(1) Senior General Than Shwe sends felicitations to Syrian Arab Republic
YANGON, 17 Apr - Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to His Excellency Mr Hafez Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic, on the occasion of the National Day of the Syrian Arab Republic which, falls on 17 April 1998.
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(2) Mone Creek Multi-purpose Dam Project and Anawrahta Bridge Project (Chauk) implementation gaining momentum
YANGON, 16 Apr - Chairman of. the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe inspected Mone Creek Multi-purpose Dam Project in Sedoktara Township and Anawrahta Bridge Project (Chauk) in Chauk Township yesterday.
Accompanied by Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo and his entourage, the Senior General helicoptered from Bagan-NyaungU to Sedoktara at 7.30 am yesterday.
On arrival at Sedoktara, they were welcomed by Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Ohn Myint and officials.
Mone Creek Multi-purpose Dam
They inspected building of a concrete retaining wall, preparations to lay concrete on upper interior surface of the diversion tunnel at inlet and outlet portals at Mone Creek Multi-purpose Dam Project.
At the project hall, they heard a report on progress in implementing the project presented by Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-Gen Nyunt Tin and developments in damming and tunneling by Director U Myint Than of Irrigation Department, arrangements to generate hydel power by Project Engineer U Mya Than of Myanma Electric Power Enterprise and supplementary facts by Deputy Minister U Ohn Myint.
Senior General Than Shwe gave suggestions and presented fruit baskets to Japanese technicians of the project and gifts to Myanmar staff.
When completed the project will irrigate up to 108,000 acres to cultivate 170,000 acres of crops and will generate 380 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
Anawrahta Bridge Project
In Chauk, they inspected Anawrahta Bridge Project (Chauk).
Minister for Construction Maj-Gen Saw Tun briefed them on functions of the project and Superintending Engineer U Soe Han on developments.
Senior General Than Shwe urged them to strive for its early completion.
The bridge, 4,191 feet long, spanning Ayeyawady River, will link Chauk on the eastern bank and Seikpyu Township on the western bank.
Building of No 1 approach structure on Chauk bank, No 2 approach structure on Seikpyu bank, Nos 1 and 2 piers of the main bridge and columns of approach structures have been completed at present.
Efforts are being made to complete it in the early 1999.
At 11.30 am, the Senior General and party helicoptered back to Bagan-NyaungU.
Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Tin Oo visited NyaungU Township People's Hospital.
Head of Mandalay Division health Department U Tin Hlaing and Medical Superintendent Dr Hsan Htut explained to him on points of the hospital.
The Secretary-2 attended to the needs including building of staff quarters and repair of physicians' residences.
At Basic Education Primary School No 3, the Secretary-2 and party looked into the requirements of headmaster U Than Swe and officials in extending school buildings.
They also inspected NyaungU Township BEHS and sought means for its improvement and betterment of staff.
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(3) Restoration of National solidarity, gradual diminishing of suspicions and cessation of armed opposition being witnessed
YANGON, 16 Apr - Two three-storey buildings for Tiger Parahita School of the Department for Development of Border Areas and National Races were inaugurated at 7.30 am today in the compound of the school in Hline Township and Chairman of the Work Committee for Development of Border Areas and National Races Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt delivered an address.
Also present were Minister for Industry-2 Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe, Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs Col Thein Nyunt, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Brig-Gen Pyi Sone, Minister for Health Maj-Gen Ket Sein, officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, heads of department, officials of the Ministry of PBANRDA, members of District and Township Peace and Development Council, those of the School Supervisory Committee, those of the Union Solidarity and Development Association and Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, the visiting Chin, Naga, Kayah and Rakhine (Mro and Khami) national races study groups, the school head, staff' and students of the school.
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(4) FAO Regional Conference to be in Yangon
YANGON, 16 Apr - The 24th Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific will be held at the Sedona Hotel here on coming Monday, 20 April. The regional conference will focus on the follow-up to the World Food Summit (Rome, 1996) and the state of the fisheries sector in the Asia Pacific region.
The conference will begin with senior officers segment lasting three days. This will be followed by the ministerial-level plenary meeting on Thursday and Friday, 23 and 24 April.
Twenty-six countries have already confirmed their participation in the regional conference with 122 registered delegates. They include one Prime Minister, 17 Ministers, nine Vice- or Deputy Ministers. Moreover, 41 observers representing three inter-governmental organizations, 11 non-governmental organizations, six UN agencies and 16 media organizations will also attend.
Director-General of FAO Dr Jacques Diouf will give a news briefing on the regional conference at the Sedona Hotel at 5 pm on 23 April.
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(5) Myanmar delegation leaves for Bangladesh
YANGON, 16 Apr - At the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Mr Abdus Samad Azad, a Myanmar goodwill delegation led by Minister for Foreign Affairs U Ohn Gyaw left here by air for the People's Republic of Bangladesh this morning.
The delegation was seen off at Yangon International Airport by Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Brig-Gen Pyi Sone, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyunt Swe Ambassador of the peoples Republic of Bangladesh Mr Jahangir Saadat, Director-General Thura U Aung Htet of Protocol Department and officials.
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(6) Yangon Mayor's Maha Thingyan Pandal holds prize presentation ceremony
YANGON, 16 Apr - The prize presentation ceremony of 1359 ME Yangon Mayor's Maha Thingyan Pandal was held at the venue at 7 pm today, attended by Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor U Ko Lay, Deputy Minister for Labour U Kyaw Aye, Vice-Mayor Col Maung Pa, Secretary of YCDC Col Myint Aung, commander of No 4 Military Region Commandant of Defence Services Records Office Col Myo Myint, Joint-Secretary of YCDC U Kyi Win and members, heads of departments, families and guests.
Mayor U Ko Lay presented K 100,000 for first prize to Thiha Yarza decorated float of Engineering Department (Buildings), K 75,000 for second to Yaynan Thuzar decorated float of Engineering Department (Water and Sewerage), K 50,000 for third to Myodaw Ahlahsin PanU Yin decorated float of Parks and Playgrounds Department and K 50,000 for special prize to Kkitthit Yoakgasoe decorated float of Revenue Department.
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(7) Culture Minister looks into restoration of monuments
YANGON, 16 Apr - Minister for Culture U Win Sein inspected Sale Yoksone Kyaungdawgyi, Mam payagyi (a) Yun Payagyi image and Layhtataik Kyaung in Sale, Chauk Township, Magway Division, yesterday.
Accompanied by Director-General U Nyunt Han of Archaeology Department, Director-General U Tin Htoo of Fine Arts Department and officials, the minister visited Sale Yoksone Kyaungdawgyi.
Director U Aung Kyaing of Bagan Branch of Archaeology Department said the monastery was built in 1244 ME, explaining the relief paintings at its veranda like platform featuring ancient Buddhist dramas such as Vidura and Ommadanti and sculptures of religious symbols.
The monastery houses wooden sculptures of the 13th Century Bagan era, a wooden Nagayon Buddha image, a Mam Buddha image decorated royal backdrop and artifacts of 15th Century, 18th Century and 19th Century Yadanabon era.
U Aung Kyaing explained to them on palm leaf compilations of Sale Sayagyi U Ponnya and Sayadaw U Laba which were kept at the monastery.
U Win Sein suggested means to conserve the treatises and to publish them and to take fire preventive measures at the monastery.
The minister and party paid obeisance to Mam Buddha image.
According to U Aung Kyaing, the architectural design of the image featuring Buddha in a sitting posture is of the 13th Century Bagan era, much similar to those of nearby Bagan period images.
The image, 18 feet high, is the tallest in such kind of images in Myanmar.
The minister discussed with officials on conservation of the image and fire prevention.
The minister and party attended to the needs in restoring Laythataik Kyaung and ancient artifacts.