Yangon, 18 April—Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe, while in Mandalay and party visited Maha Muni Buddha Image in Mandalay yesterday evening.

First, Senior General Than Shwe and party paid homage to the image and offered gold foils to it.

Next, they paid obeisance to Yaydaw Sayadaw Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotikadhaja Bhaddanta Panñavam-sa. The Senior General signed in the visitors' book and donated cash for the image to the members of the Pagoda Board of Trustees.

Then, the Senior General and party inspected preparations to offer gold Htidaw to Maha Thuwunna Pathada Gandhakuti Kyaungdawgyi, where the image is kept, and gold bells.Afterwards, they viewed the documentary photos of the image.

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During the inspection the Secretary-1 attended to the needs of the officials, saying, BIG was founded with young men including MBA graduates with the aim of studying and gathering information for
entrepreneurs such as businessmen, bankers and tourism entrepreneurs and distributing Myanmar’s economic news internationally. It is also publishing Business Tank magazine, which includes investment opportunities and tourist information. in Myanmar, in Myanmar and English.

The departmental personnel and entrepreneurs here are requested to give necessary assistance to ensure greater success to BIG’s economic-related operations. As Myanmar, an ASEAN member nation, is a signatory to the e-ASEAN agreement, she will have to work with might and main for progress of computer technology.

Myanmar founded Myan-mar Computer Science Development Council and is promoting the computer science stage by stage to the best of its capacity.

At present, global changes are occurring in the field of information techno-logy with high momentum. Keen interest in computer science is rising among today’s youths. It can be seen that ASEAN nations and neighbouring countries are broadening their field of computer science and that they are achieving rapid progress in the sector. Qualified young men are emerging in Myanmar also as more and more youths are studying the computer science. Arrangements are being made for soonest emergence of an ICT park in Myanmar with the aim of paving the way for the youths to enter the field of computer science and widening the future IT field and accelerating its functions. Plans are under way to set up a telecommunication data centre in IT Park with the application of V set network.

The State is giving encouragement for the development of the services of Bagan Cybertech in enabling all the sectors of Myanmar such as the economic, banking, farming, education, health and social areas to get abreast of the international nations in the field of IT, which is becoming popular and developing with high momentum in the international sphere.

The ICT Park, which is being set up from now on, will render much assistance to the nation to partake in the globally developing software programmes with the available human resources.

Chief Editor of BIG Daw Nandi reported to the Secretary-1 and party on functions of the group, founding of the group, aims, reformation activities, organizational set up, weekly issued economic news, services, information connections with internal and external economic organizations, distribution of news bulletins to its members and future programmes with the help of charts.

Staff Officer (Grade-I) of Office of Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Defence Lt-Col Tin Oo briefed the Secretary-1 and party on data communication operations of Bagan Cybertech, and functions of projected e-Commerce and Intranet, saying, ten private companies have already made arrangements to offer e-Shopping, e-Banking, e-Reservation, e-Media, e-Journal and e-Book services. He added that other companies and departments are also making arrangements to take part in e-Commerce programmes.

Concerning the Intranet, he explained the system, the system programmes, rates, aims and services of the V-set net-working system of the information communication technology park.

As regards the Bagan Cybertech, he said that the national portal or resource centre will be set up to gather information and data from multiple sectors for progress of information and communication technology and distribution of the news.

Officials then answered to queries raised by the participants concerning the Bagan Cybertech.

The Secretary-1 and party and entrepreneurs visited the Bagan Cybertech.At the briefing hall of the Myanma Information and Communication Technology Development Building Project, the Secretary-1 and party heard a report on the design of the building presented by Managing Director of Winner Company U Aung Zaw Myint, the area, its architectural set up, installation of communication equipment and erection of the tower and earth station by Lt-Col Tin Oo of OSS.

The Secretary-1 gave suggestions. Accompanied by officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, the Secretary-1 arrived at Business Information Group and Bagan Cybertech at 9 am and was welcomed by member of the State Peace and Development Council Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than, ministers, deputy ministers, heads of department, the president and officials of Union of Myanmar Federation Chambers of Commerce and Industry, members of the Myanma Information and Communication Technology Development group, national entrepreneurs, computer industrialists and bankers.

Yangon, 18 April—A ceremony to honour the members of Myanmar Hiking and Mountaineering Association, who had scaled 11,500 feet high Phonkan mountain in Putao District, Kachin State, was held at No 1 guest house in Myitkyina on 16 April morning, attended by Chairman of Kachin State Peace and Development Council Commander of Northern Command Maj-Gen Kyaw Win and wife Daw San San Yee.

Also present on the occasion were Commander Brig-Gen Bo Kyi of Myitkyina Air Base, senior military officers and their wives, State Secretary Lt-Col Myint Thein and members, departmental officers and 14 members of MHMA including 14 women members.

President of MHMA Dr Paing Soe introduced the mountaineers to the attendance and presented a pennant of the association to the Commander who presented K 500,000 to the association and the ceremony came to a close.The mountaineers scaled Phonkan mountain on 3 April and arrived at the summit on 9 April morning. They gave necessary health care services to the local people in the villages along the way.

Present on the occasion were Chairman of Shan State Peace and Development Council (North) Commander of North East Command Maj-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo and wife, senior military officers and their wives, Secretary of Shan State Peace and Development Council (North) Lt-Col Win Han, departmental officials, townselders, guests and members of dance troupes.

Yangon, 18 April— Closing ceremony of Myanma Traditional Maha Thingyan Festival of Southern Command and prize-presentation were held in front of Ayechanphyo Hall in Bago on 16 April.

Present were Chairman of Bago Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Southern Command Maj-Gen Tin Aye and wife Daw Kyi Kyi Ohn, Deputy Commander Brig-Gen Thura Maung Ni, Brig-Gen Thura Myint Thein of Toungoo Station, senior military officers, departmental officials and guests.Girls of the command entertained the audience to solo dance. The commander and officials presented prizes to winning yein troupes.

Yangon, 18 April—Meritorious deeds were performed and respects were paid to the aged persons on the morning of auspicious Myanmar New Year Day of 1363 ME at Dhammayons in wards and townships and at pagodas in Mandalay and parittas were recited in the evening.

Under the auspices of Yaydaw Sayadaw Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika-dhaja Bhaddanta Panña-vamsa, members of the Image Face Washing Wut Association and the public washed the face of Mahamuni Image and offered ‘soon’ and water to the image at 5 am.

Devotees offered Shwe-thingan, ‘soon’, water, flowers, lights and fruits to the Image and set fishes and birds free.

Devotees were served with Mohnlethsaung, Shwe-yin Aye and juices by shopkeepers and departmental personnel at four different stairways of the pagoda.

At 7 am, over 500 members of Union Solidarity and Development Association of seven townships in Mandalay District led by Secretary of Mandalay Division Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Tin Ohn released over 15,000 fishes at the moat by the side between 80th and 24th Streets.

The group then donated K 100 each to 67 elders at Home for the Aged at the foot of Mandalay Hill and also donated K 20,000 to the home. They performed meritorious deeds such as shampooing and manicuring the elders in accord with Myanmar tradition.

Likewise, staff families led by Mandalay Mayor Brig-Gen Yan Thein set over 10,000 fishes free at the moat in front of office of Mandalay Development Committee and then released 1,000 birds at Sandamuni Pagoda.

Similar activities were carried out at famous pagodas such as Sandamuni, Kuthodaw, Kyauktawgyi, Shwekyeemyin, Thakya-thiha, Eindawyar, Tooth Relic Pagoda (Mandalay), Yankin Hill, Mandalay Hill, etc. Holiday makers also packed Zoological Gardens as well as at parks in the city.

Yangon, 18 April—A ceremony to present prizes to yein troupes that participated in Myanma Traditional Maha Thingyan Festival of South-West Command was held at central pandal of the command on 16 April.Present were Chairman of Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Commander of South-West Command Maj-Gen Thura Shwe Mann and wife Daw Khin Lay Thet, Deputy Commander Brig-Gen Tint Swe and senior military officers and their wives, guests and yein troupes.

Yangon, 18 April—The Work Committee for Organizing Poetry and Arts Competition in commemoration of the 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day with Deputy Minister for Culture U Soe Nyunt as Chairman, has published the 7th English version compilation of prize-winning works as assigned by the Leading Committee for Organizing the Armed Forces Day.

Included in the book are prize-winning poems, articles, essays and short stories.In the 448-page compilation, the works are translated into English by U Ba Than (MA), Lt-Col Win Pe (Retd) (Amaytha), U Tin Nwe Maung, U Thein Htut, U Khin Maung Aye, U Maung Hlaing (Maung Swe Nge), U Soe Myint, U Than Hlaing Thit, and professors and faculty members of English Departments of Yangon University, University of Foreign Languages (Yangon), Yangon Institute of Education and Dagon University.

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