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The New Light of Myanmar (Wednesday, 18 April, 2001)(2/2)

The New Light of Myanmar (Wednesday, 18 April, 2001)(2/2)
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1. Four-mile Thaphanseik Dam, largest in Myanmar and among
   longest in Southeast Asia, inaugurated to irrigate
   500,000 acres
2. - Teaching for 2000 2001 academic year, management and
     future tasks of International Theravada Buddhist
     Missionary University coordinated
3. - Pagodas in Yangon crowded with devotees on Myanmar
     New Year Day
4. - Alodawpyi Sayadaw honoured
   - Parittas recited for residents of Yangon
   - Soon and alms offered to members of the Sangha
   - Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni image crowded with
     devotees and pilgrims
5. Myanmar Thingyan celebrated in Macao
6. Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs
   attends China-ASEAN ICT Seminar
7. Minister inspects hospitals in Magway
8. Cultural troupe members visit Thanlyin
9. Paritta water poured into Phugyi Reservoir

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( 6 ) Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs attends China-ASEAN ICT Seminar

Yangon, 17 April-A Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Brig-Gen Win Tin, at the invitation of Minister of Information and Industry Mr Wu Jichuan of People's Republic of China, attended China-ASEAN ICT Seminar held at Shenzhen from 10 to 12 April. During the meeting, Minister Brig-Gen Win Tin read the paper " Infocom Development Strategies and Policies In the New Century" that reflects endeavours being made in information technology sector in Myanmar.The paper reads;

In this new millenium, many Asian countries including China and ASEAN have initiated many ICT development projects, although the absorption, diffusion and application of the new technologies by the countries differ. While Asian leading economics like Japan, Korea, China especially Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore are pursuing the creation of high-capacity fiber-optic networks and the formation of IT centres, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Vietnam and Philippines are moving into the information age. The IT centres may be focused firmly on the 21st century, while much of the countries is still lodged in the 19th Century.


The reasons that the ICT is welcome by the countries lie in various factors: the ICT is the primary engine for economic growth in many of the richest Asian countries; the ICT plays a crucial role in accelerating economic growth, promoting development, eliminating poverty and facilitating the economies" integration into the global market; ICT has immense potential for a vast range of applications for development purposes-ranging from electronic commerce to financial market access, from generating employment to providing investment opportunities especially in small and medium sized enterprises, from improved productivity in agriculture and manufacturing sectors to the empowerment of all sections of society, from long-distance education to telemedicine, from environmental monitoring and management to disasters prevention and management. ICT also offers the cost effective and far better efficient business transactions.

Therefore, it is widely recognized that the ICT forms the centrepiece of the creation of better quality-of life. On the other hand, ICT revolution also poses challenges and risks, as it breaks down information barriers and country borders while it opens all societies to the fierce force of the global competition. For the developing economies, it will be quite challenging to build technological capacity and to exploit the opportunities offered by the ICT revolution, while they have unaddressed profound structural issues, such as lack of infrastructure, limited technical manpower and technology-based institutions, inadequate capabilities for Technology Assessment, lack of support facilities and technical information services, lack of information intensive industries, low level of urbanization and limited trade and connection with the globe.

The costs involved in building the physical information infrastructure in general and setting the national platform for software developments will be colossal. Only the nations that have heavily invested in IT connected fields will be the biggest beneficiaries of the IT revolution, whereas those cannot afford for such investment will be lagged far behind. And thereby the issue of widening disparities among societies, which is referred to as social divide or digital divide will be immense. It is also possible that certain types of crime are made easier.

Regarding the ICT development strategies and policies in this new century, determinations of how far and how fast to usher into the IT revolution, and the policy design to form the information society by individual country depend on the circumstances of the country concerned. In pursuit of ICT development countries focus on five factors, namely establishments of human capital, information-intensive industry, international relations, urbanization and the English language skill. May I now turn to the Infocom development strategies and policies development in my own country, Myanmar. Before I deal with this, let me first associate you with the current position of Myanmar telecommunications developments. Recognizing the importance of IT revolution and establishing knowledge society, Myanmar government has laid down the policy guidelines and strategies for the realization of information society.

To build a learning society in order to meet challenges that may arise in this Knowledge Age and to be capable of taking part in the global competition, Myanmar has placed emphasis on advancement of technologies. Towards this end, the government is firmly committed to giving encouragement and providing incentive. Increased investment has been made especially in education and human resource development for IT.

At the same time, in order to create a favourable environment to facilitate cooperation with other countries, the government synchronized its IT principles and codes enacting necessary laws and standardizing criteria. The government encourages the private sector participation not only with the legal enforcement, but also with the supporting for institutional developments. Various seminars and workshops on IT development have been organized in collaboration with private sector institutions from domestic and abroad. Recently, an IT park has been established by a consortium of IT companies. As Internet is becoming a fundamental means of communications, internet and intranet access via existing telephone network has become a necessity. Myanma Posts & Telecommunications (MPT) is providing data services in the two major cities, Yangon and Mandalay, with a Packet Switching System. There are now over 2,500 internet e-mail users. Web-surfing is at present allowed to selective governmen!
t and educational departments and computer organizations.

The internet Gateway facility is under continual expansion. Satellite technology is providing connectivity for both international and rural access. Lease circuits for overseas connection are provided for user's specific requirement. Although analog and digital radio national backbones have sufficient capacity for the moment, MPT is preparing to introduce Fiber Optics Long Distance Systems for high bandwidth requirement in the near future. Currently optical systems are used as junctions for multi-exchange networks in Yangon and Mandalay. MPT is using circuits in the SEA-ME-WE (3) submarine cable system for international linkage, and is speeding up digitization of the automatic telephone switches. Ministry of Education (MOE) has been setting up Multimedia Classrooms in schools and universities, and has successfully introduced nationwide Electronic Data Broadcasting via satellite. Steps are now being taken to establish MOE. net.

Myanmar, as a member of ASEAN, joins other members in signing the e-ASEAN frame work agreement at the 4th ASEAN informal Summit in November 2000, in order to facilitate the establishment of ASEAN information infrastructure, to facilitate the growth of e-commerce, to establish a common market place for ICT goods, services and investment, to promote capacity building and e-society and e-government. To implement the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement, Myanmar has formed an e-National Task Force with four working committees under it.

Two important IT related organizations, namely, Myanmar Computer Development Council and Myanmar Computer Federation, which is NGO, are also set up in recent years. As mentioned, earlier, Myanmar is committed to international and regional declarations and action plans, especially e-ASEAN initiative, for bridging the digital divide-to provide access to the population whose livelihoods can be enhanced through ICT; this indeed is quite a task for a country with over 50 million people, and a teledensity of 0.53 per 100 population. Myanmar government has illustrated its political will and policy to move into IT evolution and provided support to private sector to take active role in IT developments, Investment has been made increasingly, especially in education and Human Resources Development for IT.

Necessary organization are set up and to address structural issues and to acquire technical cooperation, Myanmar has seeked external cooperation through bilateral and regional cooperations. Regarding the techno development, the fast-changing technologies in ICT were brought about with the wider use of optic fibres in the place of copper cable and microwave transmissions, and the widespread use of optic fibres caused the high speed transmission which then determine the pace of IT development and effective and extensive exploitation of digital technologies.

In fact the developments of telecommunications and ICT developments are interdependent. For further development of IC technologies, government should subsidise the production of new ideas on the cutting edge of technology. Clear property rights should be provided to new thoughts, as well. Governments should take a role to provide educational investment, as education is the key to take advantage of new technologies. Public-private cooperation should be promoted in establishing information intensive industries and in accumulating urbanized work force. Government policy to facilitate openness to foreign technologies should be further enhanced. While the rich are moving into the better quality services of ICT, eliminating the widening disparities between the developed and the developing worlds should be concentrated too, in order not to leave the developing countries behind.

I wish you all enjoy the highest benefit from IT developments. The minister together with ministers of information technology of ASEAN nations and delegates visited Shenzhen Telecom Corporation in the afternoon on 10 April and studied multimedia broadband network there. He paid a courtesy call on Minister of Information and Industry Mr Wu Jichuan at 8 pm the same day. He discussed present conditions of communication work, measures to be taken for the development of information technology in Myanmar and matters relating to cooperation between the two countries. He attended the seminar on 11 and 12 April.

The minister met with Chairman of ZTE Corporation at 10.30 am on 12 April and discussed matters relating to extension of CDMA ( Mobile ) phone system to be carried out in Myanmar. The minister approved the resolutions and closed the seminar as a member of chairmen at the seminar on 12 April evening. The minister and delegates left Shenzhen for Shanghai at 9 am on 12 April. They visited Shanghai Bell Company Limited at 2 pm on 12 April and studied research and development work at Shanghai Telecom at 8 am on 13 April. The minister and delegates arrived back here via Hong Kong at 7 pm on 16 April.

They were welcomed back at Yangon International Airport by Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office U Than Shwe, departmental officials and family members of delegates. Members of delegation Pro-rector U Kyaw Zwa Soe of University of Computer Studies (Mandalay), Ministry of Science and Technology and Superintending Engineer U Tint Lwin of Myanma Posts and Telecommunications also arrived back on the same flight.
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( 7 ) Minister inspects hospitals in Magway

Yangon, 17 April-Minister for Health Maj-Gen Ket Sein, accompanied by Deputy Director-General of Health Department Dr Hla Pe and officials, inspected hospitals in Magway Division from 14 to 16 April. Minister Maj-Gen Ket Sein and party inspected construction of Institute of Medicine (Magway) on 14 April. Magway Division Peace and Development Council Chairman Brig-Gen Thein Zaw and Pro-Rector of Institute of Medicine (Magway) Professor Dr Thein Myint reported to the minister on preparation for construction and academic matters.

The minister gave instructions to them and inspected progress of work. The minister and party inspected Kanma Station People's Hospital in Pakokku on 15 April. Pakokku District Peace and Development Council Chairman Lt-Col Tin Oo and Medical Superintendent of Station Hospital Dr Sanda Thein briefed the minister on their work.

The minister met staff of the hospital and gave instructions. He then inspected the Pakokku District People's Hospital and met Medical Superintendent Dr Maung Htay and staff of the hospital. In the afternoon, the minister inspected Nurses Training School in Pakokku and Kaing Station People's Hospital. He then inspected NyaungU People's Hospital and Kaing Station People's Hospital. He also inspected extension work of People's Hospital.
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( 8 ) Cultural troupe members visit Thanlyin

Yangon, 17 April-Altogether 146 members of border areas national race cultural troupe from Putao (Kachin State), Kokang and Wa Regions (Northern Shan State), Popaankyin/Pan-kankaw Region (Eastern Shan State), Homein Region (Southern Shan State), Dimawhso Region (Kayah State), Hongthayaw Region (Kayin State), Maungtaw (North) Region (Rakhine State), Rikhorda and Mindat Regions (Chin State) and Nanyun/Panhsaung Region (Sagaing Division) accompanied by officials visited Yayle Kyauktan Pagoda in Thanlyin this morning. They were conducted around by Pagoda Trustees. They then visited Thanlyin Kyaikkhauk Pagoda and made donations there. They also visited Hlinethaya Industrial Zone and Shukhintha Amusement Park in Thakayta Township in the afternoon.
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( 9 ) Paritta water poured into Phugyi Reservoir

Yangon, 17 April - With the patronage of Chairman of Yangon City Development Committee Mayor U Ko Lay and wife Daw Khin Khin, a ceremony to pour paritta water into Phugyi Reservoir to be free from harm and dangers for Yangon residents was held at the guest house of Phugyi Reservoir in Hmawby Township this morning. Present were 27 members of the Sangha led by member of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Dwipitakadhara Bhaddanta Nimala, Chairman of YCDC Mayor U Ko Lay and wife Daw Khin Khin, Vice-Chairman of YCDC Col Maung Pa and wife Daw Khin Nyunt Myaing, the Secretary and wife, the Joint-Secretary and wife, committee members and wives, Head of Engineering Department U Thaung Yin (Water/ Sewerage) and officials. State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Member Dwipitakadhara Bhaddanta Nimala administered the Five-Precepts. Then, members of the Sangha recited the parittas. Mayor U Ko Lay, Vice-Mayor Col Maung Pa, the Secretary, the Joint-Secretary and the committee members present!
ed offertories to Agga Maha ÊGandavacaka Pandita Bhaddanta Manita Siribhi-vamsa, Bhaddanta Nimala and members of the Sangha. Then, ÊBhaddanta Manita Siribhi-vamsa Êdelivered a sermon, followed by sharing of merits. After the ceremony, members of the Sangha and officials poured paritta water into the Phugyi reservoir. Then, Mayor U Ko Lay and party arrived at agriculture and irrigation camp on U-to Kya-Inn Region in Taikkyi Township. Mayor U Ko Lay and party offered alms to 10 members of the Sangha at the camp.

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