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NEWS AND VIEWS FROM MYANAMR Vol-1
Subject: NEWS AND VIEWS FROM MYANAMR Vol-1 No-36
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM MYANAMR
Vol-1 No-36
INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
'Youth', the future work-force of Nation in attention
The Youth of today are the strength of future - a high level of human resources will contribute towards development of political, economic and social conditions of the nation and perpetuation of the Union. The Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) was constituted with the aim to defend and build the nation inconformily with the fundamental principles based on National causes. More than 11.8 million youth have joined the association. The courses to enable them to carry out national duties when the time comes were also conducted. Over 5.5 million youth attended the cultural courses, more than 90,000 attended language classes and 23,000 attended computer application courses so far.
Moreover, the association, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, has trained 3,033 youth at marine courses and 2645 youth at aviation courses as new generation. The training courses have contributed towards development of human resources of the State so that youth of today are both patriotic and skillful in specific subjects.
Annual General Meeting of USDA was convened in Yangon on 15 September. Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of State Peace and Development Council honored the meeting with an address, excerpts of which are as follows:
- It is a historical tradition and practice of Myanmar people to have trust in the self-reliance spirit and internal strength-the nation building tasks carried out by the Government are solely self-reliant.
- The Union of Myanmar is a nation with various nationalities. Since time immemorable, these national races have lived together through thick and thin
, which is the foundation of Union Spirit.
- The government is striving with the added momentum for the progress of economic, education, health and social conditions of the national people. Hence, USDA youths should render assistance in these tasks with the Union Spirit in building the united forces. All should have security and defence awareness in view of the lessons the nation had learned in the past and the
lessons of the world's present situation.
- The USDA members should never lose sight of national goal which is emergence of a peaceful, stable, modern and developed nation; should ward off all destructive acts and dangers from within and outside the nation.
Literacy in Myanmar
The Literacy rate of Myanmar was considered quite high since precolonial times because of monastic education. The literacy rate went down to as low as 35 percent only when monastic education had been disrupted with the colonization of Myanmar.
After the regaining of independence in 1948, the Mass education law was promulgated and mass eradication of illiteracy programmes were introduced. In 1964, national literacy campaign was launched and due to its successful movement, Myanmar was awarded Mohammed Reza Pahlavi Literacy Prize in 1971 and the Noma Prize in 1983 by UNESCO.
After 1988, the new government continues to promote literacy in accordance with its one of the social objectives, " Uplift of health ,fitness and education standards of the entire nation". Like other countries, Myanmar has its own Education for All (EFA) 2000 Programme after the World Conference on Education for All held in Thailand in 1990. The national EFA Co-ordination Committee has laid down policy guidelines and various committees down to the village level had been implementing these programmes.
Myanmar held the 1999 International Literacy Day on September 8, 1999 at Myanmar Educational Research Bureau with an address by the Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. In his address, Secretary-1 pointed out that "Literacy is a tool for education" which enables us to create a modern and developed nation. He also emphasized the requirements of continuing education programme for those who had obtained basic literacy. He added continuing education programme covered literacy promotion, income generation and better life programmes through reading circles and community learning centres. He also mentioned the cooperation of international organizations like Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and UNESCO (PROAP) in this field. As a result of the cooperation between the Ministry of Education and these organizations, Myanmar literacy Recourses Centre (MLRC) is going to emerge in the very near future.
After Secretary-1 had given an address, Resident Representative of UNDP Mr. Patrice Coeur-Bizot made a speech. Then, General Secretary of Myanmar UNESCO National Commission U Han Tin read the message of Mr. Frederico Meyor, director-general of UNESCO. The ceremony was followed by a paper reading session which presented papers on Literacy efforts of Sagaing Division, Mandalay Division and Ayeyawady Division and papers on EFA the year 2000 Assessment and an Overview of Literacy in the Asia and the Pacific.
With the concerted efforts of the government, people and international organizations, it can be expected to wipe out illiteracy and achieve literacy in the near future.
Interested participants may contact Myatmikhin Wuntha Rekkhita Association (Tel: 00951-220721).
National Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) meets
The National Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) held it Tenth Session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 10 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs U Win Aung in his address to the meeting said that this tenth session of the Commission was specially convened to seek views and recommendations from the commission members on the environmental legislation that the NCEA has drafted in the interest of long-term sustainable development.
At the meeting, the draft environmental protection law and the Environmental Impact Assessment Rules were discussed.
GENERAL NEWS
To looking forward to the cleaner, greener Yangon
Yangon city is growing rapidly with 35 townships and its population reached 5.95 million. According to the statistic research, the garbage disposed by one person per day was 1.6 pounds - less than 1 kg.
The highest amount of garbage is produced by market places, it is found - one market places produces 5 - ton garbage on average daily.
In the past, there were only two legal garbage dumps in Yangon city and until 1988, the Yangon City Development Committee had 60 garbage collecting trucks - now, there are 396 trucks in working schedule. The average amount of garbage collected per day in Yangon is 3714.286 tons. With the increase of city population, it is necessary to build garbage recycling centres. In that way, not only the garbage would be disposed of, but also the by-product from the process - the gas, for instance, could be useful for the community.
It is learnt that the YCDC spent 544.299 million kyats in keeping the city clean and pleasant in 1998-99 and the sanitation tax collected for the same year was 222.54 million kyats. However, the responsibility to keep Yangon clean and green laid on both YCDC and the city residents - for the garbage should best be disposed of at designated places or when the garbage collecting trucks came to collect them. Sometimes, penalty is needed to discipline people not to waver from the duties of a good citizen. Therefore, the people of Yangon should help make the task of YCDC easier by keeping their household clean, their garbage systematically disposed of and above all, being model citizens.
Workshop on total quality management in Health Care opens
Workshop on total quality management in health care jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand was opened on 11 September at Traders Hotel.
Myanmar has adopted the goal of Health for All by the Year 2000", with primary health care as the key approach since the Alma - ata declaration in 1978. The National Health Policy reaffirms the provision or equitable health care, accessibility with universal coverage, multi-sectoral and community involvement. The Hospital Care Programme has been formulated with the objective of upgrading the quality of care in health institution and special attention to be given to the availability and affordability of drug and health care services for those living in the rural a and remote areas. The Programme also emphasizes to increase the quality of health care provided by upgrading the hospital equipment thereby facilitating treatment and operative procedures.
This three-day workshop will further strengthen the capability of not only the Hospital Administrators but also the Public Health Administrators in acquiring up to date managerial skills to provide quality health care services to the people.
Ancient Jewellery and Antiquities Exhibition
The First-ever Ancient Jewellery and Antiquities Exhibition organized by Archaeology Department was held at National Museum from 7 to 12 September. The exhibition focussed on five periods of Myanmar history, namely Bronze Age (BC 1000), Pyu Period (AD 1-10the century), Bagan Period (AD 11-13 century), Innwa Period (AD 15-17 century) and Konbaung Period (AD 18-19 century).
Conference on Glazed Ceramics of SEA to be held
The conference on glazed ceramics of South-East Asia and glazed ceramics exhibition will be held at the Archaeology Museum in Bagan from 20 to 22 September. It aims for the international community to know the great tradition of Myanmar glazed ceramics history and to accentuate the history of glazed ceramics in South-East Asian region.
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