Yangon regional government Ethnic Rakhine Affairs Minister Zaw Aye Maung told Mizzima on September 22 that the meeting will be attended by community leaders from 17 townships in Rakhine state, representatives of Rakhine social groups in Yangon and Rakhine political parties and MPs.

He added that they hope to get advice on parliamentary matters in the meeting.

Zaw Aye Maung told Mizzima, “There are many issues in Rakhine state but we will focus on what the Parliament can do with regard to resource-sharing between the union and states. We hope there will be a Natural Resources Sharing Bill after the meeting. The Rakhine organizations are also planning to present other matters at the meeting. We must wait and see what the Speaker has to say.”

MP Khin Saw Wai from Rathetaung constituency in Rakhine state said that delegates from most Yangon based Rakhine organizations would attend the meeting and that invitations were sent to all 17 townships in Rakhine state.

She told Mizzima, “It will be better if the meeting is attended by representatives from Buthidaung and Maungdaw, in addition to representatives from Yangon based Rakhine organizations.”

Thar Mya Kyaw, Secretary of the Rakhine Social Organization said that they would present comprehensive details of problems that plague Rakhine state, which is the most backward state in Myanmar.

The Rakhine Nationality Development Party (RNDP) said that there would be three main agendas at this meeting namely, security, stability and rule of law, electricity sector and transport sector, besides other issues such as development in the state and capacity building for youths.

Minister Zaw Aye Maung had announced in August that they would draft a natural resources sharing bill and present it to the Parliament. Under the bill, economic benefits from natural resources extracted by domestic and foreign companies in the ethnic states shall be shared between the center and the states.