17 Aug
Director-General U Zaw Htay of the Ministry of Office of the State Counsellor met with journalists in a regular press conference held at the Presidential Palace in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
Opening remarks
Firstly, the director-general said the Tatmadaw has already released news regarding the incident on 15 August and the Ministry of Information has also published news on the matter collected from Myanmar Police Force and the Tatmadaw.
He then said Dr Min Ye Paing Hein’s appointment as Deputy Minister for Industry has been announced officially. He said the appointment was made to ensure the Ministry of Industry’s efficiency and support the Union Minister for Planning and Finance, U Soe Win, who is concurrently serving as its minister.
U Zaw Htay then said the State Counsellor is visiting Mandalay Region to meet with young girl guides and scouts of Upper Myanmar at a future date. He said she will also visit the school of fine arts in Mandalay and will meet authors of Upper Myanmar in the evening.
Suitable action to be taken for incorrect word usage
U Maung Maung Tun of News Watch journal asked to clarify on the ‘displaced local ethnic people’ remark said to be made by Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin, concerning Ohhtane camp in Maungtaw District, and which was portrayed on MRTV news on 12 August and in state newspapers on the next day.
U Zaw Htay clarified that it was an error made by the three state-run dailies and MRTV on that day. He said that that particular phrase does not reflect the policy and stance of the Union government. He said they have already followed up on this error with officials from the ministries of construction and information.
He said both ministries were responsible as the construction ministry wrote the wrong phrase in the news article first and the information ministry disseminated the news even after reviewing and editing it. He said MoI has already issued a correction on 15 August and proper action will be taken against those responsible.
Invitation for peace talks still on the table
Next, Irrawaddy News asked whether there will be a meeting in Mongla after the incidents in PyinOoLwin and Nawnghkio, whether it will impact the peace process, and whether the Tatmadaw has informed the government on what procedure they will pursue regarding those incidents.
U Zaw Htay said the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre-NRPC has already submitted proposals for signing a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Northern Alliance, while the meeting venue is still under discussion. He said this is the eighth month since the Tatmadaw ordered a ceasefire in its five regional commands and the third time they have done so. Hence, the attacks in PyinOoLwin and Nawnghkio are terrorist acts, said U Zaw Htay.
He said they were intentional attacks against innocent civilians and destruction of drug-searching equipment. He said while it has caused an enormous impact on the Union government’s peace process, the doors remain open for peace talks. He said there needs to be a genuine desire to participate in the peace process and authentic political will for peace. He added his view that no one should be hindering the peace process.
Responding to 15 August attacks
U Zaw Htay said they had installed X-ray machine to scan for illegal drugs at the PyinOoLwin toll gate on 5 May, in accordance with the President’s prioritized policy against drug abuse. He said they had since used the machine to confiscate 44 kilos of heroin and 8.5 million psychotropic tablets.
U Zaw Htay said the attack on the Nawnghkio narcotics police office severely affects efficiency in controlling drug trafficking and abuse. He said the destruction of Gote Twin bridge has brought a temporary standstill to border trade and the Union government is swiftly seeking solutions for alternative routes. He said they are rushing to complete a double-lane Bailey bridge to replace Gote Twin bridge within 5 days.
U Zaw Htay said the attacks in Nawnghkio killed nine soldiers, three police officers and three civilians while leaving a soldier, two police officers and ten civilians wounded. He said they attacks have cost more than K200 million losses in arms and ammunitions for the Defence Services Technology Academy and Myanmar Police Force.
He said while every security institution works tirelessly to provide national security, no country can guarantee complete safety without difficulty. He said they will review the weaknesses from these attacks and use them to ensure similar incidents do not occur.
Repatriation of displaced persons from Bangladesh
Following this, Irrawaddy News also asked when the repatriation of displaced people will commence. U Zaw Htay replied that the Union government has been ready for the repatriation process since 23 Novem ber last year but the displaced persons have not returned due to various regions.
He said the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Ambassador met on 9 August to discuss the repatriation process. Bangladesh has sent a list of displaced persons that had entered their side and Myanmar has scrutinized the list for people who have actually lived here and for imposters and possible members of terrorist groups. He said they had sent a verified list back to Bangladesh.
U Zaw Htay said Bangladesh has sent a second list with the names of 22,432 displaced persons and Myanmar has already proposed to accept 3,450 persons from that list in seven batches with the Bangladesh Ambassador. He said they proposed to resettle all those returnees in one location.
He said if Bangladesh sends a list other than the 3,450 verified persons, then they will immediately begin verification commence repatriation within two weeks.
He said Bangladesh is currently in a long holiday period but will immediately contact Myanmar within the next week. He said they have negotiated to begin accepting the 3,450 displaced persons on 22 August. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
