Information Sheet No.B-1199(I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
YANGON

Information  Sheet
No.B-1199(I)                    29th December 1999

(1) Myanmar women Urged to Preserve Rights in  accord with Myanmar's History, 
Religious Teachings, Traditions and Culture

    Myanmar National Working Committee for Women's
Affairs of Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and
Resettlement held a coordination meeting No 2/99 at
the meeting hall of the Ministry on 28 December, with
an address by Secretary-1 of the State Peace and
Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. In his address
Secretary-1 stated that  "In Myanmar, Maternal and
Child Welfare Association, Red Cross Society, Myanmar
Medical Association, Myanmar Nurses Association,
Myanmar National Committee  for Women's Affairs and
Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association are striving
to realize their aims. Throughout the successive eras,
Myanmar women  have enjoyed  equal rights with men;
they  have taken part in tasks benefiting the race,
religion and nation together with men; thus, Myanmar
women are endowed with brilliant intellectual ability,
good experiences and the spirit of self-reliance. The
government has acknowledged and is uplifting the
strength of women in nation-building tasks.
        It is encouraging to see the significant
progress  in the all round ability of women. Myanmar
National Committee for Women's  Affairs  has six
separate bodies under it in undertaking task to
develop the women  in all  sectors.  The committee is
conducting health education talks for young women, 
workshops on health for women, basic on job  courses ,
basic accountancy courses and domestic science courses
to enable the women to earn more money. It is also
disbursing loans to women, undertaking research on
women's life and explaining the committee's functions
to other welfare organizations. The Working Group for
Preventing Violence Against Women is rendering free
advocating services for women victims of violence,
giving encouragement and protection and conducting
workshops and seminars on preventing violence against
women. In the international relations, the committee
is working in accord with the Declaration of the
Fourth  Women's Conference (Beijing),  sending women
delegates abroad to attend meetings, seminars or
workshops, contributing articles on Myanmar women's
sector to international magazines and holding
workshops in coordination with the UN. As Myanmar
women have already enjoyed  their rights, efforts are
being made for further progress of their rights. It
should be made known to the world that Myanmar women
will preserve their rights in accord  with the
Myanmar's history, teachings of the religion and
traditions and culture. Thus the committee should make
efforts for further progress of the women's  rights,
their socio-economic life, to uplift the ability of
women in upholding and safe-guarding the lineage,
traditions and culture, dignity and moral conducts and
for the emergence of the women force on which the
nation can rely". Then, a general round of discussion
followed.

(2) Computer and Printer for Kyimyinding School for the Blind
        
        Deep Sea Drilling Co Ltd presented computer
and printer for Kyimyindine School for the Blind in
Yangon at the office of Director-General of Social
Welfare Department  on 28 December. The computer and
printer will be used in teaching of the blind.

(3) School Family Day Continues
 
    Booths of the 1999-2000 School Family Day, which was
opened at the facade of Diamond Jubilee Hall in Yangon
on 27 December, were crowded with people on 28
December. Text book  references, journals, treatises
and tapes on the subjects taught at Yangon University,
Yangon Institute of Economics, Yangon Institute of
Education, Yangon University of Distance Education,
Dagon University  and Yangon University of Foreign
Languages are on sale at the booths. Over 2,000 kinds
of rare books numbering 20,000 are on display at the
booth of the Universities Library. At the Ministry of
Information booth, books published by News and
Periodicals Enterprise Sarpay Beikman,  Information
and Public Relations Department, 21 internal
publishers and 10 international publishers are on
display. The No 1 Basic Education Department opened an
art booth,  displaying the  prize winning paintings in
internal and external competitions. There are also
booths of No 2 BED, No 3 BED, Information Technology
and Education in Myanmar Booth, computer booth, model
booth of open university learning centre, multi-media
classrooms and the booth of Olympia Company.

(4) Myanmar Delegation Leaves for Malaysia 

    Myanmar delegation left Yangon to attend the 1st
January 2000 Caring Day  Declaration ceremony to be
held from 28 December to 3 January in Malaysia. The
ceremony will be attended by the youths of China,
Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sir Lanka,
Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

(5) Myanmar Surgeons Successfully Perform Kidney Transplant

    Myanmar surgeons and health staff successfully
performed a surgical kidney transplant on a patient at
new Yangon General Hospital on 28 December.  The
success was the combined  efforts of  surgeons, nurses
and health staff of new Yangon General Hospital and
Thingangyun General Hospital. The recipient was U Nay
Lin of Yangon  and the  donor was his twin elder
sister. Both the patient and the donor are in good
health. This is the first time a tissue test was
conducted by Myanmar experts.