• Parliamentary Ethics Series – 1 of 3: Defining Ethical Principles

    Posted in Legislative Research on Nov 13, 2019

    Hluttaw Rights Committee set out their definitions of six principles of parliamentary ethics. However, in many ways the definitions were somewhat confusing or carried an emphasis that diverges from what we find as accepted ethical principles in other parliaments. Set out below, we take a look at the definitions offered by the committee, and below each have offered alternatives based on the UK’s ‘7 Principles of Public Life'.

  • A Step Forward for Democracy with the Electoral By-law Amendment

    Posted in Legislative Research on Nov 07, 2019

    Whilst neither the 2008 Constitution nor the Electoral Law stipulate the establishment of separate polling stations for military personnel and their families, previous elections have seen polling stations established in army compounds. An amendment is proposed to change this, requiring military personnel and their families to vote at the regular polling stations determined by the township election commission. This amendment creates a fair and equal platform for all citizens, military or civilian, to cast their vote without undue influence.

  • Bill Summary: Marine Fisheries Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Nov 05, 2019

    The Bill includes the processes for identifying fishing grounds, applying for fishery licences and issuance of fishery worker certificates, and includes various penalties for contravention.

  • Bill Analysis: Myanmar Telecommunication Commission Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Nov 04, 2019

    Does creating a Commission with a ‘Union Minister level’ Chair effectively create a new Ministry, and therefore contradict the NLD manifesto commitment to “reduce the number of government ministries in order to decrease government expenditure and establish a lean and efficient government.”?

  • Backgrounder: The Microfinance Business Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Oct 31, 2019

    During the 12th regular session of Second Hluttaw, the Pyithu Hluttaw Banking and Financial Development Committee submitted a report about microfinance. It was a post-legislative scrutiny study, and in the report (dated 21/05/2019), the committee suggested a new updated law be drafted. The report included observations, findings and analysis, that emphasise the need for a new law.

  • Bill Summary: The Microfinance Business Bill

    Posted in Budget Transparency, Legislative Research on Oct 29, 2019

    The organisations which wish to run microfinance business must be those established with Myanmar Companies Law and Partnership Law. Issuing or suspending or revoking licence for the microfinance organisation has to be announced in the Myanmar Gazette.

  • Bill Summary: Myanmar Health Assistant Council Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Oct 17, 2019

    The objectives are to improve skills of registered health assistants, to allow further study in public health, to supervise allegiance to ethics, and to enable the public to obtain effective health care.

  • How Unicode switch could benefit ethnic languages

    Posted in Legislative Research on Oct 09, 2019

    As the government pushes for the transition from Zawgyi to Unicode encoding system for the Myanmar languages on digital space, all the attentions have been set on Burmese language despite occasional mentions of ethnic languages. In this article, the writer proposes the next step for the government in terms of Unicode transition is active promotion of ethnic languages contents on digital space as both the constitution and the 2015 Ethnic Rights Protection Law requires them to promote the diverse languages of the country.

  • Backgrounder: Myanmar Telecommunication Commission Bill

    Posted in Legislative Research on Oct 09, 2019

    According to the Bill, the Chair of the Myanmar Telecommunication Commission is to be at the level of a Minister, and its members are the level of Deputy Ministers. This creates an interesting question of how its power might overlap the powers and duties of the Minster for Transport and Communications.

  • The Unconstitutional Peaceful Assembly Law and the Case of Naw Ohn Hla

    Posted in Legislative Research on Oct 03, 2019

    Even though the Naw Ohn Hla case was charged under PAPP Law Article 20, the decision should be examined to understand whether the charge and subsequent sentence is within the provisions for protecting citizens’ rights, as set out in the Constitution and the Ethnic Rights Protection Law. The Constitutional Tribunal has the powers to review this case.