The Myanmar President’s Office has formed a coordinating committee to work with EAOs (Ethnic Armed Organizations) to implement a COVID-19 prevention and control strategy. This development was announced by the Ministry of Information on April 27th.
The President, U Win Myint, appointed the Vice President for the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), Dr. Tin Myo Win to Chair the committee.
Other appointees to the committee include the Secretary of the Government’s Peace Commission (PC), Retired Lt-Gen., U Khin Zaw Oo, who will serve as the committee Vice-Chair. Deputy Minister of Ethnic Affairs, U Hla Maw Oo, is the Secretary of the committee.
The functions of the committee will include an exchange of information on C-19, establishing the protocols for people passing through borders, monitoring suspected patients, and working collaboratively for the further spread and treatment for C-19. The committee will also coordinate for the C-19 prevention between the respective state government and ethnic armed organizations.
The Executive Director, U Htoo Chit, with the Thailand-based Foundation of Education and Development (FED) reacted to the announcement, “we have been suggesting the formation of such a joint committee between the government and EAOs. We welcome the decision of the President’s Office to collaborate with EAOS.”
U Htoo Chit pointed out that “[The government] will be able to [better] control the [movement of] migrant workers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Thailand who try to access territory controlled by the ethnic armed organization and refugee camps. It will [also] be [more] successful if the government tries to understand the situation in ethnic areas before collaboration.”
Some of the ten ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement are based in Shan, Karenni, Karen, Mon, and the Tanintharyi region, which share a border with Thailand.
