Inter-faith marriage ban proposed

[DagonKhan]

Ministries to contribute to drafting inter-faith marriage ban

The Office of the Attorney-General and the ministries of Religion and Immigration and Population will be asked to contribute towards a proposed law to ban inter-faith marriages, it was decided in Nay Pyi Taw on February 27.

The decision was made at a meeting convened by the Speaker of the PyidaugsuHluttaw, Thura U Shwe Mann, and attended by the chairpersons or secretaries of the Pyithu and Amyothahluttaw’s 45 parliamentary committees.

The decision was announced in a message sent to President U Thein Sein from Thura U Shwe Mann and circulated in the PyidaungsuHluttaw.

The message said proposals would be sought from the Office of the Attorney-General concerning a marriage law and monogamy, from the Ministry of Religion on religious conversions and from the Ministry of Immigration and Population on population increase.

President U Thein Sein had earlier written to the PyidaungsuHluttaw Speaker requesting that consideration be given to enacting laws concerning marriage, religious conversion and population increase.

The request came after a petition in support of an inter-faith marriage ban containing more than 1,000,000 signatures was sent to President U Thein Sein by the Myanmar Organization for the Protection of Nation and Religion.

Some MPs told Mizzima on February 27 that while they would not object to a law banning marriage between Buddhists and non-Buddhists, they were against restrictions based on religion.

“The law must also protect other faiths and religions,” saidAmyothaHluttaw MP Dr. Banyar Aung Moe (Mon State, All Mon Regions Democracy Party), adding that no one religion should be allowed to dominate other religions.

PyithuHluttaw MP, Daw Dwe Bu (InGyanyan Township, Kachin State, Unity and Democracy Party), said careful consideration should be given to any law banning inter-faith marriage.

“Though it might be intended to solve the problem, conflict might increase because of it,” said Daw Dwe Bu, a Christian.

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/myanmar/item/10951-ministries-to-contribute-to-drafting-inter-faith-marriage-ban

Bills on safeguarding nationality, religion returned to gov’t for assessment Published on Saturday, 01 March 2014 00:13

A session of Union Parliament, in progress in Nay Pyi Taw (Photo-Soe Min Htaik/EMG).

NAY PYI TAW—The Union Parliament has sent a message to President Thein Sein informing him that four pieces of legislation regarding the safeguarding of nationality and religion must first be assessed and dealt with by related government ministries and then resent to parliament.

The decision to send a message to the president came during an emergency meeting before a regular parliamentary session in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday (February 27).

The president was informed about the matter after he had sent a message to Union Parliament speaker Thura Shwe Mann suggesting that he consider four pieces of legislation dealing with religious conversion, marriage, monogamy and population control.

In his message, the speaker says that the religious conversion law is related to the Religious Affairs Ministry; the marriage and monogamy laws to the Union Supreme Court; and the population control law to the Immigration and Population Ministry. Therefore, the message has been returned as those government ministries are tasked with dealing with the bills, he says.

The message also points out that the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Human Rights Commission are supposed to be responsible for the laws. The president’s message is important for the country and the people but enacting such laws is very delicate because they surround religious, social and human rights issues, says the message.

The Union Parliament, for its part, will consider and review the legislation with great care for the real interest of the nation and the people, says the speaker in the message.

The four bills were signed and presented to the president on July 9 last year by the Central Nationality and Religion Safeguarding Association. The president then sent the message to parliament on February 25 so that parliament can deal with the matter of enacting the laws if necessary as proposed by the association. Attached was a petition bearing 1,335,600 signatures from monks and lay people across the nation.

“This is a little bit related to political affairs. We can say it is more related to politics than to matters of nationality and religion. I think so,” said Upper House MP Hla Swe from Constituency-12 in Magway Region. “This would date back to the era of the last Queen Su Phaya Latt. The issue of monogamy would come. Actually, it is like playing volleyball. The president says it must be done by parliament, which in turn says the matter is concerned with the government. If we say those laws are not good, there would be a problem with the Buddhist monks. The issue is a bit difficult and dangerous. When the issue goes to parliament, argument is likely to emerge. The proposed bills have been signed by the monks but I fear it would be like throwing a stone into a lake with still water.”

Lower House MP Khin Saw Wai (Yathedaung Township, Rakhine State) said the laws are too delicate.

“They cannot be enacted by parliament alone but they are also concerned with government ministries. In other religions, there are laws related to marriage. There is no exact law for Buddhist women. We don’t also have laws related to monogamy and population control. In our Rakhine State, a Bengali man usually marries many women and raises many children. This is why the Bengali population is more than that of Rakhine,” said Khin Saw Wai.

“The Bengali women are ill-treated by their husbands. Their children receive no good care. That means the rights of women and children are being lost. When it comes to talking about a loss of human rights just because of enacting those laws, we must regard both communities in a fair manner. I welcome those laws because they are important for our country. The laws should be considered without extremism.”

Nan Sae Hwa, a Lower House MP from Kayin State’s Hpa-an Township constituency, also supported the bills, saying such laws are necessary for the Myanmar Buddhist women.

“We really need laws related to monogamy and marriage as our country is based on Buddhism. We welcome the laws. But they are not necessary for other religions. They are only for Buddhists. I think members of other religions will not object to the laws because they already have some. This cannot lead to religious discrimination, either,” said Nan Sae Hwa.

“Our country has granted freedom of religion and worship since ancient times. In my opinion, the issue is not related to political affairs. From the human rights perspective in our country, human rights and religious affairs are different. We have only to consider the religious issue because this is concerned with religion. The existing laws related to marriage of Buddhist women are already outdated. So I think now is the best time to make changes,” said the MP.

Aung San Suu Kyi, a Lower House MP and chairperson of the opposition National League for Democracy, supported Speaker Shwe Mann’s message to the president.

“I support the speaker’s message. This is in line with the law and suitable for the needs of our nation. Parliament has to make its review depending on the reply from the government. We need to seek consultation from the related ministries to decide whether it is important to promulgate those laws,” said Suu Kyi.

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5229:bills-on-safeguarding-nationality-religion-returned-to-gov-t-for-assessment&catid=32&Itemid=354

The lunatics have taken over the asylum...

Edited February 28, 2014 by DagonKhan