Information Sheet N0.A-0806(I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

                             MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
                                                    YANGON
                                            Information Sheet
                       N0.A-0806(I)                            18th  February
1999 
	
(1)		Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army and Delegation Arrive
		At the invitation of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander
in Chief (Army) General Maung Aye, Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army
General Surayud Chulanont and wife and delegation arrived by special flight on
17 February on an official good-will visit to the Union of Myanmar. 
(2)		Senior General Than Shwe Receives Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army
		Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Commander-in-Chief of
Defence Services Senior General Than Shwe received Commander-in-Chief of Royal
Thai Army General Surayud Chulanont and party at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry
of Defence on 17th February.
(3)		General Maung Aye Receives Visiting Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai
				Army
		Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-
in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye
received Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army General Surayud Chulanont and
party at Zeya Thiri Beikman at Konmyinttha on 17 February.
(4)		Secretary-1 Meets Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army 
		Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Chief of the Office
of Strategic Studies and Director of Defence Services Intelligence Lt-Gen Khin
Nyunt met Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army General  Surayud Chulanont and
party at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence on 17 February.
(5)		Second Yangon Gems Emporium 99 Continues 
		The Second Yangon Gems Emporium 99 organized by the Cooperative Department
and TTF (Yangon) Co Ltd continued at Hotel Equatorial today for the second
day. Local and foreign gem merchants and tourists visited the emporium and
bought gems from seventy-five booths of gems cooperative societies and local
gem entrepreneurs. The gems on display are being sold in US dollars. It is
open from 10 am to 6 pm till 21 February.
(6)		PHS Telephone System Launched at Sittway Hospital
		A ceremony to launch PHS Telephone System at Sittway Hospital was held at
the hospital in Sittway on 16 February. The 50-line telephone exchange was
donated by Basic Human Needs Association and NTT Do Co Mo of Japan.

(7)		Export and Import Procedure Course Opens
		Export and Import Procedure Course No 14 for entrepreneurs opened at the
Ministry of Commerce on 17 February with an address by Minister for Commerce.
The minister said enabling entrepreneurs to conduct trade in accord with the
policies, principles and procedures laid down by the government was the aim of
the course as the private sector played a key role in the market-oriented
economic system adopted by the State. In addition to theoretical and practical
knowledge of laws and rules and regulations, investments laws, banking
services, customs procedures, port functions which were related to export and
import services would be also taught at the course. Entrepreneurs and
departmental personnel totalling 1,095 had completed the previous 13 courses.
Sixty entrepreneurs and 38 officials are attending the five-week course.
(8)		Workshop on Findings of Fertility Survey for Country Report Commences
		A ceremony to open Dissemination Workshop on Findings of Fertility and
Reproductive Health Survey for Country Report jointly conducted by the
Ministry of Immigration and Population and United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) was held at the International Business Centre on Pyay Road on 17th
February. The Fertility and Reproductive Health Survey (FRHS) is the second
country-wide demographic survey undertaken by the Population Department. The
first survey was Population Changes and Fertility Survey (PCFC) conducted in
1991. FRHS has sought information on a much wider scope. It includes questions
on Reproductive Health, STDs/ AIDS and maternal mortality. The reproductive
health approach emerged from the 1994 International Conference on Population
and Development. It gives a much wider scope covering all ages of both sexes.
Strong and healthy adolescents will grow up into strong and healthy adults who
will give strong and healthy new generation. This FRHS is one of the tools to
study the knowledge and perception of the people on reproductive health. The
findings are to be made aware among the general public with the help of the
State to implement effective and successful development programmes. The
workshop will continue on 18 February.
Special Feature
		This office is presenting a Press Release No. 1/99 by Myanmar Embassy in
Washington dated 9th February, 1999 for your information. 
International Action Against Illicit Drugs
Myanmar to Host 4th International Conference on Heroin 
in Collaboration with Interpol
	Drugs are a global  problem requiring global solution. No nation acting alone
can overcome this modern day scourge.  For this reason, there is increasing
recognition in the international community of the urgent need to promote the
concept of shared responsibility among all countries concerned.
	Myanmar shares the concern of the international community regarding the
menace posed by drugs and believes that all countries must work together to
meet the challenge to humanity. There is a growing need for international
cooperation in such areas as control of precursor chemicals, the strengthening
of law enforcement  institutions and the development of the remote regions

where opium poppy, coca, marijuana and other illicit crops are cultivated.
The need for cooperation is especially acute in the case of remote regions
where drug crops  are the mainstay of the economy and local inhabitants have
few economic alternatives.
	In view of this, Myanmar welcomes the opportunity to host the 4th
International Heroin Conference in Yangon, 23 to 26 February, 1999 in
cooperation with Interpol. The delegates to the conference from around the
world will not only have the  opportunity to reassess and rethink
international strategies to control the production and trafficking of heroin
but also observe first hand the magnitude of the task faced by the host
country and the headway it has made in recent years. 
	Since its independence, Myanmar has waged a relentless war against drug
traffickers. Notwithstanding the fact that all assistance to the country has
been curtailed for political reasons the Myanmar authorities, relying on their
own resources, have registered significant successes in their campaigns. They
have seized and destroyed more than 3700 kg of heroin, 22,700 kg of opium, 10
million amphetamine and similar tablets and eliminated more than 70 heroin
refining camps. Immense sacrifice was required as the armed forces have lost
766 men including 20 officers and over 2200 men including 80 officers have
been wounded. In addition to its national efforts, the Myanmar Government
actively seeks international cooperation. Memoranda of understanding for
suppression of narcotic drugs have been signed with all its neighbours and the
United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) as well as with Russia. The
principal focus of the agreements is on reducing drug trafficking, elimination
poppy cultivation through economic and social development programmes and
reducing the demand for and consumption of drugs.
	It is unfortunate that at a time when there is an urgent need to promote
multilateral initiatives to overcome the drug menace, there are some who have
become so blinded by such emotive issues as human rights and democracy that
they are unable to separate the wheat from the chaff.  They readily believe
the allegations of systematic violations of human rights in Myanmar and the
sensational stories that authorities there are hand in glove with drug
traffickers. Those who are willing to verify the situation will find that the
charges against Myanmar are spurious and that they invariably emanate from
insurgent groups and disaffected expatriates.
	The 4th International Conference on Heroin in Yangon will provide an
unequalled opportunity for the international community to strengthen the
principle of shared responsibility.  Every nation serious about the drug
problem should be represented there to find ways and means to promote
international cooperation and to observe  first hand the  Myanmar Government's
efforts to overcome the drug problem.  It is important for countries to have
the courage to put the long-term interest of its peoples ahead of short-term
political  considerations.  For, in the final analysis, it is not the fate of
one regime of one nation that is at stake; it is the future of humanity.

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