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,” said AmyothaHluttaw 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.
