Ethnic ministry 'vital' for peace

Myanmar's new president-elect told lawmakers yesterday that plans to create a new ethnic affairs ministry were "vital" as he put efforts to heal relations with minorities at the heart of policy in a nation torn by civil wars and sectarian conflict.

"A ministry of ethnic affairs is of vital importance for the future of the union (Myanmar), which needs peace, development and sustainability," Htin Kyaw told lawmakers in his first address since being elected the first civilian leader in decades.

His comments came as part of a wider speech explaining his government's plan to streamline the country's bloated bureaucracy, trimming the number of ministries from 36 to 21.

Some 240,000 people are displaced due to unrest and communal conflict in Myanmar, mostly in northern Kachin state where fighting between the army and rebels is ongoing, and in western Rakhine, where tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims remain trapped in camps following outbreaks of communal violence in 2012.

Htin Kyaw takes the mantle of leadership as Myanmar is in the midst of a dramatic transformation after years shackled by military rule.