JICA moves forward with development projects

 

As part of ensuring development of the country’s southeast, plans are under way to draft long-term projects for all-round development of states and to provide assistance to IDPs, according to Sein Kyaw Hlaing, an adviser from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project team for multi-sector development in Kayin and Mon states.

“The government also has a long-term plan. It is a 30-year project,” Sein Kyaw Hlaing said. “For that, the scheme for Kayin and Mon states is classified into two sections. The first one is the master plan for multi-sector development in Kayin and Mon states. It includes the forestry sector, farm sector and agriculture sector, etc. We will draft the master plan only after Japanese experts make field trips to respective regions to access what kind of projects should be implemented. Drawing up of the master plan could take nearly one year. For the second one, JICA will provide necessary assistance to displaced people who return to the country, to a certain extent.”

At the request of the Kayin state government, JICA plans to start implementing pilot projects for regional development in four sub-townships, he said. Plans are under way to meet with local peoples and representatives from civil society groups as the project is still being drafted.

The Border Affairs Ministry and JICA signed an agreement on joint implementation of development in Mon and Kayin States in November 2013.

Last week, the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), a network of nearly 30 ethnic Karen organisations in Myanmar, lashed out at the plan, warning that the investment could potentially exacerbate conflict in the war-torn region. They also urged the Japan aid agency to review the plan in consultation with local people.