THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR

(Saturday, 7 February 1998)

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  1. Yan Aung, Kyaw Ye Aung win Best Actor Award, May Than Nu, Htet Htet Moe Oo win Best Actress Award for 1996
  2. Seminar on Engineering Approach to Preservation of Environment begins
  3. Taninthayi Division, Rakhine State cultural troupes arrive
  4. Berger paints to be produced in Yangon for local market, export
  5. Coord meeting for holding Thuwunna MyoU Pagoda Buddha Pujaniya
  6. Collective paddy sale in Paung
  7. Over 40,000 baskets of paddy purchased in Sittway
  8. Ministers inspect MHI factories
  9. Director of Chiyoda Corporation of Japan calls on Minister for Mines

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(1) Yan Aung, Kyaw Ye Aung win Best Actor Award, May Than Nu, Htet Htet Moe Oo win Best Actress Award for 1996

YANGON, 6 Feb - Myanma Motion Picture Awards for 1996 were presented to outstanding film artistes at National Indoor Stadium 1 in Thuwunna this evening.

The academy award presenting ceremony sponsored by the Ministry of Information was attended by Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and wife, the wife of Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Secretary-3 Lt-Gen Win Myint and wife, Member Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than, ministers and their wives, the, Chief Justice, the Chairman of Civil Service Selection and Training Board, deputy ministers and their wives, senior officers of Ministry of Defence, the chairman and members of Assessment Board for Raising the Standard of Myanmar Motion Pictures, members of Motion Picture Censor Board and Video Censor Board, directors-general, managing directors, the chairman and executives of Myanmar Motion Picture Asiayon, Chairman and executives of Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association, chairmen and executives of Myanmar Thabin Asiayon, Myanmar Music Asiayon and Myanmar Artists and Artisans Asiayon, award-winning film artistes from 1952 to 1995, actors, actresses, technicians and producers of 25 films screened in 1996, guests and film fans.

Before the ceremony, artistes of Myanmar Motion Picture, Music and Thabin Asiayons entertained the audience with songs accompanied by the Radio Myanmar modern music troupe.

Afterwards, Minister for Information Maj-Gen Kyi Aung delivered an address. (Reported separately)

The Best Cameraman Award went to Chit Min Lu (posthumous) for the film "Chit Yee Zar".

Veteran Daw Myint Myint Khin won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in the film "Myintmoh Toungmaka Kyuthar".

The Best Supporting Actor Award went to Zaw Lin (posthumous) for his role in the film "Panthakhin". He also won a similar award for 1995.

U Kyee Myint won the Best Director Award for the film "Panthakhin".

Htet Htet Moe Oo won the Best Actress Award in "Panthakhin" which won the Best Film Award for 1996.

Another Best Actress Award for 1996 went to film star May Than Nu for her role in the film "Alinphyawt Kaungkin".

Best Actor Award for 1996 went to Kyaw Ye Aung who starred in "Tharthami Zani Kyinya" and Yan Aung who starred in "Alinphyawt Kaungkin". Yan Aung won a similar award for 1995.

After screening of some cuts of the films that helped artistes to win the awards, Minister Maj-Gen Kyi Aung presented golden statues to the winners.

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(2) Seminar on Engineering Approach to Preservation of Environment begins

YANGON, 6 Feb - Seminar on Engineering Approach to Preservation of Environment organized by National Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) of Myanmar in cooperation with Ebara Hatakeyama Memorial Fund of Japan was held at Sedona Hotel this morning.

Chairman of NCEA Minister for Foreign Affairs U Ohn Gyaw delivered the opening address.

He said:

On behalf of the National Commission for Environmental Affairs I extend to you my warm greetings. It is indeed our great pleasure to host this seminar with the cooperation of the Ebara Hatakayama Memorial Fund and the kind support of Marubeni Corporation in Yangon.

One of the objectives of the NCEA is to promote public environmental awareness in the country. It is our belief that with active public participation, environmental protection and conservation activities will be more effective.

To gain public interest and involvement, it is necessary to make people aware of environmental issues and their impacts. Environmental education and awareness can be promoted through formal and informal education programmes.

Informal education is an effective approach for enhancing environmental awareness of the general public. Informal education programmes such as public talks, lectures, seminars and workshops play an important role for educating the public.

The NCEA, since its establishment in 1990 has been taking every opportunity to promote public environmental awareness by convening environmental conferences, seminars, workshops and training programmes in cooperation with Government ministers as well as UN agencies and NGOs. As a result, environmental awareness has risen dramatically in the country in recent years. Environment concerns every individual. Each and every person has a responsibility to safeguard the environment. It is therefore crucial that people from all walks of life, such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, business groups and local communities be given environmental education.

The present seminar aims to provide environmental education from the engineering aspect especially in the areas of waste management.

All relevant departments have been invited to participate in the seminar.

Our world at present is besieged with numerous problems resulting from the insatiable demand for goods and services. Wasteful consumption and production patterns in the developed countries have generated wastes in enormous proportion causing great damage to the world environment. At the same time, poverty and population pressures in a large number of developing countries are endangering the Earth's rich biological species and resources.

The process of economic development, industrialization and urbanization brings with it many challenges.

One of them is the problem of solid waste management. As nations become more industrialized, more urbanized, the solid waste they produced increased drastically. To tackle the issue both resources and technology would be needed.

In Myanmar industrialization is still at a relatively low level. Out of the total population of 46 million 25% live in urban areas. Because of this, solid waste management has not yet posed a serious problem. Despite a number of measures taken by the- urban and regional planners, such as establishment of suburban areas in major cities, urbanization is expected to grow at a rapid rate over the next few years. Therefore this seminar, by underscoring the Japanese experience, would be of great interest to Myanmar.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all the resource persons from Japan who have given time and efforts to come to Yangon to share their knowledge and expertise Sharing of information and knowledge is an important aspect of the transfer of technology. The Agenda 21 adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992 specifically calls for the transfer of technology from the developed to the developing countries for protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development. I wish to express my deep appreciation to the Japanese organizers of this seminar for their efforts in transferring environmentally sound technology.

In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere hope that our relation with Ebara Hatakeyama Memorial Fund does not end here but will continue in the future. I now declare the seminar open and wish the seminar, the resource persons and participants every success.

Thank you.

Ambassador of Japan Mr Yoichi Yamaguchi and Chairman of the Board of Ebara Corporation, Japan, Mr Hiroyuki Fujimura also spoke.

Minister at Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Abel, deputy ministers, departmental officials and representatives of Ebara Hatakeyama Memorial Fund, Hatakeyama Corporation and Marubeni Corporation of Yangon were also present.

The seminar was chaired by U Kyaw Tint Swe, Secretary of NCEA.

Four papers were presented in the morning session.

Mr Kyoji Kawaguchi, Chief Executive Officer of Ebara Memorial Fund presented a paper on "Orientation on the Ebara Memorial Fund", Daw Yin Yin Lay, Deputy Director of NCEA, on "Guidelines for Preservation of Environment in Myanmar", Mr Tsuneyuki Ueki, Manager of Cooperate Planning Office, on "Concepts on Zero Emission Initiative" and Ms Sumiyo Hirose, Manager of International Division, Environmental Engineering Group, on "Water Pollution and Counter Measures."

Another four papers were presented in the afternoon session.

Ms Sumiyo Hirose presented a paper on "Resource Recovery in Wastewater Treatment" and Mr Kyoji Kawaguchi on "Overview on Solid Waste Management".

A paper on "Optimization of Resource Recovery" was made by Mr Moriyi Kawata, General Manager of International Division, Environmental Engineering Group, and "Natural Energy Driven Purnp" by Mr Kyoji Kawaguchi.

A video presentation on the current situation of Ebara Corporation was also made.

The seminar ended with concluding remarks by the NCEA secretary.

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(3) Taninthayi Division, Rakhine State cultural troupes arrive

YANGON, 6 Feb - Cultural troupe members of Taninthayi Division and Rakhine State, who are delegates to the 51st Anniversary Union Day Flag Hoisting Ceremony and Union Day reception and dinner arrived here by air today. Led by U Ko Ko Gyi of Dawei Township Basic Education Department Office, the 30-member cultural troupe of Taninthayi Division arrived in the morning.

The 40-member Rakhine cultural troupe led by Secretary of Rakhine State Cultural Committee U Aung Kyaw Than also arrived in the afternoon.

They were welcomed at the airport by Chairman of Reception and Accommodation Subcommittee Commander of No 4 Military Region Commandant of Defence Services Records Office Col Myo Myint and members, Secretary of Mingaladon Township Peace and Development Council U Myo Nyunt, Secretary of Township Union Solidarity and Development Association U Soe Min and executives, members of USDA, Red Cross and Auxiliary Fire Brigade and dhobat and dance troupes.

They were accommodated at hostels of No I Transit Centre on Bayintnaung Road, Hline township.

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(4) Berger paints to be produced in Yangon for local market, export

YANGON, 6 Feb - A contract was signed between the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd and Berger International Limited of Singapore this evening to set up Berger Paints Manufacturing Limited in Yangon with a capital of K 50 million.

The newly formed joint-venture company will build a factory in Pyinmabin Industrial Zone to produce paints for local market and export, said Chairman Maj-Gen Than Oo of UMEHL.

Berger brand paints have been known in international markets since 1760, he noted.

The ceremony at Strand Hotel was also attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin and Lt-Gen Tin Tun, ministers, Attorney-General, Acting Auditor-General, members of Board of Directors of UMEHL, General Manager of Berger International Limited of Singapore Mr Christopher Khoo and members and guests.

Managing Director of UMEHL Brig-Gen Win Hlaing and General Manager Mr Christopher Khoo signed the contract and exchanged.

Minister at the Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Min Thein presented a permit of Myanmar Investment Commission to Mr Christopher Khoo who thanked the officials.

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(5) Coord meeting for holding Thuwunna MyoU Pagoda Buddha Pujaniya

YANGON, 6 Feb - The Ovadakatha was received from Ovadacariya Sayadaws of Thuwunna MyoU Pagoda at the coordination meeting held for holding fourth Buddha Pujaniya yesterday morning.

Ovadacariya Sayadaw of the pagoda Chairman of Township Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Bhaddanta Saketa administered the Five Precepts.

Township Peace and Development Council Chairman U Maung Maung Htay and Chairman of Board of Trustees Maj Hla (Retired) Shwe supplicated on the religious affairs.

The meeting approved holding of the Buddha Pujaniya from 5 to 9 March, offering of dry ration and holding of talks on Dhamma at night during the Pujaniya.

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(6) Collective paddy sale in Paung

YANGON, 6 Feb - Two hundred farmers from six villages in Paung Township, Thaton District, collectively sold 6,683 baskets of paddy at Zingyaik Purchase Centre on 3 February.

Loaded their paddy on 200 bullock-carts, farmers of Zingyaik, Katun, Tathmuhaung, Phalat, Pangon and Ottada villages in Zingyaik-village tract sold it on their own goodwill.

Chairman of Thaton District Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Kyaw Gyi and officials met the farmers and attended to their needs.

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(7) Over 40,000 baskets of paddy purchased in Sittway

YANGON, 6 Feb - Farmers from Thinbondan and Kyettawbyin village-tracts in Sittway Township collectively sold paddy at Yaychanbyin purchase depot on 31 January morning.

It was attended by Sittway District Peace and Development Council Chairman Lt-Col Kyaw Thein, Township Peace and Development Council Chairman U Hla Win and members, respective chairmen and members of Village-tract Peace and Development Councils welcomed farmers selling paddy at the depot and fulfilled the requirements.

The depot have purchased over 1,500 baskets of paddy on that day.

Sittway Township had purchased over 40,000 baskets of paddy up to 31 January.

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(8) Ministers inspect MHI factories

YANGON, 6 Feb - Minister for Industry-2 Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe and Minister for Sports Brig-Gen Sein Win, accompanied by departmental officials, inspected No 2 Equipment Factory of Myanma Heavy Industries this morning.

They inspected the imported sports training equipment and those manufactured by MHI.

Factory Manager U Hlaing Thein briefed them on innovations and production of the sports training equipment.

The ministers gave suggestions on better innovations and marketing of the sports equipment within the country.

They later inspected improvisation of Ayeyar-1 power-tillers into small scale fire-engines for the Fire Services Department.

Minister Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe also inspected No 1 Equipment Factory in Hline Township and No 1 Industry of MHI on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road in Mayangon Township.

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(9) Director of Chiyoda Corporation of Japan calls on Minister for Mines

YANGON, 6 Feb - Director Mr N Seki and party of Chiyoda Corporation of Japan called on Minister for Mines Brig-Gen Ohn Myint at his office at 10 am to day.

Present were officials of the ministry.

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