Ministry of Ethnic Affairs’ fourth-year performances

By Nanda Win, Photo: Taya

 

To bring the internal armed conflicts to an end and establish total peace throughout the country, cooperation between the government and the people in the development processes across the nation is sine qua non.

To achieve unity among the ethnic national brethren, the government is fostering ethnic unity and Union spirit, adopting the idea “diversity is an opportunity for unity.”


Throughout the history, the government has fulfilled the needs of ethnic people, and tried to provide the equal rights to all ethnic national races residing in the country.


In efforts to strengthen the unity of all ethnic people, the incumbent government formed the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs in March 2016 in accordance with the Ethnic Rights Protection Law that was enacted in 2015.


Region/state ethnic affairs ministers were appointed to undertake the affairs of their ethnic groups, assist development of the Union and establish peace. The ethnic affair ministers were nominated by their ethnic groups. There are a total of 29 state/region ethnic affairs ministers in the state/region cabinets.


“When peace prevails in the whole nation, all states and regions will be developed.” said the President in his speech, urging ethnic affairs ministers to deliver the message to the national races.


“As our national leaders successfully worked it out with the exercise of farsightedness at the 20th century Panglong Conference, so we will unfailingly be able to successfully build the Democratic Federal Union if we, brothers and sisters of national races come together and work it out with farsightedness and unity.” said State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 73rd anniversary of the Union Day celebration in Panglong, Shan State.


According to the 2008 Constitution, “National Races” means the ethnic groups those who regard the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as their country of origin and live continuously in the country. But, those who are granted citizenship and guest citizens are not included.


“Ethnic Affairs” include language, literature, fine art, culture, customs and religion, historical heritages, peace, ethnic rights included at the constitution, and socio-economic development.


Formulating the Ethnic Rights Protection Law, bylaw, and policies, Ministry of Ethnic Affairs has implemented the national races’ affairs.


The Ethnic Rights Protection Law was enacted to provide the rights of the national races guaranteed by the constitution and equal citizen’s rights to all ethnic groups, to enhance solidarity, mutual amity and respect and mutual assistance among ethnic groups and to live eternally together on the basic of genuine union spirit, to preserve and develop ethnic’s historical heritage, national characters, customs, culture, fine art, literature and languages, and to promote socio-economic development.


To fulfill the purposes of the Ethnic Rights Protection Law, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs laid down four policies as follow;


• To obtain the rights of the national races in the constitution and equal citizen’s rights for all ethnic groups
• To enhance solidarity, mutual amity and respect and mutual assistance among ethnic groups and to live eternally together on the basics of genuine union spirit
• To preserve and develop ethnic’s historical heritage, national characters, customs, culture, fine art, literature and languages
• To promote socio-economic development including education, health, economy, transportation and communications, so forth, of less-developed ethnic groups.


With the Goal 3 of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (2018-2030) that includes job creation and private sector-led growth, the ministry organized the Ethnic Sustainable Development Forum in 2018 to promote the ethnic people’s socioeconomic development.


As a result of the ethnic development forum, the Myanmar Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association (MEEA) was formed in March 2018 to assist the nation’s economy and peace process.

Mon Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association organized Mon Business Forum in Mawlamyine on 2nd and 3rd November 2019, and Kachin Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association held Kachin Business Forum in Myitkyina on 14 and 15 November.


In accordance with the Ethnic Affairs Protection Law, the ministry allowed organizing the ethnic festivals. By the leaders of the State attending festivals, sending messages, the Union Ministers and related cabinet members attending the festivals, coordinating the organizing of festivals, and providing cash assistances, the government also encouraged the rights of the ethnic groups.


Organized by Myanmar Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association (MEEA), the first Myanmar Ethnics Culture Festival was held in Yangon from 25 to 30 January 2019 to enhance the ethnic people’s unity, display their cultures, and promote tourism sector.


A coordination meeting concerning the Myanmar Ethnic Culture Festival 2020 and the Ethnic Sustainable Development Forum was held on 23 January 2020, and attended by Vice President U Henry Van Thio, in his capacity as Chairman of the Ethnic Affairs, Public Affairs Management and Service Committee.


The Vice President said the meeting to organize the Myanmar Ethnic Culture Festival 2020 in accordance with the objectives of the festival — to assist the national peace process, showcase ethnic solidarity and culture to Myanmar citizens and foreign visitors, boost tourism, expand regional products and ethnic textiles to international markets, and create employment opportunities for ethnic youths.


With the directives of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Yangon Region Government and the Kayah State Government, Myanmar Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association and Kayah Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association jointly organized the second Myanmar Ethnic Culture Festival 2020 from 1 to 7 February 2020 in Yangon.


“When we talk about the same blood it’s really not the vein in human’s body. It means the blood flows in our minds. If our minds are same and alike, we can be the same blood.” said State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the opening ceremony of the second Myanmar Ethnic Culture Festival 2020 on 1 February.


At the opening of the festival, Vice President U Henry Van Thio also said, “Ethnic nationals are varied and diverse in the country so there are different views between them. All should remove them and proceed with the same ideas and concepts. Therefore, all can collaborate and work together in the nation building though there are diversities.” The Vice President then attended the “Kaethobo” Kayah victory pillar erecting ceremony at the festival.“Kaethobo” ceremony depicts unity, mutual assistance, loving kindness, and fine quality of customs among Kayahs. They aimed to have good weather and ample harvest of rice and other crops, to keep natural disasters away, to strengthen the unity among ethnic nationals, to develop the country, and to raise the spirit of next generations to preserve their traditional cultures.


The government also formulated policies to develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and so that ethnic businesspersons could invest not only in local businesses but also in service industry.


As Myanmar Ethnic Entrepreneurs Association established state/region branch offices, ethnic businesspersons got opportunities for exporting their regions’ local products to the developed regions.


A total of 5,161 daily-wage monthly-paid teaching assistants in the 2018-2019 academic year, and 7,263 ethnic language teachers in the 2019-2020 academic year were also appointed at the basic education schools in order to create more job opportunities.


With the aim of handing over jewellery production techniques to next generation, Su Htoo Pan, an education charity foundation, established a vocational institute for manufacturing finished jewellery. Admission to the institute was chosen by the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs. Su Htoo Pan Foundation helps those who completed a course at the institute to get a job at the small and medium-sized enterprises.


The religions, customs and festivals of the ethnic people across the country are included in the list of intangible cultural heritage in order to preserve and develop language, literature, fine art, culture, customs, national characters, and historical heritages.


In cooperation with Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, the ministry conducted a capacity building training for preservation of intangible cultural heritage in 2019.


On 1 August 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation handed over the Union National Races Village (Yangon) to the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs. The Union National Races Village was being upgraded to transform it into an Ethnic Communication Centre-ECC.


Teaching ethnic languages at basic education schools in summer, drawing up local curriculums, making efforts for teaching 64 ethnic languages, and publishing preschool and kindergarten students’ bilingual Ethnic Languages/Myanmar picture books in 66 ethnic languages, the ethnic people’s languages, literatures and cultures were preserved and developed.

Surveys on endangered ethnic languages, literatures, customs, culture and lifestyles, faiths and festivals, ethnic people’s costumes, displays of utensils and musical instruments, official establishment of ethnic literature and culture organizations, health papers, posters and press releases issued by UNICEF were translated into ethnic languages.


A total of 374 healthy ethnic cuisines were collected to put them in the first version of Health Norm and Standards Book. Law and bylaws of Ethnic Rights Protection were translated into ethnic languages. The ministry was recording the changes of ethnic costumes through eras.


Implementing the policy of enhancing solidarity, mutual amity and respect and mutual assistance among ethnic groups and to live eternally together on the basic of genuine union spirit, the ministry arranged first excursion to Nay Pyi Taw for 94 ethnic representatives from Kachin, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Taung, Lisu, Khami and Mro ethnic groups in northern Shan State and Rakhine State, the second trip for 90 ethnic representatives from the national races in Kachin State and Taninthayi Region, and the third excursion for 107 ethnic representatives from national races in Kayah and Chin States.


Similarly, the fourth excursion to Nay Pyi Taw for 101 ethnic representatives from Sagaing and Ayeyawady regions, and the fifth excursion to Yangon for 92 ethnic representatives from Magway and eastern Shan State were also organized.


With the aim of preservation and development of language, literature and culture, during the 2018-2019 financial year, the ministry provided more than K 20 million for eight literature and culture organizations in Nay Pyi Taw Coun.cil Area, 12 organizations in Kachin State, 13 organizations in Kayah State, 13 organizations in Chin State, and four organizations in Sagaing Region.


With the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (2018-2030), the ministry has implemented the strategic plan for ethnic rights to ensure the rights of the national races guaranteed by the constitution and equal citizen’s rights for all ethnic groups.


A coordination meeting to initiate drafting of a strategic plan for ethnic rights was held in Nay Pyi Taw on 19 September 2019.


The Ethnic Rights Protection Bylaw was enacted on 23 August 2019 to effectively solve conflicts.


The ministry’s staff in states and regions conducted a total of 64 activities explaining the matters that are included at the Ethnic Protection Law to the ethnic people in 2018-2019.


After collecting the data on ethnic affairs, a strategic plan for ethnic rights (2019-2028) was drafted and being implemented.


A total of 14 offices in regions and states were opened since 2017. The offices will be used as Ethnic Communication Centre -ECC by hosting meetings, festivals and workshops. To effectively implement ethnic affairs, in-charges for the offices were appointed.


Ministry of Ethnic Affairs was striving to promote the socio-economic development of ethnic national brethren and assist building a genuine Federal Democratic Union.(Translated by Khin Wai Lwin)