THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
(Tuesday, 8 December 1998)
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  1. General Maung Aye looks into roads and bridges construction and development in Rakhine State
  2. Secretary-l inspects preparations for maintenance of Htidaw of Shwedagon Pagoda
  3. Chairman of MIC meets Senior MD of Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co Ltd
  4. Myanmar-France Pondaung Fossils Expedition team meets Press to clarify discovery of Pondaung primate fossils
  5. Nyaungshwe Township NLD dissolved
  6. Counterfeit 500-baht notes seized in Tachilek
  7. Shwekyin Township NLD EC resigns
  8. Kay Thi Win bags silver in women's weight-lifting
  9. Video feature to hail Women's Conf on 8 Dec
  10. Minister receives German economic consultant
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(1) General Maung Aye looks into roads and bridges construction and development in Rakhine State

YANGON, 7 Dec - Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, accompanied by Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Secretary-3 Lt-Gen Win Myint, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Military Affairs Lt-Gen Tin Hla and Ministers, deputy ministers, senior military officers and officials left Coco-gyun of Yangon Division by helicopter yesterday for Hainggyi Island in Ngapudaw Township, Ayeyawady Division.

They were welcomed at Hainggyi Island by Commander of Pammawady Naval Region Command Commodore Myint Swe, Deputy Commander Cmdr Aye Pe and military officers, their families, departmental personnel , members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association and those of the Red Cross.

Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Tin Oo together with Secretary-3 Lt-Gen Win Myint, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha, Minister for Science and Technology U Thaung and officials visited the Hainggyi Village USDA Office and met USDA members there. USDA CEC members U Soe Tha and U Thaung also gave counsel to the USDA members.

At the Waterways Improvement Project Office later, Lt-Gen Tin Oo met the departmental personnel, teachers and local people.

He called for uplift of national prestige and Integrity and development of the village.

The Administrative Officer of the station and local people reported to the Secretary-2 the requirements for the development of the village, electricity supply and appointment of teachers to fill the vacant posts of the village high school. The Secretary-2 fulfilled the requirements.

The Secretary-2 and party then inspected development of the Hainggyi Village, the village high school, the office of Red Cross Brigade, Fire Service Department branch and the power generator.

The Secretary-2 and party then went to Saddhamma Jotikayon Kyaungtaik where they paid obeisance to Sayadaws headed by Bhaddanta Vilasa and offered alms to them. They also donated cash towards the funds for the final rites of Venerable Sayadaw Bhaddanta Tejinda Maha Thera.

Meanwhile, Minister for Transport Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe inspected waterways improvement projects of the Hainggyi Island and the dykes of Hainggyi Creek.

At 10 am, General Maung Aye and party visited the Mawtinzun Pagoda on the Hainggyi Island.

General Maung Aye inspected the pagoda precincts and gave counsel to responsible personnel on the repair and maintenance work to be carried out.

At 10.45 am, the General and party flew on to Pathein where they were welcomed by Deputy Commander of South-West Command Col Tint Swe, divisional department officials and divisional USDA executives.

In the Ayeyawady Hall of the South-West Command, General Maung Aye and party met senior military officers, members of the division  Peace and Development Council, division and district departmental officials, Township Peace and Development Council Chairmen and entrepreneurs at work in the wetlands.

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(2) Secretary-l inspects preparations for maintenance of Htidaw of Shwedagon Pagoda

YANGON, 7 Dec - Patron of Shwedagon Pagoda General Renovation Committee Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, arrived at the southern stairway of the pagoda this morning.

The Secretary-1 was welcomed by Minister for Religious Affairs Maj-Gen Sein Htwa, Chairman of Work Committee for Renovation of Shwedagon Pagoda Deputy Commander of Yangon Command Col Hsan Hsint and members of the Board of Trustees

The Secretary-1 paid obeisance to the pagoda and inspected preparations for maintenance of the pagoda at Sasana Waipolla Buddha Weyawutsa Association Dhammayon on Road Transport.

Next, the Secretary-1 and Myanmar engineers ascended the pagoda and checked the Htidaw.

The Secretary-1 inspected preparations for maintenance of the Htidaw and officials reported on work to be done for its durability with the use of modern techniques and equipment based on findings of the present condition of the Htidaw. Chairman of Work Committee Col Hsan Hsint and Myanmar technicians reported on arrangements for gilding the pagoda and 68 encircling small zedis, tasks to be done for maintenance of the pagoda, model of Htidaw, computer designs and model of the seventh tier of the Htidaw.

The Secretary-1 then gave instructions.

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(3) Chairman of MIC meets Senior MD of Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co Ltd

YANGON, 7 Dec - Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin met Senior Managing Director Mr Mizuto Shiozawa of the Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co Ltd of Japan and party who called at his office this afternoon.

Also present at the call were Minister at the Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Secretary of MIC Brig-Gen Maung Maung and officials of the Office of the Myanmar Investment Commission and Myanmar Insurance Enterprise.

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(4) Myanmar-France Pondaung Fossils Expedition team meets Press to clarify discovery of Pondaung primate fossils

YANGON, 7 Dec - The Myanmar-France Pondaung Fossils Expedition team that included paleontologists from Montpellier University of France met the Press at the Defence Services Guest House on Inya Road this morning with the sponsorship of the Office of Strategic Studies to give clarifications on the Pondaung primate fossils which have been found recently.

Present on the occasion were Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, Deputy Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence Brig-Gen Kyaw Win, Head of Department Col Than Tun, Man aging Director of News and Periodicals Enterprise, journalists and guests.

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(5) Nyaungshwe Township NLD dissolved

YANGON, 5 Dec - All the Executive Committee members of Nyaungshwe Township National League for Democracy, Shan State, tendered their resignations and dissolved the Township NLD on their own volition on 2 December 1998.

Nyaungshwe Township NLD was first formed on 4 December 1988 with 25 EC members but the number was reduced considerably due to various reasons. Out of 25 ISC members, 11 were left. The remaining EC members of the Township NLD resigned from the party membership on their own volition since they no longer wished to continue to take part in NLD's political activities. They notified it to the office of Nyaungshwe Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission and the chairman of the party concerned. On 2 December, personnel of the township NLD dissolved it by handing over the signboard, seals and documents to the Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission.

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(6) Counterfeit 500-baht notes seized in Tachilek

YANGON, 7 Dec - Counterfeit 500-baht notes circulating in the illegal trade at the border were seized in Tachilek on 1 and 2 December 1998.

Acting on information that counterfeit 500-baht notes were at the house of Law Nawng in Wamkong Ward in Tachilek a combined team of the police of Tachilek District and intelligence unit personnel searched the house of Law Nawng on 1 December and seized 500 counterfeit 500-baht notes.

The case was that Kya Fei (a) Kya Fa of Maka Okham Ward in Tachilek visited Ai Pat of Kwe Khaik Ward in Mae Sai, Thailand, on 22 November when the latter gave the former 500,000 baht in counterfeit 500-baht notes to buy draft cattle in Laos. Kya Fei entrusted the counterfeit notes to his sister in-law in Mae Sai before returning to Tachilek. On 25 to the sister-'in-law in Mae Sai to bring the counterfeit 500-baht notes to him. He asked his brother-in-law to send 400 counterfeit 500-baht notes to him and keep the rest.

On 25 November evening, Kya Fei gave 400 counterfeit 500-baht notes to Lu Ta of Yanshin Village in Tachilek Township telling him that the latter would get his share and asked him to buy the draft cattle from the hill villages. Lu Ta again entrusted Paytalu of Phe Phonlon Village in Tachilek Township with the purchase of the draft cattle after giving him the counterfeit notes. When the combined team searched the house of Paytalu on 2 December, it found and seized 387 counterfeit 500 baht notes again. The team thus seized a total of 887 counterfeit notes.

Severe action will be taken against the culprits involved in the case of counterfeit 500-baht notes.

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(7) Shwekyin Township NLD EC resigns

YANGON, 5 Dec - All the 18 Executive Committee members including Vice-Chairman U Ba Khet of Shwekyin Township National League for Democracy, Bago Division, tendered their resignations and dissolved the Township NLD on their own volition on 19 November 1998.

The 18 EC members of the Township NLD resigned from the party membership on their own volition since they no longer wished to continue to take part in NLD's political activities. They notified it to the office of Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Commission and the chairman of the party concerned.

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(8) Kay Thi Win bags silver in women's weight-lifting

YANGON, 7 Dec - Kay Thi Win of Myanmar won silver in the 48-kilo division of Women's Weight-lifting Contest in the 13th Asian Games.

She was second with 182.5 kilos. The People's Republic of China won first with 187.5 kilos and Indonesia third with 180 kilos.

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(9) Video feature to hail Women's Conf on 8 Dec

YANGON, 7 Dec - Hailing the First Myanmar Women's Conference, a video feature, Ma-kyway-pan, will be telecast on TV Myanmar programme on 8 December.

The feature was written and directed by Yoe Yoe and its stars include Hein Htut, Cho Thin, Min Nyi, Thet Htet San, Wah Wah Aung, Ma Lay, May Nwe Soe and July Maung.

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(10) Minister receives German economic consultant

YANGON, 7 Dec - Minister at the Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Abel received economic consultant Mr Dipling Dieter Weinspach of Germany at his office today.

Also present at the call were officials of the National AFTA Unit.

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