The speaker of the Lower House has called on Parliament members to pass laws that modernize the government and serve the people.His Eloquence molding as democratic opposition reformist, former general Shwe
Mann presented a blistering critique of the failures of the Burmese
government on Tuesday. He told lawmakers not to dwell on the past, but
to bring about reforms and “modern” concepts by listening to the
people’s voices at all levels.Shwe Mann said government employees across the country in almost all
departments routinely take bribes and “grease money” and charge for
normal services and documents “because of low salaries.” Salaries and
bonuses for government employees are too low and encourage corruption,
he said.
He told lawmakers to put forward a bill to increase the salaries of government workers. He went on to cite deficiencies in the agricultural area in which he said farmers and others have taken financial losses because of confusing governmental policies and orders. “Financial losses are not a good sign for the country. It seems as if the authorities do not respect the Constitution and are not working to improve the situation,” he said.As an example, he singled out some dam projects that he said neglected proper environmental impact studies and conservation techniques leading to flooding, which damaged farmers’ livelihood.
Citing government deficiencies in the industrial sector, he said: “Although factories were built, they did not have enough workers, including skilled workers, and the factories could not get enough electricity or fuel, including gas, and raw materials.”
Burmese government, Shwe Mann, the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, made it clear through his speech to a joint session of both houses of Parliament in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, the former general proposed to reject, suspend and limit “projects that do not benefit the people and the country.” In their place, he said, the country should invest in projects that promote national development, including the development of human resources. He didn't specify which projects he thought should be pulled, his message echoed the language used by President Thein Sein when he called for the suspension of the Chinese-backed Myitsone hydropower dam in Kachin State and the cancellation of a 4,000 MW coal-fired power plant in Tavoy, citing environmental concerns and public criticism.
Another project that many would say doesn't benefit Burma's people is an alleged nuclear weapons and missile program that Burma has been accused of developing with North Korean cooperation.
Shwe Mann, who himself led a secret Burmese delegation to Pyongyang in 2008, has denied that Burma has any such program, although he admitted that he signed an agreement on bilateral military ties with the North Korean military chief during his visit.Regarding the projects he thought worth pursuing, Shwe Mann said the focus should be on those that “help reduce high commodity prices and other transaction costs,” which he blamed for distortions in the price of domestic goods, which earn little for producers but are expensive for consumers.
He also took aim at the country's bureaucracy, proposing to raise the salaries of public servants and offer other incentives, such as educational opportunities, to “ensure clean government and good governance.” The proposal was approved by the Parliament on Tuesday.
By highlighting these issues, the former third-ranking general in the previous military regime was clearly aligning himself with President Thein Sein, who has introduced a series of political and economic reforms since assuming power as head of a new nominally civilian government last March.
Railways Minister Aung Min, another reformer who has played a key role in negotiating peace deals with Burma's ethnic armed groups, told Thailand-based exiles that Thein Sein's efforts have met with stiff resistance from within the government. Shwe Mann told lawmakers to learn from government mistakes in planning and management and to take bold steps to make changes. “There are no benefits from blaming the events of the past,” he said. “ [You] just need to learn lessons from the mistakes in the past and to boldly make changes. You need to make actual reforms.
“Concepts and ‘mind sets’ need to be modern. Let’s make changes to get benefits. If you really love your country and the citizens, let’s work for people without political bias, regional bias and religious bias. Let’s work for the sake of the sixty million people in the population,” Shwe Mann told MPs.
Lawmakers need to listen to what people are saying, he said: “People’s voices, government employees’ voices, people’s desires and people’s hopes. I’d like to ask the most powerful Parliament, the Union Assembly of the Republic of Union of Myanmar, to approve [work for] people’s hopes.”
In similar remarks, on January 21, Shwe Mann who is also the vice chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), told party members at a press conference in Naypyitaw: “Don’t involve [yourself] in a dog-eat-dog world. If [the party] finds you guilty, you’ll be dismissed.”
In 2010, Shwe Mann resigned from the army as a general. In September 2010, at a ceremony in Naypyitaw to mark the International Day of Democracy, he called himself a “democrat.”
Shwe Mann, 65, graduated in 1969 from the Defence Services Academy, Intake 11. He was promoted to general in 2005. As a USDP candidate he won the parliamentary seat in the Zeyar Thiri Township constituency. He is also a member of the government’s National Security and Defence Council, the highest authority in the Union.
Not everyone is convinced that Shwe Mann's speech was intended to send a message to hardliners. Some saw it as motivated by a desire to bolster the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party's prospects in upcoming by-elections.“This is a crucial period for the USDP and the government to show positive results to the public. Shwe Mann's speech was aimed at garnering votes,” said opposition MP Phone Myint Aung.Media agencies
He told lawmakers to put forward a bill to increase the salaries of government workers. He went on to cite deficiencies in the agricultural area in which he said farmers and others have taken financial losses because of confusing governmental policies and orders. “Financial losses are not a good sign for the country. It seems as if the authorities do not respect the Constitution and are not working to improve the situation,” he said.As an example, he singled out some dam projects that he said neglected proper environmental impact studies and conservation techniques leading to flooding, which damaged farmers’ livelihood.
Citing government deficiencies in the industrial sector, he said: “Although factories were built, they did not have enough workers, including skilled workers, and the factories could not get enough electricity or fuel, including gas, and raw materials.”
Burmese government, Shwe Mann, the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, made it clear through his speech to a joint session of both houses of Parliament in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, the former general proposed to reject, suspend and limit “projects that do not benefit the people and the country.” In their place, he said, the country should invest in projects that promote national development, including the development of human resources. He didn't specify which projects he thought should be pulled, his message echoed the language used by President Thein Sein when he called for the suspension of the Chinese-backed Myitsone hydropower dam in Kachin State and the cancellation of a 4,000 MW coal-fired power plant in Tavoy, citing environmental concerns and public criticism.
Another project that many would say doesn't benefit Burma's people is an alleged nuclear weapons and missile program that Burma has been accused of developing with North Korean cooperation.
Shwe Mann, who himself led a secret Burmese delegation to Pyongyang in 2008, has denied that Burma has any such program, although he admitted that he signed an agreement on bilateral military ties with the North Korean military chief during his visit.Regarding the projects he thought worth pursuing, Shwe Mann said the focus should be on those that “help reduce high commodity prices and other transaction costs,” which he blamed for distortions in the price of domestic goods, which earn little for producers but are expensive for consumers.
He also took aim at the country's bureaucracy, proposing to raise the salaries of public servants and offer other incentives, such as educational opportunities, to “ensure clean government and good governance.” The proposal was approved by the Parliament on Tuesday.
By highlighting these issues, the former third-ranking general in the previous military regime was clearly aligning himself with President Thein Sein, who has introduced a series of political and economic reforms since assuming power as head of a new nominally civilian government last March.
Railways Minister Aung Min, another reformer who has played a key role in negotiating peace deals with Burma's ethnic armed groups, told Thailand-based exiles that Thein Sein's efforts have met with stiff resistance from within the government. Shwe Mann told lawmakers to learn from government mistakes in planning and management and to take bold steps to make changes. “There are no benefits from blaming the events of the past,” he said. “ [You] just need to learn lessons from the mistakes in the past and to boldly make changes. You need to make actual reforms.
“Concepts and ‘mind sets’ need to be modern. Let’s make changes to get benefits. If you really love your country and the citizens, let’s work for people without political bias, regional bias and religious bias. Let’s work for the sake of the sixty million people in the population,” Shwe Mann told MPs.
Lawmakers need to listen to what people are saying, he said: “People’s voices, government employees’ voices, people’s desires and people’s hopes. I’d like to ask the most powerful Parliament, the Union Assembly of the Republic of Union of Myanmar, to approve [work for] people’s hopes.”
In similar remarks, on January 21, Shwe Mann who is also the vice chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), told party members at a press conference in Naypyitaw: “Don’t involve [yourself] in a dog-eat-dog world. If [the party] finds you guilty, you’ll be dismissed.”
In 2010, Shwe Mann resigned from the army as a general. In September 2010, at a ceremony in Naypyitaw to mark the International Day of Democracy, he called himself a “democrat.”
Shwe Mann, 65, graduated in 1969 from the Defence Services Academy, Intake 11. He was promoted to general in 2005. As a USDP candidate he won the parliamentary seat in the Zeyar Thiri Township constituency. He is also a member of the government’s National Security and Defence Council, the highest authority in the Union.
Not everyone is convinced that Shwe Mann's speech was intended to send a message to hardliners. Some saw it as motivated by a desire to bolster the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party's prospects in upcoming by-elections.“This is a crucial period for the USDP and the government to show positive results to the public. Shwe Mann's speech was aimed at garnering votes,” said opposition MP Phone Myint Aung.Media agencies
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