On 19th December, 2014, handover and opening ceremonies of Transit Shelter for Human Trafficking Victims in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State and San Kya Monastic school in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region took place in each township respectively.

In the ceremony of Transit Shelter for Human Trafficking Victims in Myawaddy, Mr. Akinori TAKASHIMA, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, Police Brigadier General Win Khaung (Central Body of Anti-Trafficking in Persons), committee chairman and committee members of the construction project and local residents attended. In the ceremony of San Kya Monastic School, Mr. Hideaki HIGASHI, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, U Myint Thin Aung, District Administrator, township officers, head monk, techers and students, committee chairman and committee members of the construction project and local residents attended.

The Japanese Government, under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) Scheme, has extended the assistances for the following projects:

1. The Project for Construction of Transit Shelter for Human Trafficking Victims in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State (US$115,839) and
2. The Project for Construction of San Kya Monastic Post Primary School in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region (US$115,586).

Myawaddy Township, a Myanmar-Thailand border town, is situated at the eastern part of Myanmar. Annually, Myawaddy Township Anti-Trafficking in Persons Task Force receive about 120 human-trafficking victims in Thailand who were handed over to Myanmar according to mutual relations between the two countries. Under such condition, the Japanese Government under its GGP scheme supported a two-storey RCC transit shelter building with full sets of furniture and lavatories. The shelter will be used to take care of Myanmar victims who were repatriated from Thailand.

San Kya monastic school is 5 miles away from Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region. Students from nearby 6 villages, orphanage children and novices are dependent on the school. Since there was no separate classroom for studying, students were studying in monastic buildings. The Japanese Government under its GGP scheme decided to support a two-storey RCC building with full sets of furniture and lavatories. It is expected that the project will benefit about 400 students of the school.

The Government of Japan has assisted 704 various grass-roots projects in Myanmar under this GGP scheme since 1993, the number consisting of 321 education projects, 179 healthcare projects, 136 public welfare and environment projects, 32 infrastructure projects and 36 other projects. It is anticipated that these assistances will further strengthen the existing friendly relations between Myanmar and Japan, which marks its 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.