The New Light of Myanmar (Friday, 3 November, 2000)(1/2)

[Ok Kar <Okkar66126@xxxxxxx>]

The New Light of Myanmar (Friday, 3 November, 2000) (1/2)
------------------------------------------------
1. State Peace and Development Council Chairman
   Senior General Than Shwe sends felicitations to Panama
2. - Secretary-1 receives Japanese guests
   - Secretary-1 receives ministers, deputy ministers and
     delegates who will attend Third AMMY
3. - The opening ceremony of the Third ASEAN Ministerial
     Meeting on Youth
   - Secretary-1 hosts dinner in honour of delegates of
     Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth
4. - Secretary-1 calls for effective implementation of
     projects covered by National Education Promotion
     Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector)
5. - News briefing on Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on
     Youth held
   - Joint Press Statement The Third ASEAN Ministerial
     Meeting on Youth
6. - Myanmar hosts Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth
   - Delegates to 28th Meeting of ASEAN Working Group on
     Industrial Co-operation visit Hlinethaya Industrial Zone
   - Members of Shipping Programme of SEA Youth conclude visit
7. - Minister for Sports meets Malaysian Minister
   - Deputy Minister for Commerce meets Japanese guests
8. Development of agriculture, livestock zones on
   Aingkalaung-kyun, Bawle-kyun in Yangon Division discussed
9. 329.67 kilos of raw opium seized in Namhlan Township
19 - members resign from Haka Township NLD of own accord
   - Multiparty Democracy General-Election Commission
     Announcement

___________________________

( 1 ) State Peace and Development Council Chairman Senior General Than Shwe
sends felicitations to Panama

YANGON, 3 Nov-Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of
felicitations to Her Excellency Ms Mireya Moscoso, President of the Republic
of Panama, on the Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of
Panama which falls on 3 November 2000.

___________________________

( 2 )  Secretary-1 receives Japanese guests

YANGON, 2 Nov-Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen
Khin Nyunt received Senior Adviser of Japan-Myanmar CCI Business Cooperation
Committee and Chairman of Itochu Co Mr Tomoo Takahara and party yesterday
evening. Also present at the call were Minister at the State Peace and
Development Council Chairman's Office Brig-Gen Abel, Minister for Foreign
Affairs U Win Aung, Deputy Minister U Khin Maung Win, Director-General of
Protocol Department Thura U Aung Htet and Japanese Ambassador Mr Shigeru
Tsumori.

Secretary-1 receives ministers, deputy ministers and delegates who will
attend Third AMMY


YANGON, 2 Nov-Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen
Khin Nyunt received the ministers, deputy ministers and delegates who will
attend the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth at the guest house of
Ministry of Defence this morning. Present at the call were Minister for
Foreign Affairs U Win Aung, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement Maj-Gen Sein Htwa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Khin
Maung Win, Director-General of Protocol Department Thura U Aung Htet,
Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia Dato Seri Hishammuddin Bin Tan
Hussein, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei Pehin Orang Kaya
Digadong Seri Lela Dato Seri Paduka (Dr) Haji Awang Hussain bin Pehin Orang
Kaya Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Mohd Yusof, Deputy
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia Mr Nou Muth, Deputy
Minister of Youth and Sports of Indonesia Mr Zainal Arifin, Secretary General
of Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union Mr Bouttanavong Bounpone,
Presidential Adviser on Youth Affairs and Chairperson and Chief Executive
Officer of National Youth Commission of the Philippines Mabel P
Villarica-Mamba, Chairman of National Youth Council of Singapore Mr David TE
Lim, Permanent Secretary at Prime Minister's Office of Thailand Mrs Panit
Nitithanprapas, Chairman of Vietnamese National Youth Affairs Committee Mr Vu
Trong Kim and Vice-Secretary General of the ASEAN Secretariat Mr Tran Duc
Minh..

_________________________

( 3 )  The opening ceremony of the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth

Myanmar adopts sound, comprehensive policy I aimed at all-around development
of youth in the nations; always stands ready to cooperate as dutiful member
of ASEAN



YANGON, 2 Nov - The opening ceremony of the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
on Youth, hosted by Myanmar for the first time, was held at Sedona Hotel here
this morning, addressed by Chairman of the ASEAN Steering Committee of
Myanmar Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin
Nyunt.

Also present on the occasion were ministers, the Yangon Mayor, Chairman of
the Leading Committee to Host the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth
Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Maj-Gen Sein Htwa,
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong
Seri Lela Dato Seri Paduka (Dr) Haji Awang Hussain bin Pehin Orang Kaya
Digadong Seri Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Mohd Yusof, Deputy Minister
of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia Mr Nou Muth, Deputy Minister of
Youth and Sports of Indonesia Mr Zainal Arifin, Secretary General of Lao
People's Revolutionary Youth Union Mr Bounpone Bouttanavong, Minister of
Youth and Sports of Malaysia Dato Hishammuddin Bin Tun Hussein, Presidential
Adviser on Youth Affairs and Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of
National Youth Commission of the Philippines Ms Mabel P Villarica-Mamba,
Chairman of National Youth Council of Singapore Mr David TE Lim, Permanent
Secretary at Prime Minister's Office of Thailand Mrs Panit Nitithanprapas,
Chairman of Vietnamese National Youth Affairs Committee Mr Vu Trong Kim,
Deputy-Secretary General of the ASEAN Secretariat Mr Tran Duc Minh, deputy
ministers, member of Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affairs Dr Daw
Khin Win Shwe, Chairperson of Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association
Prof Daw Kyu Kyu Swe, ambassadors and diplomats of the ASEAN nations, the
ambassador of People's Republic of China to Myanmar, the ambassador of
Republic of Korea to Myanmar, members of the Leading Committee to Host the
Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth and the Work Committee and chairmen
and members of the subcommittees, heads of departments, representatives of
ASEAN nations, Managing Director of News and Periodicals Enterprise U Tin
Kha, Director (News) U Hla Tun, Patron of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club
U Sein Win, President U Sao Kai Pha and members, local and foreign
journalists and guests.

Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt delivered the address. He said: I am pleased to
have this opportunity to deliver the keynote address at the official opening
ceremony of the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth, which is being held
with the noble objective of promoting the interest of the youth of all ASEAN
member-countries. This is the first time ever that an ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Youth is being held in Myanmar. I also wish to extend a most
cordial welcome to the Deputy Secretary General and all the Distinguished
Ministers and Delegates to our country and wish all of you a pleasant and
enjoyable stay. This is the first AMMY Meeting of the new millennium and it
is indeed most appropriate that the theme of the Meeting is, " Preparing
ASEAN Youth for the Challenges of Globalization".

Today the process of globalization has become an undeniable fact of life and
nations are now more integrated and more interdependent than ever before.
Globalization creates new opportunities for betterment of life for all of us.
It can provide us with the means to prosperity and development. But at the
same time it brings with it new challenges particularly to developing
nations. These nations run the risk of being marginalized. and being
relegated to the sidelines as others march on to greater heights of progress.
Nowadays, we speak of the digital devide. Let us not forget that there can
also be a development divide where the gap between the rich and poor within a
nation and between nations can be widened with each passing day. In meeting
these challenges, the future of the world clearly belongs to the youth. The
Kuala Lumpur Agenda for ASEAN Youth Development has rightly designated the
preparation and empowerment of ASEAN youth to meet the challenges of
globalization in the 21st century as one of the aims of the ASEAN Youth
Policy.

The strategies adopted at the Second ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth have
gained more relevancy in this globalize world. I am fully confident that the
deliberations of the Distinguished Ministers at this Meeting will serve to
further advance the development of the youth of Southeast Asian nations. We
in Myanmar have adopted a sound and comprehensive policy aimed at the
all-round development of the youth in the nation. Even as we equip our youth
with appropriate skills to meet the needs of the society, we are instilling
spiritual, moral and cultural values as well as the spirit of patriotism and
love of country. We firmly believe that our youth can and will be an
important force in fulfilling our national objective of becoming a peaceful,
prosperous, modern and developed State. The youth of the nation are being
nurtured to overcome the challenges of the times.

In this regard, special attention is being paid to human resource
development. Myanmar is in the process of implementing a 4 Year Plan for
education so that our academic standards will be on par with the more
advanced nations of ASEAN. Raising the standard of education is a national
priority and the Government is devoting a large portion of its resources
towards this end. At the same time, educational opportunities are being
opened up nation-wide. For over forty years after regaining our independence
in 1984, our nation had been faced with internal strife. Due to this
situation, many children and youth in the border areas did not have access to
education. However, due to the restoration of national unity and
reconsolidation, 17 armed groups have returned to the legal fold and the
country is enjoying peace and stability. Education is now being enjoyed by
the youth of our national races throughout the length and breadth of the
country.

Moreover, universities and colleges are being established in all the regions
of the country so that the people can have easy access to tertiary education.
With regard to cooperation with ASEAN in the field of education, Myanmar
joined the membership of ASEAN University Network in order to nurture our
youth to be highly competent in facing the challenges around the world in the
21st century. As a first step, we obtained the AUN membership for the
University of Yangon and the Institute of Economics. We look forward to
enhancing cooperation with our ASEAN brothers and sisters in youth and
education sectors. In our vision of ASEAN 2020, we envisage the entire
Southeast Asia to be an ASEAN community conscious of its ties of history,
aware of its cultural heritage and bound by a common regional identity. To
endeavour towards achieving all these objectives is a priority task of ASEAN,
and I believe all the Ministers and representatives present here play a major
role in this endeavour. As for Myanmar, we are also performing this duty in
all relevant sectors. In Myanmar, while laying down national aims for
promoting health, upgrading educational qualification, uplifting the dynamism
of patriotic spirit and safeguarding national culture, we are preparing our
youth for the emergence of a caring society.

In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that Myanmar always stands ready to
cooperate as a dutiful member of ASEAN. We are nurturing our youth and,
through this, we are fulfilling the responsibility of bringing out
progressive and vigorous ASEAN youth. In doing so, I like to urge all ASEAN
members to heighten the cooperation among countries in the region so that
objectives of ASEAN Vision 2020 will be materialized.

After the ceremony, the Secretary-1 posed for photo together with leaders of
delegations of the ASEAN nations and the Vice-Secretary General of the ASEAN
Secretariat.

Secretary-1 hosts dinner in honour of delegates of Third ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Youth

YANGON 2 Nov - Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen
Khin Nyunt hosted dinner in honour of delegates attending the Third ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting on Youth and officials of the ASEAN Secretariat at the
Karaweik Palace this evening.

Also present were member of the State Peace and Development Council Chairman
of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander Maj-Gen Khin Maung
Than, ministers, deputy ministers, officials of the State Peace and
Development Council Office, member of the Myanma National Working Committee
for Women's Affairs Dr Daw Khin Win Shwe, Chairperson of Myanmar Maternal and
Child Welfare Association Professor Dr Daw Kyu Kyu Swe, Vice-Chairperson of
Myanmar National Working Committee for Women's Affairs Dr Daw May May Yee,
ambassadors of embassies of ASEAN member nations, specially-invited
ambassadors, officials of the Leading Committee for Organizing the Third
ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth, the working committee and sub-committees
and guests.

__________________________

( 4 )  Secretary-1 calls for effective implementation of projects covered by
National Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector)

Yangon, 2 Nov - Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen
Khin Nyunt today delivered an address at the seminar on the National
Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector) in his capacity as
the Chairman of the National Health Committee.

Also present at the seminar at the NHC meeting hall were Minister for Health
Maj-Gen Ket Sein, Deputy Ministers Dr Mya Oo and Professor Dr Kyaw Myint, and
directors-general, rectors and officials the departments and the institutes
of medicine under the ministry.

Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said the government has laid down and is
implementing the National Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan to
nurture outstanding and brilliant human resource required for national
development. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Ministry of
Science and Technology are carrying out the action plans covered by the
Four-Year Plan in respective sectors.

Ministry of Health, he said, is duty bound to implement the public health
care action plans covered by the National Health Plan as well  as those
covered by the National Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health
Sector), which is based on the National Health Plan. The government is
building and upgrading hospitals, clinics and other structures needed for the
health sector, and providing more treatment and diagnosis equipment and
medicines. Serious attention has to be paid to public health care and
treatment services while efforts are being made for promotion of
health-related education sector; medical institutes have to be opened in
accord with the objectives and health-related human resource development
plans need be implemented.

The Secretary-1 called for discussions on progress of work in the National
Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector).

Minister for Health Maj-Gen Ket Sein explained the National Health Plan and
the National Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector).

Deputy Minister Professor Dr Kyaw Myint reported on the tasks for training
and academic studies in medical science, upgrading of training plus treatment
hospitals, promotion of traditional medical science, and health and medical
research. Deputy Minister Dr Mya Oo spoke of the National Education Promotion
Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector), plans for recruitment and training of
dental surgeons, specialists, doctors, nurses and health personnel, and other
medical science studies. Director-General of Traditional Medicine Department
Professor Dr Kyaw Myint Tun and Director-General of Medical Research
Department (Lower Myanmar) Professor Dr Paing Soe reported on the project to
promote the standard of traditional medicine and human resource development
project covered by the National Education Promotion Special Four-Year Plan
(Health Sector).

The Secretary-1 said successful implementation of the National Education
Promotion Special Four-Year Plan (Health Sector) will help advance Myanmar's
public health care and health-related education sector. He stressed of the
need to practically implement the projects for human resource development,
extension of hospitals, research on traditional medicines and finding new
traditional medical treatments. In keeping with Senior General Than Shwe's
guidance on establishment of special treatment departments for the patients
suffering from the diseases occurring in certain regions, respective
hospitals have to set up such treatment departments. He also emphasized the
need for the Ministry of Health to effectively and properly spend the funds
in local and foreign currency allotted by the government in order to
implement human resource development project. In conclusion, he urged all to
implement the work plans successfully.

__________________________

( 5 ) News briefing on Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth held

Yangon, 2 Nov - A news briefing on the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on
Youth was held at the Sedona Hotel this evening. Chairman of the Third ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting on Youth Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement Maj-Gen Sein Htwa, Deputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN
Secretariat Office Mr Tran Duc Minh, leaders of delegations from ASEAN member
nations, member of the Central Executive Committee of the Union Solidarity
and Development Association U Thein Sein, Managing Director of News and
Periodicals Enterprise U Tin Kha, Director (News) U Hla Tun, Adviser to the
Minister for Information U Kyaw Min, Chairman of Myanmar Foreign
Correspondents Club U Sao Kai Hpa and members and local and foreign
journalists. Minister Maj-Gen Sein Htwa explained matters related to the
meeting. Then, the ministers replied to queries raised by the journalists.

----------------------------------------

Joint Press Statement The Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth

2 November 2000, Yangon

YANGON, 2 Nov-The following is the Joint Press Statement issued at the end of
the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth at Sedona Hotel here today. .

1. The Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth was convened on 2 November
2000, preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting on Youth held from 30 to 31
October 2000, in Yangon, Myanmar.

2. The Meeting was officially opened by His Excellency Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt,
Secretary- 1 of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of
Myanmar, and Chairman of the ASEAN Steering Committee of Myanmar.

3. In his Keynote Speech, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt pointed out that the process of
globalization had become an undeniable fact of life and that nations were
more now more integrated and more interdependent than ever before. He urged
the ASEAN Youth Ministers to design appropriate policies that would prepare
and empower the ASEAN youth to develop their competencies and skills to meet
these challenges posed by globalization.

4. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt also emphasized that the developing nations, while
enjoying opportunities for prosperity and development, could also face the
prospect of being marginalized. in the process of globalization. He noted
that the real challenge was that of bridging the development divide between
the rich and poor within the nation as well as between nations. Family, he
encouraged the Ministers to assist in contributing toward closer regional
integration by enhancing cooperation in youth and education sectors.

5. The Meeting was attended by HE Pehin Dato Hj Awang Hussain bin Pehin Dato
Haji Awang Mohd Yusof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei
Darussalam, HE Mr Nou Muth, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports of the Kingdom of Cambodia, HE Mr Zainal Arifin,
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs of the Republic of
Indonesia, HE Mr Bounpone Bouttanavong, Secretary-General of the Lao People's
Revolutionary Youth Union of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, HE Dato'
Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein, Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia, HE
Maj-Gen Sein Htwa, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of
the Union of Myanmar, HE Ms Mabel P VillaricaMamba, Presidential Advisor on
Youth Affairs and Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the National
Youth Commission of the Republic of the Philippines, HE Mr David TE Lim,
Minister of State for Defence, and Information & the Arts, and Chairman of
the National Youth Council of Singapore, HE Mrs Panit Nitithanprapas,
Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office of Thailand, HE Mr Vu
Trong Kim, Chairman of the National Committee on Youth of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, Hon Mr Tran Duc Minh, Deputy Secretary-General of the
ASEAN Secretariat, and their respective delegations.

6. H.E. Major-General Sein Htwa, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement of the Union of Myanmar, and HE Ms Mabel P VillaricaMamba were
unanimously elected Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Meeting,
respectively.

7. As host of the Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth, Maj-Gen Sein Htwa
extended a warm welcome to the Ministers and their delegations. He recalled
the successive progress achieved by the ASEAN Youth Ministers since their
first meeting in 1992. In his statement, Maj-Gen Sein Htwa noted that Myanmar
had joined hands with other ASEAN countries and had worked diligently to
achieve the vision and policies laid down by ASEAN thirty years ago. He also
emphasized that for the achievement and development to be sustainable,
systematic nurturing of the youth is a ''must'' as the future lies in their
hands.

8. Maj-Gen Sein Htwa also officiated at the lunching of the Youth @ASEAN
WebPages, which provided a regional overview of ASEAN cooperation in youth
matters, as well as comprehensive information on existing resources,
programmes and activities carried out by Member Countries. The Ministers
welcomed the launching of the Youth@ASEAN WebPages and expressed appreciation
to Singapore for leading the initiative to develop the WebPages and hyperlink
it to existing national homepages and the ASEAN Secretariat homepage. The
Youth@ASEAN WebPages can be accessed at www.aseanyouth.org.

9. The Ministers shared views and experiences of efforts undertaken
individually and collectively to strengthen and develop the capacities of the
youth in ASEAN Member Countries.

Yangon 2000 Declaration on Preparing ASEAN Youth For The Challenges of
Globalization

10. The Ministers expressed their commitment to provide opportunities to
prepare and empower the region's youth to meet the increasing opportunities
and challenges created by globalisation, taking into account their
capacities, potentials and vulnerabilities.

11. In the light of the rapid changes taking place in ASEAN as a result of
regional economic integration, the trends of trade liberalization and
globalisation, and the renewed focus of priorities in youth human resources
development as called for by the Ha On Pain of Action, among other important
documents relevant to the intensification of regional cooperation in youth
matters the Ministers reiterated their commitment and determination to
nurture a resilient and responsible ASEAN youth who could contribute
significantly to Asian's prosperity and progress in the new millennium,
particularly in addressing the challenges of rapid global and regional
integration.

12. To this end, they adopted the Yangon 2000 Declaration on Preparing ASEAN
Youth For the Challenges of Globalisation, outlining the future course of
action to be charted in strengthening internet capacities to inculcate a
sense of ASEAN awareness and identity among the ASEAN youth and to equip them
with the necessary skills and capabilities to meet the cha11enges of
globalisation.

13. To realise the strategies-outlined in the Declaration, the Ministers
tasked their Senior Officials to seek ways and means to implement regional
activities particularly through cost-sharing and the utilization of existing
resources and capacities available in Member Countries.

14. The Ministers also noted that the Yangon 2000 Declaration on Preparing
ASEAN Youth for the Challenges of Globalisation also took into consideration
the youth-relate, priorities stated  in the UN Millennium Summit Declaration
adopted by the UN Millennium Summit on 8 September 2000.

15. Regarding cooperation in youth development matters with countries in East
Asia, the Ministers tasked their Senior Officials to identify ongoing ASEAN
activities that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) could be invited
to participate. In this regard, the Ministers agreed that China, Japan and
the ROK could initially participate in ASEAN activities at the project level.

ASEAN Youth Projects

16. The Ministers noted the progress in the implementation of the ongoing
ASEAN projects in the field of youth cooperation and human resource
development since the Second ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth held in Kuala
Lumpur in November 1997.

17. The Ministers noted with appreciation the efforts undertaken by the
Country Coordinators to implement projects and activities under the
representative priority areas of the Work Plan, and also noted that the
priorities of the Kuala Lumpur Agenda on ASEAN Youth Development had been.
successfully addressed by the ASY Work Plan. They noted with satisfaction the
completion of five projects under the Work Plan's programme areas on ASEAN
Awareness Family Values, Leadership Development, Skills Training for Out of
School Youth, one ongoing annual activity under the Work Plan's programme
area on ASEAN Awareness and the endorsement of six projects for future
implementation. In this regard, the Ministers requested their Senior Official
to review all ongoing and pending projects and implementation of pending
projects based on availability of resources and  the priorities set out by
thc Yangon 2000 Declaration on Preparing ASEAN Youth for the challenges of
Globalization.

Elevation of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Youth to Senior Officials Meeting on
Youth

18. The Ministers endorsed: thc recommendations of thc Committee on Social
Development (COSD) Ad Hoc Task Force on Enhancing the Effectiveness of thc
COSD and its Subsidiary Bodies to elevate the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Youth to
a Senior Officials Meeting on Youth.

19. Accordingly, the Ministers adopted the Terms of Reference for the Senior
Officials Meeting on Youth which would take over the responsibilities of the
ASEAN Sub-Committee on Youth, once the restructuring of the COSD had been
approved by the 34th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in July 2001.

to be continued...