Draft laws on inter-faith marriage will only be accepted for debate by the PyidaungsuHluttaw if they are recommended by the relevant government ministries, the Speaker of the joint house, Thura U Shwe Mann, told Mizzima on March 6.
“The relevant ministries should consider if it is appropriate to enact such laws under the present circumstances,” he said, adding that any decision on their recommendations would be made by parliament in the interests of the nation and the people.
His comments follow a decision to refer a proposed law to ban inter-faith marriage to the Office of the Attorney-General and the ministries of Religion and Immigration and Population.
The decision was made at a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on February 27 that was convened by Thura U Shwe Mann in his capacity as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker and attended by the chairpersons or secretaries of the Pyithu and Amyothahluttaw’s 45 parliamentary committees.
Draft laws on inter-faith marriage will only be accepted for debate by the PyidaungsuHluttaw if they are recommended by the relevant government ministries, the Speaker of the joint house, Thura U Shwe Mann, told Mizzima on March 6.
“The relevant ministries should consider if it is appropriate to enact such laws under the present circumstances,” he said, adding that any decision on their recommendations would be made by parliament in the interests of the nation and the people.
His comments follow a decision to refer a proposed law to ban inter-faith marriage to the Office of the Attorney-General and the ministries of Religion and Immigration and Population.
The decision was made at a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on February 27 that was convened by Thura U Shwe Mann in his capacity as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Speaker and attended by the chairpersons or secretaries of the Pyithu and Amyothahluttaw’s 45 parliamentary committees.
President U Thein Sein had earlier written to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw 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.
Speaking on March 6, Thura U Shwe Mann said political party leaders had decided at a meeting earlier that today that the laws could only be debated in parliament after the ministries made their recommendations.
A spokesperson for the Tatmadaw MPs who comprise 25 percent of all parliamentarians told Mizzima it did not want to comment on a proposed inter-faith marriage law.
