Information Sheet No.A. 0830(I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

MYANMAR  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE
YANGON

Information Sheet
No.A. 0830(I)          10 March, 1999

(1)		Senior General Than Shwe's Goodwill Visit to Thailand

		Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and goodwill delegation
left Yangon on 8 March by special flight for Thailand on an official goodwill
visit there at the invitation of Prime Minister of Thailand Mr. Chuan Leekpai.
They arrived at Chiang Rai International Airport in Thailand at 9 am local
time. They were welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister of Thailand Mr.
Chuan Leekpai, ministers and officials, Ambassador and Military Attache  of
Myanmar, Myanmar Embassy staff and families.
		Accompanied by the Thai Prime Minister, the Senior General and delegation
arrived at the parlour of Doi Tung Development Project and were welcomed by
Director-General of the Project Mr. Disnadda Diskul and officials. The
director-general explained the emergence of the project, eradication of
shiftcropping and poppy cultivation covered by the project, creation of new
businesses to boost  people's income, efforts being made to fulfil regional
requirements such as roads, power and water, farming and arrangements being
made for handicrafts and products of cottage industries to penetrate local and
international markets, to attract tourists with the nature and culture of
national races and to develop social and economic sectors to fulfil the lives
of regional people.
		Later, the Senior General and delegation visited the Mae Fah Luang Garden.
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and Prime Minister Senior
General Than Shwe and Prime Minister Mr. Chuan Leekpai met at Doi Tung Royal
Guest House. The two leaders cordially discussed further strengthening of
Myanmar-Thai friendly relations and promoting cooperation in anti-narcotics
activities.
		Accompanied by Prime Minister Mr. Chuan Leekpai, the Senior General and
delegation arrived at Chiang Rai International Airport to depart for Bangkok
by special aircraft of the Royal Thai Air Force. Accompanied by Prime Minister
Mr. Chuan Leekpai, the Senior General and delegation paid a courtesy call on
King Bhumibhol Adulyadej at the Dusit Palace, Chitralada Villa. After the King
had spoken at length on Doi Tung development project, the King and the Senior
General  exchanged views on further strengthening of friendly relations
between the two countries. 
		Senior General and delegation members, accompanied by Deputy Minister for
Science, Technology and Environment Mr. Pomthep Techapaibul and officials,
left for Broiler Farm "Tao Poon Farm" in Saraburi Province on 9 March. The
Senior General and delegation went round in the poultry farms. They proceeded
to Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Co Ltd. The Chairman of Charoen
Pokphand Group extended greetings to them and gave a presentation on
cultivation and distribution of paddy and other crops, poultry, swine, fish
and prawn farming, cultivation of paddy and other crops and dissemination of

agricultural technology, distribution of animal feed, and projects for uplift
of life of farmers.
		Going round in the Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Co plant, the Senior
General and delegation studied production of chicken meat ready for consumer
market. The Senior General and delegation left Bangkok by special aircraft and
arrived back Yangon on 9 March.

(2)		Border to be Turned into One of Friendship, Harmony and Prosperity
Excellent Cooperation to Expand Cooperative Anti-narcotics Efforts Signigicant
Progress achieved  So Far by Respective CountriesPositive contribution of the
4th International Heroin Conference noted 

		The following is the Joint Statement of the Goodwill Visit to the Kingdom of
Thailand of His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Prime Minister of the Union of
Myanmar, from 8 to 9 March 1999.
1.		At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of
the Kingdom of Thailand, His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of
the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Prime Minister of the Union
of Myanmar, paid a goodwill visit to the Kingdom of Thailand from 8 to 9 March
1999.
2.		During the visit, the two Prime Ministers reaffirmed the commitment of
their two governments, as expressed in the Joint Communique in Yangon on 17th
May 1997, to turn the common border between the two countries into a border of
friendship, harmony and prosperity. The two Prime Ministers noted with
satisfaction the existing excellent cooperation during the past two years
between the law enforcement authorities of the two countries to coordinate and
expand their cooperative anti-narcotics  efforts. They expressed their
governments' determination to further enhance the cooperation between
officials of the two governments at all levels in the fight against narcotic
drugs. 
3.		They welcomed the significant progress achieved so far by their
respective countries: the arrest of metamphetamine producers and traffickers,
along with the destruction of more than twenty million metamphetamine tablets
by Thailand in 1997-98: the seizures of more than twenty-eight thousand
kilogrammes of opium and over four thousand kilogrammes of heroin as well as
over 26 million metamphetamine tablets by Myanmar in 1988-98.
4.		They stressed the need for regional and international cooperation in the
fight against narcotic drugs and in this regard noted with satisfaction the
positive contribution of the 4th International Heroin Conference held in
Yangon on 23-26 February 1999.
5.		They agreed to intensify the cooperation and the coordination of law
enforcement efforts with the aim of achieving the total eradication of illicit
drug production, processing, trafficking and use in ASEAN by the year 2020 in
accordance with the Joint Declaration for a Drug-Free ASEAN as announced in
Manila on 25th of July 1998. Towards this end, the law enforcement authorities
of both countries agreed as a priority to take concrete actions with the
objectives of interdicting precursor chemicals and terminating sources of
narcotics production. 


(3)		Sibu Of Importers,Exporters, Wholesalers and Myanmar Entrepreneurs  Meet

		Meeting on trade of Sibu Chamber of Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers of
Sarawak Province of Malaysia and Myanmar entrepreneurs was held at Traders
Hotel on Sule Pagoda Road on 9 March. Present on the occasion were Myanmar
entrepreneurs led by Chairman of Olympic Company Ltd and Vice-Chairman of Asia
Wealth Bank, Chairman of Sibu Chamber of Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers
Mr. Wong Do Yon and members. They discussed matters relating to trade.

(4)		Narcotic Drug Refinery Seized in Takkanine Village, Kutkai

		Acting on information given by local intelligence unit, the Tatmadaw
(Defence Services) column of North-East Command together with members of
Defence Services Intelligence Unit found a narcotic drug refinery in the
ravine covered by dense forests located six miles from Takkanine Village of
Kutkai Township, Shan State (North)  on 5 March 1999. On that day, they
encountered sentries of the refinery east of Takkanine Village and captured
four enemy dead with one M-20 pistol there. Tatmadaw column seized drugs,
chemicals and paraphernalia used in narcotic drugs refinery-- two kilos of
opium, 14,152.5 litres of ether contained in 72 drums and 56 containers, 481.5
litres of spirit contained in 35 containers, 25 containers of hydrochloric
acid 414 litres, 23 containers of chemical liquid 351 litres, 42 containers of
kerosene 756 litres, 30 boxes of sodium, 29 empty drums, two iron retorts, 30
glass retorts, 50 assorted glass tubes, 18 stoves and K 166,165. The Armed
Forces seized six narcotic drug refineries from 1 January 1999 till 9 March.
It is resolved to step up its fight against narcotic drugs on all  fronts. 

(5)		VOV, MRTV Sign MoU

		The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and Myanma Radio and Television (MRTV)  signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation at MRTV on 9 March.
Director-General of MRTV and Deputy Director-General of the VOV Ms. Nguyen Thi
Kim Cue signed the MoU and exchanged documents. 

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