Daily News- December 03 - 2001- Monday

  • U.N. envoy Razali calls on Suu Kyi for 2nd time
  • UN special envoy meets Wa leaders in Pansan
  • Leader Khin Nyunt says Burma committed to fight HIV/AIDS as national cause
  • Myanmar's Machinery Import Up in First Eight Months
  • Korea Daewoo Sells 10% In Burma Gas Block To Kogas

    • U.N. envoy Razali calls on Suu Kyi for 2nd time

    YANGON, Dec. 2 Kyodo - U.N. special envoy for Myanmar Razali Ismail held an extended meeting Sunday with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, their second since he arrived in the country Tuesday.

    UN special envoy meets Wa leaders in Pansan

    BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Dec 2, 2001
    Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 1 December

    DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has learned that the visiting UN special envoy, Mr Razali Ismail, who met with the Chinese ambassador yesterday, left for the Wa region near the Burma-China border in northern Shan State today.

    He left Rangoon airport about 0800 [local time] for Heho and from there via Lashio to the Wa headquarters of Pansan. Mr Razali arrived at Pansan in the afternoon and it is believed he held talks with the leaders of the Wa Solidarity Party.

    Although the details of the talks were not known, observers believed that the talks involved the participation of cease-fire groups in the political future of Burma. Furthermore, Mr Razali is expected to hold talks with leaders of other cease-fire groups in Kachin and Shan States.

    Mr Razali will hold talks with the cease-fire groups till Sunday [2 December] and he will meet again with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday. He will depart Rangoon on Monday evening and will report back his findings to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

    To The Top

    Leader Khin Nyunt says Burma committed to fight HIV/AIDS as national cause

    BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Dec 2, 2001

    A ceremony to mark World AIDS Day was held at the International Business Centre on Pyay Road in Yangon [Rangoon] at 0900 [local time] today. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, chairman of National Health Committee attended the ceremony and delivered an opening address.

    SPDC Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said: Every year, the World AIDS Day is commemorated throughout the world today to remind the people of the menace of the dreadful disease AIDS, which has become a global public health problem. This year's theme is - I care, do you? - and it is indeed most appropriate. This slogan is in fact a continuation of the year 2000 campaign - Men make a difference - which was chosen to discuss the central role of men in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But the slogan also has a broader underlying message that includes issues relevant to prevention and care, to both men and women, and to different age groups and populations. The campaign also aims to involve men, particularly young men, in the national responses to HIV/AIDS. This campaign calls upon men as leaders, heads of families, and responsible care-givers to actively respond to the AIDS epidemic. All this does not mean that women and girls are less involved in the prevention and care programmes. We must work in a way that programmes enhance gender equity and focus on the needs of both sexes. We must design our own programmes that meet the needs of the national and local priorities. Myanmar [Burma] is committed to fighting HIV/AIDS as a national cause.

    Towards this end, a multi-sectoral National AIDS Committee comprising high-level officials from various sectors was formed in 1989. Since then, the Committee has laid down policy guidelines, strategies, and activities on AIDS prevention and control. Moreover, Myanmar is in the process of laying down a four-year Master Strategic Plan - 2002-2005 - for expansion and enhancing HIV/AIDS prevention, control, and care activities. For the implementation of the Master Strategic Plan, the Ministries of Health; Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement; and Home Affairs will serve as focal points in partnership with other government sectors, NGOs, and the international community. [passage omitted on values]

    I wish to commend the NGOs for their noble work, which is largely implemented at the grassroots level. HIV/AIDS is a trans-border issue and Myanmar is therefore actively participating in bilateral, regional, and international programmes...

    In addition, Myanmar has also invited many missions and international NGOs so that they can witness many effective and sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities being implemented in Myanmar. They acknowledge that the Myanmar Government is doing its utmost to combat the HIV/AIDS disease. I am happy to note that these agencies have now become our coordinating partners and are advocating for us. At the moment, we are relying mostly on our own resources. However, I am confident that with the support and assistance from our foreign partners, our capacity to tackle the issue will be much more enhanced.

    I would like to take the opportunity to express our appreciation to all the local as well as international partners including the NGOs who are working together with us in this noble task. As part of our commitment, the World AIDS Day activities are being commemorated nationwide...

    In conclusion, allow me to congratulate all the people involved in preparing and carrying out the activities of the World AIDS Day for their excellent work and to wish them every success. May the concerted efforts of all nations, in preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS with a caring spirit, make the world a safer and better place to live.

    Next, UNAIDS Theme Group Chairman Dr Agostino Borra read the message of the UNAIDS Theme Group. A prize presenting ceremony was later held...

    To The Top

    Myanmar's Machinery Import Up in First Eight Months

    YANGON, Dec 2, 2001 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Myanmar's import of machinery equipment was valued at 579.71 million U.S. dollars in the first eight months of this year, up 26.35 percent compared with the same period of 2000, according to the Central Statistical Organization Sunday.

    During the eight-month period, the import value of such machinery equipment accounted for 28.52 percent of the country's total import value which was registered at 2,032.12 million dollars.

    Of this, the import value of electric machinery apparatus amounted to 141.53 million dollars, rising by 15.8 percent from the same period of 2000,while that of non-electric and transport equipment reached 438.18 million dollars, up by 30.17 percent from the corresponding period of 2000. According to official statistics, in 2000, Myanmar imported 628.05 million dollars' worth of machinery equipment.

    Myanmar, an agricultural country lacking development in industry, has to depend on import for the majority of machinery. Meanwhile, the country is also trying to produce agricultural implements as import-substitute goods, getting aid from China in the implementation of two agricultural machinery factory projects which will produce walking tractors and reapers.

    Korea Daewoo Sells 10% In Burma Gas Block To Kogas

    SEOUL (Dow Jones)--South Korea's Daewoo International Corp. (Q.DWT) said Monday that it has sold a 10% stake in its natural gas development project in block A-1 in Burma to Korea Gas Corp. (Q.KGS).

    Daewoo International is also in talks with India's ONGC Videsh Ltd. and Gas Authority of India Ltd. (P.GAI) to sell to them stakes of 20% and 10% respectively, the company said in a statement.

    Daewoo International plans to sign an agreement with ONGC and GAIL on the stake sales by the year-end, a company spokesman said.

    Daewoo International is the developer of the block A-1 in Burma, which is estimated to hold about 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the statement said.

    Under the agreement, India's ONGC and GAIL may make some investment in feasibility tests at block A-1, and will invest more than $400 million in the development stage, Daewoo International said.

    Daewoo International said it expects the feasibility tests to cost more than $20 million and gas development costs to exceed $1 billion.

    "These (agreements) are not only equity investments, but we're also securing the consumers for the gas when it is produced," the statement said quoting the president of Daewoo International, Lee Tae-Yong.

    According to Lee, GAIL distributes about 95% of India's gas.

    In August 2000, the Burmese government granted Daewoo International rights to develop the block offshore northwestern Burma.

    If the block is deemed economical, commercial production will begin between 2006 and 2008, a Daewoo International spokesman said.

    ONGC Videsh is the international arm of India's state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (P.ONG).

    Daewoo International was spun off from Daewoo Corp. in December last year.

    To The Top