Motion on death penalty for rape of minors voted down, kept on record
The second Pyithu Hluttaw’s eighth regular session held its 16th -day meeting in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
Motion on death penalty for rape of minors voted down, kept on record
At the meeting, a motion tabled by Daw Khin Saw Wai of Yathedaung constituency urging the union government to enact an effective special law to prevent the rape of minors and to include the death penalty in the law was then discussed by lawmakers.
Daw Myint Myint Soe @ Daw May Soe of Botahtaung constituency said that Myanmar is a member country of the United Nations and had pledged to uphold human rights and basic freedom.
It also had unconditionally accepted the fact that no crime should have the death penalty, as agreed by many member countries of the UN. Furthermore, there is no evidence to show that the death penalty deters or reduces crimes.
The biggest weakness of the death penalty is that thereis absolutely no chance for the person accused of the crime to take a legal recourse.
Death penalty is contrary toa democratic system
Research conducted also shows that crime rates in countries with the death penalty are higher than countries where there is (no death penalty and) prison sentence for life without amnesty, at the most. Death penalty is contrary to a democratic system, establishment of peace and the rule of law, which our country is undertaking as preliminary steps. Among the countries where there are death penalties, most are extremist countries, where human rights are violated or where there is no peace.
The motion was also discussed by Daw Khin Hnin Thit of Padaung constituency, U Kyaw Swe Win of Kawhmu constituency and Dr. Daw Khin Nyo of Dedaye constituency.
The motion was also discussed by union-level officials. In his discussion, Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Aung said child rape is unacceptable at any cost in our society.
The Hluttaw representatives also had discussed that taking a life (death penalty) is not related directly to reducing or eliminating this crime. Other methods must be adopted so that people in our society live according to ethics.
“There is a death penalty in law in Myanmar, but it is no longer imposed. The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has requested to consider widely and in depth enacting a special law with the death penalty to prevent the rape of minors,” said the deputy minister.
The motion tabled by the Hluttaw representative was timely. It is also in line with what the government is doing. The government is drawing up a bill for a special law on children’s rights. On the rape of minors, enacting a law with penalties that could be an effective deterrent should be discussed and debated by all. A bill for a law on preventing violence against women is being drawn up and submitted for consideration. These two bills are what the motion is proposing, and if the Hluttaw representatives work on these two bills, together with the people, appropriate action would have been taken. As such, the motion should be kept on record, explained the deputy minister.
The motion was also discussed by Supreme Court Judge U Myo Tint, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Thu and Deputy Attorney General U Win Myint.
Later, the opinion of the Hluttaw representative who tabled the motion was obtained where she tendered the motion to be approved.
Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat then took the decision of the Hluttaw on the motion through a vote. As there were 141 for, 227 against and four who abstained, the motion was announced to be kept on record.
Starred questions
Replying to the first question posed by Daw Nan Moe of Mongton constituency on the plan to construct houses forteachers in Mongton Township’s Mansap Village middle school, Union Minister for Education Dr. Myo Thein Gyi said the school had one principal, six middle school teachers, four primary school teachers and three office staff. Of those 11 assigned from afar, seven were staying in the school, while four were living in the village. The ministry should do something about the living conditions and toilet facilities that are found lacking, but there is not enough funding for this in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. As the teachers and staff are facing some difficulties, the ministry will review whether some repair works through maintenance cost, allocated for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, can be utilised for this matter. The ministry will includethis matter in its construction work for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, according to the rules and regulations, said the union minister.
U Paik Ko of Pakokku constituency next asked if there was a plan to open a day course in the Law Department of Pakokku University. Union Minister Dr. Myo Thein Gyi replied that there weren't enough qualified teachers to conduct such a course in Pakokku University, and this will be considered only when there are sufficient qualified teachers, as per the comment of the National Education Policy Commission.
On the question by U Ye Lwin of Ahlon constituency on the plan to combine some high schools in Ahlone Township because there were not enoughstudents, Union Minister Dr. Myo Thein Gyi explained that arrangements are being made to close some schools, according to rules and regulations, reassign the students to the nearest schools and reassign the teaching and non-teaching staff to schools in Ahlone Township or nearby townships.
Questions raised by U Maung Myint of Mingin constituency, U Tin Nu @ U Tin Nu Aung of Manaung constituency and U Sai Sai Mai of Mongkai constituency were also answered by Union Minister Dr. Myo Thein Gyi.
Government’s guarantees, Pledges and undertaking’s Vetting Committee report
After the question-and-answer session, the report of the government’s guarantees, pledges and undertaking vetting committee was read by committee member Brig-Gen Kyaw San Lin.
Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat requested the Hluttaw representatives who wanted to discuss the report to enrol their names.
Next, the Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker announced the receipt and follow-up of a bill amending the television and broadcasting law, sent back by the Amyotha Hluttaw without amendments.
Reference: GNLM
June 19, 2018