Myanmar RTD

The Myanmar Roundtable Discussion was hosted by the Tun Foundation Bank at The Chatrium Hotel in Yangon on 2 April 2010.

The discussants were U Thein Oo, president of Myanmar Computer Federation, Dr Myo Thant Tyn, president of Myanmar NGO Network, and U Tin Nyo, director general of Basic Education.

Comments from Discussants

The time has come for ASEAN to enhance the use of ICT and for a standardized ICT system to be introduced among ASEAN member countries. Steps should be taken to ensure the readiness of member countries to fulfil the necessary infrastructure requirements that would enable them to use ICT effectively. There was emphasis placed on the use of ICT to promote education by aiding teaching and learning.

Open Forum

Attention should be placed on the use of ICT as a tool to improve the ASEAN process and supplement the conventional modes of operation within ASEAN, such as face-to-face meetings, when possible. It was pointed out that ASEAN has not taken advantage of existing ICT tools, especially now when the cost of applications is not a major concern since these have become less expensive.

Government leaders in Myanmar should be urged to recognize the importance of ICT in fostering regional community building. This would lead to reconsidering the manner by which ICT is used at both state and grass roots levels. It was stressed that the government should learn that ICT diffusion results in democratization as it promotes free flow of information and is becoming increasingly important and powerful in sending messages to large numbers of people. However, participants did not see human capacity development as a problem since ICT has become relevant and, therefore, familiar among ASEAN youth.

Participants

1. Dr U Myint

2. U Aye Lwin

3. Daw Moe Marlar

4. U Than Lwin

5. U Paw Lwin Sein

6. U Tun Ohn

7. U Ohn Kyaw

8. Daw Sein Nwe Aye

9. U Thein Oo

10. U Tin Win Aung[…]