20 September
A two-day coordination meeting to familiarize the public with the Ethnic Rights Protection Bylaw and initiate drafting of a strategic plan for ethnic rights was held at Mingalar Thiri Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
Firstly, Union Minister for Ethnic Affairs Nai Thet Lwin addressed the meeting. He said they collected the opinions of the ethnic people into a survey while conducting information sharing sessions on the Ethnic Rights Protection Law with them.
He said they began the legislative process for the accompanying bylaw in 2017 and was finally ratified on 23 August, 2019. He said they will continue working to materialize a strategic plan which will serve as a roadmap for ethnic affairs in conjunction with yearly action plans.
The Union Minister pointed out that different unique ethnic races reside side by side in Myanmar and everyone is entitled to the same human rights and constitutional rights.
He said if the prioritized tasks in the strategic plan are implemented properly every year then the inequal development rates between the ethnic brothers and sisters will lessen, armed conflicts will come to an end, and support national peace and the establishment of a democratic federal republic.
Next, Deputy Ethnic Affairs Minister U Hla Maw Oo said the outcome of this meeting and the decisions made by the ethnic people will be recorded. He said they will develop the National Races Village ( Yangon) so that ethnic festivals can be organized there at the national level while coordinating with the administration of the Yangon Region government.
The coordination meeting then commenced with attendees discussing the survey and the draft strategic plan. The second day of the meeting will continue today and will focus on the related bylaws and the National Races Village.
Attending the meeting were state/regional ministers for ethnic affairs, chairpersons and representatives from self-administered zones Division, members from Nay Pyi Taw Council, Pyithu Hluttaw Ethnic Affairs and Internal Peace Implementation Committee, and Amyotha Hluttaw Ethnic Affairs Committee, ministry representatives, CSOs related to ethnic affairs, directors-general from the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, and officials from the Department of Protecting Ethnic Rights.
MNA
(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
