Union Minister for Ethnic Affairs U Saw Tun Aung Myint attended an opening ceremony of a new Rakhine State Director Office building in Sittway Township yesterday.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new building, the Union Minister talked about the plans for social development of ethnic people in Rakhine State based on Social Affairs out of the nine objectives of the State Administration Council “to respect and promote the customs and traditions of all National peoples and preserve and safeguard their cultural heritage and national characteristics”.
He said that according to the geography of the Rakhine state, there would be a specific influence of the languages, literature and culture of neighbouring countries with a large population. He also highlighted Section 22 of the 2008 Constitution “to develop language, literature, fine arts and culture of the National races” and appointment of Teaching Assistant (TA)/ Language Teacher/(LA) for ethnic languages at basic schools.
State Administration Council Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing instructed to appoint more TA/LT and provide decent salaries and cash assistance at the SAC meeting 6/2021 held on 15 March.
Therefore, the ministry discussed with the education officials on 24 March and arrangement is underway for proposing the State budget from the Ministry of Education.
The ministry distributes storybooks written in ethnic languages at the basic schools in Rakhine and a total of 90,614 books supplied in 2019-2020 while 90,614 books in 2020-2021. It will also deliver further books in 2021-2020.
Then, Rakhine State Administration Council Chairman Dr Aung Kyaw Min presented the ethnic people living together in Rakhine State and the plans to preserve the different languages, kinds of literature, and cultures and ensure the official rights of socio-economic development.
He also clarified the annual cash assistance to literature and culture associations. The Rakhine State Administration Council provided K5.4 million to Daingnet (Tdekkama) via the state director’s office under the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs in order to hold Bezu May Lar Pan Hmaw Pwe in 2021 Thingyan and K2 million for Khamee National Day, which fell on 27 April.
The Union Minister also said the cash assistance would be provided to other literature and culture associations upon their requests.
The Union Minister and Deputy Minister donated masks to Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation social welfare team. They conducted inspection tours to Sittway View Point and other places. —MNA
