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(1) General Maung Aye inspects reclamation of lands in Magway Division
YANGON, 15 Mar - 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, members of the State Peace and Development Council, the Ministers, Commander of No 88 LID Brig-Gen Aye Kyaw, Chairman of Magway Division Peace and Development Council Col Thein Zaw and officials, flew to Man Shwesettaw Pagoda in Minbu (Sagu) Township by helicopter yesterday morning.
The General and party were welcomed by Tactical Operations Commander of No 88 LID Col Sein Than, Chairman of Minbu District Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Tin Maung Win and officials.
General Maung Aye and party paid obeisance to upper footprints Man Shwesettaw Pagoda and offered Shwethingan. The General met with visitors at the pagoda. He then paid obeisance to lower footprint pagoda and donated cash.
General Maung Aye and party flew to Kyeekan region in Minbu Township where reclamation of vacant and fallow lands is being undertaken by Yuzana Co Ltd.
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(2) Teachers in border areas urged to inculcate Union spirit in pupils, strive for socio-economic uplift of nationalities
YANGON, 15 Mar - The opening ceremony of the Special Refresher Course No 1 for Primary Teachers in Border Areas was held at the Central Institute of Civil Service in Hlegu Township today, with an address by Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-l of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Minister for Commerce Maj-Gen Kyaw Than, Minister for Information Maj-Gen Kyi Aung, Minister for Hotels and Tourism Maj-Gen Saw Lwin, Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs Col Thein Nyunt, Minister for Transport Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe, Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Brig-Gen Win Tin, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein, Minister for Education U Than Aung, Minister for Sports Brig-Gen Sein Win, Minister for Labour Maj-Gen Tin Ngwe, Ministers at the Prime Minister's Office Brig-Gen Lun Maung, U Than Shwe and Lt-Gen Tin Ngwe, Chief Justice U Aung Toe, Attorney-General U Tha Tun, Chairman of Civil Service Selection and Training Board U Maung Maung Gyi, Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor U Ko Lay, deputy ministers, senior Tatmadaw officers, Director-General of the State Peace and Development Council Office Lt-Col Pe Nyein and officials, departmental heads, Rector of CICS U Tin Tun and trainee teachers.
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(3) Better quality jade to be sold at 36th Myanma Gems Emporium
YANGON, 15 Mar - Members of Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, Director (News) of News and Periodicals Enterprise U Hla Tun, Patron of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club U Sein Win and local and foreign newsmen visited the 36th Myanma Gems Emporium in the Myanma Gems Hall on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road this afternoon.
Chairman of Myanma Gems Emporium Central Committee Deputy Minister for Mines U Myint Thein, Secretary of the Committee Managing Director of Myanma Gems Enterprise U Khin Oo and members explained the sale of modern ornaments of Myanmar VES joint Venture Co Ltd; gems and finished jade, jewellery, jade figurines to be sold at fixed price of MGE; raw jade, jade lots and pearl lots to be sold through competitive bidding.
A press conference of the 36th Myanma Gems Emporium was held in Myanma Gems Hall.
Deputy Minister U Myint Thein and Deputy Minister Brig Gen Aung Thein extended greetings.
Managing Director U Khin Oo spoke on government's assistance to gems entrepreneurs by disbursing loans to them in advance, earning more foreign exchange and increased number of raw jade with fine quality at the emporium and hope for high earnings.
At this emporium, 1,090 lots of jade will be sold for the basic price of US $ 11.5 million, 221 lots of gems for the basic price of over US $ 3.2 million, 121 lots of pearls for the basic price of US $ 1.3 million totaling 1,432 lots of jade, gems and pearls for the basic price of over US $ 16.1 million.
A total of 158 lots of gems will be sold at the fixed prices in US $ over 90,000 2,539 items of jewellery for over US $ 1.1 million, 4,623 jade figurines for over US $ 170,000.
Then, Chairman of the Central Committee Deputy Minister U Myint Thein and Secretary of the Central Committee Managing Director U Khin Oo replied to queries raised by local and foreign correspondents.
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(4) Members of Thazi Township NLD resign
YANGON, 15 Mar - Members of National League for Democracy of Thazi Township, Mandalay Division, resigned at Buyon Village, in the township, as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.
A total of 687 members of Buyon Village-tract NLD, Thazi Township, Mandalay Division, on their own volition, resigned by collectively sending their resignations to Buyon Village-tract on 9-3-99 and on behalf of those resigned, U Sein Tin Win and ex-township executive U Tin Win explained the purpose of resignation, and the resignations were presented to Chairman U Maung Maung of Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Sub-Commission by U Sein Myint as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.
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YANGON, 15 Mar - The Computer Quiz in commemoration of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day continued at the booth of Twelve Objectives in Defence Services Museum this morning.
Secretary of Twelve Objectives Booth Display Work Committee Lt-Col Win Maung explained the points about quiz and Assistant Lecturer U Khin Maung Win of Applied Technology Department of Institute of Computer Science and Technology rules and disciplines.
Altogether 750 members of 30 Township Union Solidarity and Development Associations in Yangon Division are taking part in the quiz. Members of Botahtaung, Mingaladon and Mingala Taungnyunt Township USDAs today participated in the quiz.
The quiz will continue till 23 March.
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(6) Myanmar delegation leaves for Thailand
YANGON, 15 Mar - A 30-member Myanmar delegation led by Commander of Triangle Region Command Maj-Gen Thein Sein, comprising Commander of Coastal Region Command Maj-Gen Thura Thiha Thura Sit Maung and Commander of South-East Command Maj-Gen Myint Aung, left here by special Tatmadaw aircraft this morning to attend the Seventeenth Meeting of the Myanmar-Thailand Regional Border Committee to be held in Phuket, Thailand.
The delegation was seen off at Yangon International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Military Affairs Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Tin Hla, Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than, Military Appointments-General Maj-Gen Tin Ngwe, Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj-Gen Win Myint, senior military officers, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and families.
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(7) Grassroots Grant Assistance from Japan
YANGON, 15 Mar - Under the Grassroots Grant Assistance Scheme of Japanese Government, a contract signing ceremony to- build seven basic education primary schools in Yangon Division was held at Botahtaung Basic Education High School No 6 at 4.30 pm today.
Present on the occasion were Minister for Education U Than Aung, Deputy Minister Dr Than Nyunt and Ambassador of Japan Mr Kazuo Asakai and officials. Minister for Education U Than Aung and Ambassador of Japan Mr Kazuo Asakai made speeches.
Afterwards, Ambassador of Japan Mr Kazuo Asakai and principals of BEPS No 6 of Dagon Myothit (South) Township, BEPS of Thongwa Village, BEPS No 30 of Dagon Myothit (North) Township, BEPS No 14 and No 36 of Shwepyitha Township, BEPS No 21 and No 40 of Hlaing Thayar Township signed the contract.
The Minister for Education and the Japanese Ambassador exchanged gifts.
A primary school is worth US$ 37,900 and seven schools are worth US$ 265,300.
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(8) Minister inspects mills, warehouses in Ayeyawady Division
YANGON, 15 Mar - Minister for Commerce Maj-Gen Kyaw Than, accompanied by Managing Director of Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading U Saw Aung, General Managers and officials, arrived in Kyaunggon Township on 13 March.
Division Manager of MAPT U Maung Maung Kyi reported on purchase, storage and milling of paddy. The Minister then fulfilled the requirements.
The minister Inspected rice mill in Einme Township and discussed purchase of paddy and storage.
The minister inspected construction of 250-ton rice mill in Myaungmya and met Ayeyawady Division Managers, Division Assistant Managers, Factory Managers and officials in Jute mill.
On 14 March, the minister inspected No 10 purchase centre and warehouses in Kyonpyaw and rice mill in Danubyu Township.
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(9) Buddhist Culture Courses to be conducted
YANGON, 15 Mar - The Basic Buddhist Culture Course for primary school students and Advanced Buddhist Culture Course for middle and high school students, sponsored by Ministry of Religious Affairs, will be conducted at the Library and Pitakattaik Training Hall, north of Maha Pasana Cave, from 8 am to 10 am daily beginning 18 March except Saturdays and Sundays.
Those wishing to attend the courses may enlist at Room 9 of Pobbavideha Kyaunghsaung at Kaba Aye Hill.
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(10) Diplomats preview Gems Emporium
YANGON, 15 Mar - The ambassadors, military attaches and diplomatic corps of the foreign embassies and officials of UN agencies previewed display of the 36th Myanma Gems Emporium, organized by Central Committee for 36th Myanma Gems Emporium, at Myanma Gems Emporium Hall on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road from 9 am to 12 am today.
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(11) Minister for Energy inspects oil-fields
YANGON, 15 Mar - Minister for Energy Brig-Gen Lun Thi, accompanied by officials concerned, arrived at Lanywa oil-field on 12 March and inspected the conditions of the wells and retaining walls and gave necessary instructions.
The minister and party proceeded to No 2 Fertilizer Plant (Kyunchaung) and inspected production, storage, weighing and distribution of the fertilizer.
The minister then inspected laying of pipes for No 38 Test Well to be drilled and other test-wells at Kyaukhkwet-Letpanto natural gas field.
The minister and party arrived at the site chosen for Ngahlaing Test Well in Salin Township on 13 March and inspected geological and geophysical survey of the area of the test well and laid down the project.
On 14 March, the minister went on to Mann oil-field and inspected test wells No 647 and 648.
In the Minbu Liquified Gas Plant, the minister inspected functions of computers and gave instructions on Y2K.
The minister inspected Natural Gas Sales Centre of Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise in Yenangyaung.
In No-1 Fertilizer Plant (Salay), the minister inspected production, storage
and distribution of the fertilizer and arrived back in Yangon the same day.