YANGON—The country’s leaders will be invited to attend the Myanmar People’s Conference to be held at MCC Hall in Yangon (December 28-30), said Kyaw Lin Oo, coordinator of the ASEAN People’s Forum.
President Thein Sein, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Speaker Thura Shwe Mann of the Union Assembly Parliament will be on the invitation list, said Kyaw Lin Oo.
The Myanmar People’s Forum is aimed primarily at enabling civic organizations to gain valuable experience for the upcoming ASEAN People’s Forum to be held in 2014.
Peace, development, justice, human rights, and the transition to democracy will be on the agenda at this preliminary forum.
Those wishing to attend can register at www.myanmarpeopleforum.org. The entrance fee is fixed at Ks 1000 for civic organizations, individuals and students, Ks 3000 for NGOs, Ks 10,000 for international organizations and Ks 15,000 for the UN and foreign embassies.
Myanmar became an ASEAN member in 1997. On October 10, it assumed the ASEAN chairmanship from Brunei, taking the leadership role for the first time in its 17 years of membership. Myanmar will begin the duties of ASEAN chairmanship on January 1, 2014.
ASEAN People’s Forums have been held in Malaysia (2005), the Philippines (2006), Singapore (2007), Thailand (2009), Vietnam (2010), Indonesia (2011), Cambodia (2012) and Brunei (2013). Myanmar will host the event in 2014.