THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
(  Sunday,   30  July 2000)

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  1. State Peace and Development Council Chairman Senior General Than Shwe sends felicitations to Vanuatu
  2. Secretary-1 meets traditional medicine practitioners
  3. Secretary-1 inspects construction of Drug Abuse Control Museum
  4. Secretary-l inspects preparations for conveying Lawka Chantha Abhava Labha Muni Image to Mindhamma Hillock
  5. MEC Chairman attends fourth graduation at Central Cooperative College
  6. Minister U Win Aung arrives back from 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
  7. Eighth Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Customs concludes successfully
  8. Joint Press Statement of the Eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs
  9. Over 25,000 local people flock to Magway Port to pay homage to Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image
  10. Donations for Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image  in Magway
  11. 28 Myinmu Township NLD members resign of own accord
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(1) State Peace and Development Council Chairman Senior General Than Shwe sends felicitations to Vanuatu

YANGON, 30 July-On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Vanuatu, which falls on 30 July 2000, 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 Father John Bani, President of the Republic of Vanuatu.

(2) Secretary-1 meets traditional medicine practitioners

YANGON, 29 July- Chairman of National Health Committee Secretary-l of the State Peace and  Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by officials of the Office of the State Peace and
Development Council, arrived at Traditional Medicine General Hospital on Ngahtatgyi Pagoda Road in Bahan Township this morning.

Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt met with traditional medicine practitioners at the meeting hall of the hospital and gave instructions.  Medical Superintendent Dr Thein Kyaw reported on strength of the staff, treatments given to out-patients and in patients and Minister Maj-Gen Ket Sein gave a supplementary report to Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.

The Secretary- I said that since the times of forefathers, traditional medicines have been practised extensively not only in rural areas but also in towns; Head of State Senior General Than Shwe has given guidance on extensive use of efficacious traditional medicines and systematization.

Budgets including foreign exchange have been allotted to make treatment of traditional medicine systematic, to conduct research  and to ensure extensive use of traditional medicines.  Traditional medicine practitioners are giving treatment with the use of correct remedies and efficacious traditional medicines.

Therefore, it is necessary to standardize and carry out research on the therapies and efficacious medicines which are being used by the traditional medicine. practitioners and to record findings.

It is also required d to hold the traditional medicine petitioners conference and the traditional medicine exhibition with the aim of getting the people acquainted with efficacy of traditional medicines and enabling them to use traditional medicines extensively; moreover, all need to see to it that the already  established herbal gardens are thriving. Measures are to be taken to provide treatment and health care for the people with the use of efficacious traditional medicines.

Then, Managing Director of Myanma Industrial Construction Services of the Ministry of Industry-2 U Ye Tun and Director-General of the Department of Traditional Medicine Dr Kyaw Myint Tun reported
on renovation of- the old traditional medicine hospital in the compound of the new traditional medicine hospital The Secretary- 1 gave instructions.

Afterwards the secretary-1 and party toured the hospital and asked after patients.  Next, the Secretary-1 inspected the renovation work of the old traditional medicine hospital, and left there.

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(3) Secretary-1 inspects construction of Drug Abuse Control Museum

YANGON, 29 July- Secretary-l of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by Commander Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than and Minister for Health Maj-Gen Ket Sein,
arrived at construction site of Drug Abuse Control Museum at the corner of Hanthawady Road and Kyundaw Street in Kamayut Township at 1.30 pm today. Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and party were welcomed there by Chairman of Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing and members, the deputy ministers, the director-general of Myanmar Police Force
directors-general of departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs and officials.

At the briefing hall, Minister Col Tin Hlaing reported to the Secretary-l on progress of construction work and tasks to be undertaken Director-General of MPF Police Maj-Gen Soe Win on work done for greening of the environs of the museum, Managing Director of FMI City U Soe Myint on preparations for grass, flower and soil and U Myint Thein of Yuzana Construction Group on construction of the museum.
Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt attended to their needs.

Then, Secretary- I Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and party inspected construction of the archway of the museum and left there.

(4) Secretary-l inspects preparations for conveying Lawka Chantha Abhava Labha Muni Image to Mindhamma Hillock

YANGON, 29 July- Secretary-l of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by Commander Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than, arrived at Mindhamrna Hillock in Insein Township at 2.45 pm today. Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt was welcomed by ministers, deputy ministers and department heads. At the briefing hall, Chairman of Central Committee for Conveying Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image Minister for Religious Affairs U Aung Khin reported to the Secretary-l on conveying of the image, Minister for Rail Transportation U Pan Aung on preparations for conveying of the image to the throne on Mindhamtna Hillock, Deputy Minister for Construction U Tint Swe on preparations for the ceremony and Chairman of Conveying Committee of the Image (Yangon) .Command Staff Colonel Col Myat Ko on preparations for conveying of the image.

Commander Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than presented supplementary reports. Then, officials of various committees reported on their activities. Afterwards, Myanmar Architect U Ohn Tin and Deputy Chief
Engineer U Aung Kyee Myint explained matters related to Myanmar handicraft.

Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and party inspected the throne and construction work on Mindhanuna Hillock Then, the Secretary-l and party also inspected consecution of Shwephaungdaw Jetty where
Thonlutaukpa Yadana Shwephaungdaw will moor and construction of pandals and left there.

(5) MEC Chairman attends fourth graduation at Central Cooperative College

YANGON, 29 July-The fourth graduation of Central Cooperative College was held at the hall of the Institute of Nursing on Bogyoke Aung San Street this afternoon, attended by Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary- 1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.  Chairman of Supervisory Committee for Cooperative College Director-General of Cooperative Department Col Soe Win delivered a speech. Then, Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-l Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt presented first, second and third prizes to Ma Thin Nwe Soe, Ma Win Win Hlaing and Ma Myint Nwe respectively.

Principal of the College U Saw Lwin presented diploma certificates to the course graduates.

After the ceremony, Secretary- 1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and party posed for documentary photo together with students.

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(6) Minister U Win Aung arrives back from 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting

YANGON, 29 July - Minister for Foreign Affairs U Win Aung arrived back here this evening after attending the 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held from 23 to 29 July in Bangkok, Thailand, informal
meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the first meeting of ASEAN+3 Foreign Ministers, the 7th ASEAN Regional Forum and the Post Ministerial Conference and the meeting of dialogue partner Foreign
Ministers.

Minister U Win Aung was welcomed back at the airport by Minister for Electric Power Maj-Gen Tin Htut, Minister at the Prime Minister s Office U Than Shwe, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Khin Maung - Win, Charge d' Affaires ai of the Royal Thai Embassy Mr Raden Suwannakom and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(7) Eighth Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Customs concludes successfully

YANGON, 29 July- The Eighth Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Customs, which was hosted by Myanmar for the first time, continued for me second day and final day at the Traders Hotel on Sule Pagoda Road this morning.

At the final day meeting, Second Informal ASEAN-Japan Customs Consultation and ASEAN-Private Sector Customs Consultations were held.

The directors-general of the Customs of ASEAN countries and delegates of Asia Pacific Carriers Price Water House Coopers Thai Licensed Customs Brokers Association took part in ASEAN-Private Sector
Customs Consultations led by ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the afternoon, the Eighth Meeting of ASEAN Directors-General of Customs concluded successfully. The meeting was attended by the director-general and delegates of the Customs of Japan, officials of the ASEAN Secretariat, directors-general of ASEAN member nations Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, the vice-president of ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry and delegates.

Director-General of the Customs Department U Tun Chun of Myanmar presided over the meeting. According to the agenda, Second Informal ASEAN-Japan Customs Consultation was held first. The meeting discussed matters related to customs post clearance audit, customs valuation, cargo processing, computerization of customs clearance, methods to speed -up customs procedures, customs laboratories and the sending of Japanese experts to provide training at Customs Academy at Malacca in ASEAN region.

Then, ASEAN-Private Sector Customs Consultations were held. In his speech, Director-General U Tun Chun stressed the importance of the cooperation between customs organizations and economic organizations for trade development in ASEAN region. The delegates of ASEAN Chamber of Commerce-and Industry discussed matters pertaining to customs procedures, transparency enhancement, the use of modern-techniques and cooperation- between customs organizations: and economic organizations.

Then, Director-General U Tun Chun discussed matters related to constructive reforms of customs procedures. The meeting ended successfully at 12.30pm.

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(8) Joint Press Statement of the Eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs (28-29 July 2000, Yangon Myanmar)

YANGON, 29 July The following is the Joint Press Statement issued at the end of the Eighth Meeting  of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs here today.

1. The Eighth Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs was held on 28-29 July 2000 in Yangon, Myanmar.

2. Attending the Meeting were: Mr Eussoff Agaki, Controller of Royal Customs and Excise, Brunei Darussalam: Mr Pen Siman, Delegate of the Royal Government in charge of Customs and Excise Department, Cambodia; Dr Permana Agung, Director-General of Customs and Excise, Indonesia; Mr Santiphab Phomvihane, Deputy Director-General of Customs, Lao PDR; Datuk Ahmad Padzli Bin Mohyiddin, Director-General of Royal Customs and Excise Department, Malaysia; Mr Tun Chun, Director-General of Customs, Myanmar; Ms Julita S Manahan, Deputy Commissioner of Bureau of Customs, Philippines; Mr Koh Chong Hwa, Director-General of Customs and Excise Department,
Singapore; Mr Somchainuk Engtrakul, Director-General of Royal Customs Department, Thailand; Mr Nguyen Ngoc Tuc, Deputy Director-General of the General Department of Customs, Vietnam; and their respective delegations. Staff of the ASEAN Secretariat were also in attendance.

3. Mr Tun Chun, Director-General of Customs, Myanmar, chaired the meeting.

4. The Meeting was preceded by an Opening Ceremony where U Khin Maung Thein, Minister for Finance and Revenue of Myanmar, delivered his welcoming remarks. The Minister welcomed the Directors-General to Myanmar and retraced some of the key steps along the way of ASEAN cooperation in customs. These included the signing of the ASEAN Agreement on Customs in March 1997, the adoption of the ASEAN Customs Vision in that same year and the Hanoi Plan of Action during the Sixth ASEAN Summit in 1998. At these key dates, important milestones for ASEAN cooperation in customs were established. He hoped that this Eighth Meeting of the Directors-General would see important progress made in achieving some of these goals.

5. Minister U Khin Maung Thein thanked Japan for the technical assistance provided to ASEAN customs administrations. He recalled that Myanmar had played host to the ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Retreat and the meeting of the AEM with China, Japan and Korea. The Minister expressed confidence that this will augur greater cooperation between customs administrations of ASEAN and China, Japan and Korea.

6. The Directors-General reviewed the progress made in the ASEAN Customs Policy Implementation Work Programme (PIWP), which was approved last year in Malaysia The Directors-General held productive discussions with the Japanese Director-General of Customs and Tariff Bureau on technical cooperation between the two sides as well as international customs issues in the World Customs Organization (WCO), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Private sector representatives also held a half-day session with the Directors-General to consider ways of facilitating the movement of goods and services in the region.

7. The objective of the PIWP is to work towards the customs vision of world-class customs service. It contains fifteen major areas of work post-clearance cargo processing, customs valuation, tariff
nomenclature, customs transit, automation, enforcement, temporary admission, strategic planning and management, mutual assistance transparency enhancement, training and human resource development
technical assistance to new members of ASEAN (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), international customs fora and partnership with the business community.

8. The  Directors-General noted that Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have already implemented the WTO Valuation Agreement. They encouraged other Member Countries to do so as soon as possible. The Directors-General welcomed the technical assistance that was provided by New Zealand Customs Service on the implementation of the WTO Valuation Agreement to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam and expressed the hope that this would continue as the new members prepare themselves for ultimate implementation of the Agreement.

9. The Directors-General noted the important progress. made implementation of post-clearance audit. They were pleased to note that a two-day workshop on customs post clearance audit (PCA) had been
held in November 1999, where ASEAN customs officials and experts from Japan s Customs and Tariff Bureau and Customs service shared their experiences and perspectives on the essential elements required to implement post clearance audit. As a follow-up to the workshop, regional guidelines are being drafted to help member countries organize the implementation of PCA nationally. With an effective post-clearance audit system in place, customs and expedite clearance of goods at the border
while more thorough checks or audits could he undertaken after the goods are released.

10. The Directors-General recalled, that at their last meeting, they had recommended implementing the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff nomenclature (AHTN) in the year 2002 to coincide with the implementation of Harmonised System (HS) 2002. The AHTN is a common tariff nomenclature to be used by ASEAN customs to classify all traded goods. At the same time, the Directors-General had agreed that the draft
AHTN should be finalised by December 2000. In this connection, they were pleased to learn that the first regional workshop on the AHTN had been held in April 2000 in Jakarta and that an initial draft had been agreed upon. The next workshop, whose objective was to simplify the revised text of the AHTN,  was scheduled in mid-August 2000. The Directors-General encouraged all Member Countries to do their
utmost  to ensure that an agreed text would be 0 completed before the end of the year.

11. The Directors-General recalled the signing of the Framework Agreement on-the Facilitation of Goods in Transit in December 1998. They noted that two of the implementing customs protocols on frontier
posts and customs transit system had been drawn up and expressed the hope that it could be finalised as soon as possible.

12. Noting the increasing use of the Internet as a medium for providing government services, the Directors-General encouraged the continuous development of the ASEAN Customs Homepage (located in www aseansec.org) make it as up-to date as possible with all the latest facilities and services offered by customs to the business community.

13. The Directors-General met with Mr Tatsumaro Terazawa, Director General of Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau. They briefed Japan on  the progress made in implementing the customs PIWP and thanked Japan for its assistance in the work on post clearance audit and tariff nomenclature. noted that an expert on post clearance audit had been dispatched for a period of 1-2 years to assist. ASEAN members  effort to institute post-clearance audit systems Japan s assistance had also included
training in the following areas: Harmonised System and Tariff Classification, Valuation and Past Clearance Audit, Automation and Customs Clearance. The consultations also discussed possible future
cooperation to cover the rest of the PIWP.

14. The Directors-General and Mr Terazawa exchanged views on the latest development in WCO and APEC and agreed to consult closely on further developments in these matters. Mr Terazawa congratulated Brunei Darussalam for its successful organization of the APEC Sub-committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) meeting held this year.

15. The Directors-General held their fourth annual consultation with representatives of the private sector in ASEAN. On hand for the meeting were the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry, companies
from the Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers (FedEx, UPS, DHL, TNT) international consultants Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the Thai Licensed Customs Brokers Association There was a frank
exchange of views-between ASEAN customs and the private sector with both sides agreeing on the need to work closely together to address issues of concern to the business community.

16. The Director-General were delighted to note the partnership between ASEAN customs and the air express carrier industry through Project ACCESS (ASEAN Customs Clearance and Express Services).
Project ACCESS was intended to assist ASEAN customs achieve targets outlined in the PIWP as well as to expedite the delivery of express products which was an important and fast-growing component of
the air freight- industry in the region. The Directors-General expressed the hope that it would serve as a useful model which could be used with other private sector groups.

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(9) Over 25,000 local people flock to Magway Port to pay homage  to Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image

YANGON, 29 July- Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image, over S00 tons in weight and over 37 feet in height, on board Thonlutaukpa Yadana Shwephaungdaw (barge) stopped over at Magway Port
yesterday afternoon, welcomed to pay reverence by Chairman of Magway Division Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Thein Zaw.

Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, No 88 LID Commander Brig-Gen Aye Kyway, division and distinct authorities, senior military officers and officials sprinkled scented water on the Image. At the entrance of
the Magway Port over 20,000 local people and members of the Sangha of Chauk, Yenangyoung, Minbu, Salin and Magway paid homage to the Image by 18 boats.

Before the barge berthed at the port, 20 nuns and wut associations recited Pathana Desana Dhamma Puja verses Artists and students also sung religious songs to pay reverence to the Image. After the
barge moored at the jetty local people and departmental personned flocked to the barge to pay homage to the Image. Artist U Pale Sein read out Mingala Ratus. Over 90,000 pilgrims paid obeisance to the Image on board the barge, which spent the night at Magway Port.

(10) Donations for Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image in Magway

YANGON, 29 July- A ceremony to donate cash towards the funds of Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha  Muni Image was held in conjunction with obeisance paying ceremony at Magway Port this morning.  Chairman of Magway Division Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Thein Zaw attended the ceremonies and offered vegetarian "soon" to Sayadaws. Also present on the occasion were Secretary of State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhammajodka Magway Maha Withutayama Taik Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kumara and members of the Sangha, Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, No 88 Light Infantry Division Brig-Gen Aye Kyway, senior
military officers, division, district and township authorities and departmental officials "wut" associations and well-wishers. Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kumara administered the Nine Precepts, Members of the Sangha recited parittas.

Then, Chairman Brig Gen Thein Zaw, Brig-Gen Aye Kyway and officials donated provisions to Sayadaws. Afterwards, Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw accepted K 300,000 donated by No 88 LID, K 3,346,744 by Magway District Peace and Development Council, K 467,227 by Minbu District Peace and Development Council and K 100,000 by Magway Division Police Commander Police Col Ye Myint and Daw Khin Khin and family, and presented certificates of honour to the well-wishers.  Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw handed over K 3,813,971 donated by well-wishers of Magway Division to Director-General U Sann Lwin of Department for Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana. Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kumara delivered a sermon, followed by sharing of merits.

After the ceremony, Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kumara, members of the Sangha, Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw, Brig-Gen Aye Kyway, division and district authorities, senior military officers and officials sprinkled scented water on the Image. Meanwhile, the conch shells were blown and the royal drum and gong were beat.

Yesterday evening, members of wut associations recited religious verses to pay obeisance to the Image at Magway City Mingala Mandat. Magway District Information and Public Relations Department
opened a mobile library.

Before departure of the Image this morning, over 97,000 local people and members of the Sangha paid obeisance to the Image. Then, the image was conveyed on a grand scale leaving Magway for respective townships.

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(11) 28 Myinmu Township NLD members resign of own accord

YANGON, 29 July- Twenty-eight members resigned from the National League for Democracy of Myinmu  Township, Sagaing Division.

Twenty-eight members of Myinmu Township NLD, Sagaing Division, of their own accord, resigned by sending letters of resignation to Myinmu Township Multiparty Democracy General Election Sub-commission and the party concerned on 8 February 2000 as they no longer wished to participate in party politics of NLD.

WEATHER REPORT
TODAY

Forecast for Yangon and neighbouring area for 30th, June 2000: One or two rains or rain showers. Degree of certainty is 80%.

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