Information Sheet No.B-1181( I )

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
YANGON

Information  Sheet
No.B-1181( I )                   13th December 1999

(1) Home for the Aged in Nattalin Inaugurated
 
    A ceremony to open Nattalin Home for the Aged was
held in Nattalin Bago Division on 12 December.  The
United Nation had designated 1999 as  the
International Year of Older Persons. UN member nations
had observed the International Day of Older Persons
and  Myanmar too marked the day in Yangon and other
towns in the States and Divisions. Moreover, older
persons  of different areas who were more than 100
years were honoured. 

    Daw Oo Zun, founder of homes for the aged in the
country established the first home for the aged at
Mingun in Sagaing Hills, Sagaing Division in 1915 and
she did so after disposing of her property. She 
received three aged persons at first and looked after
them by herself. She built five homes in 30 years
after disposing of her property. They were the one at
Mingun, Sagaing Division established in 1915, the one
at the foot of Myathabeik Hill, Thaton, Mon State in
1923,  the one at Paungde, Bago Division in 1929, the
one at Hninzigon, Yangon, in 1933  and the one at
Pakokhu, Magway Division in 1937. 

    Today humanitarian associations  with the
participation of the public had established similar
homes in the States and Divisions and looking after
the needy aged persons. Out of 40 homes in the country
eight were located in Bago Division, the largest
number in a State or Division. Social Welfare
Department of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief
and Resettlement has been providing assistance for 30
of the homes. Moreover, homes established individually
by well-wishers had also emerged.  They were Shwe
Thanlwin Home for the Aged in Dagon Myothit Seikkan
Township in Yangon, the home in Mogok, Mandalay
Division, and the newly-opened home in Nattalin, Bago Division.
 
(2) First day of Fifth Year National Immunization Days Launched

    A ceremony to launch the first day of the Fifth Year
National Immunization Days was held at the meeting
hall of the Institute of Nursing (Yangon) on 12
December. 5.9 million children under-five years will
be vaccinated for two rounds, the first round on 12
December and the second round on 16 January 2000. The
NIDs in Myanmar are being implemented with assistance
both technical and financial, from the UN Agencies,
Rotary International, CDC (Atlanta), Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan
Committee '' Vaccine  for World's Children'', 
Government of the Republic of Korea and Premier
Petroleum Myanmar Limited.  Now Myanmar is also 
taking part in the global polio eradication initiative
together with other nations of the world in the spirit
of regional and global  solidarity. The Expanded
Programme on Immunization (EPI) is one of the main
activities in the National Health Plan for the
prevention of six major childhood diseases since 1978.
  
    Myanmar EPI is implementing its programme as routine
immunization as well as National Immunization Days. At
present, the NIDs activities for the fifth year and
Mopping Up Immunization activities in selected areas
recently in October and November of this year are
implemented. There may be the need to implement the
NIDs for another one more year in which the technical
and financial assistance will be of critical 
importance especially in procuring vaccines, cold
chain equipment, acute flaccid paralysis surveillance
and Mopping Up Immunization, it is learnt. Afterwards,
the ministers and guests gave oral  polio vaccines to
children.   For the Fifth National Immunization  Days,
US $ 2 million were donated by UNICEF, US $ 0.59
million by JICA, US $ 0.506 million by CDC (Atlanta), 
US $ 0.45  million by JCV, US $ 0.182  million by
Rotary International, US $  0.05 million by the
Government of the Republic of Korea and US $ 0.015 
million by Premier Petroleum.
 
(3) 313,946 Acres Under Summer Paddy in Ayeyawady

    Summer paddy has been cultivated on 313,946  acres of
land in Ayeyawady Division up to 11 December during
summer paddy cultivation period, and paddy plants are 
thriving well, it is learnt.
 
(4) Myanmar Gets 31 Golds, 1 Silver in 1st SEA Canoe
Championships, 1999

    The 1st  South East Asian Canoe Championships, 1999, 
continued for the third day and final day at Myanmar
Rowing and Canoeing Federation, Inya Lake on 12
December. Myanmar canoe team won 31 gold medals and
one silver medal after competing the championship. A 
total of 10 persons entered the International Umpire
Examination organized by International Canoe 
Federation in Yangon from 9 to 12 December and eight
passed the  examination. They were Professor Dr. Than
Toe, Cmdr Tun Oo, U Ohn Myint and U Tun Myint of
Myanmar, Mr. Dzulka Abas and Mr. Muzaffa Mustaffa of
Malaysia,Mr.Somyos Nimmanaheaminda of Thailand and Mr.
Suryadi of Indonesia.

(5) Japanese Buckwheat  Merchants Tour North-East
Region of Shan State

    Altogether 19 Japanese buckwheat merchants led by
Director-General of LDP Research Council  of Japan Mr.
Tomomitsu Iwakura and Chairman of Japan Noodle
Entrepreneurs Association Mr. Chojiro Jinta, together
with member of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse
Control Col Kyaw Thein, Deputy Director-General  of
Department  for Progress of Border Areas and National
Races and officials, left Yangon for Lashio on 10
December. Then, they went to Tarshwehtan Village in
Kokang region, north-east  of Shan State, by
helicopter, and observed buckwheat fields. Afterwards,
they proceeded to Laukkai, where they observed the
seed purifying factory donated by Japan, and had
discussions with buckwheat  growers and local national
race leaders. They arrived back here on 11 December.
They held a press briefing with national and foreign
journalists at Yangon  International Airport on 12
December evening, and left Yangon for Japan by air
later in the evening.
 
(6) Foreign Military Attaches to Malaysia and Families Arrive

    A study delegation comprising foreign military
attaches to Malaysia and their families arrived Yangon
by air on 12 December.  A get-together dinner was
hosted  by Deputy Chief of Office of Strategic Studies
and Deputy Director of Defence Services Intelligence
Maj-Gen Kyaw Win at Karaweik Palace  on the same day.
Military Attaches to Malaysia and Myanmar attended 
the dinner together with spouses.

(7)     Delegates of ASEAN  Nations Arrive

    Delegates of ASEAN member nations led by Mr.Immanual
Robet Inkiriwang of ASEAN Secretariat arrived Yangon
by air on 12 December to attend the Third  Meeting of
ASEAN Directors-General  of Immigration Departments
and Heads of Consular Division to be held at Traders
Hotel on 13 and 14 December.