(1) Tenth anniversary of restoration of peace to Wa region marked in gala ceremony
YANGON, 27 Apr - Chairman of the Work Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt left for Kengtung, Shan State, by Tatmadaw aircraft on 25 April afternoon.
After assuming the state duties during the 1988 disturbances, the Tatmadaw has been striving relentlessly to achieve peace, prosperity and development throughout the country, including the border areas. In so doing, the Tatmadaw has gone out of its way to dispel suspicions and grudges among the national brethren, and has done its utmost, as a national task, to achieve peace with the armed groups of national races and to reconsolidate the national solidarity.
After successfully conducting peace negotiations by overcoming various difficulties, all armed groups operating in areas east of the Thanlwin River in Kokang, the Wa, the Shan and the Akha Regions had wrested themselves free from the domination of the Burma Communist Party and returned to the legal fold one after another in 1989. As a result, we have witnessed the unprecedented peace and stability prevailing throughout the whole region east of the Thanlwin River.
Afterwards, Director Mr Iwakura Tomomitsu presented gifts to the Secretary-1 and U Pauk Yu Chan.
After the ceremony, damsels of nationalities sprinkled Atar Thingyan water on the Secretary-1 and party and guests.
A ceremony to present farming equipment and two motor vehicles in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the restoration of peace to Wa Special Region-2 of Shan State (North) was held in front of the city hall of Pangsan (Pangkhan).
The Secretary-1 handed over 20 power tillers, 1,080 bags of fertilizer, a fire engine, a garbage truck and related documents to U Pauk Yu Chan.
Then, a ceremony to inaugurate the city hall of Pangsan (Pangkhan) was held in front of the building.
The Secretary-1 and U Pauk Yu Chan formally inaugurated the city hall.
Afterwards, the Secretary-1 and party and guests inspected the city hall.
U Pauk Yu Chan hosted lunch in honour of the Secretary-l and party, ambassadors and guests at Mitzin Hotel in Pangsan (Pangkhan).
The Secretary-1 and U Pauk Yu Chan also opened distillery of Honpan Liquor Company Ltd.
The Secretary-1 and party inspected the distillery.
The Secretary-1 and party proceeded to Pangsan (Pangkhan) Youth Training School and inspected it.
Afterwards, they went to Sonphu Hydroelectric Power Station.
Then, a ceremony to commission Sonphu Hydroelectric Power Station into service was held.
The Secretary-1 and party and guests arrived back Kengtung in the evening. At 7.30 am, the Secretary-1 attended the ceremony to open Mongzin Livestock Breeding Farm of Honpan Livestock Breeding and Development Company Ltd of Wa nationalities.
Also present on the occasion were Commander Maj-Gen Thein Sein, ministers, deputy ministers, senior military officers, department heads, the director of Japan Liberal Democratic Party, ambassadors, personnel of local and foreign news agencies, Shan State, district, and township authorities, departmental personnel, Manager of Honpan Livestock Breeding and Development Company Ltd U Tarpha and officials, In-charge of Mongzin Livestock Breeding Farm U Lauk Win Chin and employees.
The Secretary-1 formally unveiled the sign-board of the farm, and Commander Maj-Gen Thein Sein and Manager U Tarpha formally opened the farm.
Afterwards, the Secretary-1 and party and guests inspected pig breeding at the farm.
In the briefing hall, U Lauk Win Chin explained matters related to the farm.
The Secretary-1 said the farm was part of the alternative development programme for elimination of opium, and it was also meant for the development of Wa nationalities and their region; the Government would provide assistance as much as possible and efforts were to be made for the success of the farm.
Commander Maj-Gen Thein Sein hosted a dinner in honour of the Secretary-1 and party, ambassadors and guests at Kengtung Hotel.
At the dinner, the traditional cultural troupes presented an entertainment programme.
The Secretary-1 and Ambassador of Laos PDR Mr Ly Bounkham presented gifts to members of the cultural troupes.
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(2) Secretary-1 coordinates plans for holding ceremony to consecrate meritorious deeds and share merits
YANGON, 27 Apr - A meeting was held at Ancient Museum Tazaung at Shwedagon Pagoda this evening to coordinate plans for holding the consecration ceremony and the ceremony to share merits for successful hoisting of the Shwehtidaw at the pagoda and Maha Pasana Cave respectively on 29 April 1999.
Patron of Committee for All-round Perpetual Renovation of the Shwedagon Pagoda Secretary-l of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt delivered an address.
He said the consecration ceremony will begin in the morning and conclude at noon at the pagoda. Duties have been assigned to Leading Committee for All-round Perpetual Renovation of the Shwedagon Pagoda to hold the consecration ceremony.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs will sponsor the ceremony to share merits for successful hoisting of the Shwehtidaw in Maha Pasana Cave in the afternoon.
Eighteen-hundred Sayadaws will attend the consecration ceremony at the pagoda and 5,000 Sayadaws will attend the ceremony to share merits for successful hoisting of the Shwehtidaw in Maha Pasana Cave.
He stressed the need to make systematic arrangements for successful holding of the grand religious ceremonies.
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(3) Diplomats, correspondents attend ceremony to mark restoration of Peace to Wa Special Region-2
YANGON, 27 Apr - Head of Department Col Kyaw Thein of Office of Strategic Studies of Ministry of Defence, ambassadors and local and foreign correspondents attended the ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of restoration of peace to Shan State (North) Special Region-2 Wa Region held in Pangsan northern Shan State, on 26 April, and the ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of restoration of peace to Shan State (East) Special Region-4 Mongla Region and the ceremony to mark the second anniversary of establishing Mongla opium-free region held in Mongla this morning.
They arrived in Kengtung on 25 April to attend the ceremonies.
Dean of Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic Mr Ly Bounkham, Ambassador of Singapore Brig-Gen Patrick Choy Choong Tow, Ambassador of Japan Kazuo Asakai, Ambassador of Thailand Mr Pensak Chalarak, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China Mr Liang Dong, Ambassador of Australian Ms Lyndall Alexandra Mclean, Patron of Foreign Correspondents Club of Myanmar U Sein Win, correspondent of Nihon Keizai Shimbun U Hla Htway and bureau chiefs of Asia Wall Street Journal, Television Crop of Singapore, Reuters and TV Asahi and correspondents attended the ceremonies.
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(4) Secretary-2 stresses need to boost production of crude oil, natural gas, fuel
YANGON, 27 Apr - A meeting was held at the Ministry of Energy today to assess the ministry's accomplishments in fiscal 1998-99 and to lay down plans for fiscal 1999-2000, with an address by Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo.
The Secretary-2 said it, is estimated that crude oil and natural gas production of the Ministry of Energy will rise 6.9 per cent when compared with that of 1997-98.
Petrol distribution in creased by 20 percent in 1998-99 and diesel distribution by 24 per cent in 1998-99, due to annual growth in consumption of both fuels. Efforts should be made to extend drilling of gas and oil to reduce fuel and crude oil import.
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(5) Ceremony held to enshrine relics and fix central pivot atop Dhamma Theikdi (Kalaingthw) Pagoda
YANGON, 27 Apr - A ceremony to enshrine relics in ancient Dhamma Theikdi (Kalainghtaw) Pagoda and to fix the central pivot atop the pagoda was held in Htaukkyant, Mingaladon Township, at noon today.
Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo attended the ceremony and offered relics and the central pivot to Sayadaws.
Also present on the occasion were deputy ministers, senior military officers, officials, well-wishers and guests.
Ovadacariya of the pagoda Hmawby Nan-U Kyaungtaik Sayadaw Bhaddanta Tikkhapandita administered the Five Precepts.
Then, members of the Sangha recited the parittas.
Director of Medical Services Brig-Gen Mya Thein Han supplicated on history of the pagoda and progress of renovation.
Afterwards, the Secretary-2 and members donated alms to the Sayadaws. Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Tin Oo and party offered the relics and central pivot to the Sayadaws.
Member of the Central Working Committee of the Sangha Hlegu Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita Sirindabhivamsa delivered a sermon, followed by sharing of merits.
The Secretary-2 and party and well-wishers then conveyed the relics and central pivot round the pagoda. Well-wishers donated jewellery.
Later, officials enshrined the relics in the reliquary of the pagoda and fixed the central pivot atop the pagoda.
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(6) Fulfilling bamboo requirement of paper mills discussed
YANGON, 27 Apr - Minister for Forestry U Aung Phone and Minister for Industry-l U Aung Thaung held discussions with officials at the Forest Department Head Office in Insein Township this evening.
They sought ways and means for fulfilling bamboo requirement of paper mills.
Minister U Aung Phone explained growing of bamboo in Ayeyawady Division and Rakhine State, supply of bamboo to paper mills and prospects of obtaining bamboo and Minister U Aung Thaung, requirement of bamboo for paper mills.
A general round of dissuasions then followed.
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(7) Minister meets Ambassador of Malaysia
YANGON, 27 Apr - Minister for Culture U Win Sein met Ambassador of Malaysia Dato Muhammad bin Noh who called at his office this morning. They discussed cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Also present at the call were Deputy Minister U Soe Nyunt, Director-General U Tin Htoo of Fine Arts Department, Director-General U Myint Thein Swe of Department of Cultural Institute, Director-General U Nyunt Han of Archaeology Department and officials.
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(8) Temporary closure of Shwedagon Pagoda
YANGON, 27 Apr - A ceremony to consecrate Shwehtidaw atop Shwedagon Pagoda and offering Shwekya Thingan to the pagoda will be held at the Shwedagon Pagoda on 29 April.
The pagoda will temporarily be closed because a special sanitation will be carried out on the platform of the pagoda beginning 6 pm on 28 April.
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(9) Olympic team, F&R to Play warm-up
YANGON, 27 Apr - Olympic team and Finance and Revenue Ministry team will play warm-up soccer match at Thuwunna Youth Training Centre Stadium at 4 pm on May.
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(10) 56 members resign from Pyapon Township NLD
YANGON, 27 Apr - Fifty-six memb