The Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-region held its 9th meeting online yesterday.

Representatives from Mekong Sub-Region countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam – joined the virtual meeting.

Vice -Minister for Natural Resources and Environment of Laos PRD Dr Saynakhone Inthavong chaired the video-meeting, and Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Dr Ye Myint Swe acted as the deputy chair of the meeting.

At the meeting, Vice-Minister Dr Inthavong made an opening remark, followed ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre (ASMC)’s discussions on haze pollution conditions in Mekong region. The meeting approved the report discussed at 15th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Tranboundry Haze Pollution.

They also discussed the extension of the targets of hotspot counts in Mekong Sub-region countries not going beyond the limit of 50,000 up to 2025.

Cooperation among Mekong Sub-region countries and with international organizations on haze control management preceded the meeting.

They also reviewed the Roadmap on ASEAN Cooperation towards Transboundary Haze Pollution Control with Means of Implementation (2016-2020) (Haze-free Roadmap) and ASEAN Pealand Management Strategy –APMS (2014-2020).

Myanmar, in cooperation with EU, IUCN, GIZ, GEC, CIFOR, and IFAD, will implement Sustainable Management of Pealand Ecosystems in Mekong Countries, ASEAN-EU Sustainable Use of Pealand and Haze Mitigation in ASEAN-SUPA), and Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia-MAHFSA) for pealand sustainability and reduction of haze pollution in ASEAN region.

Myanmar will host 16th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Transboundry Haze Pollution and 10th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in the Mekong Sub-Region in 2021.

The meeting was concluded following the speeches of Mekong Sub-region countries and ASEAN Secretary-General Office.

The 15th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Tranboundry Haze Pollution was held at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in Nay Pyi Taw on 11 August.

MNA

(Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)

Photo: MNA

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A signing ceremony on a framework agreement for delegating tasks between Sarpay Beikman, under the Printing and Publishing Department, and Tun Foundation concerning the republishment of the Myanmar encyclopaedia was held at the Sarpay Beikman building on Merchant Street of Kyauktada Township, Yangon, yesterday.

Union Minister for Information Dr Pe Myint delivered the opening speech at the signing ceremony while U Thein Tun, chairman of Tun Foundation, and librarian Sithu Dr Thaw Kaung gave separate addresses. Acting Director-General of the Printing and Publishing Department U Ko Ko Naing and Dr Tin Hlaing from Tun Foundation signed the agreement and exchanged the documents in the presence of the Union Minister.

MNA

(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)

Photo: MNA

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THE two-day negotiation meeting of the Government and the NCA-S EAOs (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Signatories) Ethnic Armed Organizations successfully concluded on 2 August at the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) in Nay Pyi Taw.

After the second-day meeting on 2 August, Ministry of State Counsellor’s Office Director-General U Zaw Htay and NCA-S EAOs Representative Nai Aung Ma Ngay jointly held a press conference about the meeting.

During the press conference, Director-General U Zaw Htay said that the main discussion between the government and the NCA-Signatories Ethnic Armed Organizations is to hold a bilateral meeting on the 8th JICM decision number 1, and facts on Chapter 3 and 4 of the NCA, adding that the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) meetings will also be held in parallel.

After the JICM meeting, UPDJC meeting and JMC-U (Joint Monitoring Committee – Union Level) could be organized, but there was difficulty of holding JMC-S (Joint Monitoring Committee –State Level), but the matter was fruitfully discussed on the second-day meeting, he said.

NCA-S EAOs representative Nai Aung Ma Ngay said that they agree to hold the JMC-S (Joint Monitoring Committee –State Level) in the last week of September this year. The coordination meetings on holding the JICM meeting will be held on 4th and 5th August, and the JICM preliminary meeting will be held on 10 and 11 August, and the JICM meeting on 13 August.

Afterwards, Director-General U Zaw Htay responded to the questions raised by news media. “In November 2018, the RCSS issued a statement saying they withdrew from the JMC (Joint Monitoring Committee) meetings. In the same month, KNU announced its suspension from NCA meetings. It meant that they would not participate in the peace talks. So, we went back to the JICM meetings.”

The 8th JICM meeting was organized on 8 January, and both sides agreed on 8 decisions, according to U Zaw Htay.

He also explained about why Chapter 3 and 4 of the NCA should be discussed again. “The Chapter 3 of NCA is ‘Ceasefire Related Matters’. There are some tasks that troops of both sides have to do within 60 days. But some tasks could not be done because of various reasons,” he said.

He added, “According to the Chapter 3 of the NCA, designated areas have been set. And it says how to avoid fighting, how to ease military tensions in conflict areas, and how to communicate between leaders of both sides and lower level commanders. A Code of Conduct has been drawn up based on those facts. But in practice, some facts could not be implemented, and problem occurred. So, there are some points that should be discussed again.”

Director-General U Zaw Htay also highlighted that both sides have agreed on how the JMC-S meetings will be held and the schedule of those meetings.

He said that both sides will have to negotiate for frameworks to implement the NCA; processes for post-2020 period, and the matters related to the Union Accord will also be discussed.

He also emphasized that the government will exert efforts in order that NCA non-signatories can also participate in the peace process.

Regarding how the COVID-19 crisis affected the peace process, he said, “In the past, we agreed that the fourth session of the Union Peace Conference would be organized within the first quarter of 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic gained momentum in January, February and March, so the frequency of discussions decreased. But during that period, we made online discussions. The agreements reached on those online discussions are also reviewed in this meeting.”

The Director-General added that the two-day meeting was fruitful and very important for the upcoming Union Peace Conference 21st century Panglong.

He also informed that there will be meetings between the Tatmadaw and RCSS; and between the Tatmadaw and KNU to discuss the matters related to designated areas and movements of troops.

In response to the request, the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC) asked for the list of those families, and then financial assistance was provided to those families, according to the Ministry of State Counsellor’s Office Director-General U Zaw Htay.

Myo Myint, Han Lin Naing

(Translated by Maung Maung Swe)

Photo: Ko Htein

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THE Hindu organization, Sanatan Dharma Swamsevak Sangh (SDSS), organized the Raksha Bandhan festival via zoom cloud meeting yesterday afternoon.

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered a message of loving-kindness in her video clip to the event.

The Raksha Bandhan is the annual festival of Hindu people to honour the love and bonding between a brother and a sister. The latter ties a Rakhi or a sacred thread around the former’s wrists and prays for his long life and well-being while the brother takes an oath to protect her lifelong. It is also held on every full moon day of Hindu month Shraavana which corresponds with August every year.

The SDSS Myanmar organized the festival which was participated by Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Shri Saurabh Kumar and other dignitaries.

The Union Minister made a congratulatory message through zoom cloud on the festival, praising loving-kindness, peace, unity, freedom of religion in Myanmar and recognition of the government to different faiths, including Hinduism.

MNA

(Translated by Aung Khin)

Photo: MNA

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BUDDHISTS conducted meritorious deeds on the special occasion of Full Moon Day of Waso which commemorated the days for conceiving of embryo-Buddha, His total renunciation of worldly experiences, His first sermon of Dhamma Cakka, His performance on miraculous power, confession on His enlightenment, emergence of Buddha’s sermon, formation of Sangha community, emergence of Ariya (Noble Persons) and verbal approval by Buddha for attaining monkhood. People visited Eternal Peace Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw and other religious sites in and around the area in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Sports on this auspicious day.

Moreover, Buddhist devotees kept special Sabbath, while religious organizations and individuals donated Waso robes and practised meditation.

The number of vehicles on Yangon-Mandalay expressway dramatically increased due to the holiday-makers.

People across the country, including Yangon and other major cities, performed meritorious deeds and visited recreation places in the respective areas.

MNA

Photo: MNA

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