The All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP) has sent a letter to the President opposing the issuing of household documents to migrant workers, a scheme that is part of the government’s 100 day project, on Monday (June 27).
Letters were also sent to the Mon State Chief Minister, Mon State’s Hluttaw speaker and the Mon State Immigration Department. The AMDP sent the open letters to the President and respective government departments with the belief that the government’s current migrant project is disorganized and that the procedure is unfair.
The AMDP is a primary Mon political party founded in April, 2010. In the 2010 elections, it won 16 seats, 3 in the Pyithu Hluttaw (the lower house), 4 in the Amyotha Hluttaw and 9 in regional Hluttaws. However, it won no seats in the national parliament and secured only one seat in the Mon State Hluttaw.
“We do not believe that it is systematic to issue new household documents to migrants as per the Mon State government’s 100-day project,” said Nai Hla Khine, member of AMDP’s executive committee.
Nai Hla Khine added that if the migrant workers don’t have their original household documents erased from the list and are simply given new household documents, the result will be an inflation in the population census. Consequently, it would cause inaccuracy in the vote lists during the elections. If a person had been listed in two households, they could hold two national ID cards. This approach is not appropriate and not in accordance with the laws of the Ministry of Immigration and Population.
According to AMDP’s letter, if migrant workers wish to live in Mon State permanently, they must withdraw their original household identification and obtain a withdrawal recommendation. Afterwards, the new household papers should be issued to them, in accordance with the immigration’s law.
“Migrant workers are persons who move from one place to another for work. According to the La-Wa-Ka [Immigration Department] law, those who have resided for at least 6 months in an area will be given temporary household documents. According to the law, they must withdraw their original household documents and then will be eligible for new documents,” said Daw Khine Khine Le, State Hluttaw Representative, and of National League for Democracy (NLD) and won Thaton Township’s constituency (1).
On May 31, Mon State Chief Minister announced at a press conference at Aung San Hall, Mon State Government Office, that the government will issue household documents to migrant workers, per the government’s 100 day project.
In response to the state government’s announcement to issue household documents to migrants, on June 10, leaders from sixteen Mon associations and Mon monks sent letters to the government to review the project and urged a stop to its implementation. Letters were also submitted to the State counselor, Union Ethnic Minister, House Speakers, Home Affairs Minister and State Hluttaw.
On June 20, the Mon National Party (MNP), another major political party in the state, also urged the Mon State Government to withdraw the project of delivering household documents to migrant workers in an open letter.
“We believe that this project is unnecessary because every citizen, whether they live in the country or not, has already been issued their household documents by the La-Wa-Ka. They are migrants. Therefore, they will return to their native places when the time comes. We are doing enough by giving them temporary residence documents,” said Nai Layae Tama, General Secretary of MNP.
On Monday [June 27], the first day of Mon State Hluttaw’s second regular session, Dr. Aung Naing Oo, Deputy Speaker, an AMDP candidate elected in Chaungzone Township Constituency No. 1, proposed that the Mon State Government stop the supply of household documents to migrant workers. Per the proposal, Daw Khine Khine Le, of NLD, supported Dr. Aung Naing Oo’s proposal, whilst other Hluttaw members considered the proposal and have decided to discuss it.
