The New Light of Myanmar (Monday, 14 May, 2001)(1/2)

Subject: The New Light of Myanmar (Monday, 14 May, 2001)(1/2)
From: Okkar 66126 <okkar66126@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 01:21:31 -0700
The New Light of Myanmar (Monday, 14 May, 2001)(1/2)
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1. - Secretary-1 inspects construction of Hanthawady
     International Airport, Kambawzathadi Palace in Bago
   - Secretary-1 inspects finishing touches of Lawka
     Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image
2. - Press Release of the Ministerial Meeting of signatory
     countries to the 1993 MoU on drug control
   - Yangon Declaration issued by Ministerial Meeting of
     countries signatory to MoU on cooperation in drug
     control in the sub-region of East Asia and Pacific
     region
3. - Leaders of delegations to Meeting of Ministers of
     Signatory Countries to MoU on Drug Control in East
     Asia and the Pacific Sub-region, UNDCP officials visit
     Wa Special Region-2, Mongyun and Kengtung Township
4. - Chief Justice leaves for China
   - Myanmar delegation leaves for China
5. Commander attends coord meeting
6. Thayet Cement Plant inspected
7. Minister arrives back from Malaysia
8. Two title recipient Sayadaws honoured
9. Commander inspects industrial zones, agriculture
   and livestock breeding work in Mandalay Division

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( 1 ) Secretary-1 inspects construction of Hanthawady International Airport, Kambawzathadi Palace in Bago

Yangon, 13 May ? Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt attended the work coordination meeting on construction of Hanthawady International Airport and inspected progress of work in building Kambawzathadi Palace of King Bayintnaung in Bago this morning.

The Secretary-1, together with the ministers, the deputy ministers, officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office and departmental officials, arrived at Thiri Oaktha Hall in Bago, Bago Division, at 9 am.

The Secretary-1 and party were welcomed by member of the State Peace and Development Council Chairman of Bago Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Southern Command Maj-Gen Tin Aye, Minister for Transport Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe, Deputy Minister for Rail Transportation Thura U Thaung Lwin, heads of departments, members of Bago Division Peace and Development Council, the Leading Committee for Construction of Hanthawady International Airport and the work committee, the secretary and executives of Bago Division Union Solidarity and Development Association and departmental officials.


Then, the Secretary-1 attended the work coordination meeting on construction of Hanthawady International Airport.

Also present were Commander Maj-Gen Tin Aye, the ministers, the deputy ministers, members of the Leading Committee for Construction of Hanthawady International Airport and the work committee, the officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office and departmental officials.

Chairman of the Leading Committee for Construction of Hanthawady International Airport Minister for Transport Maj-Gen Hla Myint Swe reported on construction of the runway, the taxi way and the apron of the airport.

Project Engineer of the Public Works U San Lwin reported on construction work being undertaken by the Public Works.

Minister for Energy Brig-Gen Lun Thi, Deputy Minister for Construction U Tint Swe, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Brig-Gen Khin Maung, Deputy Minister for Electric Power U Myo Myint, Deputy Minister for Rail Transportation Thura U Thaung Lwin and officials reported on tasks to be carried out by respective ministries.

Patron of the Leading Committee Maj-Gen Tin Aye reported on assistance to be provided by Bago Division Peace and Development Council.

Then, the Secretary-1 said that in Upper Myanmar, Mandalay International Airport has been opened. Hanthawady International Airport Project has been implemented since 1994.

The technicians have experience in construction of the airport. Emphasis is to be laid on thrift in carrying out tasks in accord with the guidance of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe.

It is necessary to complete the tasks of the project in time and machinery is to be used systematically. Systematic measures are to be taken to reduce loss and wastage.

The rainy season will soon set in, so working programmes are to be drawn up in order to continue construction work with added momentum in the open season while carrying out feasible construction work during the rainy season.

Afterwards, the Secretary-1 and party went to the construction site of Kambawzathadi Palace of King Bayintnaung.

They were welcomed by division, district and township authorities, departmental officials and members of Township USDA. The Secretary-1 inspected artifacts of Kon-baung Period excavated from the farm of Myanma Agriculture Services in Bago. Next, the Secretary-1 gave instructions on construction of Kambawzathadi Palace in the office of the project.


Minister for Culture U Win Sein reported on progress of construction work.The officials reported on construction work, greening work, cultivation of trees and flowering plants and drainage system.

Commander Maj-Gen Tin Aye gave an additional report. Then, historians U Maung Maung Tin, Dr Khin Maung Nyunt and Professor of the History Department of Yangon University U Kyaw Win discussed matters related to historical facts.

Afterwards, the Secretary-1 said that according to Myanma history, Hantha-wady Kingdom existed magnificently. The historians of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education are required to cooperate in finding historical facts.

The Secretary-1 called for construction of the buildings in accord with historical evidence. Later, the Secretary-1 and party inspected construction of Kambawzathadi Palace. The Secretary-1 and party left Bago by car and arrived back here in the afternoon.

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Secretary-1 inspects finishing touches of Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image

Yangon, 13 May?Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, accompanied by ministers, deputy ministers and officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, this afternoon arrived at Min-dhamma Hill in Insein Township where Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image is kept.

The Secretary-1 and party were welcomed by officials, scholars and members of the board of trustees.

The Secretary-1 paid obeisance to the Lawka Chantha Abhaya Labha Muni Image.

The Secretary-1 inspected the task of putting finishing touches on the image.

The Secretary-1 also inspected construction of Gandakuti Kyaungdawgyi and southern and northern stairways, decoration of Myanmar artistic works, installation of steel railings of verandah at the retaining walls and the greening of Mindhamma Hill.

At the briefing hall, Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Aung Ko reported on all-round renovation of Mindhamma Hill and measures taken for the greening of the hill.

The Secretary-1 then gave instructions and left there at 2.20 pm.

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( 2 )  Press Release of the Ministerial Meeting of signatory countries to the 1993 MoU on drug control

Yangon, 13 May ? The following is the text of the Press Release issued at the end of the Ministerial Meeting of six countries signatory to the 1993 MoU on drug control here on 11 May.

Drugs can no longer be conceived as a mere national problem and solutions can no longer be found by single countries alone. In front of the regionlisation of the drug problem, it is essential that Governments cooperate effectively to deal with the complex and changing problems of illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse in this part of the world. The responses must be national and regional.

It is according to this logic that the six signatories of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control  namely Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam  held Ministertial and Senior Officials level meetings in Yangon from 8 to 11 May 2001.

Ministers and high level senior officials from each of the six countries gathered in Yangon for a three-day round of bilateral and multilateral meetings to take stock of progress made in subregional drug control operations and discuss ways of further strengthening their efforts in the fight against illicit drugs and drug-related crimes.

In 1993 the Governments of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China and UNDCP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Drug Control under the belief that concerted international efforts were required to address the severe problems of illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse in the region. In 1995 Cambodia and Vietnam joined the regional anti-narcotics efforts and became parties of the regional group.

The first Ministerial Meeting of the six Governments and UNDCP, held in Beijing in May 1995, endorsed a Sub regional Action Plan for Drug Control which today includes 14 sub regional projects at a total cost of more than 26m$. Funding for these projects has been provided primarily by the governments of Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union and the Scandinavian countries.

This year?s meeting was opened by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council and was chaired by Col Tin Hlaing, Minister of Home Affairs and Chairman of Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control. The meeting addressed progress made under the Action Plan projects in the fields of drug abuse, reduction of illegal drug production and trafficking, law enforcement cooperation and also discussed further collective efforts to be launched at the cross-border, bilateral, regional and international levels. Issues such as cross-border law enforcement co-operation, drug
control advocacy and capacity strengthening, precursors chemicals control, the epidemic increase of trafficking in and abuse of synthetic drugs (in particular methamphetamines), legal co-operation, the spread of HIV/AIDS through injecting drug use as well as rural drug demand and povert reduction were other issues given high priority. Following its elaborations the meeting approved a revised Subregional Action Plan reflecting the discussed concerns and also signed a new regional project on "Precursor Chemical Control in East Asia" with a budget of US$ 1,793,700 and a duration of 4 years. The participants discussed and agreed on basic priciples of country partnerships and co-operative advocacy programmes to strengthen governments? ownership of international programmes and civil society?s awareness and participation.

The participants further recognized the importance of intreatingoing drug abuse prevention strategies into programmes for poverty alleviation, especially among ethnic groups in the highlands of Southeast Asia. A regional project idea to support this integrated approach was also endorsed.

The meeting elaborated also in more detail on the success of the development of a structure for law enforcement cooperation along the Chinese border to Myanmar, laos and Vietnam. The cooperation supported by UNDCP projects has resulted in successful joint operations against high level drug traffickers.

Furthermore this year?s meeting further built upon the recommendations for enhancing regional co-operation on drug control which resulted from the International Congress "In pursuit of a drug-free ASEAN 2015" which was held in Bangoko on 11-13 October 2000.

On that occasion, ASEAN countries and China jointly endorsed the ACCORD Plan of Action ASEAN and China Co-operative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs. Key elements of the Plan of Action are intended to give China and the ASEAN members, as well as other governments and organisations supporting the exercise, full ownership of the process. These include the provision of target dates for specific actions and the establishment of a monitoring mechanism that will measure the progress of all drug control activities in the region undertaken in support of the Plan of Action.

The six countries? delegations were headed by:

Cambodia: HE Lt-Gen Em Sam An

State Secretary of Interior Ministry and Secretary-General of National Authority for Combating Drugs

China: Mr. Yang Fengrui

Permanent Deputy Secretary General

National Narcotics Control Commission

Laos: H.E. Mr. Soubanh Srithirath

Minister to the President?s Office of Lao PDR and Chairman of

Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision

Myanmar: H.E. Col. Tin Hlaing

Chairman of Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control

Minister for Home Affairs

Thailand: H.E. Gen. Thanmmarak Isaranguea

Minister to the Prime Miniter?s Office

Office of the Prime Minister

Vietnam: H.E. Pol. Gen. Le The Tiem

Vice Minister of Public Security

Vietnam National Committee on AIDS,

Drugs and Prositution Control

The next Ministerial meeting will be held in Vietnam in May 2003.

Yangon Declaration issued by Ministerial Meeting of countries signatory to MoU on cooperation in drug control in the sub-region of East Asia and Pacific region

Yangon, 13 May-The Ministerial Meeting of the Signatory Countries to the Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in East Asia and the sub-region of the Pacific, hosted by the Union of Myanmar and co-organized by the United Nations Drug Abuse Control Programme, was successfully held at the Hotel Equatorial on Alanpya Pagoda Road, Yangon, on 11 May. The full text of Yangon Declaration issued by that meeting is as follows:

  Yangon Declaration

We, the Delegations of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme participating in the Ministerial Meeting of Signatory Countries of the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in Yangon on 11 May 2001, are:

Deeply concerned about the rapid increase and seriousness of illicit production, trafficking and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances especially Amphetamine-Type-Stimulants (ATS) as well as the diversion of precursors in the East Asia region and worldwide;

Aware of the pernicious effects of illicit drugs on individuals, families, communities as well as on the social, economic and political fabric of societies; Recognizing the importance of adhering to the International Drug Control Conventions and implementing the Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs;

  Bearing in mind in particular the commitment made in the Political Declaration, the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction and measures to enhance international cooperation to counter the world drug problems as adopted at the Twentieth Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly and the Bangkok Political Declaration and the ACCORD Plan of Action endorsed in October 2000; Stressing the important role of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme for concerted international action for drug control and prevention in the region and worldwide;

  Acknowledging the close link between international trafficking of illicit drugs and other transnational organized crime including money laundering, trafficking and exploitation of humans and corruption;

Realizing that the illicit drug situation in East Asia requires immediate attention and calls for further strengthened joint policy level efforts and result-oriented collaboration at the cross-border, bilateral, regional and international levels;

  Encouraging and Facilitating new initiatives together with other countries of the region and with other regions which face similar threats by illicit drugs, while maintaining the strong cooperation among the six MOU countries and the Subregional Action Plan;

We hereby jointly declare that we:

Reconfirm the commitment to the joint and forceful combating of illicit drug production, trafficking and consumption in the region in compliance with UN conventions through balanced, comprehensive and multidisciplinary initiatives with a view of shared responsibility for the achievements;

Confirm the commitment to implement the ACCORD Plan of Action " In pursuit of a drug-free ASEAN 2015 " and to participate in the regional cooperative mechanism to execute and monitor the progress towards the achievements of the goals established by the Plan;

  Reaffirm the commitment to contribute financially and in-kind to the Subregional Action Plan on Drug Control and the MOU Addendum on Partnership to the 1993 MOU and reaffirm the importance of active participation by all MOU members in the implementation of the policies and projects of the Action Plan and the determination to deploy in a timely fashion and as a matter of high priority the resources required to successfully meet set objectives;

Encourage the member countries to strengthen the national capacities for planning, coordinating, managing and implementing drug control efforts and to extend in a proactive manner in-kind and technical assistance and support to other signatory countries as required for their fulfillment of the commitments under the subregional cooperation framework as well as in support of their national drug control plans;

  Reaffirm the importance of precursor control and the need to continue to actively pursue all means to tighten control measures for such chemicals within the MOU countries as well as in cooperation with other countries of the East Asia and the Pacific region and other regions;

Call for the establishment and strengthening of technical and operational level cross-border cooperation among the MOU countries as well as other countries of the region in order to increase the efficiency of the fight against drug trafficking and related crimes across common borders;

Welcome the broadened mandate at UNDCP/ODCCP that will overtime increasingly facilitate coordinated responses to such international organised crime that is closely linked to drug production and trafficking;

Commit ourselves to pay particular attention to the rapidly increasing problem in the region of Amphetamine-Type-Stimulants (ATS) and to develop strategies and programmes individually and jointly to address this problem in the MOU countries and beyond, especially noting that ATS today is spreading rapidly among new very large target groups such as urban middle class youth;

Call upon all countries to accelerate their efforts to stem the rapidly increasing spread of HIV/AIDS through injecting drug use;

Commit ourselves to work toward strengthened and harmonized legal frameworks that will allow more efficient national efforts as well as closer legal cooperation between countries;

Urge to work closely with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to develop an objective, cost-efficient and sustainable system for monitoring and verification of illicit poppy and cannabis crop cultivation using internationally recognized scientific methodologies;

Call upon the member countries to pay particular attention to the monitoring and reporting of achievements in the implementation of Declarations and Resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the ACCORD Plan of Action;

Request the international community and donor countries to join UNDCP in providing political and financial support and assistance to the subregional and national programmes of the countries of the region in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking and consumption;

Stress the importance of promoting cooperation and partnership with other international and national agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in the fight against illicit drugs.
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( 3 ) Leaders of delegations to Meeting of Ministers of Signatory Countries to MoU on Drug Control in East Asia and the Pacific Sub-region, UNDCP officials visit Wa Special Region-2, Mongyun and Kengtung Township

Yangon, 13 May?Leaders of the delegations to the Meetings of Ministers and High-level Officials of the Signatory Countries to the Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in East Asia and the Pacific Sub-region and officials of UNDCP and local authorities, accompanied by Secretary of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Director-General of Myan-mar Police Force Police Maj-Gen Soe Win, member Col Kyaw Thein, Joint Secretary Police Col Khan Aung, General Staff Officer (Grade-I) Lt-Col Hla Min of the Office of Strategic Studies, Secretary of Foreign Correspondents Club U Nyunt Tin of Fuji TV news agency, correspondents of Reuters, AP, Ji Ji, NTV and Sankei Shimbun news agencies, reporters of Myanma News Agency and Myanmar Times and correspondents of AP, Reuters, AFP and DPA news agencies, yesterday left here for Monghsat to visit Wa Special Region-2 in Shan State (East), Mongyun and Kengtung Township.

They were welcomed at Monghsat by Brig-Gen Tun Tun of Monghsat Station, Chairman of Monghsat District Peace and Development Council and officials.

The members of the study group went to Wa Special Region-2 and Mongyun region by helicopter. They were welcomed by Wa national race leader U Pauk Yu Ri, U Wai Side Htan and Wa nationals.

Wa Special Region-2 liaison in-charge U Khin Maung Myint reported on the history of Mongyun region, cultivation of opium substitute crops, regional development work, tasks to be carried out and a rocket attack on Mongyun region by a Thai jet fighter on 10 May.


He said Thai media accused the region of producing narcotic drugs. The officials of member countries on narcotic drugs control and local and foreign correspondents can visit any place without let or hindrance to find out whether the region produces or distributes narcotic drugs or not, he said.

He said the officials would come to realize the situation as the saying goes "seeing is believing." The Thai reports described the briefing hall was as a five-star hotel, he added. The members of the study group observed damages caused by the rocket fire near Lwehsanhsaw Village in Mongyun region.

The members of the study group visited the hydro-electric power plant which generates 200 KVA. The plant now supplies electricity.

Members of the study group also visited rice mill and warehouses. Summer and monsoon paddy is grown on 2,000 acres of farmlands and the region produces over 200,000 baskets of paddy a year. Over 20,000 lychee plants are grown on 1,000 acres of lands as opium substitute crop.

Members of the study group visited construction of hydro-electric power plant which can generate 800 KVA and market. They interviewed with local people.

U Khin Maung Myint said officials of Thai army accused the hydro-electric power plant, rice mill, warehouses and market in Mongyun region of producing narcotic drugs through Thai media according to the satellite photos. Members of the study group witnessed that those buildings are for regional development and no one can deny it, he said.

He said any organization or any citizen can visit Wa region any time under the agreement of the government. He wanted media persons to report true their findings.

Then members of the study group were shown the site by rocket attack.

Members of the study group went by helicopter to Wanhon agricultural farm of opium substitute cultivation project in Lwehsanhsaw region.

U Khin Maung Myint reported on the project. A total of 240,000 lychee plants, 50,000 honey orange plants, 2,000 pomelo plant and coffee plants are grown on 9,600 acres of lands. He replied the queries raised by the members of the study group and journalists.

Wa national race leader U Pauk Yu Ri presented crops to members of the study group.

Members of the study group went to Kengtung Township by helicopter and visited Mongzin breeding farm of Honpang Breeding Development Ltd. They visited laboratory and breeding farm.

In the evening, Police Commander of Shan State Police Force Police Col Tin Maung Maung hosted dinner in honour of the members of the study group at Kengtung Hotel.

The group includes 24 delegates of the signatory countries to Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in East Asia and the Pacific Sub-region and UNDCP and 16 local and foreign newsmen.

They arrived back here this afternoon.
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( 4 ) Chief Justice leaves for China

Yangon, 13 May?A Myanmar delegation led by Chief Justice U Aung Toe left for China to pay a goodwill visit this afternoon.

They were seen off at the airport by Minister for Hotels and Tourism Maj-Gen Saw Lwin, Attorney-General U Tha Tun, Deputy Chief Justice U Than Oo, Deputy Attorney-General U Khin Maung Aye, Supreme Court Justice Dr Tin Aung Aye, Ambassador of China Mr Li Jinjun and officials.

The delegation comprises Supreme Court Justice U Khin Myint, Director-General of Supreme Court Office U Tin Aye, Director U Myo Nyunt and Deputy Director U Nyan Tun.

Myanmar delegation leaves for China

Yangon, 13 May?A Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Maj-Gen Sein Htwa left here for the People?s Republic of China yesterday evening to attend the 5th Ministerial Consultation on Pro-gress Toward Goals for Children and Development in Asia and the Pacific to be held in Beijing from 14 to 16 May.

The delegation was seen off at Yangon International Airport by Minister for Sports Brig-Gen Thura Aye Myint, Minister at the Prime Minister?s Office U Than Shwe, Vice-Chairperson Professor Daw May May Yi of Myanmar Working Committee for Women?s Affairs, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Li Jinjun, Deputy Resident Representative of UNICEF office Dr Rosella Morelli and officials, directors-general and officials of departments under Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Ministry of Education and family members of the delegates.

Delegation members Deputy Minister for Education U Myo Nyunt, Director-General U Sit Myaing of Social Welfare Department and Director Dr Soe Myint of Health Planning Department also left here on the same flight.

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( 5 ) Commander attends coord meeting

Yangon, 13 May?Chairman of Rakhine State Peace and Development Council Commander of Western Command Maj-Gen Aung Htwe attended the Rakhine-state level coordination meeting of Rakhine State Peace and Development Council held at the hall of the council on 9 May.

It was also attended by Commander of Regional Control Command (Sittway) Brig-Gen Phone Swe, members of Rakhine State Peace and Development Council and departmental officials.

The commander delivered a speech, heard the reports of the departmental officials and gave instructions.

On 10 May morning, the commander arrived at the construction site of Sittway Highway Bus Terminal and gave instructions on construction, maintenance, greening tasks and completion of the tasks in time.

The terminal on Yangon-Sittway Road is being constructed by Shwe Yamar Construction Co at an estimated cost of K 50 millions.

The commander and party inspected the ordination hall where Cakkya Muni image will be kept, in the compound of Sittway Lawka Nanda Pagoda and paid homage to the Image.

The commander also inspected Modern Housing Project near Sanpya Ward (West) in Sittway and attended to requirements.

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( 6 ) Thayet Cement Plant inspected

Yangon, 13 May?Member of Central Executive Committee of Union Solidarity and Development Association Minister for Industry-1 U Aung Thaung, accompanied by officials, arrived at Phayagyi monastery in Wagyiai Village, Myothit Township in Magway Division and presented offertories to the members of the Sangha led by Presiding Sayadaw U Thumana and attended to the development of the village yesterday morning.

Then he attended the cere-mony to submit USDA membership applications of the village-tracts held at the village and accepted 15,074 applications. After attending to the needs of the villagers, he inspected Wagyiai Station Hospital and fulfilled the requirements. In the afternoon, he inspected land reclamation near Thayet Cement Plant of Myanma Ceramics Industries in Thayet and Cement Plant and gave necessary instructions.
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to be continued ...


I will ever try to help and never try to harm others.

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