THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR

(Saturday, 24 January 1998)

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  1. Senior General Than Shwe receives Assistant UN Secretary-General
  2. Students must be nurtured for good citizenship for their role in discipline-flourishing democracy
  3. Boosting of commodity production and financial expenditure coordinated
  4. Farmers sell 589,535 baskets of paddy in Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Khayan and Thongwa townships
  5. Assistant UN S-G concludes visit
  6. Universities Central Council meets
  7. Minister at the Office of the Chairman of State Peace and Development Council receives Chairman of JETRO
  8. Minister for Science and Technology receives Daimaru officials
  9. Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel Charity Fun Fair commences
  10. American experts join fossilized remains exploration

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(1) Senior General Than Shwe receives Assistant UN Secretary-General

YANGON, 23 Jan - Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe received Assistant UN Secretary-General Mr Alvaro de Soto at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence at 9 am today.

Present together with the Senior General were Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council General Maung Aye, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Minister for Foreign Affairs U Ohn Gyaw and Director-General of Protocol Department Thura U Aung Htet.

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(2) Students must be nurtured for good citizenship for their role in discipline-flourishing democracy

YANGON, 23 Jan - Conclusion of Special Refresher Course No 30 for Basic Education Teachers was held at Central Institute of Civil Services this afternoon, with an address by Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.

Present also were Minister for Foreign Affairs U Ohn Gyaw, Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Tin Ngwe, Minister for Labour Vice-Admiral Tin Aye, Minister for Education U Than Aung, Minister for Health Maj-Gen Ket Sein, Minister for Hotels and Tourism Maj-Gen Saw Lwin, Minister for Religious Affairs Maj-Gen Sein Htwa, Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun, Minister for Immigration and Population U Saw Tun, Minister for Information Maj-Gen Kyi Aung, Minister for Sports Brig-Gen Sein Win, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein, Ministers at the Office of the Prime Minister U Than Shwe and Maj-Gen Tin Ngwe, Minister for Energy Brig-Gen Lun Thi, Chief Justice U Aung Toe, Attorney-General U Tha Tun, Chairman of Civil Services Selection and Training Board U Maung Maung Gyi, Acting Auditor-General Brig-Gen Tin Aye, senior Tatmadaw officers, deputy ministers, Director-General of the Office of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Pe Nyein, heads of departments, Rector of CICS U Tin Tun and trainees.

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(3) Boosting of commodity production and financial expenditure coordinated

YANGON, 2,3 Jan - A coordination meeting on boosting of commodity production and financial matters took place at the Ministry of Finance and Revenue this morning.

It was attended by Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha, Minister at the Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Maung Maung, Minister for Finance and Revenue U Khin Maung Thein, Minister for Cooperatives U Aung San, Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Brig-Gen Win Tin, Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister Brig-Gen Lun Maung, Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor U Ko Lay, Deputy Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Brig-Gen Zaw Tun, Deputy Minister for Finance and Revenue Brig-Gen Than Tun, Deputy Minister for Construction Brig-Gen Thura Aye Myint, advisers to the Office of the State Peace and Development Council, heads of departments under the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance and Revenue and guests.

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(4) Farmers sell 589,535 baskets of paddy in Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Khayan and Thongwa townships

YANGON, 23 Jan - Member of the State Peace and Development Council Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than inspected paddy purchase centres, summer paddy cultivation and beans and pulses plantations in Thanlyin and Thongwa townships, Yangon South District, today.

First, he inspected irrigated summer paddy plantations of farmers U Soe Nyunt and U Mya Aye at Sitpingwin Village in Thanlyin Township and gave instructions to officials.

Then, he observed collective paddy sale at the village, cordially met farmers who came there to sell paddy freely and inspected purchase of paddy.

Assistant Divisional Manager of Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading U Ba Than briefed him on purchase of paddy.

The commander gave instructions.

Farmers from Sitpingwin, Bayet, Thahtaykwin, Botthabye, Chaungkauk, Kayinseikkyi and Hsaylongyi villages sold 21,500 baskets of paddy at the purchase centre.

A total of 589,535 baskets of paddy have been purchased from farmers so far in Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Khayan and Thongwa townships.

Next, the commander inspected 100 acres of leguminous plant near Sethmuleya Model Thaiktukan Village, Thongwa Township. Leguminous plant has been cultivated on the land of 200,000 acres in Thongwa and Khayan townships.

The commander also observed collective paddy sales by farmers at Myoma and Padok Paddy Purchase Centres in Thongwa Township and cordially met the farmers who sold 7,100 baskets of paddy there.

He said the Government is purchasing paddy at prevailing prices to distribute it to service personnel at reasonable prices, meeting departmental officials, authorities of the townships and USDA members in the office of Thongwa Township Peace and Development Council.

He also helped them find solutions to difficulties encountered by executives of Thongwa Township USDA.

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(5) Assistant UN S-G concludes visit

YANGON, 23 Jan - Assistant UN Secretary-General Mr Alvaro de Soto left here by air this afternoon.

He was seen off at Yangon International Airport by Director-General of the International Organizations and Economic Department U Nyunt Maung Shein and officials.

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(6) Universities Central Council meets

YANGON, 23 Jan - The Universities Central Council held a meeting at the council hall this evening.

Present were Chairman of the Universities Central Council Minister for Education U Than Aung, Deputy Ministers for Education Dr Than Nyunt and Brig-Gen Soe Win Maung, Deputy Minister for Industry-1 Col Than Zin, Deputy Minister for Industry-2 U Thein Tun, Deputy Minister for Science and Technology U Hlaing Win and council members.

Minister U Than Aung delivered an address.

Then, council members discussed academic and administration matters.

The meeting came to an end with concluding remarks by the Minister.

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(7) Minister at the Office of the Chairman of State Peace and Development Council receives Chairman of JETRO

YANGON, 23 Jan - Minister at the Office of the Chairman of State Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Abel received Chairman Mr Toru Toyoshima and party of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) at his office at 11.30 am today.

Present were officials concerned of departments.

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(8) Minister for Science and Technology receives Daimaru officials

YANGON, 23 Jan - Minister for Science and Technology U Thaung received Director-General Mr T Sanagi and party of Tokyo Daimaru Office of Japan at his office at 8 am today.

Present also were Deputy Minister U Hlaing Win, Rector Dr Kyaw Thein of Institute of Computer Science and Technology (Yangon) and Deputy Director-General Dr Chan Nyein of Myanma Science and Technology Research Department.

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(9) Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel Charity Fun Fair commences

YANGON, 23 Jan - The opening ceremony of Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel Charity Fun Fair was held at the hotel this evening.

Present were Vice-Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Vice-Mayor Col Maung Pa, Executive Director of Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel and Zaygabar Co Ltd U Khin Shwe and members of the Board of Directors, officials and guests.

U Khin Shwe explained about the fun fair.

Col Maung Pa and U Khin Shwe formally opened the fun fair.

The fun fair includes Aurora, Emperor and Iron Cross bands, Tin Moe Lwin's Talent and Model Show, Hlaing Htaik Htar Khin's Nikko Fashion Show, DJ programme, lucky draws and games.

The fun fair continues tomorrow from 4 to 11 pm.

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(10) American experts join fossilized remains exploration

YANGON, 23 Jan - A fossilized remains exploration team of Pondaung region comprising geologists of the Ministry of Education led by the Office of the Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Defence together with Professor Dr Russell L Ciochon of Iowa University and Paleontologist Dr Patricia Holroyd of California University of the United States conducted fossilized remains exploration in Pondaung region.

The team camped at Bahin and Magyikan Villages, Myine Township and Wetkya, Lekan and Moegaung Villages, Pale Township, and conducted fossilized remain exploration and research in the surrounding areas.

The team discovered fragments of such animals as turtle, crocodile, rhinoceros and pig in Pondaung stone layers, and put on record fossilized remains of leaves near Bahin Village.

The fossilized remains found from Pondaung formation, about 34 to 50 million years old, are distinctive.

The period of fossilized remains of primate found in Pondaung region are earlier than that of remains of primate found in Asia and they are Amphipithecus primate's fossilized remains with important high characteristics.

The important find of the exploration team is fragments of fossilized remains of primate found at a hill about three miles to the west of Bahin Village on 26 December 1997.

Detail examination discloses that the fragments are left and right arms bones of a creature.

The discovered fossilized remains in the form of pieces are not full parts of an arm bone, and detail exploration was made again at the same place.

American paleontologists said that the discovery of the arm bone of primate is the first in Asia.

A molar of primate was discovered again within the area of Kyitchaung about six furlongs to the west of Paukkhaung Village to the north of Bahin Village.

The places of the latest finds are not far from the places where Amphipithecus Bahinensis were found by the previous fossilized remains exploration team.

This fact is helpful to remark that Amphipithecus primates in groups inhabited this region.

The fossilized remains exploration team, while in Mandalay on 8 January 1998, observed the fossilized remains discovered by geologists of Mandalay University, and had discussions with them at the university.

Present were Col Than Tun of the fossilized remains exploration team, Dr Tin Thein, Dr Aye Ko Aung and Rector of Mandalay University Dr Thein Myint, Pro-Rector Dr Myint Thein, Retired Associate Professor U Ba Maw and faculty members of Geology Department of Mandalay University and officials.

The exploration team arrived back in Yangon on 15 January and has been conducting research.

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