Burma News International

 

18 October 2004

*Computer Training Program, A Burden

* Directive orders new listing of illegal Burmese Muslim refugees

* Easy Learning Mon VCD for Mon People made

 

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Computer Training Program, A Burden

 

Khonumthung News Group

Date- 30/ 10/ 2004

 

The Military authorities in Rizua Township, newly promoted to a

township in Chin state, have charged the cost to the people for

running a computer training program, instead of providing the

necessary costs.

 

The open ceremony for the computer training course was to be held in

the first week of September in Rizua, a sub-town of Matupi, Chin

State. Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) chairman U Kyaw

Thun ordered a forced contribution of 180,000 kyat by the local people

for the whole cost of the proposed program, according to a resident of

Lawngthantlang village who wished to remain unnamed due to security

concerns.

 

The reporter added that the TPDC chairman called a meeting Oct. 1 of

village council chairmen of 15 villages affected by the computer

training program and ordered that  2,000 kyat be contributed by each

household in their respective villages. The amount had to be submitted

at or before the end of October. Proper lists of households that

failed to contribute this amount also had to be submitted before the

end of the month.

 

"The villagers are happy about the computer training program, However,

they regret the forced contribution. It is an ill wish of the TPDC

chairman that poor villagers should have more financial burden," the

reporter remarked.

 

Lawng Than Tlang villages of more than 30 households had already

submitted  6,000 kyat Oct. 15. Widows and disable people were not

spared this forced contribution.

 

The contribution was paid due to fear of mistreatment by the TPDC.

Households that could not bear the contribution also paid the allotted

amount with credit from other sources.

 

The Myanmar military government donated 20 computers to Rizua Township

as an area development program. However, the TPDC local authority

forced the people to pay for the entire program.

 

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Directive orders new listing of illegal Burmese Muslim refugees

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Narinjara News

Cox’s Bazaar bazaar October 30:

 

The Law and Order Committee of Cox's Bazaar district recently

expressed deep concern over the "Burmese Muslim refugee problem" there.

 

The state minister for communication, Salah Uddin Ahmed, MP, directed

the district administration to prepare a list of illegal Burmese

Muslim refugees and take necessary steps to solve the problem within

the next two months.

 

The minister presided over a meeting of the Law and Order Committee of

Cox's Bazaar at the conference hall of the deputy commissioner Oct, 24.

 

Some sentiments expressed by the minister at the meeting were that the

large number of Burmese Muslim refugees were destroying the ecological

harmony of the beach and the seaside city of Cox's Bazaar, adding that

many Burmese Muslim refugees engage in crimes there, threatening the

law and order situation of the entire country.

 

The state minister asked the district administrator to prepare a new

list of current illegal Burmese Muslim refugees residing in Cox's

Bazaar as well as take necessary steps to solve the continuing problem

within the next two months.

 

Representatives of political parties, social organizations and other

aspects of civil society discussed the law and order situation of

Cox's bazar. The state minister also ordered the district

administrator and police to take special measures to curb crime in the

tourist city. He asked them to immediately evict illegal

establishments from the sea beach area.

 

Among other participants at the meeting were Shahajahan Chowdhury MP,

Alamgir Farid Chowdhury MP, Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazaar Aminul

Islam, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sayed Toufique Uddin Ahmed, Ameer

of Jammat of Cox's bazar Mohammed Shahjahan, secretary of Cox's bazar

BNP Nurul Bashar Chowdhury, Advocate Shah Jalal Chowdhury, former MP

Mohammad Rashid, Vice-president of Cox's Bazaar Awami League Nazrul

Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of Cox's Bazaar Pourasabha Sarower Kamal,

chairman of Teknaf Pourasabha Abdur Rahman Bodi, president of Cox's

Bazaar city BNP Rafiqul Huda Chowdhury, and president of Chakaria BNP

Enamul Haque.,  Chakaria city BNP Anowarul Hakim Dulal also

participated in the meeting.

 

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Easy Learning Mon VCD for Mon People made

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Independent Mon News Agency

October 30, 2004

 

The first Easy Learning Mon Video VCD has been made by the

Sanghklaburi-based Winyangita Foundation for Mon people who can’t read

and write Mon, according to Winyangita Foundation director Nai Orkpung.

 

“You do not need to have a teacher, you can have this VCD and learn it

by following reading alphabets and listening to the voice on it,” he

said.

 

“Every local Mon person can learn it with a VCD machine for children

for whom it is difficult to have a teacher and children who do not

have a chance to learn Mon from their parents,” Nai Orkpung said,

explaining the intent of the VCD.

 

The first edition of the Easy Learning Mon VCD, mixing basic Mon

learning with traditional Mon songs, has 29 sessions for the learner

and is named Loik Kae Thell Jae Nok, which is mean the Mon alphabet on

a big wooden white board. 

 

“We will distribute it as soon as possible and have asked Mon

community organizations worldwide to help in distributing it,” Nai

Orkpung said.

 

“We will sell it with the decision of Mon organizations priced at 200

baht per copy,” Nai Orkpung said.

 

According to Winyangita Foundation, it took two months to make an

edition intended for Mon people developing the learning of  their own

languages.

 

Winyangita Foundation upgraded how to learn Mon from a book and by a

teacher. We wanted Mon to have such assistance like others in

developing our nation,” Nai Orkpung revealed.

 

Winyangita Foundation also plans to make an Easy Learning Mon VCD for

Thai Mon and Burmese Mon who want to learn Mon.

 

“We can finish  the Thai Mon Video VCD in two months,” Nai Orkpung

told IMNA.

 

Mon community leaders in Australia said they want such a Video VCD for

Mon community children in Australia because they cannot have special

teachers. A Mon community leader here also told IMNA they want a

website for learning Mon language.

 

Mon people in foreign countries, some in rural areas and towns of

Burma and Thailand, cannot learn Mon language because it is difficult

to have a teacher and permission to open a Mon language school.

 

Burma has more than 30,000 students attending 200 Mon National

Schools. More than 30,000 students attended Mon Summery Literature

training in lthe ast year.

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

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Burma News International

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