474.

Citing security, Myanmar has curbed internet access in large swathes of the area, where many people live in camps due to fighting between the army and ethnic minority insurgents.

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Aid workers from three groups said the government should restore 4G internet access to help inform people about the virus.

"If they do not do it at this time, when information is essential, it will be recorded in history as a crime," said Zaw Zaw Tun, the secretary of one of the aid groups, the Rakhine Ethnic Congress.

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The high-speed internet blackout, imposed in June last year, is due to be lifted this month and while the internet is working in some areas, in others there is only slower 2G service.

A government spokesman did not answer telephone calls seeking comment.

Another humanitarian worker, Aung Than Tun, said the limited access was making it easier for misinformation and rumours about the coronavirus to spread.

Most recent infections have been in the state capital of Sittwe, where officials have imposed a stay-at-home order and a curfew.

Sittwe is also home to camps where about 100,000 Rohingya Muslims have been confined since an outbreak of violence in 2012. Rohingya are mostly denied citizenship and face strict curbs on freedom of movement and access to healthcare.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said people of all faiths and ethnicities would be treated equally.

Three more coronavirus cases were reported on the weekend in Mrauk U town in Rakhine where internet access is limited to 2G.

Local legislator Tun Thar Sein said the service was too patchy to ensure that people got health and news updates on the outbreak.

Humanitarian workers battling the novel coronavirus in Myanmar's Rakhine State have urged authorities to restore high-speed internet access to help tackle rising infections in an area where tens of thousands of people have been displaced.

Humanitarian workers battling the novel coronavirus in Myanmar's Rakhine State have urged authorities to restore high-speed internet access to help tackle rising infections in an area where tens of thousands of people have been displaced. The region has seen the fastest spread of the coronavirus in Myanmar in recent months with more than 80 confirmed cases out of the country's total of 474. Citing security, Myanmar has curbed internet access in large swathes of the area, where many people live in camps due to fighting between the army and ethnic minority insurgents. Also read: As China pushes for BRI, why Myanmar is coming close to India Aid workers from three groups said the government should restore 4G internet access to help inform people about the virus. "If they do not do it at this time, when information is essential, it will be recorded in history as a crime," said Zaw Zaw Tun, the secretary of one of the aid groups, the Rakhine Ethnic Congress. Also read: Coronavirus outbreak in Myanmar's Sittwe sparks fears for Rohingya camps The high-speed internet blackout, imposed in June last year, is due to be lifted this month and while the internet is working in some areas, in others there is only slower 2G service. A government spokesman did not answer telephone calls seeking comment. Another humanitarian worker, Aung Than Tun, said the limited access was making it easier for misinformation and rumours about the coronavirus to spread. Most recent infections have been in the state capital of Sittwe, where officials have imposed a stay-at-home order and a curfew. Sittwe is also home to camps where about 100,000 Rohingya Muslims have been confined since an outbreak of violence in 2012. Rohingya are mostly denied citizenship and face strict curbs on freedom of movement and access to healthcare. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said people of all faiths and ethnicities would be treated equally. Three more coronavirus cases were reported on the weekend in Mrauk U town in Rakhine where internet access is limited to 2G. Local legislator Tun Thar Sein said the service was too patchy to ensure that people got health and news updates on the outbreak.

Myanmar urged to restore internet in Rakhine to help contain virus

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority.

A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country into sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, prompting genocide charges at the UN's top court.&nbsp;

Myanmar has denied the allegations and justified the military operations as a means of rooting out terrorists.

Another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, but most are not regarded as citizens and will have no vote, living in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions.

Three Rohingya-led parties had hoped to field at least a dozen candidates in November's vote, according to regional watchdog Fortify Rights.

But Abdul Rasheed, 58, a member of the Democracy and Human Rights Party, told AFP on Wednesday that his candidacy was rejected by the district election commission in Rakhine state capital Sittwe a day earlier.

The commission said this was because his parents were not Myanmar citizens when he was born, Rasheed said, even though he had proof his parents and grandparents were granted citizenship in 1957, four years before his birth.

"This is not in line with the law," he said, adding he would appeal the decision. "The Rohingya are being degraded so we cannot compete."

The Muslim minority has had citizenship and other rights eroded over decades.

Rasheed, who said his father worked as a Myanmar government civil servant for more than 30 years, also tried without success to stand in the country's landmark 2015 election.

"This rejection is discriminatory and not unrelated to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya," said Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights, a group for which Rasheed also consults.

"The government of Myanmar must end its mass disenfranchisement of Rohingya."

The Rakhine State election commission in Sittwe denied any unfair treatment of Rasheed.

"He wasn't rejected because he is a Muslim but because his application was not in line with the electoral law," chairperson Tin Hlaing told AFP.

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority.

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority. A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country into sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, prompting genocide charges at the UN's top court. Myanmar has denied the allegations and justified the military operations as a means of rooting out terrorists. Another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, but most are not regarded as citizens and will have no vote, living in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions. Three Rohingya-led parties had hoped to field at least a dozen candidates in November's vote, according to regional watchdog Fortify Rights. But Abdul Rasheed, 58, a member of the Democracy and Human Rights Party, told AFP on Wednesday that his candidacy was rejected by the district election commission in Rakhine state capital Sittwe a day earlier. The commission said this was because his parents were not Myanmar citizens when he was born, Rasheed said, even though he had proof his parents and grandparents were granted citizenship in 1957, four years before his birth. "This is not in line with the law," he said, adding he would appeal the decision. "The Rohingya are being degraded so we cannot compete." The Muslim minority has had citizenship and other rights eroded over decades. Rasheed, who said his father worked as a Myanmar government civil servant for more than 30 years, also tried without success to stand in the country's landmark 2015 election. "This rejection is discriminatory and not unrelated to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya," said Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights, a group for which Rasheed also consults. "The government of Myanmar must end its mass disenfranchisement of Rohingya." The Rakhine State election commission in Sittwe denied any unfair treatment of Rasheed. "He wasn't rejected because he is a Muslim but because his application was not in line with the electoral law," chairperson Tin Hlaing told AFP.

Myanmar bars Rohingya candidate from contesting election

Moe Myint May Thu’s mother posted a video online at the end of April showing off her daughter’s skills as the youngster threw together some spicy fried prawns.

8-year-old 'Little Chef' from Myanmar gives cooking tutorials during lockdown

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a $3.07 billion operating budget which for the first time includes funding for the investigation of war crimes in Syria and Myanmar.

The budget represents a slight increase from 2019's figure of $2.9 billion.

The increase is due to additional missions assigned to the UN Secretariat, inflation and exchange rate adjustments, according to diplomats.

These include the observer mission in Yemen, a political mission established in Haiti, the investigation of crimes committed in Syria since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, and in Myanmar after the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority.

For the first time, the budgets for the Syria and Myanmar investigations -- which were previously financed by voluntary contributions -- will in 2020 be transferred to the UN secretariat's budget and will receive compulsory contributions from the 193 member states.

Russia proposed multiple amendments during negotiations in the Committee on Budgetary Questions meeting and in the General Assembly plenary session.

At each vote, Russia, Syria, Myanmar and their supporters, including North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela, were outvoted. They all stated that they dissociated themselves from references to investigative mechanisms in the adopted resolutions.

Russia said it would examine its future obligatory payments in light of the vote outcome and predicted an increase in the arrears that currently plague the UN's treasury due to countries not paying enough.

Moscow argued Friday the investigative mechanism was illegitimate, while Damascus stressed that it had no mandate from the Security Council.

The UN's operating budget is separate from the annual budget for peacekeeping operations of some $6 billion that is adopted in June.

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a $3.07 billion operating budget which for the first time includes funding for the investigation of war crimes in Syria and Myanmar.

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a $3.07 billion operating budget which for the first time includes funding for the investigation of war crimes in Syria and Myanmar. The budget represents a slight increase from 2019's figure of $2.9 billion. The increase is due to additional missions assigned to the UN Secretariat, inflation and exchange rate adjustments, according to diplomats. These include the observer mission in Yemen, a political mission established in Haiti, the investigation of crimes committed in Syria since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, and in Myanmar after the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority. For the first time, the budgets for the Syria and Myanmar investigations -- which were previously financed by voluntary contributions -- will in 2020 be transferred to the UN secretariat's budget and will receive compulsory contributions from the 193 member states. Russia proposed multiple amendments during negotiations in the Committee on Budgetary Questions meeting and in the General Assembly plenary session. At each vote, Russia, Syria, Myanmar and their supporters, including North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela, were outvoted. They all stated that they dissociated themselves from references to investigative mechanisms in the adopted resolutions. Russia said it would examine its future obligatory payments in light of the vote outcome and predicted an increase in the arrears that currently plague the UN's treasury due to countries not paying enough. Moscow argued Friday the investigative mechanism was illegitimate, while Damascus stressed that it had no mandate from the Security Council. The UN's operating budget is separate from the annual budget for peacekeeping operations of some $6 billion that is adopted in June.

UN ups 2020 budget, includes funds for war crimes probes

Thousands of protesters marched to a police office in the north of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, on Saturday (July 6), demanding speedy and transparent justice in a child-rape case that has sparked national outrage. Police said this week they had arrested a suspect in the rape of a toddler - nicknamed Victoria - at a private nursery school in the administrative capital, Naypyitaw, in May. Social media users have criticised the speed and professionalism of the police response after the girl's family filed a complaint more than a month ago, underscoring a lack of trust in authorities in a country still emerging from decades of military rule.

Thousands protest amid outcry over Myanmar child-rape case

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Myanmar urged to restore internet in Rakhine to help contain virus

Myanmar bars Rohingya candidate from contesting election

8-year-old 'Little Chef' from Myanmar gives cooking tutorials during lockdown

UN ups 2020 budget, includes funds for war crimes probes

Thousands protest amid outcry over Myanmar child-rape case