Renewed call for enactment of interfaith marriage law

 

Members of the association in Yangon Region and its members from other states and regions joined the march, which was held with permission from the authorities.

The protesters started the march from Kyay Thone Pagoda near the eastern gate of the Shwedagon Pagoda and circled the Shwedagon Pagoda by walking on the Kabaraye Pagoda 

Road, Shwedagon Pagoda Road, U Wisara Road, and West Shwegonedaing Road. The protest ended with talks on the interfaith marriage bill.

“I want to request the President to enact the interfaith marriage law. The law is important to prevent the extinction of our nationality. I regard those people who are blindly opposing this law to be ‘national traitors’,” an ethnic woman, who participated in the protest, told the Daily Eleven.

Thousands of protesters shouted slogans like “We don’t want those who are opposing the interfaith marriage law” and “Those that violate nationality are our enemies”, while holding placards that read “Immediately Enact the Interfaith Marriage Law in order to Prevent Extinction of Myanmar Ethnic Races” and “People Who Oppose the Interfaith Marriage Law Are Those Who Don’t Want to Safeguard Their Nationality”.

“The interfaith marriage law is the lifeblood of Myanmar. That’s why we, the monks, are demanding that the authorities including the President and the MPs enact this immediately. This interfaith marriage law does not affect the people of different nationalities and religions. It does’t affect the government. It is in line with democracy. It is also in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so we demand [the authorities] enact this immediately,” Parmaukkha, chief abbot of the Magway Monastery, said during his speech after the protest march.