Japan offers 10 bil. yen in support for Myanmar ethnic minorities

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Japan announced Monday it will provide 10 billion yen in support to Myanmar over the next five years to improve the livelihoods of ethnic minorities in border areas of the country beset by decades of armed conflict.

The announcement was jointly made by Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar Mikio Numata and Yohei Sasakawa, Japan's special envoy for national reconciliation in Myanmar, at a press conference in Yangon.

The two diplomats said the assistance is aimed at contributing to the ongoing peace process between the Myanmar government and the country's ethnic armed rebel groups as they work toward a comprehensive cease-fire.

Initially, they said, efforts will be focused on providing for basic human needs, followed later by programs to build new houses for internally displaced persons and to create jobs, for example.

Projects will be implemented by aid personnel from Japanese nongovernmental organizations with a proven track record of handling projects in conflict-affected areas. To ensure their safety, they will engage only in government-approved activities with the consent of ethnic minorities living in the areas in question.

Numata said that while details of the projects and timing of their implementation are yet to be decided, the Japanese government is committed to starting the process as soon as possible.

Since last year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to provide more than 150 billion yen in loans and grants to Myanmar, including for development of railways, water supply and irrigation, as well as for human resources, capacity building and institutional development.

Autonomy-seeking ethnic minority rebels in Myanmar have battled the government's military for years, leading many inhabitants to flee from conflict-marred, underdeveloped areas, mostly along the borders with China and Thailand.

The government of President Thein Sein, who came to power in March 2011 after the country's first election in two decades, is seeking to conclude ceasefires with each of the rebel groups in a bid to secure a comprehensive nationwide truce and pave the way for national reconciliation.

==Kyodo

Copyright 2013 Kyodo News International.

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140106/japan-offers-10-bil-yen-support-myanmar-ethnic-minorit

Copyright 2013 GlobalPost – International News

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