Civil society organizations (CSOs) based in Mon State announced on Monday the establishment of the Gulf of Martaban Development Consortium (GMDC), a group aiming to support coastal residents living along the Salween River where it meets the Gulf of Martaban in the Andaman Sea.
copy of GMDC statement announcing the group’s formation (Photo: MNA)
The consortium, comprised of 10 CSOs and a 5-member board, plans to implement sustainable community development projects and activities that promote justice, human rights and peace in the region, according to the statement.
“Organizations working towards community development operate separately in this region. Now that this consortium has been founded, they are a unified force. We will not only include these 10 member organizations but welcome others to join,” said Nai Kong Lawi, a spokesperson for the GMDC.
Nai Kong Lawi added that the group would also initiate capacity building projects for young people and environmental preservation initiatives due to significant damage to the local ecology.
GMDC members currently include the Nai Shwe Kyin Foundation, Mon Women’s Organization (MWO), Mon Youth Educator Organization (MYEO), Cetana Development Foundation, Mon Social and Development Network (MSDN), and Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM).
“Our consortium is not founded on a specific ethnicity but focuses on the Gulf of Martaban region. At the moment, Mon people are leading the consortium but in the near future, we will cooperate with other [ethnic] nationalities living in the area,” said the spokesman.
