Anti-Discrimination: NGOs To Draft Specific Bill

A forum to seek suggestions for drafting Interfaith Harmony and Anti-discrimination Bills was held in Yangon on Thursday.  

Smile Education and Development Foundation in collaboration with Equal Rights Trust organized the forum aiming to strengthen those laws in line with basic principles and international standards.

The organizer highlighted that a specific and comprehensive law needs to be enacted in the country due to some hate speech, crisis and activities which encourage racism and religion have been happening in last few years. 

Co- Director, Equal Rights Trust, Jim Fitzgerald: “There's the idea to have a bill, and what we did was talk thorough the basic principle of what should be contained in such a law. I think in line with the set of reforms have been ongoing in Myanmar for number of years towards to great democracy, towards to peace building, towards to greater economic development, and anti discrimination law has a role to play all of things like that.” 

As this is a very initial stage, both the organizers and participants hope to develop for the further progress so far.

Executive Director, Smile Education & Development Foundation, Myo Win: We will form core group to work on after this seminar to implement to have those laws in the future. As legislation process takes time a lot, it is important to be familiar what those laws are among people. If that law were drafted, it could take responsible for an individual’s dignity and so does the state. 

Program Manager, Pen Myanmar , Zar Chi Oo: I think those laws are needed in our country. It is important to protect not to be discriminated by any causes. So, a particular law to protect that cases and it needs to enact by the authorities. 

Members of civil society organizations, representing women, people with disabilities, minority group as well as the lawyers and international organizations including the UN attended the forum.