Burmese anti-government protests

The former military regime in Myanmar established a leadership group for monks called the Sangha Council. It’s supposed to set policy for tens of thousands of monks. But as Bruce Wallace reports, it’s largely ineffectual and increasingly irrelevant.

After a deadly fire broke out in a Muslim madrasa in Yangon, Muslims in Yangon are worried that the violence may be heading their way.

The Irrawaddy Magazine, which was launched by a group of exiles living in Thailand in 1993, will be available in Yangon stores for the first time this weekend.

A violent crackdown on a peaceful protest in Myanmar last week has raised questions about how committed Burmese authorities are to real democratic reform. Reporter Becky Palmstrom visited the site of the protest over a copper mining project.

President Obama is due to visit Myanmar on Monday. It’s a sign of how far the Asian country has come on reform in the past few years. Many Burmese are welcoming Obama’s visit, including young people who are studying the American system of government.