Background History of the Ministry

Since Myanmar regained her independence, there emerged  armed  groups due to misunderstanding among the national races and difference in ideology. For this reason, the successive governments could not implement border areas development measures. Border areas development measures together with peace and stability measures could be implemented with added momentum by laying down systematic plans when some national armed groups came into the legal fold. Border areas development measures were able to be carried out with might and main in 1989 in accordance with the guidance of the Heads of the State fostering our three main national causes which are non-disintegration of  the Union, non-disintegration of the national solidarity and perpetuation of the sovereignty of the State and focusing on peace and tranquility in the region, national solidarity and regional development.

     To take responsibility and carry out the office works of the Work Committee for the Implementation of the Development of the Border Areas and National Races while implementing development measures for the border areas and national races, the office of the Work Committee for the Implementation of the Development of the Border Areas and National Races was established as a separate office under the State Law and Order Restoration Council with Order No (17/92) issued by the Office of the State Law and Order Restoration Council on 8th April, 1992 with total staff comprising 49 officers and 158 staff.

     As the border area development measures need to be undertaken in a wider scale and to continuously supervise, monitor and co-ordinate these measures, Ministry for the Development of Border Areas and National Races  was established with Notification No.(54/92) dated 14th September 1992 in the place of the Office of the Work Committee for the Implementation of the Development of the Border Areas and National Races. Then in accordance with the work need, the Ministry was reestablished as Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs with Notification No .(15/94) dated 30th January 1994.

     At present, Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development  Affairs  was abolished by Notification No.(4/2011) issued by the President Office of the President Office of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on 30th March 2011 and Ministry of Border Affairs was established.

Organization of Border Areas and National Races Development Committees

Establishing of groups on Progress of Border Areas and National Races

     In order to carry out measures for the development of border areas and national races systematically, the Government formed “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 25^th May 1989 and the Central Committee was reconstituted with (24) members by the Office of the Union Government Notification No. (110/2016) dated 25^th November 2016:  

 Duties of the Central Committee

a.         Laying the policy for implementation  of the  objectives ;

b.        Confirming , giving  guidance  and  causing  the  implementation  of  long-term  and  short-term master plans 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  causing  implementation  thereof ;

d.         Laying  down  and  carrying  out  measures  with  a  view  to  maintain  the  culture, literature  and  customs  of  the  national  races ;

e.         Laying down and carrying out  measures for maintaining security, prevalence of law and order and regional peace and tranquility in order to raise the perpetual momentum of the development works at the  border  areas;

f.          Giving decision to enable determination of  Development Areas  which should be expended. 

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.

       “The Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races” was also formed with (17) members by the State Law and Order Restoration Council Order No. (24/89) dated 31^st May 1989. At present, the Work Committee was reorganized with (33) members by the Office of the President Notification No. (9/2016) dated 25^th November 2016:- 

The  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 confirmation of the Central Committee ;

b.         Giving guidance for the implementation of long-term and short-term master plans, which have been confirmed 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-Committee at the Central level and determining the duties there of;   

e.         Forming Regional Work Committees and determining the duties there of;

f.          Causing the drawing up and submission of work schemes sector wise by the Work Sub Committees and Regional Work Committees and Causing implementation there of;

g.         Co-ordinating the activities of the Ministry, Work Sub-Committees and Regional Work Committees;

h.         Making the arrangement for enabling to co-operate with the United Nations Organizations, International Organizations, Foreign States, Non-Governmental Organizations and Persons;   

i.     Making arrangement, as may be necessary for obtaining funds and allocation there of;

Management Structure for the implementation of Border Areas Development measures

The Organization of the Ministry

The Policies of the Ministry

Missions of the Ministry

Missions of the Ministry

(a)     To preserve and maintain the security, prevalence of law and order and regional peace and tranquility  of the border areas.

(b)     To strengthen the amity among national races.

(c)     To develop socio-economy of national races by establishing infrastructune  in border areas.

(d)     To preserve the culture, literature and good custom of the national races.

(e)     To propagate religious affairs in the border areas.

(f)      To pursue basic education, higher education and   professional education for the future of nationalities youth.

(g)     To serve the development of their respective  regions  by their willingness.

The Functions of the Ministry

(a)     To designate special development zones for the development of  border areas and national races.

(b)    To draw up the long-term and short-term plans for the development of national races residing in border areas.

(c)      To implement the long-term and short-term plans which are confirmed by the Central Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races. 

(d)     To implement the development works which have been prescribed for immediate performance by the Central committee for the development of Border Areas and National Races.     

(e)       To implement socio-economic infrastructure for the border areas with annual plans such as:

            1.         Roads and bridges;

            2.         Water supply;

                        (a)       to get water for  cultivation

                        (b)       to get water for  drinking

            3.         Electricity

                        (a)  Hydro-electric

                        (b)  solar energy system

          4.           Religious Affairs;

          5.           Construction work for Peace

                        (a)  Roads and bridges;

                        (b)  Education

                        (c)  Health;

                        (d)  Housing;

(f)        To give chances for Nationalities Youth living in different border areas to be able to attend schools from Basic Education Middle School to High School for free of charge.      

(g)       To pursue higher education for the Nationalities Youth who pass the basic education high school to have opportunities to study the courses in the University for Development of the National Races of the Union and Nationalities Youth Resource Development Degree Colleges.     

(h)       To consolidate the Union Spirit and amity among the Nationalities Youth while studying together at the College and to understand and cherish the culture tradition, customs and practices of national races.      

(i)        To nurture all national people to constantly safeguard non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty.  

(j)        To assign duties to the nationalities youth at the respective Ministries after completing higher education subjects so that they can participate in their regional development work.     

(k)       To teach young national races women in border areas the subjects for women vocational expertise and give them necessary aids until they can set up their own business with the vocational skills they possess.

(l)        To teach subjects for engineering to the Nationalities Youth in border areas with the aim of  becoming skillful workers and carrying out the development works for Micro-Manufacturing and Micro-Industrial business.       

(m)      To set up the culture exchanging programs in order for all Nationalities Youth in Development areas to enrich a wider knowledge.

(n)       To carry out national affairs  as a priority in accordance with the desire  of  Nationalities Youth.

(o)       To make arrangements for the promotion and  propagation of religious affairs in the border areas.

(p)       To make arrangements for establishing crops cultivation, livestock  breeding and cottage industries in substitution for poppy cultivation.  

(q)       To protect and preserve border boundary pillars and markers.

(r)        To cooperate with the United Nations Organzations, International Organzations, Regional Organzations and persons in responsible position with the intention of implementing the development work programs in border areas more effectively.

Development of Border Areas and National Races Law

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, 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. The Master Plan for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was drawn and 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, 13-year Master Plan was implemented. At present,30-year long term plan for the development of border areas and national races starting from 2001-2002 fiscal year up to 2029-2030 fiscal year is being undertaken by 6 medium term 5-year plans.

The Strategy of the Ministry

Strategy of Ministry of Border Affairs

"Although the successive governments strived for the development of the border areas, border areas lagged for behind in development due to various reasons and to accelerate the development of border areas and national races without having any gap between the states and mainland areas."