A coordination meeting of the Patron Committee and Steering Committee to successfully hold the ceremony to award religious titles and donate dry rations, was held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture’s meeting hall in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon. Vice President U Myint Swe in his capacity as Chairman of Patron Committee attended and addressed the meeting.

In his speech at the meeting, Vice President U Myint Swe said that to successfully hold the ceremony, a five-member patron committee led by Vice President as chairman and a 19-member steering committee led by Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture as chairman was formed by Presidential order No. 18/2019 on 1 February 2019. On 4 February 2019 the steering committee formed a work committee, 11 sub-committees and assigned duties and responsibilities to conduct the works successfully and systematically, he said.

The steering committee’s coordination meeting was held on 13 February 2019 where 11 decisions were made and it is learnt that decisions have been implemented by the sub-committees. The Union government’s ceremony to award religious titles and donate dry rations will be held in two parts. The first part, a ceremony to donate “soon” will be held on 18 March 2019. The second part of awarding religious titles and donating dry rations will be held on 20 March 2019 at the Sasana’s Maha Beikman within the compound of the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw. Therefore, the work committee and sub-committee members are to coordinate and work together based on the experience of past years’ ceremonies so that there are no lapses in the work.

The ceremony to award religious titles and donate dry rations is a union level event that had been conducted since the days of early Myanmar kings. The ceremony had a long tradition and had been conducted by successive governments and it is a ceremony where the highest religious titles were conferred. The Ministry of Transport and Communications is to arrange special flights for State Sangha Mahanayaka Sayadaws and Tipitakadhara Tipitaka Kovida Sayadaws to travel from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw and back. The venues where the local and foreign Sayadaws and Thilashin Sayagyis (nuns) were to stay temporarily need to be arranged so that the stay was pleasant and convenient. The offering of “soon” in the morning and noon at these venues as well as provision of healthcare as in the past years had to be arranged. The preparations and offerings at the Sasana Maha Beikman in which the ceremonies will be held have to be worthy of reverence. The relevant committees need to co-ordinate with each other so that the events were held and concluded within designated times, said the Vice President.

Finally the Vice President urged the steering committee, work committee and sub-committees to openly discuss status of completion of sector wise works, difficulties faced and provide suggestions where required.

Next Steering Committee Chairman Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko explained about status of works conducted for conferring religious titles and donate dry rations. Steering Committee Vice Chairman Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Kyi Min explained about the ongoing work status and future works of the committee while work committee Chairman Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture Permanent Secretary U Htun Ohn explained about the works implemented and future works of the work committee.

Later, the sub-committees reported on their respective works. The Vice President gave comments and advice to ensure coordination with regard to the discussions and reports, and concluded the meeting after delivering a closing speech.

The meeting was attended by: Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman Dr. Myo Aung, Deputy Ministers Maj-Gen Aung Thu, U Kyi Min, U Thar Oo and Dr. Tun Naing, Nay Pyi Taw Council members Col. Min Naung and U Aung Myin Tun, chairmen and members of the steering committee, work committee and sub-committees, and other departmental officials.—MNA
(Translated Zaw Min)