Surakiart defends panel on Rohingya after Kobsak quits

13 Sept 16:41 Key points summarised by AI

Former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai, chair of Myanmar's international panel on the Rohingya crisis, defended its effectiveness, stating the government has acted on its recommendations.
The panel's former secretary
Kobsak Chutikul
resigned
criticizing the body for being ineffective
kept on a short leash
and restricted from accepting international funding or establishing a permanent office.
Surakiart cited Myanmar's re-engagement with the United Nations, including signing deals for Rohingya returns and inviting UN representatives, as evidence of progress influenced by the panel's advice.
Kobsak's departure further challenges the panel's credibility, following an earlier resignation by US politician Bill Richardson, who dubbed it a "whitewash" operation.

Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package: Myanmar govt

Today 03:08 Key points summarised by AI

Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two gardening books, a sealed envelope, and diplomatic communication.
The event marked the first release of images of Suu Kyi in two months and saw Myanmar authorities describe her as a "special female prisoner" for the first time.
Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a 2021 military coup that triggered an ongoing civil war, remains under house arrest on charges that rights groups contend are politically motivated.