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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM MYANMAR



NEWS  AND  VIEWS  FROM  MYANMAR
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Vol.1                           16 December 1999                    No. 49
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CONTENTS                    
    INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS   
1.  Ramong Bridge in Rakhine State commissioned into service          
2.  Fifth Year National Immunization Days                    

    FOREIGN RELATIONS
3.  ASEAN cooperation on Immigration Matters                    

    ECONOMIC CO-OPERATIONS  
4.  Agreement for implementation of hotel project signed              

    GENERAL NEWS
5.  Opium substitute buckwheat project  
                    
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INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS

Ramong Bridge in Rakhine State commissioned into service

    Included in the special projects of the State, Ramong Bridge on 
Yangon-Sittway Highway in Rakhine State was commissioned into service on 15 
December. It is another effort of the State to accelerate developing momentum 
of Rakhine State. The Government has spent large sums of money in its efforts 
in enhancing the transport in the entire nation including Rakhine State as 
transport plays a vital role in developing the economy, social sectors, 
living standard of the people as well as unity and amity among the national 
people and strengthening the Union spirit.

    The total length of roads in Rakhine State at the end of 1998-99 is over 
810 miles. In 1988-89, the total length of roads was only 449 miles. A 
network of roads and bridges is being built in the entire nation; and over 
100 major bridges including bridges on Ayeyarwady, Thanlwin and Chindwin 
rivers have been built for development of the Union.

    Located on Yangon-Sittway Highway, Ramong Bridge with the length of 1,300 
feet, was built at a cost of US$ 2.3 million and over Kyats 1.548 billion. 
Road construction is much difficult task in Rakhine State, which is a coastal 
area criss-crossed by rivers and streams. Over 10 major and 800 small bridges 
were built on Yangon-Sittway Highway alone. The 2,513-foot long Kissapanadi 
Bridge, the 2,003-foot long Minchaung Bridge and 940-foot long Maeichaung 
Bridge will soon be commissioned into service.

    Sea fishing, fish and prawn breeding and marine enterprises are 
flourishing in Rakhine State which is a coastal region. Prospects are bright 
to build a deep-sea port to extend foreign trade and to enhance tourism in 
the region which has long beaches and many ancient pagodas. At the time the 
state has a deep-sea port, the goods entering Myanmar from border trade will 
be conveyed to  the port through Mandalay, Yangon and Ayeyarwady Divisions.

Fifth Year National Immunization Programme

    As the global polio eradication campaign is gaining momentum, Myanmar is 
also taking part in the global polio eradication initiative together with 
other nations of the world in the spirit of regional and global solidarity. 
In Myanmar, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EIP) is one of the main 
activities in the National Health Plan for the prevention of six major 
childhood diseases since 1978.

    Myanmar EIP is implementing routine immunization as well as National 
Immunization Days. National Immunization Days were launched for the first 
time in February and March 1996. Since that time, National Immunization Days 
have been launched in December and January every year. The previous years' 
NIDs  were of  great success. Continued efforts are to be exerted to make 
sure that the fifth year NIDs are successful to make Myanmar Polio free and 
to achieve ''Target 2000 A world without polio.''
    
    On 12 December 1999, the first day of the Fifth Year National 
Immunization Days was launched in each and every part of Myanmar. The task is 
not an easy one since it covers 5.9 million children under five years, who 
will be vaccinated for two rounds -- the first round on 12 December and the 
second round on 16 January 2000. 

    With the Ministry of Health being responsible for all the immunization 
activities, the National Immunization Days in Myanmar are being implemented 
with assistance both technical and financial, from the UN agencies, Rotary 
International, CDC (Atlanta), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), 
Japan Committee "Vaccine for World's Children", the Government of the 
Republic of Korea and the Premier Petroleum Myanmar Limited.

    
FOREIGN RELATIONS 

ASEAN cooperation on Immigration Matters

    The Third Meeting of ASEAN Director-General of Immigration Departments 
and Heads of Consular Divisions was held at the Traders Hotel, Yangon on 13 
and 14 December. 

    Minister for Immigration and Population U Saw Tun, in his welcoming 
address,  emphasized the need for easy communication and access to all ASEAN 
member countries to strengthen regional unity and identity, enhance economic 
cooperation and facilitate closer economic integration.  He also stressed the 
importance of modernization to spur regional development and to keep pace 
with technological advances in the developed countries.

    Participants discussed the framework for ASEAN cooperation on immigration 
matters, matters arising from the previous meeting, visa free entry for ASEAN 
nations, use of smart cards as travel document in ASEAN international 
airports, harmonization of ASEAN Immigration Disembarkation Cards, common 
ASEAN entry visa for tourists coming into ASEAN countries, facilitation of 
yachts, leisure boats and private aircraft within ASEAN and training of 
Immigration officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

    The ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and the Heads of 
Consular Division of the ASEAN Ministers of Foreign Affairs fully recognized 
the urgent need for greater cooperation on immigration matters to support 
ASEAN initiatives including efforts towards closer economic integration, the 
move to facilitate greater intra-ASEAN tourism and the fight against 
transnational crime. They agreed to meet on an annual basis to coordinate 
regional cooperation on immigration matters so they could effectively 
contribute to the achievement of ASEAN goals. In this regard, they welcomed 
and supported the ASEAN Vision 2020 and the Hanoi Plan of Action adopted by 
the ASEAN Heads of Government/ State, which would guide the future directions 
of ASEAN .

    They also agreed to establish  an Ad-hoc High Level Experts Group on 
Immigration Matters to  develop an institutional framework for ASEAN 
cooperation on immigration matters; to develop a plan of action on 
immigration matters encompassing the objectives, scope, strategies, 
mechanism, modalities and funding arrangements; and to establish a directory 
of immigration focal points to establish a network among the immigration 
authorities in ASEAN, especially in the area of law enforcement.

    They also agreed to continue discussion on the use of smart cards to 
facilitate travel within ASEAN. They also appreciated  the need to harmonize 
the disembarkation/ embarkation card to facilitate business, investment and 
tourism, and to create an ASEAN identity. They agreed, as a first step, to 
implement as soon  as possible the use of the ASEAN logo on the front page of 
disembarkation/ embarkation card beside the emblem of respective Member 
Countries. 

    A joint press statement was issued at the end of the Meeting on 14 
December. The meeting of the Ad-hoc High-level Experts Group on Immigration 
Matters will be convened in 2000 in the Philippines.

ECONOMIC COOPERATIONS

Agreement for hotel project signed

    An agreement on a hotel project to be implemented by Allure Group Co. 
Ltd. of Thailand with cent-per-cent investment on the plot of Shan Yoma Guest 
House leased for 30 years in Tachilek, in the eastern part of Shan State, was 
signed at the Hotel Equatorial, Yangon, on 9 December.

    The agreement was signed between the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism 
under the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the Allure Group Co Ltd. 
According to the agreement, the company will invest US $ 12 million in 
building a hotel of international standard with 81 rooms in 24 months' time 
for the first phase of the project, and further investment will be made to 
build 140 more rooms for the second phase.


GENERAL NEWS

Opium substitute buckwheat project 

    Ambassador of Japan Mr. Kazuo Asakai hosted a dinner at his residence on 
9 December. The occasion marked the opium substitute buckwheat project which 
has been implemented for three years through bilateral cooperation. In Kokang 
region of the northern Shan State, buckwheat was cultivated on four acres of 
land in 1997 and on 200 acres in 1998; this year, buckwheat was cultivated on 
2,000 acres, and buckwheat on some acres have been harvested.

    On 10 and 11 December, 1999, Altogether nineteen Japanese buckwheat 
merchants led by Director-General of LDP Research Council of Japan Mr. 
Tomomitsu Iwakura and Chairman of Japan Noodle Entrepreneurs Association Mr. 
Chojiro Jinta, together with member of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse 
Control Col. Kyaw Thein and officials visited Tarshwehtan village in Kokang 
region and observed buckwheat fields. They also observed seed purifying 
factory in Laukkai and had discussions with buckwheat growers and local 
national race leaders.

    Prior to their departure for Japan, they held a press briefing with 
national and foreign journalists at Yangon International Airport.

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