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 in 1989. 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, 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 in accordance with the State Law and Order Restoration Council's Order No. (17/92) issued by the Office of the State Law and Order Restoration Council on 8^th April, 1992 with 207 total staffs comprising 49 officers and 158 staffs. 

      In line with the various functions of the Office of the Work Committee for the Implementation of the development of the Border Areas and National Races, the border areas development measures need to be undertaken in a wider scale and to continuously supervise, monitor and co-ordinate these measures, therefore, Ministry for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was established with Notification No. (54/92) dated 14^th September 1992. Then, the Ministry was reestablished at Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs with Notification No. (15/94) dated 30^th 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 Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on 30^th March 2011 and Ministry of Border Affairs has been established.

Organization Committees

     In order to carry out measures for the development of border areas and national races systematically, the Government started to form “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 now, the Central Committee was reconstituted by the State Administration Council's Notification No. (173/2023) dated 23^th August 2023 as follows:  

 Duties of the Central Committee

a.         Laying down the policy in order to implement the objectives;

b.      Approving, giving guidance and instructing for the implementation of long-term and short-term master plans which are 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 instructing implementation thereof;

d.     Laying down work plans and instructing implementation thereof with a view to maintain the culture, literature and customs of the national races;

e.     Laying down measures for maintaining security, prevalence of law and order and regional peace and tranquility in order to continuously accelerate the development works at the border areas;

f.         Approving Development Areas which should be expanded. 

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.

       “Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races” was started to form with 17 members by the State Law and Order Restoration Council Order No. (24/89) dated 31^st May 1989 and now, the Work Committee is reconstituted by the Central Committee's Notification No. (30/2023) dated 10^th May 2023 as follows: 

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 approval of the Central Committee ;

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

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

          In accordance with the policies laid down by the Central Committee for the Implementation of the Development of Border Areas and National Races, the Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was formed 13 Work Sub-Committees on 31^st May, 1989. Then, by the decision of Work Committee meeting (3/94) on 3^rd October 1994 and the President Office's Notification No. 6/11 dated 20^th April, 2011, 18 Work Sub-Committees was reconstituted in which Union Minister/ Deputy Ministers from the respective Ministry are assigned as Chairman and heads of department are assigned as members. Then, 13 Work Sub-Committees were reconstituted according to the Notification No.60/2012 issued by the President Office on 24^th August, 2012. After that, according to the Union Government Office's Notification No. (8/2016) dated 16^th November, 2016, 7 Work Sub-Committee have been reconstituted and now, in accordance with the Notification No. (1/2023) dated 22^nd September, 2023 by the Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races, 7 Work Sub-Committee have been reconstituted as follows; 

a.         Work Sub-Committee for Roads and Bridges ‌and Infrastructure Development;

b.         Work Sub-Committee for Education, Health and Human Resource Development;

c.         Work Sub-Committee for Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources;

d.         Work Sub-Committee for Energy and Electricity;

e.         Work Sub-Committee for Transportation, Communication and Tourism Development;

f.          Work Sub-Committee for Religious and Culture;

g.          Work Sub-Committee for Rural Development, Social Welfare and Vocational Education.

          In order to implement the development measures for border areas and national races, 11 Regional Work Committees were formed since 13^th June, 1989 in which Commanders of Military Commands and Chairmen of the States acted as Chairmen of the respective Regional Work Committee. Moreover, respective work committees had been formed at the district and township levels. In accordance with the President Office's Notification No. (6/11) dated on 20^th April, 2011, Chief Minister of the respective Region/State were assigned as Chairman of Regional Work Committee. By the decision of (1/2012) meeting of "The Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races", 9 Regional Work Committees were reconstituted and now, according to the decision of the Work Committee's Meeting (2/2023), 9 Regional Work Committees are reconstituted as follows:

a.         Kachin State Regional Work Committee;

b.         Kayah State Regional Work Committee;

c.        Kayin State Regional Work Committee;  

d.          Chin State Regional Work Committee;

e.          Mon State Regional Work Committee;

f.           Rakhine State Regional Work Committee;

g.           Shan State Regional Work Committee;

h.           Sagaing Region Regional Work Committee; and

i.           Tanintharyi Region Regional Work Committee.

Development of Border Areas and National Races Law

            In order 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 at that time, 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. Then, "The Second Amendment of the Development of Border Areas and National Races Law" with Law No. 44/2015 was enacted on 22nd July, 2022.

           The Master Plan for the Development of Border Areas and National Races was drawn up. Under this Master Plan, the 13-year plan, in which 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, was implemented. Then, 30-year long-term plan for the development of border areas and national races, which is starting form 2001-2002 fiscal year up to 2029-2030 fiscal year, had been drawn up and implemented with 6 medium-term 5-year plan. In line with the current situation, 20 year long-term plan from 2011-2012 fiscal year to 2030-2031 fiscal year for the development of borders areas is being implemented.  

Management Structure for the implementation of Border Areas Development measures

The Organization of the Ministry

The Policies 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 infrastructure in border areas;

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

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

     (f)      To support nationalities youth to be able to pursue basic education, higher education and  

              professional education for the future; and 

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

Functions of the Ministry

     (a)     Designating special development zones for the development of border areas and national races;

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

     (c)     Implementing the long-term and short-term plans which are approved by the Central Committee for the

              Development of Border Areas and National Races;

     (d)   Implementing the development works which have been prescribed for immediate performance by the Central

            committee for the development of Border Areas and National Races;      

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

            1.   Roads and bridges;

            2.   Water supply:

                 (aa)   to supply water for cultivation;

                  (bb)   to supply water for drinking;

            3.   Electricity:

                  (aa)  Hydro-electric;

                  (bb)  solar energy system;

           4.   Religious Affairs;

           5.   Construction work for Peace:

                 (aa)  Roads and bridges;

                  (bb)  Education;

                   (cc)  Health;

                   (dd)  Housing;

     (f)   Giving 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)   Supporting Nationalities Youth who pass the basic education high school to pursue higher education at the

            University for Development of the National Races of the Union and Nationalities Youth Resource Development

            Degree Colleges;      

     (h)   Consolidating the Union Spirit and amity among the Nationalities Youth while studying together at the schools,

             degree colleges and university and to understand and cherish the culture tradition, customs and practices of

             national races;       

     (i)   Nurturing nationalities youth to exist in their mind as non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of

            the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty;

     (j)   Appointing the nationalities youth at the respective Ministries after completing higher education so that they can

            participate in their regional development work;     

     (k)   Teaching vocational expertise to the national races women in the border areas and assisting them to set up their

             own business applying with their vocational skills; 

     (l)   Teaching engineering to the Nationalities Youth in the border areas with the aim of becoming skillful workers and

            carrying out the development of small skill manufacturing and industries;        

     (m)   Carrying out cultural exchanging programs to enrich a wider knowledge for the nationalities youth in the border

              areas;

     (n)   Carrying out national affairs as a priority in accordance with the desire of nationalities; 

     (o)   Implementing the promotion and propagation of religious affairs in the border areas;

     (p)   Establishing crops cultivation, livestock breeding and cottage industries in order to substitute poppy cultivation;

     (q)   Protecting and preserving border boundary pillars and markers; and 

    (r)   Managing for the cooperating with United Nations Organizations, International Organizations, Regional Organizations and respective persons in order to effectively implement the border areas development and human resource development.

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.

Strategy of Ministry of Border Affairs

"To accelerate striving for the development of the border areas and national races, that have lagged for behind in development due to various reasons, without having any gap between the states and mainland areas."