Comments on 100-day plans of Chin State government
18 July 2016 — The first hundred days of the new government of Chin State led by the National League for Democracy ended in the first week of this month although many got confused with the actual date.
People made judgements on the activities carried out in 100 days since 1 April this year when the current government took office. The Chin World Media conducted interviews with Chin people from different grounds regarding the 100-day plans of the Chin State government.
Ning Ling Thang
Employee at Telecommunications firm
Within the 100 days, I think issues related to land registration should have been given the main priority. Primarily, these problems arise in many places and are associated with customary land tenure claiming the ownership of farmland. Whatever claims the locals make, only officially accepted documents will be valid when it comes to foreign investment willing to lease land.
Peter Lawilu
Secretary of the Paletwa Township Committee, Yangon
I didn’t have much hope from the 100-day work. However, there are some work done in Paletwa Township by the new government:
– A new installation of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) telephone network
– An increase in financial support for fuel needed to run generators to supply electricity for computer classes at high schools
– New tarred road in front of the Paletwa Town High School
– Transformation of the Aung San Thuriya Thuya Lieutenant Thai Con garden into a new sports hall named the Aung San Thuriya Thuya Lieutenant Thai Con sports hall
This is what I have seen as a change from the 100-day plan. However, I am not impressed by the negligence of issues more important for the people, for instance:
– Prices of goods being sold at local markets are too high and the weight of the goods being inaccurate, always lower than the actual weight
– No sufficient supplies of goods such as meat and fish. Sometimes, restaurants and Na Ta La schools order in large quantities every day for a week. Some events have to be arranged accordingly. The weight is still inaccurate however much the price is increased. Therefore, it is important that this issue is fixed for the people.
Another issue is the lack of care by relevant government departments for the issues facing the people:
– A voluntary offer to reconstruct a damaged bridge is rejected by the authorities. They would say the higher authorities have to be informed first. To the worse, the much needed construction still does not take place.
– It has been more than a year that water is not provided. However, the bill is still colllected from each household.
– Concrete roads are made, but with no platforms. Those on the motorbikes have to take extra care and so do pedestrians.
Chin Chin Pek Thang
2015 election candidate
Chin National Democratic Party
In my opion, the fact that they managed to come out with papers on small and medium entrepreneurship is worth praising. We have seen the chief minister and State ministers travelling across Chin State. And there are follow-ups taken on ongoing projects initiated by the previous government. For instance, the current government has taken necessary action on the National Grid for electric supplies. Road communication still remains the most important issue in each of our townships and I would like this issue to be effectively carried out and completed.
Lai Lone
Cartoonist
It is not easy to turn the 60-year ruined system into a new shape in just 100 days. It is an incurable illness. The patient that the previous government had given up:
1. Should be saved to continue breathing
2. Should be looked after to become a good person, and
3. Should be made to be prosperous.
I have got nothing to say against the current government regarding the 100-day plan, mainly because of the fact that the successive previous governments had sinned against the people much more. The new government have managed to travel to remote areas of Chin State which the previous ones had not done and this is a positive move. I am more interested in how the needs of the people will be met and delivered since the travel period of the 100-day plan has now finished. What is seen as a good move is already done and will what has already been done be really good? We will have to wait and see. We are hoping and praying for them. That’s what I want to say.
Sung Zi Mang
Vice President
Chin League for Democracy
Talking about the 100 days, how can you actually solve 100 cases? However, there has to be a proper plan even to get a single thing done. And we have to think about advantages and disadvantages. As it is important that we work with skilled people, we also need to have mechanisms for supervising, managing and evaluating our work. For example, it is good that drainage ditches are dug but some are not completed properly. And you have issues related to stagnant waters, rubbish piling, mud and mosquitos. People get confused and wonder who is responsible and will take the responsibility.
Finally what I want to say is that it is better than before. But I am just wondering if we need good governance.
Salai Ceu Bik Thawng
Chin National Democratic Party
The National League for Democracy Party in Chin State did not have a manifesto before the 2015 general election. As for us, the Chin National Democratic Party published our party manifesto. What I mean to say is that however expert they [cabinet members] are, they are new faces of the party and will have to start from the scratch in terms of developing policies when it comes to dealing with issues regarding the whole Chin State. Now that they have travelled across the State and done field assessment and consultation, they will have to make an analysis and come up with a master plan. It means implementation is yet to come.
What they have been doing is more about following through what the previous government had initiated and to make sure they are more effective. Nonetheless, I think they do enjoy more public trust than the previous government when it comes to commitment and corruption issues. What still remains not so different from the previous government is the way they exercise a centralized system of authority, in the administration of the law and the working of the General Administration Department, all of which still set them [Chin State government] detached from the Chin public. The fact that permission was denied to hold a Chin conference organized to take place in Mindat is an instance.
Pastor D. Van Noi Ding
Matupi Township
It is not possible to fix in 100 days a system that had deteriorated for over 50 years. But what has been achieved in accordance with the plans is that they travelled across the State, and introduced themselves to the people. For the time being, this is so far what they have done, in my view. In the rainy season, there will be plenty of damage. So, the government should focus on developing towns and villages, constructing better drainage ditches and especially for Matupi, building a town market in a sytematic way. In brief, we have not seen any major work done by the current government yet. The people will be happy if they can take action practically rather than theoretically when getting a single or a few things, if not many, done.
Salai Isaac Khen
Minister for Municipal Affairs, Electricity and Industry
Chin State government
Within 100 days, the new government of Chin State managed to go to all the towns and townships and met with the people. We travelled to 13 out of 15 towns – Tonzang, Tedim, Khaikam, Falam, Rihkhuadar, Hakha, Thantlang, Matupi, Rezua, Lailenpi, Paletwa, Mindat and Kanpetlet. A planned trip to Sami was unexpectedly changed as the road was destroyed by heavy rains. And a trip to Cikha was not possible because the bridge was destroyed. What we have to do now is to analyse in collaboration with relevant departments issues raised to us during our trips by the people, to take action on issues that can be done within this year and to put forward issues appropriate to be included in the coming fiscal year.
Note: The interviews were conducted in Burmese by the Chin World Media and translated into English by the Chinland Guardian.
