• Bill Analysis: Bill for People Living with HIV and Their Families

    Posted in Legislative Research on May 21, 2020

    Section 25 (b) says that those receiving healthcare services should not be arrested, disturbed, stopped and limited, if not within the law, based on their gender identity, sexual orientation and/or if they are a sex worker. This protects rights on one hand, however implies that arrest is allowed while receiving such care. And the phrase “within the law” should be carefully considered in the Myanmar context, where sex workers are criminalized.

  • Backgrounder & Summary: Commercial Maritime Canal Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on May 16, 2020

    The bill includes provisions relating to the duties and powers of the relevant ministry and department, duties of canal officers, maritime supervisors, customs officers and heads of vessels, and related prohibitions.

  • Planning and Funding the Covid-19 Response in Myanmar: Suggested questions for Hluttaw MPs

    Posted in Legislative Research on May 15, 2020

    Following our March policy briefing on communicable diseases, The Ananda has worked with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) to produce this policy brief with a selection of suggested questions from MPs to the government, ahead of the reconvening of Hluttaw on 18th May 2020. These questions could be raised during the debate.

  • A brief breakdown of Supplementary Budget Proposal 19-20

    Posted in Budget Transparency on May 14, 2020

    The additional budget requests are stemmed mainly from personnel costs such as salaries, emoluments, travel allowances and pensions, debt repayments, costs incurred from increases in tax rates and electricity bill (for state-owned enterprises), costs for pending aids/loans, ongoing construction projects and compensations for land acquisitions.

  • Backgrounder & Summary: Bill for People Living with HIV and Their Family

    Posted in Legislative Research on May 13, 2020

    The bill includes provisions relating to the formation of a committee, the duties and rights of PLHIV, the rights of their families and other people considered more at risk from infection. It also covers the disclosure of information, testing and various prohibitions.

  • Bill Analysis: Groundwater Management Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on May 04, 2020

    The bill says that drilling permits should be applied to relevant working groups, and when drilling is not complete during the prescribed period, an extension must be applied for to the same working group. However, the bill also says that the Region/State working group or its authorised team will conduct field examinations and extensions. Again, the different roles of township and state/region working groups are not clear, nor how they will coordinate.

  • Backgrounder & Summary: Groundwater Management Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Apr 29, 2020

    Once the current bill is approved, The Underground Water Act (Burma Act No. IV) will be revoked. The bill includes provisions relating to applications for drilling permits, groundwater use permits and business licences, and the extension of licence tenure, and prohibitions.

  • Application of the law during the pandemic

    Posted in Legislative Research on Apr 10, 2020

    The most relevant laws being applied during the COVID-19 pandemic are the Natural Disaster Management Law, the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases Law and the Essential Supplies And Services Law. Other laws such as the Burma Immigration Act, Registration of Foreigners Act and some articles of the Penal Code are also being used during this pandemic period.

  • Bill Analysis: Prevention and Control of Communicable Disease Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Apr 08, 2020

    Concerning communicable disease, the existing law says it overrides the Myanmar Public Health Law (1972); however, it is unknown about whether it also overrides other laws like the Natural Disaster Management Law (2013). In the new bill, Article 44 claims that only this law will be used for the case of communicable disease. Thus, this can avoid conflict with other laws and avoid overlapping powers, hopefully restricting the arbitrary use of whichever laws best fit an official’s preconceived objectives.

  • Backgrounder & Summary: Food, Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Laboratory Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Apr 07, 2020

    The bill will become the first dedicated law for commercial laboratories, if approved. It is known that bill drafting started at least two years ago, led by Myanmar’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once approved, the new law will be related with other laws such as National Drug Law, National Food Law and Consumer Protection Law.