The proposed Emergency Provisions on Marriage Act for Myanmar’s Buddhist Women is being considered by the government and the national assembly Speaker after it was championed by one of the country’s most controversial Buddhist monks. The draft law would restrict Buddhist women from marrying non-Buddhists by requiring a prospective groom’s religious conversion and the consent of the bride’s parents. It also calls for a 10- year jail sentence and confiscation of property of any non- Buddhist who attempts to violate the law. Last month, the President wrote to the Speaker of Myanmar’s national assembly, Shwe Mann, asking that the marriage law be drafted and put before the house in order to “preserve race and religion”. The proposed law has been championed by Venerable Wirathu, a famous monk wholead Buddhist 969 movement. He claims to have collected three million signatures in support of the bill, which he says will “protect Buddhist women from who lie to them, force them to convert, and do not allow them to practise their religion freely”. “Donors and development partners who care about progress towards human rights and democracy in Myanmar should demand the government end its contemplation of this shocking law.” Human Rights Watch Asia director Brad Adams said yesterday It is clear that though this law is prescribed for a greater unity and interest for the peoples Myanmar but some western NGOs are trying to create a problem to the government and the Nation.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:16:36 +0000
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