Organization Committees
In order to carry out measures for the development of border areas and national races systematically, the Government started to form “The Central Committee for the Implementation of the Development of Border Areas and National Races” with 5 members by the State Law and Order Restoration Council’s Order No. (23/89) dated 25th May 1989 and now, the Central Committee was reconstituted by the State Administration Council's Notification No. (173/2023) dated 23th August 2023 as follows:
Sr. No. | Name and Designation | Duty |
1. | Chairman of the State Administration Council, Prime Minister | Chairman |
2. | Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council, Deputy Prime Minister | Vice Chairman |
3. | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense | Member |
4. | Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs | Member |
5. | Chief Ministers, Government of the Regions/States | Member |
6. | Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) | Member |
7. | Director, Directorate of People's Militia and Territorial Forces | Member |
8. | Union Minister, Ministry of Border Affairs | Secretary |
9. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Border Affairs | Joint Secretary |
Duties of the Central Committee
a. Laying down the policy in order to implement the objectives;
b. Approving, giving guidance and instructing for the implementation of long-term and short-term master plans which are drawn up by the Ministry and submitted through the work Committee.
c. Laying down development works which should be carried out immediately at the border areas and instructing implementation thereof;
d. Laying down work plans and instructing implementation thereof with a view to maintain the culture, literature and customs of the national races;
e. Laying down measures for maintaining security, prevalence of law and order and regional peace and tranquility in order to continuously accelerate the development works at the border areas;
f. Approving Development Areas which should be expanded.
Powers of the Central Committee
a. The Central Committee shall form the Work Committee;
b. The Central Committee shall determine the Chairman and Secretary in forming the Work Committee,and may determine the Vice-Chairman and Joint-Secretary if necessary.
“Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races” was started to form with 17 members by the State Law and Order Restoration Council Order No. (24/89) dated 31st May 1989 and now, the Work Committee is reconstituted by the Central Committee's Notification No. (30/2023) dated 10th May 2023 as follows:
Sr. No. | Name and Designation | Duty |
1. | Union Minister, Ministry of Border Affairs | Chairman |
2. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs | Member |
3. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications | Member |
4. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Planning and Finance | Member |
5. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation | Member |
6. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development | Members |
7. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Electric Power | Member |
8. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education | Member |
9. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Science and Technology | Member |
10. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health | Member |
11. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Ethnic Affairs | Member |
12. | Minister, Ministry of Security and Border Affairs (Region/State Government) | Member |
13. | Deputy Director, Directorate of People's Militia and Territorial Forces | Member |
14. | Permanent Secretary, State Administration Council Office | Member |
15. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Border Affairs | Member |
16. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Construction | Member |
17. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information | Member |
18. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture | Member |
19. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry | Member |
19. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Immigration and Population | Member |
20. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs | Member |
21. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Construction | Member |
22. | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement | Member |
23. | Deputy Minister, Ministry of Border Affairs | Secretary |
24. | Director General, Progress of Border Areas and National Races Department | Joint Secretary |
Duties and powers of the Work Committee
a. Scrutinizing long-term and short-term master plans drawn up and submitted by the Ministry and submitting and obtaining approval of the Central Committee ;
b. Giving guidance for the implementation of long-term and short-term master plans, which have been approved by the Central Committee and supervising and inspecting the works;
c. Giving guidance for the implementation of development works which have been prescribed for immediate performance by the Central Committee and supervising and inspecting the works;
d. Forming Work Sub-Committees at the central level and determining the duties there of; and
e. Forming Regional Work Committees and determining the duties there of.
In accordance with the policies laid down by the Central Committee for the Implementation of the Development of Border Areas and National Races, the Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was formed 13 Work Sub-Committees on 31st May, 1989. Then, by the decision of Work Committee meeting (3/94) on 3rd October 1994 and the President Office's Notification No. 6/11 dated 20th April, 2011, 18 Work Sub-Committees was reconstituted in which Union Minister/ Deputy Ministers from the respective Ministry are assigned as Chairman and heads of department are assigned as members. Then, 13 Work Sub-Committees were reconstituted according to the Notification No.60/2012 issued by the President Office on 24th August, 2012. After that, according to the Union Government Office's Notification No. (8/2016) dated 16th November, 2016, 7 Work Sub-Committee have been reconstituted and now, in accordance with the Notification No. (1/2023) dated 22nd September, 2023 by the Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races, 7 Work Sub-Committee have been reconstituted as follows;
a. Work Sub-Committee for Roads and Bridges and Infrastructure Development;
b. Work Sub-Committee for Education, Health and Human Resource Development;
c. Work Sub-Committee for Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources;
d. Work Sub-Committee for Energy and Electricity;
e. Work Sub-Committee for Transportation, Communication and Tourism Development;
f. Work Sub-Committee for Religious and Culture;
g. Work Sub-Committee for Rural Development, Social Welfare and Vocational Education.
In order to implement the development measures for border areas and national races, 11 Regional Work Committees were formed since 13th June, 1989 in which Commanders of Military Commands and Chairmen of the States acted as Chairmen of the respective Regional Work Committee. Moreover, respective work committees had been formed at the district and township levels. In accordance with the President Office's Notification No. (6/11) dated on 20th April, 2011, Chief Minister of the respective Region/State were assigned as Chairman of Regional Work Committee. By the decision of (1/2012) meeting of "The Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races", 9 Regional Work Committees were reconstituted and now, according to the decision of the Work Committee's Meeting (2/2023), 9 Regional Work Committees are reconstituted as follows:
a. Kachin State Regional Work Committee;
b. Kayah State Regional Work Committee;
c. Kayin State Regional Work Committee;
d. Chin State Regional Work Committee;
e. Mon State Regional Work Committee;
f. Rakhine State Regional Work Committee;
g. Shan State Regional Work Committee;
h. Sagaing Region Regional Work Committee; and
i. Tanintharyi Region Regional Work Committee.
Development of Border Areas and National Races Law
In order to effectively and systematically carry out development measures of border areas and national races, the Government enacted "Development of Border Areas and National Races Law" with Law No.11/93 on 13th August, 1993. To be in line with the current situation at that time, the State Peace and Development Council enacted "the Law Amending the Development of Border Areas and National Races Law" with Law No.7/2006 on 11th August, 2006. Then, "The Second Amendment of the Development of Border Areas and National Races Law" with Law No. 44/2015 was enacted on 22nd July, 2022.
The Master Plan for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was drawn up. Under this Master Plan, the 13-year plan, in which the first short-term 3-year plan from 1993-1994 fiscal year to 1995-1996 fiscal year, the first medium-term 5-year plan from 1996-1997 fiscal year to 2000-2001 fiscal year and the second medium-term 5-year plan from 2001-2002 fiscal year to 2005-2006 fiscal year, was implemented. Then, 30-year long-term plan for the development of border areas and national races, which is starting form 2001-2002 fiscal year up to 2029-2030 fiscal year, had been drawn up and implemented with 6 medium-term 5-year plan. In line with the current situation, 20 year long-term plan from 2011-2012 fiscal year to 2030-2031 fiscal year for the development of borders areas is being implemented.