“The meeting served to inform Mon State representatives of the president’s 30-month plan.”

This plan will “structure the formation of village and township committees” that  “will oversee its implementation on a local level” Nai Lawi Aung said.

The president only recently revealed this nation-wide restructuring during a special ministerial meeting in Naypyidaw on August 9. Thein Sein says it will lead to the development of civil and social infrastructure by building or upgrading electricity, drinking water, agriculture, employment, tourism, finance and trade facilities.

Township and district-level committees will review the various developmental projects and give priority to ones that adequately address the needs of the specific regions, according to Nai Lawi Aung. The committees will be working together to present their findings to both the Union and State level government.

“President Thein Sein’s reform strategy seems achievable at the level of national government, but it needs to include participation by representatives at a ground level in order to make sure it directly benefits the people it intends to,” said Mon state member of Parliament Dr. Aung Naing Oo.

“In the President’s policy, it seems power is concentrated to State legislatures. However, in lieu of existing laws how the national government will share its power with State and Regional governments are not clear, which may allow the national government to keep power centralized,” Naing Oo said.

Over 600 participants from 10 different townships attended the conference in the Mon state capital of Moulmein.