January 25, 2020

President U Win Myint received a delegation of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission led by its Chairman U Hla Myint at the Presidential Palace in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.

During the meeting, the President said democracy and human rights are given top priority in this age of globalization and human rights have been included in the constitutions of 1947 and 1974. However, citizens had not received much of the benefits as enforcement of those human rights was relatively lacking.

But the 2008 Constitution includes the fundamental rights of citizens and Myanmar has signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, said the President, adding that the MNHRC is tasked with raising public knowledge on human rights and to protect them. He said they must also inspect police stations, jails, prisons and correctional facilities.

The President said human rights applies to everyone on earth and cannot be transferred to another person. He said it does not differentiate between gender, skin colour nor race. He said it is mutually tangible and dependent on each individual.

He said human rights is connected to the establishment of the Democratic Federal Union and forms a tripartite with democracy and rule of law. He said if one of them is violated then the rest are as well and thus, protecting and elevating human rights is the same as protecting democracy and rule of law.

Next, MNHRC Chairman U Hla Myint explained their plans to elevate human rights and members Dr Than Myint, U Kyaw Myint, Dr Tin Maung Maung Than and U Paw Lwin Sein explained processes going forward. The President responded to them and said the commission’s area of implementation is wide and varied, and that they are responsible for imparting deep understanding in the minds of the people. He said they must work for successive progress in safeguarding human rights, ensuring those rights are enjoyed by all citizens, and the process is in line with current laws and regulations. Also present at the meeting were Union Ministers Lt-Gen Sein Win, U Min Thu, U Thein Swe, and Dr Win Myat Aye, Deputy Minister Maj-Gen Aung Thu, MNHRC Vice Chairman Dr Nanda Hmun and members U Paw Lwin Sein, U Kyaw Soe, Dr Than Myint, Daw Nu Nu Yin, Dr Tin Maung Maung Than, Dr Myint Thu Myaing, U Tin Aung and Daw Tin Kyi Oo. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)