Population
Myanmar population is 0.73% of the total world population. Myanmar is an exporter of both migrant workers and of refugees. Burmese refugees total more than 300,000 people in neighbouring Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. There were up to about 660,000 IDPs as a result of conflict and violence in Myanmar in 2015. The UN estimates that between 1996 and 2006, around 1 million people were displaced inside Myanmar, and over 230,000 people remain displaced in Southeast Myanmar, and 128,000 refugees live in temporary shelters on the Thai-Myanmar border.
Government
Although the military no longer runs Myanmar, it does still appoint a significant number of lawmakers-56 of the upper house members, and 110 of lower house members are military appointees. The remaining 168 and 330 members are elected by the people. In March 14, 2016 Parliament elects Htin Kyaw as the country’s first democratically elected leader in more than a half century.
Economy
Myanmar is the second largest country in Southeast Asia and is rich in natural resources. Yet it is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 150th out of 187 countries according to the Human Development Report.
Myanmar’s economy depends on agriculture for 56% of GDP, services for 35%, and industry for 8%. Export products include rice, oil, Burmese teak, rubies, jade, and also 8% of the world’s total illegal drugs, mostly opium and methamphetamines.
More than a quarter of Myanmar’s people still live in poverty. More than 35 percent of children in Myanmar are suffering from stunting. Myanmar’s children Stunting is due to a wide range of causes, including poverty, illness, food insecurity, and lack of basic nutrition knowledge. Less than a quarter of infants in Myanmar are exclusively breastfed, and many young children are fed diets short of protein, fat and essential vitamins and minerals. Children who are stunted at an early age face serious damage to their physical and mental development, with serious consequences on cognitive, social and economic outcomes. Myanmar has the third highest malnutrition rates in Southeast Asia. And I will introduce children malnutrition with an example of one Rohingya child named Dosmeda. Living conditions in Rohingya refugee camps are completely inadequate and lacks access to basic services. By the way, who are the Rohingyas?
Rohingya is a religious and linguistic minority from western Myanmar. Rohingya are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. A growing number of Muslim Rohingya children who are going hungry, she’s showing the first signs of severe malnutrition. Her stomach is bloated and she has tiny arms and legs. And also her mother knows her baby is sick, but she doesn’t understand malnutrition is to blame. The situation is terrible. Rohingya refugees hardly have any food. On some days they can only scrape together a few bites of rice. The food portions they get are small. Moreover, sometimes they don’t get any at all. And also, in the camps, refugees have limited educational opportunities. Only about half of school age children complete their primary education.
Myanmar has been the site of serious conflicts between Buddhist and Muslim communities, and at least 146,000 persons have been displaced since the first fight in June 2012. Sadly, Buddhist women had been raped by one or more Muslim men. The conflict has resulted in a large number of both civilian deaths and refugees, with many refugees fleeing to Thailand. Unfortunately, the government has yet to present any long-term proposals to resolve the conflicts.