senior general than shwe receives sri lankan parliament

Volume XII, Number 322 9th Waning of Tabodwe 1366 ME Friday, 4 March, 2005

Established 1914

Emergence of the State Constitution is the duty of all citizens of Myanmar Naing-Ngan.

* Development of agriculture as the base and all-rounddevelopment of other sectors of the economy as well

* Proper evolution of the market-oriented economicsystem

* Development of the economy inviting participation interms of technical know-how and investments fromsources inside the country and abroad

* The initiative to shape the national economy must be keptin the hands of the State and the national peoples

* Uplift of the morale and morality ofthe entire nation

* Uplift of national prestige and integ-rity and preservation and safeguard-ing of cultural heritage and nationalcharacter

* Uplift of dynamism of patriotic spirit* Uplift of health, fitness and education

standards of the entire nation

* Stability of the State, community peaceand tranquillity, prevalence of law andorder

* National reconsolidation* Emergence of a new enduring State

Constitution* Building of a new modern developed

nation in accord with the new StateConstitution

Four economic objectives Four social objectivesFour political objectives

Senior General Than Shwe receivesSri Lankan Parliament Speaker

YANGON, 3 March —Chairman of the StatePeace and DevelopmentCouncil Senior GeneralThan Shwe receivedSpeaker of Parliament ofthe Democratic Social-ist Republic of SriLanka Mr W J MLokubandara and partyat Credentials Hall of thePyithu Hluttaw Buildingat 10 am today.

Present at the callwere Vice-Chairman ofthe State Peace and De-velopment Council Vice-Senior General MaungAye, Member of theState Peace and Develop-ment Council GeneralThura Shwe Mann,Prime Minister Lt-GenSoe Win, Minister forForeign Affairs U NyanWin, Director-General ofthe State Peace and De-velopment Council Of-fice Lt-Col Pe Nyein, Di-rector-General of Proto-col Department Thura UAung Htet, Sri LankanAmbassador to MyanmarMr DMM Ranaraja.

MNA

Senior General Than Shwe greets Speaker of Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Mr W J M Lokubandara at Credentials Hall of Pyithu Hluttaw Building.— MNA

Senior General Than Shwe receives Speaker of Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Mr W J M Lokubandara and party at Credentials Hall of Pyithu Hluttaw Building.—˚MNA

2 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Friday, 4 March, 2005

Friday, 4 March, 2005

PERSPECTIVES* Oppose those relying on external elements, acting as stooges, holding negative views* Oppose those trying to jeopardize stability of the State and progress of the nation* Oppose foreign nations interfering in internal affairs of the State* Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy

People’s Desire

Strive for development ofagriculture sector

PBANRDA Minister inspects development tasks

Exam centres forin-patient students

Matriculation exam identity cardsto be drawn beginning 8 March

YANGON, 3 March — The identity cards androll numbers for the students who are going to sitfor the matriculation examination to be held from 16to 26 March at examination centres in States andDivisions have already been sent to the respectiveexamination centre supervisors, and students are todraw their identity cards from the examination cen-tre supervisors as of 8 March 2005. The roll num-bers and examination centres for the students whoare in townships of Yangon municipal area will beposted at the respective Township Education Offic-er’s Offices beginning 9 March 2005.

The identity cards for the students who are inmunicipal areas will be issued beginning 11 March,and the students from the Basic Education HighSchool (Branches) and Affiliated Basic EducationHigh Schools are to draw identity cards from theirrespective school heads, and those who are going tosit for the exam as external students are to drawidentity cards from their respective examination cen-tre supervisors. — MNA

YANGON, 3 March — With the aim of ena-bling the students who are undergoing medical treat-ment to sit for the matriculation examination, ar-rangements have been made for opening three ex-amination centres at Yangon General Hospital, theCentral Women’s Hospital and the Webagi SpecialHospital. The in-patient students who want to sit forexamination are to contact liaison officers beingassigned duties at the hospitals. — MNA

Minister presents gifts to Tatmadawmen of Aung San columnYANGON, 3 March

— Minister for HomeAffairs Maj-Gen MaungOo went to Aung Sancolumn which will takepart in the 60th Anni-versary Armed ForcesDay parade at local bat-talion in SouthOkkalapa Townshipyesterday evening. Hewas welcomed by Col-umn Commander ColTin Aung, Deputy Di-rector-General ofMyanmar Police ForceCol Zaw Win, directors-general and deputy di-rectors-general of theGeneral AdministrationDepartment, Bureau ofSpecial InvestigationDepartment and PrisonsDepartment and execu-tive director ofMyanmar Red Cross So-ciety U Aung Than.

Next, ColumnCommander Col TinAung reported on prac-tice session of the col-umn, discipline and se-curity to the minister.

The minister pre-

sented kinds to the col-umn commander andcompany commandersdonated by units and de-partments under the min-istry.

Afterwards, the min-

ister met members ofAung San column, gaveencouragement to them,inspected hostels andmesses and attended tothe needs.

MNA

YANGON, 3 March —Minister for Progress ofBorder Areas and Na-tional Races and De-velopment Affairs ColThein Nyunt, accompa-nied by Director-Gen-eral of the DevelopmentAffairs Department Col

Myo Myint and offi-cials , inspected therepaving of LanmadawRoad in KyaiklatTownship on 28 Febru-ary.

Afterwards, theminister and party pro-ceeded to Bogale

Township and heard thereports on rural devel-opment tasks at the of-fice of Township Devel-opment Affairs Com-mittee.

The minister gaveinstructions on meas-ures to be taken for sup-

plying drinking water,extending the construc-tion of roads linkingvillages and meeting theset standard of roadsand bridges.

On 1 March morn-ing, they went toDedaye throughPyapon and heard thereports on the urban andrural developmenttasks.

On arrival atKungyangon, the minis-ter fulfilled the require-ments after hearing thereports by an official.

Next, the ministerlooked into the sinkingof the tube-well in thetownship and leftnecessary instructionsthere.

The tube-well with 6inches in diametre and200 feet in depth,produces 15,000 gallonsof water per hour, it islearnt.—MNA

Minister for PBANRDA Col Thein Nyunt inspects repaving of Lanmadaw Roadin Kyaiklat Township on 28-2-2005.— PBANRDA

Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo presents gifts donated by depart-ments under the ministry to the Aung San Column Commander.—˚HOME AFFAIRS

Myanmar Gazette

YANGON, 3 March—The State Peace andDevelopment Council has appointed Officer onSpecial Duty Lt-Col Myo Kyaw at the Ministry ofReligious Affairs as director-general ofDepartment for Promotion and Propagation of theSasana of the same ministry on probation fromthe date he assumes charge of his duties.

MNA

Enlisting the cooperation and participa-tion of the entire national people, the State Peaceand Development Council has vowed to enablethe Union of Myanmar to keep abreast of thedevelopment of other nations of the world. Withthis end in view, necessary infrastructures arebeing built in all regions of the Union for theirparallel development in the economic and socialsectors. For, the development of the Union isfeasible only with that of all the regions of theUnion. As the government is striving for simul-taneous development of the political, economicand social sectors, the people, on their part, arerequired to actively lend themselves to all theendeavours by the government.

In his meeting with members of Manda-lay Division Peace and Development Council, de-partmental personnel, members of the socialorganizations and entrepreneurs at the town hallof Mandalay on 26 February, Vice-Chairman ofthe State Peace and Development Council DeputyCommander-in-Chief of Defence Services andCommander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior Gen-eral Maung Aye said that parallel developmentof all states and divisions was necessary for theUnion to keep abreast of the development of itsneighbours and other countries and that, asMandalay Division was an economically reliableregion, it was necessary to keep its momentumof development and to try to be self-sufficient inrice. The agriculture sector is essential not onlyfor self-sufficiency in food but also for enhance-ment of socio-economic life of the entire people.Therefore, the government is working for thedevelopment of the agriculture sector by build-ing dams and river water pumping stations, byproviding quality strains and by disseminatingmodern cultivation methods.

Mandalay Division has a vast area of ar-able land, dams and river water pumping sta-tions and so the farmers in that region will haveto grow monsoon paddy as well as summerpaddy to be self-sufficient in rice. Moreover, itis necessary to extend the cultivation of ground-nut, sesamum, sunflower, beans & pulses andindustrial crops.

In conclusion, we would like to call on thefarmers in Mandalay Division as well as thosein other states and divisions to strive for thedevelopment of the agriculture sector by mak-ing the most of favourable conditions created bythe government.

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Friday, 4 March, 2005 3

��

Malaysia to rehire Filipino workers with proper documentation MANILA , 2 March — Malaysia Government has promised to rehire Filipino workers who returned to

the Philippines before the crackdown on illegal aliens, a local TV reported on Tuesday.

Malaysian Supreme Headof State visits Great Wall

BEIJING , 2 March — When 62-year-old Malaysian Supreme Head of StateTuanku Syed Sirajuddin was told on Tuesday that he is indeed a true man whilegazing at the snow-covered Great Wall, he felt excited and smiled happily.

"Late Chairman Mao Zedong oncesaid, 'He who does not reach the GreatWall is not a true man'. You are indeeda true man for you have just climbed theGreat Wall, particularly in snowingweather," Guo Zaoshun, a local officialin charge of the Badaling Great Wall,told the distinguished guest, who is the406th head of state the Badaling hasreceived since 1954.

Built 2,000 years ago, the 6,300-kilometre Great Wall was the greatestmilitary defence project in ancientChina.

The 3,741-metre-long Badaling sec-tion, first built approximately 500 yearsago and dotted by 19 beacon towers, isone of the most popular tourist attrac-

tions for guests from home and abroad,including quite a number of political dig-nitaries from other countries.

Sirajuddin arrived in Beijing on Mon-day noon for a state visit to China from 28February to 6 March , at the invitation ofChinese President Hu Jintao.

Sirajuddin toured the Great WallTuesday morning. Looking around at theimpressive view of the Great Wall inwhite snow, Sirajuddin took photos withhis wife and his lovely granddaughter,with great interest.

"Now I am visiting one of the SevenWonders of the World and seeing is be-lieving the achievement of the Chinesepeople in the past," Sirajuddin praisedthe Great Wall.— MNA/Xinhua

Organizing committee set upfor world law conference

BEIJING, 2 March— An organizing committeechaired by China's Chief Justice was set up on Tues-day, to begin preparation for the upcoming congressto the World Jurist Association (WJA) this Septem-ber.

The 22nd Congress on the Law of the World willbe held in Beijing and Shanghai from 4 to 10 Septem-ber.

"The Rule of Law and Harmony of InternationalSociety" was set as the theme of the congress, saidXiao Yang, the Chief Justice and President of theSupreme People's Court who led the 44-member com-mittee mainly composed of elite in China's justicecircle.

"Law is the language with which we communicatewith the world," Xiao said. He pledged to make theconference a high-level gala for the world's legalcommunity.

The congress will focus on the rule of law, the roleeach country plays in building a harmonious interna-tional community and future challenges, said CaoJianming, vice-president of the Supreme People'sCourt.

The topics will cover legal cooperation, law andpolitics, law and international trade, law and technol-ogy, law and environment protection and legal educa-tion, Cao said. The conference will hold simulationtrials with chief justice and judges of internationalcourt sitting on the collegial panel. —MNA/Xinhua

The Department of Labour and Employment(DOLE) told the ABS-CBN news channel that theMalaysian Ministry of Home Affairs has assured thePhilippine delegation from the Labour, Foreign Af-fairs and the Social Welfare departments that Filipinoworkers can go back to their old jobs in Malaysia.

However, Labour Undersecretary Manuel Imsonsaid that the pledge was given provided that the workerspresent proper documentation from the Philippine Gov-ernment. On 22 October, 2004, the Malaysian Govern-ment granted amnesty to illegal aliens in the country.

The original 31 December deadline of the amnestywas extended until 31 January upon Indonesia's re-quest because of the earthquakes and tsunamis that hitmany parts of Asia on 26 December.

The crackdown scheduled for 1 February wassuspended upon the request of the Philippines andIndonesia and was rescheduled to 1 March.

According to the DOLE, there are an estimated170,000 undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia, mostly

in Sabah. However, only 6,527 returned to the Philippines in

late January to avoid arrest, it added. The DOLE said that members of the Sabah Em-

ployers Federation also vowed they will reemployFilipino migrant workers after they complied with therequirements.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) onMonday said that Philippine Navy ships are on standbyto transport hordes of Filipinos who will be deportedon Tuesday by Malaysian authorities from the island ofSabah. The DFA said that in preparation for the massdeportation, two teams have been deployed — one inMalaysia and the other in southern Mindanao to facili-tate the smooth turnover of deportees.

Malaysia's revised immigration policy against ille-gal workers, which led to the expulsion of thousands ofFilipino workers in Sabah in 2002, caused a diplomaticfurore between Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

MNA/Xinhua

WELLINGTON, 3 Mar-ch — New Zealand isto contribute about 1.08million US dollars torelief and reconstructionefforts in the Maldives,Foreign Minister PhilGoff announcedWednesday during hisvisit to the Indian Oceannation.

According to a gov-ernment release hereWednesday, Goff saidloss of life in theMaldives, whose highestpoint is no more thantwo metres above sealevel, was thankfullylow.

However, almostevery island group washit and the effect onhousing, water andhealth services and tour-ism infrastructure hasbeen severe, Goff said.

MNA/Xinhua

Iraq war to cost US taxpayers atleast $50b in 2006

WASHINGTON , 2 March — The Senate's top budget writer said on Tuesdayhis plan assumes the Iraq war will cost US taxpayers at least 50 billionUS dollars next year, as lawmakers questioned spending in the BushAdministration’s current emergency request for the war.

Senator Judd Gregg, the New Hamp-shire Republican who chairs the BudgetCommittee, said he will propose a 50-billion-US-dollar "reserve fund" for theIraq and Afghanistan conflicts for nextfiscal year that starts on 1 October.

That is on top of the 419 billion USdollars the Administration wants fornext year's regular Pentagon operations.

President George W Bush excludedwar costs, as well as costs ofreconfiguring the Army that has beenstretched by the conflicts, from the 2.5-trillion-US-dollar federal budget for fis-cal 2006 he submitted to Congress earlylast month.

Instead he is seeking a separate 81.9billion US dollars spending bill to getfunds as soon as possible this year,pushing the total tab for both conflictstoward 300 billion US dollars. The Pen-tagon has said it will seek another sub-stantial emergency supplemental budgetrequest next year.

Democrats and some Republicanscharged the White House is trying to ramthrough the Iraq war funding, givinglawmakers little time for oversight andmasking the war's overall costs.

"The harsh reality is this has cost us alot, and it's going to cost us a lot more,"said Kent Conrad of North Dakota, thecommittee's top Democrat. "As I look atthe budget, I don't see the President pro-viding for these costs anywhere close towhat most objective observers say thecost is going to be."

Deputy Defence Secretary PaulWolfowitz told the committee he could"absolutely predict there will be a sup-plemental budget request next year."

But he said he could not predict theamount, although he said it would in-clude "a substantial request" to continueefforts to break Army forces into smaller,more mobile brigades and refurbish theirequipment.

MNA/Reuters

Woman picking tea leaves in Bangladeshrecently.—INTERNET

The Toyota Ago goes on display at the 75th Geneva Motor Show in thewestern Swiss city. Although they compete head on, Japanese car maker Toyotaand France's PSA Peugeot Citroen have turned to partnership to cut costs with

three new small cars, the Ago, the Citroen C1 and the Peugeot 107, allproduced at a jointly-owned plant in the Czech Republic. — INTERNET

NZ to supportTsunami

recovery inMaldives


A Thai investor talks on his mobile telephone at a private stock trading floor in

Bangkok, Thailand, on 2 March, 2005. — INTERNET

Two boys catch the spray as a man hoses down a burning car in Ramadi, anguerilla stronghold 113 kilometres (70 miles) west of Baghdad

on 2 March, 2005.—INTERNET

LANZHOU , 2 March — China has built its first databank on traditionalTibetan medicine which can be read on web site of the environment scienceinformation centre of the Lanzhou Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

China builds first Tibetanmedicine databank

The databank was jointly built bythe environment science informationcentre of the Lanzhou Branch of theChinese Academy of Sciences, North-west China Nationality University andthe plateau organism research instituteof the Chinese Academy of Sciences.Information of the databank can besearched at the homepage of the envi-ronment science information centre.

It provides access to information onTibetan medicine resources, medical

literature, prescriptions, research and pro-duction firms and experts on Tibetanmedicine.

To date, more than 2,000 categoriesof plants, 40 animal species and 50 kindsof minerals in China have been served asingredients of Tibetan medicine. Tibetanmedicine has turned into the pillar indus-try in Tibet Autonomous Region andQinghai and Gansu provinces in recentyears. The databank will be turned into aweb site in future. — MNA/Xinhua

Zimbabwe launches tourism marketingprogramme in China

HARARE, 2 March— The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has launched a marketing programmein China to take advantage of the Approved Destination Status (ADS) awarded to Zimbabwe by the Asiancountry, the Herald newspaper reported on Tuesday.

A joint commission on China bringing togetherkey players in the tourism industry has been formed tospearhead the programme.

The programme has already seen the authorityholding workshops to appraise hotels on how to prepare Chinese food in anticipation of an increase intourist arrivals from that destination.

Mary-Anne Situma, the human resources directorat the authority, was quoted as saying that an electronicbrochure had been launched in January to attract moretourists from Asia.

She said as the marketing programme begins tobear fruit, there was need for Zimbabwe to prepareitself to cater for the Asian market.

“What we are trying to do is to equip facilities tocater for different needs of the Chinese. We are notsaying we will not serve our traditional foods but weare adding variety so that people can choose,” she said,adding that while the focus was on Chinese food, otherAsian countries would not be overlooked even thoughthere are similarities in cuisine in the Far East.

She said the programme was necessitated by the“Look East” policy which was promulgated in the faceof a decline in tourist arrivals from the traditionalmarkets such as Germany, Britain and the UnitedStates due to negative publicity in the Western mediaand some sections of the so-called local independentPress. — MNA/Xinhua

Kuwait announces newLPG prices

KUWAIT CITY , 2 March— Kuwait PetroleumCorporation (KPC) on Tuesday announced newprices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products,propane and butane.

According to a statement released by KPC, pro-pane will be offered at 377 US dollars per metric ton inMarch, a 12-dollar increase over February and Januaryprices. Butane will also be sold for 382 dollars permetric ton this month, 10 dollars more than the pre-vious two months, said the statement.

Propane and butane are used in household cookingand production of petrochemicals. Analysts attributehigh LPG prices to the rising oil prices in the worldmarkets.

Propane prices had reached 417 dollars and 463dollars, while Butane was offered at 427 dollars and483 dollars in December and November respectivelylast year. — MNA/Xinhua

K IEV , 3 March— Ukraine plans to start bringingits 1,600 troops home from Iraq this month andcomplete the withdrawal by 15 October, PresidentViktor Yushchenko said on Wednesday.

Malaysiahas potential

to exploreglobal food

market KUALA LUMPUR,3

March — Malaysia hasthe potential to take ad-vantage of the huge glo-bal demand for food andbeverages, especiallyhalal food products, anofficial said .

The global marketvalue for halal food prod-uct was estimated at 150billion US dollars per an-num, Deputy Minister ofInternational Trade andIndustry Ahmad HusniHanadzlah told reportersafter officiating the pre-launch of the Sixth Ma-laysia International Foodand Beverage (MIFB)Trade Fair 2005 here.

“This is the potentialof halal food products andour export value of halalfood is only 6.5 billionringgit (1.71 billion USdollars),” he said.

MNA/Xinhua

WASHINGTON , 2 March—Vermont voters went to the polls Tuesday tooverwhelmingly support a referendum to bring US troops home from Iraq,according to preliminary returns.

Vermont residents vote on pulling UStroops out of Iraq

The resolution urges PresidentGeorge W Bush to bring US troopshome from Iraq and also asks local law-makers to review the Vermont NationalGuard’s involvement in the war.

The state has the second-highestproportion of reservists involved in thewar, after Hawaii.

Forty-two percent of Vermont’s

1,200 National Guard troops have beendeployed in Iraq, and 11 soldiers fromthe state with all of about 600,000 resi-dents have died in the war.

“Vermont is a very small state,and people are really feeling the effect ofthis,” said First Lieutenant VeronicaSaffo, spokeswoman for the VermontNational Guard. —Internet

Ukraine to startbringing its troopshome from Iraq

Yushchenko, speak-ing after a meeting of theNational Security andDefence Council, saidthe first group wouldleave Iraq on 15 Marchand servicemen wouldgradually be replaced byinstructors and civilianspecialists.

We are changing theform of our presencethere,” he told reporters.

Ukraine has lost 18soldiers in Iraq during theirservice as part of the US-led force based in thecountry after last year’sremoval of SaddamHussein. Yushchenko,who won the presidency inDecember after supportersheld mass rallies againstelectoral fraud, has longpromised to bring thetroops home.

But Yushchenko,who last week met USPresident George W Bushand other NATO leaders ata summit in Brussels, hasalso said any withdrawalsmust be completed inconsultation with U S andIraqi officials. TheUkrainian contingent isone of the largest in amultinational divisionunder Polish command,which now numbers about6,000 troops. Ukraine’sdecision to send troops toIraq last year helped easestrains in relations withthe United States causedby allegations that for-mer President LeonidKuchma’s administrationhad sold weapons to Iraqwhile Saddam was inpower.

MNA/Reuters

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China to join world release of sixth“Harry Potter” book

BEIJING , 3 March — After two years, Chinese Harry Potter fans willresume the adventures in the long-awaited sixth Harry Potter book togetherwith readers worldwide.

China InternationalBook Trading Corporation(CIBTC) will release HarryPotter and the Half-BloodPrince, by British author J.K. Rowling, on the inter-national release date July16 this year.

“The Harry Potterbooks will be sold at Xinhuabookstores across the coun-try,” said Jiang Tao, importcentre manager of CIBTCWednesday.

According to Jiang,there will be four editionsof the new Harry Potterbook, British and US chil-dren’s editions and adulteditions.

“The edition we willimport is British’s children’sedition,” Jiang said.

He explained that thereare no major differences inthese editions but since thestory is set in Britain, thecompany has decided to

import the Britain’s edi-tion.

The upcoming releasewill be the second time thatCIBTC cooperated withHarry Potter’s official pub-lisher Bloomsbury. In2003, CIBTC released thefifth book, Harry Potterand the Order of the Phoe-nix in China, which soldmore than half a millioncopies.

MNA/Xinhua

Thailand allocates $131m for tourism projects BANGKOK , 3 March — The Thai Government on Tuesday approved a 5.25- billion-baht (131-million-

US-dollar) budget for projects to revive tourist sites in the country’s six southern provinces. About half of the

budget would come fromthe 2005 fiscal year allot-ment going to tourismprojects in the six prov-inces, while the rest fromthe central fund for fiscal2005 going to tourism,newspaper Nation onWednesday quoted Gov-ernment SpokesmanJakrapob Penkair as say-ing.

Tourism industry inThailand’s tsunami-af-fected areas has sufferedgreat loss due to the disas-

ter, which not only toredown tourism facilities incertain area but also scaredoff potential tourists fromthe whole region.

Located along the pic-turesque Andaman Sea,three of the six affectedprovinces, namelyPhuket, Krabi andPangnga, usually contri-bute one-third of thecountry’s annual tourismrevenue.

The tsunami devas-tated a group of upper-class hotels and resorts in

Pangnga’s Khao Lak Dis-trict and facilities inKrabi’s Phi Phi Island.Besides the above twoplaces, other facilities andinfrastructure in the threeprovinces are almost in-tact or already restored.

However, the initialreport of disastrous scenesin the region has kept for-eign tourists back from theregion.

The authorities andlocal tourism industry havetried hard to revive the in-dustry by offering unpre-

cedented discount for ac-commodation and airfares and organizing var-ious promotion projects.

However, there is nosingle answer as to whenlocal tourism will returnto the pre-tsunami level.Optimists said it wouldtake less than a year to seetourist back to localbeaches, while pessimistspredicted it might be 10years for the worst-placesto recover, includingKhao Lak and Phi Phi.

MNA/Xinhua

SBU detains man withUranium-238 at Kiev’s airport

KIEV, 3 March — Ukraine’s SBU security servicearrested a man at Kiev’s airport who had a casecontaining radioactive Uranium-238 in his car, theEmergencies Ministry said on Tuesday.

It said the man was detained at Boryspil Airport,Ukraine’s main international gateway, with 582grammes of uranium. It did not say when the arresttook place or whether he had been attempting to leavethe country.

“SBU officers detained the person who was movinga case with a radioactive substance — Uranium-238 —in his car,” the ministry said in a statement. It saidministry specialists had seized the case.— MNA/Reuters

Chinese pianist’s music scorecharity sale starts

HONG KONG, 3 March — Internationally famedChinese pianist Lang Lang’s autographed musicscore is available for bidding at an online charityauction on Tuesday.

To raise funds forhelping AIDS affectedchildren in families inChinese Mainland, pian-ist Lang Lang, also Good-will Ambassador of theUnited Nations Children’sFund (UNICEF), has do-nated his personal musicscore and a special char-ity collection of all hisalbums (five CDs in total)for the online auction atwww.ebay.com. hk.

During his visit toHong Kong last week,Lang Lang donated hispersonal music score of

Rachmaninov Piano Con-certo No 2, which is oneof his favourite romanticpieces, for UNICEF’sonline auction fundraisingcampaign in Hong Kong.

Lang Lang studied“Rachmaninov Piano Con-certo No 2” when he wasyoung and has developed aunique approach to thispiece after years of explo-rations. From this invalu-able music score with LangLang’s personal remarks,people can see how hismusical thinking is.

MNA/Xinhua

Car bomb blast in Baghdad killssix, injures 28

BAGHDAD , 3 March — A suicide car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi Armybase in Baghdad Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding some 28others, an Iraqi Army officer said.

“A suicide bomberdrove an explosive-ladenvehicle into one of themain gates of the Iraqimilitary base at al-Muthanna Airport at7:10 am (0410 GMT),killing at least six soldiersand wounding 28 others,including several civi-lians,” the officer told re-porters.

The blast targetedpeople who were liningup for Army recruits, hesaid.

Five cars could beseen badly damaged in thestreet and human partsscattered in the area.

Ambulances raced tothe scene to evacuate thewounded as the Iraqisecurity forces and US

troops sealed off the areapreventing people fromapproaching the blastscene.

Al-Muthanna militarybase was previously anairport which was targetedby guerillas several timeslast year. In June 2004, 35people were killed in a carbomb blast outside thebase. — MNA/Xinhua

Indonesia hopes to attract more Chinese tourists JAKARTA , 3 March — The Indonesian Government is casting an appreciative eye toward the

increasing number of Chinese travelling overseas for vacation, and hopes to lure some 240,000 Chinesetourists to Indonesia in 2005.

“We plan to quadru-ple the number of Chinesetourists visiting Indone-sia,” State Minister forCulture and Tourism JeroWacik was quotedWednesday by The Ja-karta Post as saying.

Jero said the numberof outbound tourists fromChina reached about 20million last year, but Indo-nesia was only able to at-tract some 80,000 of thesetourists.

To improve on this fig-ure, Jero said the govern-ment had recently openedimmigration offices in itsconsulates in Shanghai andGhuangzhou, in additionto the immigration officein the Indonesian Embassyin Beijing.

The government alsohopes to cooperate withSingapore, which last yearreceived 700,000 Chinesetourists, in their efforts tobring in more Chinese tour-

ists to the region. “We hope that when

Chinese tourists are donesight-seeing and shoppingin Singapore, they will beinterested in continuing onto Indonesia, which hashundreds of tourist attrac-tions for them to visit,” Jerosaid.

The government hopesto attract 6 million foreigntourists this year, who areexpected to bring in 6 bil-lion US dollars in foreign

exchange revenue. Last year, Indonesia

attracted some 5.3 millionforeign tourists whobrought in some 5.3 bil-lion dollars in foreign ex-change revenue.

MNA/Xinhua

At the front gate : An Iraqichild peers through thefront gate of her home as aUS soldier walks pastduring a patrol in Mosul on 2 March 2005.

INTERNET

A computer graphic of Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Small and noisy planes will soon begin flying over Thailand’s new international

airport to ‘train’ birds to avoid the area when it opens next year. — INTERNET


National Convention Continues

Delegates enter Pyidaungsu Hall to attend the plenary session. — MNA

Deputy Attorney-GeneralDr Tun Shin. — MNA

Work Committee SecretaryU Thaung Nyunt. — MNA

Supreme Court JudgeU Tin Aye. — MNA

Supreme Court JudgeDr Tin Aung Aye. — MNA

Delegates arrives to attend the plenary session. — MNA Delegates at the plenary session. — MNA

Delegates attending the plenary session. — MNA Delegates sign the attendance book. — MNA

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Deputy

Minister

U Thein

Sein.

MNA


Senior-General Than Shwe and party pose for a documentary photo together with Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mr WJM Lokubandara and party. (News on page 1) MNA

(from page 16)In its drive to ensure

further improvement of thewomen’s sector, the gov-ernment is taking steps toenable the women to fullyenjoy the existing rights andnew rights of women fullyaccording to the changes,and to organize the mass ofMyanmar women to be-come a reliable nationalforce.

Unlike the women ofother nations, Myanmarwomen do not need to makedemand nor struggle forwomen rights and are en-joying these rights sinceborn. The government isalso encouraging the na-tional women to be able toparticipate in the interna-tional activities on wom-en’s affairs.

Now, there have beenconstantly emerging moreand more national womenentrepreneurs who are inthe forefront of the eco-nomic sector, who are play-ing a leading role in theeducation, health, scienceand technology and infor-mation sectors, and who areengaged in voluntary serv-ices and social organiza-tions, and so it is fair to saythat the sector of theMyanmar women is shin-ning brightly.

The purposes of the es-tablishment of the MWAFare to maintain the momen-tum of the progress theMyanmar women are mak-ing, to enable them to takepart in the building of thepolitical, economic and so-cial foundations by theState, and to thoroughlyfulfil the requirements ofthe mass of women acrossthe nation.

The MWAF is to beconvinced that it is to leadthe women mass in the har-monious implementation ofthe tasks for developmentof the women sector andnation-building undertak-

Myanmar women do not need to make …ings. The objectives of theMWAF are:— to enhance the role ofwomen in the reconstruc-tion of a peaceful, modernand developed nation— to protect the rights ofwomen— to ensure the economic,health, education and gen-eral welfare of women andto provide measures fortheir security— to instill and foster inMyanmar women a greaterappreciation for their na-tional, cultural heritage andcustoms— to systematically pro-tect women from violenceand provide means forrehabilitation where neces-sary— to diminish and finallyeliminate trafficking inwomen and children as anational task— to collaborate with in-ternational as well as localorganizations, in ensuring

the rights of women inaccordance with the tradi-tions and customs of theethnic groups. Efforts areto be exerted to realize theseobjectives through the fourprinciples. The tasks of theMWAF cover the wholecountry. The number of itsmembers is not limited. Asit is a social organization inwhich members can carryout the tasks of their ownvolition, every Myanmarwoman has an opportunityto take part not only in wom-en’s affairs but also in na-tional and social activitiesas members of MWAF.

He said it is necessaryfor MWAF led byMyanmar women them-selves to make arrange-ments to carry out the taskssystematically like a dy-namic and efficient machin-ery in order to actively par-ticipate in Myanmar wom-en’s affairs and State af-fairs.

He spoke of the need tosupervise the activities ofthe grassroots levels ofwards and village-tracts inaccord with the policies andtasks laid down by centrallevel and in conformity withthe different levels.

There should be layingdown policies and imple-mentation, reporting, super-vision and control betweenthe upper and lower levels.It is necessary to make ar-rangements for coordina-tion, advice and informa-tion and cooperation at thesame levels.

Executive committeesof State/Division, districtand township organizationsfor women’s affairs shouldnot compete each other incarrying out the tasks, butshould implement the sameobjectives of the federationthrough coordination inaccord with the rules andregulations of the federa-tion. The federation is tocultivate the habit and con-

cept of preserving and cher-ishing traditional culturalcustoms and patriotismamong the young Myanmarwomen and lead and or-ganize them for propaga-tion of the spirit of nationalsolidarity and theUnion spirit.

Systematic arrange-ments are to be made fordevelopment of women’ssector in conformity withinternational women’smovements. The PrimeMinister emphasized thefact that the federation is atrue social organizationaimed for only noble na-tional interest and womanleaders at different levelsshould try to be a real leaderand an exemplary in mo-rale, efficiency and dili-gence. He said ordinarymembers of the federationare to observe conduct andfaith in accord with the rulesand regulations of the fed-eration and implement itsobjectives.

In conclusion, he saidthe government is makingefforts for development ofthe country day and night.The people hand in handwith the government andthe Tatmadaw are imple-menting the seven-pointRoad Map until it succeeds.The future of the State isfull of hope.He urged thoseat different levels and theentire Myanmar women towork hard for emergenceof a modern developed dis-cipline-flourishing demo-cratic State and to enablethe country to stand tallamong the nations of theworld.

Next, the Prime Minis-ter greeted CEC membersand officials of state anddivision organizations forwomen’s affairs. Chairmanof Myanmar National Com-mittee for Women’s AffairsMinister for Social Welfare,Relief and ResettlementMaj-Gen Sein Htwa deliv-ered a speech. —MNA

YANGON, 3 March— The annual generalmeeting of MyanmarWomen’s Affairs Federa-tion was held at the officeof the federation onThanlwin Road, BahanTownship, this morning,with an address by Presi-dent of the federation DawThan Than Nwe.

Also present on theoccasion were members of

Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation holds annual general meetingthe panel of patrons, Vice-President Daw Khin LayMyint and CEC members,intellectuals and intelli-gentsia, leaders of theworking and supportinggroups and officials.

President DawThan Than Nwe presidedover the meeting.

First, the presidentgave an address. GeneralSecretary Prof Dr Daw

Khin Mar Tun submittedthe CEC report to themeeting. Heads of depart-ment and working groupsreported on progress oftasks and future plans.Representatives of Stateand Division Organiza-tions for Women’s Affairspresented reports of theirrespective areas.

The meeting contin-ues tomorrow.— MNA

Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation President Daw Than Than Nwe delilvers an introductory speech at the annual meeting. — MNA


Regarding the sharing of legislative power, the NationalConvention has already laid down a fundamental principleLegislative power is shared among Union Hluttaw, Region Hluttaws & State HluttawsLegislative power shall be distributed to self-administered areas

YANGON, 3 March—˚The following is the Chair-man of the National Convention Convening WorkCommittee Chief Justice U Aung Toe’s full clari-fication concerning the laying down of detailedbasic principles for sharing of legislative powerto be included in the framing of the State Consti-tution at the plenary session of the National Con-vention at Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Town-ship today.

First, I wish health and happiness for all thedelegates to the National Convention.

All the delegates have already known the clari-fications made by the National Convention Con-vening Work Committee Chairman at the plenarymeeting of the National Convention held from 17May to 9 July 2004 and the suggestions presentedby delegate groups and some of the delegates con-cerning the sharing of the legislative power. Of thesuggestions, the ones that are suitable for the basicprinciples already laid down by the National Con-vention and the detailed basic principles have al-ready been submitted. Some of the presentations ofthe certain delegate groups are found to be benefi-cial to both the nation and the people. Thus, theWork Committee has sought the opinion of the del-egate groups regarding the suggestions through thepanel of chairmen.

The Work Committee thoroughly studied sug-gestions of the delegates concerning the sharingof the legislative power. And it presented a com-prehensive and complete compilation of facts thatshould be formulated as detailed basic princi-ples to the National Convention Convening Com-mission. After studying the compilation in de-tail, the Commission approved them. Now, I willexplain the detailed basic principles for the shar-ing of the legislative power approved by the Com-mission.

In connection with the sharing of legislativepower of the State, the National Convention hasalready laid down a fundamental principle, — thelegislative power of the State is shared among UnionHluttaw, Region Hluttaws and State Hluttaws; leg-islative power stipulated by the State Constitutionshall be distributed to self-administered areas.

First, the Work Committee will clarify the pro-posed legislative list to be entrusted to the PyithuHluttaw, Amyotha Hluttaw, Pyidaungsu Hluttawcomprising Pyithu Hluttaw and Amyotha Hluttawand Region or State Hluttaw in 11 sectors asfollows: (1) Defence and security sector (2) Foreign Affairs sector (3) Finance and planning sector (4) Economic sector (5) Agricultural and livestock breeding sector (6) Energy, electric power, mining and forestry

sector (7) Industrial sector (8) Transport and communication sector (9) Social sector(10) Management sector(11) Judicial sector.

Concerning the defence and security sector, thedelegates will have to discuss and give suggestionson whether or not the following basic principlesshould be laid down to be included in the UnionLegislative list concerning defence and security ofthe State:1. The defence of the Union of Myanmar and of

its every part, and to prepare a defence pro-gramme thereof.

2. Defence and security industries.3. Arms and ammunition and explosives including

biological and chemical weapons.4. Nuclear energy, nuclear fuel and radiation, and

mineral resources that produce them.5. Declaration of war and declaration of peace.6. Peace and stability of State and the rule of law.7. Police Force.

Above are the obvious explanation of the pointsthat should be put on the Union legislative list ofthe defence and security sector.

The delegate groups — the national race del-egate group, the peasant delegate group, the workerdelegate group, the intellectuals and intelligentsiadelegate group, State service personnel delegategroup — and the delegate group of the politicalparties

— The National Unity Party, the Union Pa-ONational Organization, the Mro (a) Khami NationalSolidarity Organization, the Lahu National Devel-opment Party, the Union Kayin League, the KokangDemocracy and Unity Party and the Wa National

Development Party — supported the points ex-plained by the Work Committee Chairman to belaid down as detailed basic principles.

I will now present the separate suggestions.The intellectuals and intelligentsia delegate

group presented a suggestion to add “preventionof terrorist acts and pressures” in enacting the lawregarding “The defence of the Union of Myanmarand of its every part, and to prepare a defenceprogramme thereof’; to add “conventional arms,ammunition and explosives and non-conventionalsophisticated strategic arms” in enacting the lawconcerning “Arms and ammunition and explosivesincluding biological and chemical weapons”; andto enact the law concerning nuclear energy, nu-clear fuel and radiation, and mineral resources thatproduce them, highly classified materials, objects,areas, technologies, researches and information andspecial security issues, accidents concerning thepersons whose works involve highly classifiedmaterials, objects, areas, technologies, researchesand information, and compensation and insurancecover for them in case of accidents. The sugges-tion will be put on record for future legislativebodies to take it into consideration in enactinglaws.

The other invited persons delegate group saidthat the armed groups that have made peace aretaking part together with the Government in ensur-ing regional stability and development, eliminatingnarcotic drugs and the national defence. Their con-tributions are showing signs of progress and serv-ing the interest of the Union. Thus, the groups canbe said the positive strength of the Union. Theyshould be kept in the future also as the forces dis-charging duties for regional peace and stability,border security and safeguarding the lives and prop-erty of the people. In accord with the basic princi-ple — the Defence Services Commander-in-Chiefis the Supreme Commander of all armed forces —laid down by the National Convention in 1993,suitable arrangements should be made to put thearmed groups under the command of the Com-mander-in-Chief in the future.

Concerning the suggestion, I would like toexplain that according to the basic principle, theDefence Services Commander-in-Chief is the Su-preme Commander of all armed forces. Since an-cient times, the Tatmadaw has been an institutionformed with various national races. At present also,

the Tatmadaw has been providing all necessaryassistance and protection for the national race groupsstarting from their basic needs. And in the futuretoo, it will continue to look after the welfare of thenational races.

The delegate group presented another sug-gestions on the nuclear energy sector. It said, theglobal nations at present are against the use ofnuclear power for military purpose. If the basicprinciple — Nuclear energy, nuclear fuel and ra-diation, and mineral resources that produce them— should be put in the defence and security sector,it would become an issue of international criticism.Thus, the matter should be put in the energy, elec-tricity, mining and forestry sector instead of thedefence and security sector.

Regarding the suggestion, I would like to ex-plain that the aim of putting the point — Nuclearenergy, nuclear fuel and radiation, and mineral re-sources that produce them — on the Union legisla-tive list of the defence and security sector is just toenact laws when and as necessary in the future.Inclusion of the point in the defence sector cannotbe assumed for military purpose only. The aim is togenerate electricity and to use nuclear energy andfuel for human interest as well.

Whatever sector is the point in, the main aimis to put it on the Union legislative list. In the 1947Constitution, the issue was included in the defencesector, and some nations too put it in the defencesector. Thus, the point should be under the defenceand security sector.

Delegates of the representatives-elect delegategroup of the political parties presented the sameopinion as the respective parties.

Independent representatives-elect of the rep-resentatives-elect delegate group, discussed in sup-port of the clarification made by the Work Com-mittee Chairman.

Thus, in accord with the suggestions made bymost of the delegates, the following points havebeen laid down as detailed basic principles to beincluded in the Union legislative list concerningthe defence and security sector:1. The defence of the Union of Myanmar and of

its every part, and to prepare a defence pro-gramme thereof.

2. Defence and security industries.3. Arms and ammunition and explosives includ-

ing biological and chemical weapons.4. Nuclear energy, nuclear fuel and radiation, and

mineral resources that produce them.5. Declaration of war and declaration of peace.6. Peace and stability of State and the rule of law.7. Police Force.—MNA

Chairman

of the

National

Convention

Convening

Work

Committee

Chief

Justice U

Aung Toe.

MNA


— To work in concert with the people to achieve success in im-plementation of the seven-point Road Map for emergence ofa peaceful, modern, developed and discipline-flourishing demo-cratic nation

— To exert energetic efforts in carrying out the five rural devel-opment tasks

— To strive hand in hand with the people for successful realiza-tion of the twelve State Objectives while upholding Our ThreeMain National Causes

— To build a strong, efficient and modern Tatmadaw

60th Anniversary Armed Forces Day Objectives

YANGON, 3 March — The following is the fullclarification of Vice-Chairman of the National Con-vention Convening Work Committee Attorney-Gen-eral U Aye Maung, on behalf of the Chairman of theWork Committee, regarding the foreign affairs sectorfor laying down of detailed basic principles for thesharing of legislative power to be included in the StateConstitution, at Pyidaungsu Hall of NyaunghnapinCamp in Hmawby Township today.

In connection with the matters related to the for-eign affairs sector that should be embodied in theportion of the sharing of legislative power in the UnionLegislative List, the Chairman of the National Con-vention Convening Work Committee said at the Ple-nary Meeting of the National Convention on 18 May2004 as follows:

“Detailed basic principles should be laid down on1. diplomats, consular officials and trade representa-

tives;2. the United Nations;3. participation in international, regional and bilat-

eral conferences, seminars, meetings, associationsand other organizations and the implementation oftheir resolutions;

4. the realization and materialization of internationaland regional treaties, agreements, conventions,bilateral agreements and other contracts;

5. passports, entry visas and certificates of identity;6. the entry into the Union of Myanmar, the departure

from the country, immigration control and depor-tation order; and

7. the extradition of criminals to the home countryand request made therefrom.”As is known to all the delegates to the National

Convention, suggestions in respect of the seven pointsmentioned in the foreign affairs sector that shall beembodied as detailed basic principles in the portion ofthe sharing of legislative power in the Union Legisla-tive List have been made by— the delegate group of national races,— the delegate group of peasants,— the delegate group of workers, and— the delegate group of intellectuals and intelli-

gentsia, all of which are the delegate groups to theNational Convention, and by

— National Unity Party,— Union PaO National Organization,— Mro (a) Khami National Solidarity Organization,— Lahu National Development Party,— Union Kayin League,— Kokang Democracy and Unity Party, and— Wa National Development Party, which are mem-

bers of the delegate group of political parties.I will continue to present separate proposals by the

delegate groups.The delegate group of other invited persons said

they all agreed to the seven points clarified by theWork Committee Chairman and offered their addi-tional suggestions.

They said that in a sovereign state, there are twosectors of foreign policy: one is at central level and theother is at Region or State-level. The former takescharge of the most important issues while the lattertakes charge of protocol matters concerning their ar-eas.

The major issues of the central concerning theforeign policy are as follows:— the adoption and implementation of the foreign

policy,— the recognition of a foreign nation or government

and the withdrawal of the recognition,— the establishment and termination of diplomatic/

consular/trade relations (The establishment of re-lations between two countries is conducted throughtrade, consular, and diplomatic channels, in whichsome establish direct diplomatic relations, in otherwords, at embassy level.)A sovereign state joins international or regional

organizations, attends meetings, signs the resolutions,approves and implements them, and withdraws fromsuch organizations. A sovereign state enters interna-tional, regional or bilateral agreements, signs them,approves of them, and carry out them.

The central level issues a passport and an identifi-cation certificate to a citizen to identify himself totravel abroad based on specified standards.

The central level also takes charge of foreignersvisiting, staying in and leaving Myanmar by scrutiniz-ing their entry visas. The responsibility for immigra-tion and deportation falls on the central level.

Therefore, ‘the adoption and implementation ofthe foreign policy’ and ‘the recognition of a foreignnation or government and the withdrawal of therecognition’ should be added to the foreign policy,and detailed basic principles for it should be laiddown.

The delegate group of other invited persons alsosuggested that the term ‘diplomats, consular affairs,and trade representatives’ be replaced with the term‘the establishment and termination of diplomatic,consular and trade relations’.

Furthermore, the term ‘the United Nations’ shouldbe replaced with the term ‘the United Nations andinternational organizations’; the term ‘participationin international, regional and bilateral conferences,seminars, meetings, organizations and implementa-tion of their resolutions’ with the term ‘participationin international, regional and bilateral conferences,seminars, meetings, organizations and implementa-tion of their resolutions, and the withdrawal fromsuch organizations’; the term ‘the signing of interna-tional, regional and bilateral agreements and conven-tions, and the implementation of them’ with the term‘the signing of international, regional and bilateralagreements and conventions and the implementationof them and the withdrawal from them’; the term‘passports, entry visas, and ID cards’ with the term‘passports and ID cards’; and the term ‘permission of

entry to and departure from Myanmar and immigra-tion and deportation’ with the term ‘entry visa, staypermit, departure permit, immigration and deporta-tion’. In connection with these changes in terminol-ogy, detailed basic principles should be laid down.

The delegate group of other invited persons alsodiscussed that certain regions or states share bor-ders with neighbouring countries. So, there aremany forms of social relations in these areas. Toensure close supervision in these areas, the follow-ing two points should be taken into considerationwhen the State constitution is drawn. They are:1. temporary entry/exist permit in border areas,

and2. border trade with neighbouring countries bor-

dering with Myanmar.As regards its suggestions, I would like to ex-

plain that being executive tasks, such matters as‘the adoption and implementation of the foreignpolicy’ and ‘the recognition of the nation or gov-ernment and the withdrawal of the recognition’ arerelevant to the sector for the sharing of executivepower.

Analytical approaches to the remaining sugges-tions concerning the foreign affairs sector show thatwhat has been clarified is the matters that shoulddefinitely be included in the portion of the sharing oflegislative power in the Union Legislative List whereinsuccinct legislative terms are used.

In the term ‘diplomats, consular affairs, and traderepresentatives’ suffices to illustrate the words ‘estab-lishment, termination, and other matters. When itcomes to the term ‘United Nations Organization’, itcovers the UN itself and other relevant organizations.

Likewise, the same thing can be said of the term‘participation in international, regional and bilateralconferences, seminars, meetings, organizations andimplementation of their resolutions’ and the term ‘thesigning of international, regional and bilateral agree-ments and conventions, and the implementation ofthem. The matters — temporary entry/exist permit in

(See page 10)

Vice-Chairman

of theNationalConven-

tionConvening

WorkCommitteeAttorney-General U

AyeMaung.

MNA

Central level issues passport and identification certificateThe central level also takes charge of foreigners visiting, staying in

and leaving Myanmar by scrutinizing their entry visasResponsibility for immigration, deportation falls on central level


(from page 9)border areas, and border trade with neighbouring coun-tries — are only concerned with the granting ofadminstered areas. However, these matters should beplaced on record for future legislation.

That delegate group gave the suggestions on thereplacement of the term ‘passports, entry visas, and IDcards’ with the term ‘passports and ID cards’; and thatof the term ‘permission of entry to and departure fromMyanmar and immigration and deportation’ with theterm ‘entry visa, stay permit, departure permit, immi-gration and deportation’. Reasonable and appropriate,these suggestions deserve deep consideration.

The delegate group of State service personnel, inits separate suggestion, replaced the Work Commit-tee’s words “diplomats, consular affairs, and traderepresentatives” with the words “diplomats, consularaffairs, and representatives of other affairs”. Sincewhat it has suggested carries a deeper meaning, em-phasis should be placed on it.

In connection with the adoption of detailed basicprinciples concerning Point One “diplomats, consularaffairs, and representatives of other affairs”, Point Five“passports and ID cards” and Point Six “entry visa,stay permit, departure permit, immigration and depor-tation”, the National Convention Convening WorkCommittee met and coordinated with members of thepanel of chairmen. The members of the panel ofchairmen held groupwise discussions among theirrespective delegate groups and submitted their pro-posed papers to the Work Committee. A majority ofthe delegate groups agreed to the Points One, Five andSix. The representatives-elect of the political partiesthat constitutes the delegate group of representatives-elect also mentioned the same attitude as their respec-tive parties.

The independent representatives-elect of that del-egate group gave separate suggestion, expressing theiragreement.

By the consent of most of the delegates to theNational Convention, following points are adopted asdetailed basic principles for the foreign affairs sector tobe included in the Union Legislative List as regards thesharing of legislative power:1. Diplomats, consular affairs, and representatives of

other affairs;2. United Nations Organization;3. Participation in international, regional and bilat-

eral conferences, seminars, meetings, organiza-tions and implementation of their resolutions;

4. Signing of international, regional and bilateralagreements and conventions, and the implementa-tion of them;

5. Passports and ID cards6. Entry visa, entry into the Union of Myanmar stay

permit, departure permit, immigration and depor-tation; and

7. Extradition of criminals to the home country andrequest made therefrom.

Vice-Chairman of the National Convention Con-vening Work Committee Attorney-General U AyeMaung, on behalf of the Chairman of the Work Com-mittee, continued to present matters on finance andplanning sector. At the plenary session of the National Convention,held on 18 May 2004, the Work Committee Chairmanexplained the detailed basic principles concerning thefinance and planning sector that should be included inthe Union legislative list and the region or state legis-lative list for sharing the legislative power. The delegate groups presented discussions andsuggestions on the matter. The delegate groups — thenational race delegate group, the peasant delegategroup, the worker delegate group, the intellectuals andintelligentsia delegate group and the State servicepersonnel delegate group, — and the delegate group ofthe political parties —the National Unity Party, theUnion Pa-O National Organization, the Mro or Khami

National Solidarity Organization, the Lahu NationalDevelopment Party, the Union Kayin League, theKokang Democracy and Unity Party and the Wa Na-tional Development Party — gave suggestions to putthe following points on the Union legislative list asdetailed basic principles for the finance and planningsector: (1) The Union budget (2) The Union Fund (3) Currency and coinage (4) The Central Bank of Myanmar and financial

institutions (5) Foreign Exchange control (6) Capital and money market (7) Insurance (8) Income tax (9) Commercial tax(10) Stamp duty(11) Customs(12) State lottery(13) Tax appeal(14) Service enterprises of the Union(15) Disposal of Union-owned property through sale

or rent or other means(16) Disbursement of loans from the Union funds(17) Investment with the Union funds(18) Loans borrowed from inside and outside the

country(19) Acquisitions of the Union(20) External financial assistance and aid(21) National Plan(22) Data collection(23) National Archives(24) Investment, and(25) Inspection of statistics The delegate groups also gave suggestions to put thefollowing points on the region or state legislative list: (1) The Region or State Budget (2) The Regional or State Fund (3) Land revenue (4) Excise duties (excluding narcotic drugs and psy-

chotropic substances) (5) Development Affairs revenues such as building

and land revenue, water tax, street light tax, wheeltax

(6) Service enterprises of the Regions or States (7) Disposal of the Region- or State-owned property

through sale, rent or other means (8) Disbursement of loans within the country from

the Regional or State Fund (9) Investment of funds from the Regional or State

Fund within the country(10) Regional projects(11) Small loans enterprise

Now, I will present the separate suggestions sub-mitted by the delegates group-wise.

The peasant delegate group said that tax appealsoffice should be set up at region or state level inaddition to the Union level for convenience of taxpayers and for work facilitation.

Regarding the suggestion, I would like to explainthat inclusion of the point —tax appeal — in the Unionlegislative list is to enable the Union to enact lawsconcerning the issue, and the enacted laws will coverthe right to tax appeal in the region or state. At presentalso, tax appeals can be submitted to the respectivestate or division Internal Revenue Department officesif the tax-payer finds the decisions of the townshipoffices to be dissatisfactory. The suggestion will be puton record for consideration in enacting laws as neces-sary in the future.

Other invited persons delegate group discussedthat the presentation to include the 25 points of thefinance and planning sector clarified by the WorkCommittee Chairman in the Union legislative list asdetailed basic principles and the 11 points explained bythe Work Committee Chairman in the region or statelegislative list as detailed basic principles are appropri-ate and correct.

But the group gave another suggestion sayingthat the terms “Income tax”, “Commercial tax”,“Stamp duty”, “Customs” and “State lottery” shouldbe substituted with the term “revenue matters.”

Regarding the matter, I would like to explainthat the terms “Income tax”, “Commercial tax”,“Stamp duty”, “Customs” and “State lottery” havetheir specific meaning. If they are collectively termed“revenue matter”, it will not cover the “state lot-tery”. The terms are defined separately for ena-bling the tax payers to differentiate the meaningsbetween the state lottery and the types of tax. In myview, the original terms are more appropriate forthe matter.

The State service personnel delegate group saidthat the 25 points of the financial and planning sectorclarified by the Work Committee Chairman should beincluded in the Union legislative list as detailed basicprinciples and the 11 points explained by the WorkCommittee Chairman should be included in the regionor state legislative list as detailed basic principles. Italso gave a separate suggestion, saying that in the basicprinciples and detailed basic principles already laiddown by the National Convention plenary sessions, itwas stated: “the State shall enact necessary laws forState service personnel to have due security in serviceand sufficiency of food, clothing and shelter, for mar-ried women in service to get maternity benefits, and forwelfare to ease livelihood of persons who have retiredfrom service.” Hence, an additional point “26. Pensionpay” should be put to the 25-item list that should beincluded in the Union legislative list to enact laws asnecessary concerning pensions.

As the already-laid-down basic principle includesenactment of necessary laws for the matter, it may notbe needed to be put as a separate item in the legislativelist. Delegates of the representatives-elect delegategroup of the political parties presented suggestionssimilar to the options of the papers presented by thedelegates of the respective parties.

Independent representatives-elect of the repre-sentatives-elect delegate group, presented discussions,saying, the clarifications made by the Work Commit-tee Chairman should be laid down as detailed basicprinciples.

Hence, in accord with the suggestions of the mostof delegates concerning the finance and planning sec-tor, the following points are laid down as detailed basicprinciples to be included in the Union legislative list:(1) The Union budget(2) The Union Fund(3) Currency and coinage(4) The Central Bank of Myanmar and financial

institutions(5) Foreign Exchange control(6) Capital and money market(7) Insurance(8) Income tax(9) Commercial tax(10) Stamp duty(11) Customs(12) State lottery(13) Tax appeal(14) Service enterprises of the Union(15) Disposal of Union-owned property through sale

or rent or other means(16) Disbursement of loans from the Union funds(17) Investment with the Union funds(18) Loans borrowed from inside and outside the country(19) Acquisitions of the Union(20) External financial assistance and aid(21) National Plan(22) Data collection(23) National Archives(24) Investment, and(25) Inspection of statistics. And the following points are laid down as detailedbasic principles to be included in the region or statelegislative list:(1) The Region or State Budget(2) The Regional or State Fund(3) Land revenue(4) Excise duties (excluding narcotic drugs and psy-

chotropic substances)(5) Development Affairs revenues such as building &

land revenue, water tax, street light tax, wheel tax(See page 11)

Central level issues …


(from page 10)(6) Service enterprises of the Regions or States(7) Disposal of the Region- or State-owned property

through sale, rent or other means(8) Disbursement of loans within the country from

the Regional or State Fund(9) Investment of funds from the Regional or State

Fund within the country(10) Regional projects(11) Small loans enterprise. Next, Vice-Chairman of the National ConventionConvening Work Committee Attorney-General U AyeMaung, on behalf of the Chairman of the Work Com-mittee, presented matters relating to the economicsector. At the Plenary Meeting of the National Conventionheld on 19 May 2004, the Chairman of the NationalConvention Convening Work Committee clarifieddetailed basic principles of the economic sector thatshould be included in the portion of the sharing oflegislative power in Union Legislative List and theRegion or State Legislative List. In connection withthis clarification, the detailed basic principles of theeconomic sector that should be included in the UnionLegislative List are as follows:1. Economy;2. Trade;3. Cooperatives;4. Corporations, boards, enterprises, companies and

partnerships;5. Imports and exports, and control of their quality;6. Hotels and accommodation; and7. Tour business. And the detailed basic principles of the economicsector that should be included in the Region or StateLegislative List are as follows:1. Economic activities carried out in a region or

state in accord with the law enacted by thePyidaungsu;

2. Trade activities carried out in a region or state inaccord with the law enacted by the Pyidaungsu;and

3. Cooperative activities carried out in a region orstate in accord with the law enacted by thePyidaungsu.

It is found that the following delegate groups to theNational Convention gave suggestions on the adop-tion of detailed basic principles in connection with theeconomic sector. The delegate groups are:— the delegate group of national races,— the delegate group of peasants,— the delegate group of workers,— the delegate group of State service personnel, and— the delegate group of political parties, which con-

stitutes:(1) National Unity Party,(2) Union Pa-O National Organization,(3) Mro (a) Khami National Solidarity Organization,(4) Lahu National Development Party,(5) Union Kayin League,(6) Kokang Democracy and Unity Party, and(7) Wa National Development Party. I will continue to present separate proposals of thedelegate groups.

The delegate group of intellectuals and intelli-gentsia, in its separate suggestion, said that theword ‘inspection’ should be added to the fifth pointof the economic sector that shall be included in theUnion Legislative List. It also said that some im-ported dairy products could not be examined ortested through conventional methods whether theywere contaminated by radiation. As such, it contin-ued, there were times when the entire shiploads ofthe products were dumped into the sea. Fortu-nately, it added, the products imported by thecountry were tested uncontaminated by radiationafter the Chernobyl incident. However, it sug-gested that the fifth point of the economic sector

should be replaced with the term ‘import, export,inspection and control of their quality’, for somedairy products might have been contaminated byradiation”.

To this suggestion, I would like to reply that thequality of a particular product can be identifiedonly after that product has been inspected. Other-wise, it will not be possible. The term ‘qualitycontrol’ automatically covers the meaning of ‘in-spection’. It is therefore not necessary to add theword ‘inspection’. The term ‘quality control’ itselfis complete and has a succinct meaning.

The delegate group of other invited persons sug-gested that “of the seven points, the fifth point besubstituted with the term ‘import and export’, in lieu ofthe term ‘import, export, and control of their quality’.As regards the three points to be included in the Regionor State Legislative List, it also suggested that the term‘in accord with the law prescribed by the Union’ bereplaced with the term ‘in accord with the economicpolicy of the State’.

To this suggestion, I would like to reply that theterm ‘import, export, and control of their quality’carries a more complete definition than the term ‘im-ports and exports’ does.

The term ‘in accord with the law prescribed by theUnion’ used in the three detailed basic principlesmentioned in the Region or State Legislative List is thecommon practice in drafting the constitution. Onlythen will the arm of law reach the entire country. Lawis enacted to be in consistence with the policy of theState. The term ‘in accord with the law’ will agree tothe policy of the State. The term ‘in accord with the lawprescribed by the Union’ is therefore more completeand deeper in meaning and consistent with the legisla-tion procedures.

That group also said that as regards the sixthpoint ‘hotels and accommodation’, the seventhpoint ‘tourism’ and the matter of border trade,consideration should be taken into granting theright for close supervision on these two points tothe Region, or State or Self-administered Divi-sion, or Zone Leading Bodies.

This suggestion is considered to be the matterthat shall generate rights when the Pyidaungsuenacts law. It is therefore necessary to place thesesuggestions on record for the enactment of law infuture.

The representatives of political parties which aremembers of the delegate group of representatives-elect submitted the proposals in accord with theirrespective parties.

U Tin Win, the independent representative-elect fromthe constituency-2 of Kyaiklat township, U Thein Kyi, theindependent representative-elect from the constituency-1of Taungdwingyi township, U Hla Soe, the independentrepresentative-elect from the constituency-2 of Minbutownship, U Mya Hlaing, the independent representative-elect from the constituency-2 of Twantay township, U KyiWin, the independent representative-elect from the con-stituency-1 of Mingaladon township, and U Tin TunMaung, the independent representative-elect from the con-stituency-2 of Mingaladon township suggested on hotelsand accommodations. They said hotels and accommoda-tions vary from one another in standard. Tourism is under-taken globally and locally. It will therefore be wise todistribute legislative power to the Region or State Hluttawso that they can enact law relevant to the size of tourismindustry as well as to the conditions of security, economy,and transport in their respective areas.

To their suggestions, I would like to reply thatwhat has been mentioned in the legislative list is aimedmainly at the right to enact law. Implementation inaccord with the enacted laws is what we call manage-ment tasks. According to a certain law enacted by thePyidaungsu, measures are to be taken to implementmanagement tasks on a national scale by granting therights to local authorities. The Pyidaungsu is responsi-ble to enact law relevant to ‘tourism industry’. Accord-ingly, besides the region or state government, theauthoritative bodies vested with the rights are to imple-ment the tasks in accord with the enacted law.

U Tun Kyaw, the independent representative-

elect from the constituncy of Namhsan township inShan State (North), in his separate suggestion, saidthat certain crops are sufficiently available in theregions or states and hence a basic principle should beincluded in the Region or State Legislative List sothat law can be enacted as necessary in these areas toprohibit the import of such crops from neighbouringcountries.

To this, I would like to reply that the matter ofexport and import is the thing that should be carried outuniformly on a national scale. Therefore, the legisla-tive body at Union level should enact necessary law bytaking approaches from various angles. Since thePyidaungsu Hluttaw constitutes illuttaw representa-tives of the region or the state, they will have the rightto submit their proposals.

The delegate group of peasants, in its separatesuggestion, said that the places of tourist attractionmay exist in the regions or states. Therefore, tourismindustry should be undertaken on a greater scale inthese areas with the help of the Ministry of Hotels andTourism.

It also pointed out that hilly regions lagged behindin development as a result of the continued practice ofthe slash and bum farming method although measuresare being taken to boost the national economy throughagriculture.

It continued that close supervision should bemade more than ever before to ensure the shiftfrom the old method to the modem slope farmingmethod in line with the highland farming methodset by the government. It added that the rightshould be granted according to law as to turning the‘slash and bum’ farmland into village-owned fire-wood plantations or into manageable-scale forestplantations.

To this, I would like to reply that nowadaystourism industry is being and will be undertaken onan extensive scale. More and more rights to do sohave been granted to states and divisions.

Likewise, the State is making efforts to provideassistance for greater undertaking of the modern slopefarming method and highland farming methods on acommercial scale.

These suggestions will be placed on record for theenactment of law in future.

By the consent of most of the delegates to theNational Convention, following points are adopted asdetailed basic principles for the economic sector to beembodied in the Union Legislative List as regards thesharing of legislative power:1. Economy;2. Trade;3. Cooperatives;4. Corporations, boards, enterprises, companies and

partnerships;5. Imports and exports, and control of their quality;6. Hotels and accommodation; and7. Tour business.

And the following points are laid down as detailedbasic principles for the economic sector to be embod-ied in the Region or State Legislative List:1. Economic activities carried out in a region or state

in accord with the law enacted by the Pyidaungsu;2. Trade activities carried out in a region or state in

accord with the law enacted by the Pyidaungsu; and3. Cooperative activities carried out in a region or

state in accord with the law enacted by thePyidaungsu.

On behalf of the Chairman of Work Committee,presentation of Work Committee Secretary U ThaungNyunt presented matters concerning the Agricultureand Livestock Breeding Sector,the Energy, Electric,Mining and Forest Sector and Work Committee mem-ber Deputy Attorney-General Dr Tun Shin submittedpresentation relating to the Industry Sector and theTransport and Communication Sector that should beincluded in the portion of the sharing of legislativepower in Union Legislative List, at Pyidaungsu Hallof Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Township to-day.

Their full presentations will be reported at thenewspapers to be issued on 5 March. — MNA

Central level issues …


DON’T

SMOKE

Job Vacancies for NationalTuberculosis Programme, Myanmar

Myanmar citizens with the followingqualifications and experiences can apply for thefollowing posts:

Title (1) Programme OfficerQualifications and experience

(1) Medical degree and post graduate degree inthe field of epidemiology or tuberculosisand chest disease.

(2) To have at least 5 years experience in TBcontrol activities.

Title (2) Assistant Programme OfficerQualifications and experience

(1) Medical Degree(2) To have at least 3 years experience in TB

control activities.

Title (3) Programme Officer (Laboratory)Qualifications and experience

(1) Medical degree and post graduate degree inthe field of laboratory.

(2) Must have at least 5 years experience in TBlaboratory activities.

Title (4) Computer AssistantQualification and experience :

(1) Graduate with computer Diploma or LCCILevel III International Standard.

(2) Have an excellent skill in reading, writingof English and office work.

(3) Have a working experience at least threeyears.

Title (5) Office AssistantQualification and Experience :

(1) Must have at least Bachelor Degree(2) Must have a working experience in office

work for at least five years.

Title (6) Junior Office AssistantQualification and Experience :

(1) Have a working experience in Office workfor at least one year.

Title (7) Assistant Finance and AccountsOfficer

Qualification and Experience :(1) Must have advanced University degree or

equivalent, with specialization in financeand accounting.

(2) Must have at least 5 years extensiveexperience in utilizing/applying accounting.

Title (8) Human Resource DevelopmentCo-ordinator

Qualification and Experience :(1) Must be a Medical Officer with Post graduate

in Diploma in Chest Disease or Master ofPublic Health

(2) Must have a training experience for at least5 years

Title (9) IEC ExpertQualification and Experience :

(1) Must be a graduate(2) Must have a wide range of experience in

IEC activities for five yearsTitle (10) DriverQualification and Experience

(1) Must have a driving experience for at least(3) years

(2) Must have a valid driving license.(3) Must be able to work in any assigned area.Applicants must state the serial number and

name of the post clearly. Separate applications are tobe submitted for each post. Applicants have to attachthe Curriculum Vitae, recent photo: (3) Nos. andcopies of relevant graduation certificates with theapplication forms: Applications are to be submittedto the following address not later than (18-3-2005)

The Deputy Resident Representative(Operations)

Attention: Human Resources UnitUNDP OfficeNo. 6, Natmauk Road, Yangon

Those who are eligible will have reasonablesalary, health care and other benefits.

Those who meet the qualifications andrequirements will only be notified and able to sit forthe written and viva examinations.

UNDP will not reply the enquires either by letteror through the telephone.

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CLAIMS DAY NOTICEMV SEA MERCHANT VOY NO (549)

Consignees of cargo carried on MV SEA MER-CHANT Voy No. (549) are hereby notified that thevessel will be arriving on 4-3-2005 and cargo will bedischarged into the permises of A.W.P.T where it willlie at the consignee’s risk and expenses and subject tothe byelaws and conditions of the Port of Yangon.

Damaged cargo will be surveyed daily from8 am to 11.20 am and 12 noon to 4 pm up to Claims Daynow declared as the third day after final discharge ofcargo from the Vessel.

No claims against this vessel will be admitted afterthe Claims Day.

SHIPPING AGENCY DEPARTMENTMYANMA PORT AUTHORITY

AGENT FOR: M/S ADVANCE CONTAINERPhone: 256908/378316/376797

CLAIMS DAY NOTICEMV YANGON STAR VOY NO (373)

Consignees of cargo carried on MV YANGONSTAR Voy No. (373) are hereby notified that the vesselwill be arriving on 4-3-2005 and cargo will be dis-charged into the permises of M.I.T.T where it will lieat the consignee’s risk and expenses and subject to thebyelaws and conditions of the Port of Yangon.

Damaged cargo will be surveyed daily from8 am to 11.20 am and 12 noon to 4 pm up to Claims Daynow declared as the third day after final discharge ofcargo from the Vessel.

No claims against this vessel will be admitted afterthe Claims Day.

SHIPPING AGENCY DEPARTMENTMYANMA PORT AUTHORITY

AGENT FOR: M/S EAGLE CORPORATIONPhone: 256908/378316/376797

INVITATION TO TENDERMYANMA RAILWAYS

Sealed Tender is invited by Myanma Railways, Ministry of Rail Transportation,the Government of the Union of Myanmar, from reputed manufacturers or theirbonifide agents from all eligible countries for the supply and delivery of thefollowings:-

Sr.No Tender No. & Description of Goods Issue Date Closing Date & Time

1. 15(T)1/MR/(E)2005-2006 7.3.2005 22.4.2005Purchase of Brand New (Monday) 12:00 NoonBS 75 R Steel Rail - (12000) M.Tons (Friday)

Tender Documents are available at the Office of the Managing Director,Myanma Railways, No. 357/361, Merchant Street, Botataung Township, Yangonduring office hours on payment of non refundable fee US$ (or) FEC 200 per set.

Bids are to reach the office of the Managing Director, Myanma Railways, No.357/361, Merchant Street, Botataung Township, Yangon, Myanmar on or beforethe Closing Date and Time. The Bids will be opened publicly at 14:00 hour onthe Closing Date at Myanma Railways Head Office.

All Bids not accompanied by earnest money (Bid Bond) will not be considered.No Telegraphic/Telex/Fax/e-mail proposal will be considered or accepted.

Myanma Railways reserves the right to reject any or all Tenders withoutfurnishing reasons. Tender will be accepted only from Bidders who has purchasedTender Documents officially. (those tender document purchased throughEmbassies must declare for whom they are purchased.)

The above Goods and Services are to be purchased by our government’sallotted Foreign Exchange to Myanma Railways.

For further details please call : 298589, 298636, 298587, 291982, 201555Ext-510, 522, 520, 540

Deputy General ManagerSupply Department, Myanma Railways, Botataung, Yangon

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTDr. Robert Hla Khin

(76 years)The bereaved family of Dr. Robert Hla Khin

would like to thank the Consultants, Specialists,doctors and medical staff from ShwegondineSpecialist Center for their gentle care during thehospitalization of our loved one; the Reverends,Ministers and Associates from Kayin Baptist CityChurch (Immanuel) for their words ofencouragement through faith; principles, teachersand students from the Karyi Baptist TheologicalSeminary and the Myanmar Institute of Theology,the Myanmar Baptist Churches’ Union, ChurchSchool teachers, Elders and members of theImmanuel Baptist Church (English) for theirsympathetic assistance during this time of deeploss; friends, officials from respective offices,colleagues and relatives for your phone calls, cards,e-mails, flowers, and visits during this time ofmourning over our loss of Dr. Robert Hla Khin andall who took part in the funeral preparations andmemorial services. Our family is greatly beholdingto you all and we truly appreciate such a wonderfulshowing of love and concern.

Bereaved Family

Cameroon says scam costs Govt $2.02m every monthYAOUNDE, 2 March—

Around 500 workers atCameroon’s EconomyMinistry have beenboosting their salaries bytaking paychecks for peoplewho do not exist or simplyawarding themselves moremoney, the government

said on Tuesday.A statement from the

Prime Minister’s office inthe central African countrysaid the scam costs thestate 1 billion CFA francs(2.02 million US dollars)every month.

The workers will be

judged by the disciplinaryboard of Cameroon’spublic service and thensanctioned.

“The head ofgovernment has givenfirm instructions forexemplary administrativepenalties to be meted outagainst all those finallyfound guilty, as well astheir accessories,” thestatement said.

It added that the statereserved the right to takecriminal action againstthe workers for mis-appropriation of publicfunds.

Cameroon has recentlylaunched a drive to crackdown on all forms ofcorruption in the statesector. One initiativeinvolves locking outworkers who do not arriveat work on time.

The country, which isfeeling the pinch ofdeclining oil output aftera post-independenceeconomic boom, is eagerto woo foreign donors.

MNA/Reuters


National Convention delegates sign the attendance book.— MNA

The plenary session of National Convention in progress at Pyidaungsu Hall of Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Township.— MNA

National Convention Convening Commission Chairman Secretary-1 Lt-GenThein Sein signs the attendance book of National Convention. — MNA

NCCC

Secretary

Minister

for

Informa-

tion Brig-

Gen Kyaw

Hsan acts

as MC.

MNA

(from page 16)State Peace and Develop-ment Council Office, thePresident’s Office, thePyithu Hluttaw Office,the Government Office,the Supreme Court, theAttorney-General’s Of-fice, the Auditor-Gener-al’s Office, the Multi-party Democracy GeneralElection CommissionOffice, the Civil ServiceSelection and TrainingBoard, the Yangon CityDevelopment Committeeand the Mandalay CityDevelopment Committee,ministries, other inviteddelegates, delegates of 17armed groups who ex-changed arms for peace,and representatives ofother organizations.

Before the plenarymeeting of the NationalConvention, NCCCChairman Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Thein Sein andCommission members,Chairman of NCCWCChief Justice U AungToe and Work Commit-tee members, Chairmanof NCCMC Auditor-General Maj-Gen LunMaung and ManagementCommittee members,chairmen and officials ofthe subcommittees, repre-sentatives of political par-ties, representatives-elect,delegates of nationalraces, delegates of peas-ants, delegates of work-

ers, delegates of intellec-tuals and intelligentsia,delegates of State servicepersonnel and other in-vited delegates signed theattendance books at thePyidaungsu Hall and therecreation hall for the Na-tional Convention del-egates.

At the plenary ses-sion, NCCC ChairmanSecretary-1 Lt-Gen TheinSein presided over the

meeting, and Secretary ofthe commission Ministerfor Information Brig-Gen

Kyaw Hsan acted as mas-ter of ceremonies. First,the master of ceremoniesannounced the validity of

the meeting as 1,067 outof 1,081 delegate at-tended the meeting, ac-counting for 98.7 percent.

Chairman of theWork Committee ChiefJustice U Aung Toe ex-plained the matters relat-ing to Defence and Secu-rity Sector concerning thedetailed basic principlesto be laid down for shar-ing of legislative power

to be included in thedrawing of the State Con-stitution.

(The presentationof Work CommitteeChairman U Aung Toe isreported separately.)

On behalf of theWork Committee Chair-man, Vice-Chairman ofthe Work Committee At-torney-General U AyeMaung read out mattersrelating to the ForeignAffairs Sector, the Finan-cial and Planning Sectorand the Economy Sector.Then, the plenary sessionwent into recess.

(The presentationof Vice-Chairman of theWork Committee U AyeMaung is reported sepa-rately.)

At 10.20 am, theplenary session resumed.

On behalf of theWork Committee Chair-man, Secretary of theWork Committee UThaung Nyunt submittedmatters relating to theAgriculture and Live-stock Breeding Sector,the Energy, Electric,Mining and Forest Sec-tor.

(The presentation

of the Secretary of theWork Committee will bereported later.)

Work Committee DeputyMinister for InformationU Thein Sein, on behalfof the Work CommitteeChairman, submitted theSocial Sector and theManagement Sector.

(The presentationwill be reported later.)

Afterwards, Dr TinAung Aye, SupremeCourt Judge and Memberof the Work Committee,read out the Judicial Sec-tor, the legislative powerfor Self-administered zoneleading bodies and thedistribution of legislativepower in connection withother matters not stated inthe legislative lists of theUnion, State or Division,and Self-administered di-vision or zone leadingbodies. Next, the plenarysession went to recess.


At 2.20 pm, theplenary session resumed.On behalf of the WorkCommittee Chairman,Secretary U ThaungNyunt read out the legis-lative power for Unionterritories, the effect of thelaws enacted by differentlevels of the Hluttaw andthe self-administered arealeading bodies, the forma-tion of Financial Com-mission, the Taxation and

funds allotment amongand Pyidaungsu and Re-gions or States.

(The presentationwill be reported sepa-rately.)

Member of theWork Committee Su-preme Court Judge U TinAye continued to read outthe formation of Finan-cial Commission, theTaxation and funds allot-ment among andPyidaungsu and Regionsor States.


Next, Chairman ofthe Work CommitteeChief Justice U AungToe and Vice-ChairmanAttorney-General U AyeMaung submitted all thedetailed basic principlesfor sharing of legislativepower which have beenlaid down in accord withthe suggestions of Na-tional Convention del-egates.

(All the detailedbasic principles will bereported later.)

Afterwards, theplenary session of theNational Convention con-cluded at 3.35 pm.

The plenary ses-sion continues at 9 am on7 March (Monday).

MNA

Detailed basicprinciples forsharing oflegislativepower…

On behalf of theWork Committee Chair-man, member of the WorkCommittee Deputy Attor-ney-General Dr Tun Shinread out matters concern-ing the Industry Sectorand the Transport andCommunication Sector.Next, the plenary meetingwent to recess for lunchbreak.


The plenary ses-sion resumed at 1 pm.

Member of the


SSSSSPPPPPOOOOORRRRRTTTTTSSSSS

Venus ousted in Dubai first-round clash

Former Soviet soccer boss dies at 83MOSCOW, 2 March — Former Soviet Soccer Federation chairman

and UEFA vice president Nikolai Ryashentsev has died at the age of83, said the Russian Soccer Union on Monday. Ryashentsev, whoreigned in the Soviet Soccer Federation from 1964-67 and was aUEFA vice-president from 1982-94, died Saturday in Moscow of anunspecified disease.

"It's hard to overestimate Ryashentsev's contribution to thedevelopment of the national soccer and his authority in the interna-tional soccer federation," said the Russian soccer union, calling himan "excellent player, a talented coach and a great manager".

UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson said Ryashentsev"will be sorely missed by all those who knew him". —MNA/Xinhua

Brazilian Real Madrid player RobertoCarlos, left, controls the ball as he duelswith Spanish Betis player JoaquinSanches during their Spanish leaguesoccer match in Madrid, on Wednesday, 2 March, 2005.—INTERNET

Australian tennis player LleytonHewitt (R) shakes hands with Alexan-der Peya of Austria during the Davis

Cup draw in Sydney on 3 March,2005. Hewitt and Peya will play the

first singles tennis match on 4 March.INTERNET

Silvia Farina, of Italy, hits a return toVenus Williams of United States, duringtheir second round match at the DubaiOpen tennis tournament in Dubai, UAE,on Monday, 28 Feb, 2005. Farina won the match 7-5,7-6.—INTERNET

ABU DHABI, 2 March — Formerworld No 1 Venus Williams suffered afirst-round exit at the Dubai Open onMonday, beaten 7-5, 7-6 by Italian SilviaFarina Elia after the fifth seeded Ameri-can was keeping bothered by injury dur-ing the match.

After more than two hours of tennis,Williams capitulated more to a stomachinjury and blisters on her racket handthan to her opponent.

She blamed the stomach injury shesustained the week before last at herprevious tournament, the Antwerp Dia-mond Games where she came out adefeated finalist to Amelie Mauresmo.

"Blisters were a factor, but mostlymy stomach wasn't that great," saidWilliams. "I did it in the last tournamentin the semi-finals, and I was serving at40 per cent in the final... when yourserve isn't good it throws the rest of yourgame off too."

Only three games went with serve inthe opening set at the end of whichWilliams had her right hand bandaged.

In another match, Indian teenager

Sania Mirza came from a set down tobeat Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-7, 6-4,6-1 and set up a second round meet withfourth seed and US Open championSvetlana Kuznetsova. — MNA/Xinhu

Real Madrid out-gun Real Betis 3-1 MADRID , 3 March — Real Madrid closed the gap on leaders Barcelona to

six points at the top of the Primera Liga on Wednesday when they out-gunnedReal Betis with a 3-1 win at the Bernabeu.

Betis were the better side for muchof the first half, but an opportunist strikefrom Michael Owen and a thunderboltfrom fullback Roberto Carlos put Real2-0 up at the break.

Midfielder Edu pulled one back forthe visitors with a sharp strike on theturn early in the second half, but centre

back Ivan Helguera snuffed out any hopesof a comeback when he looped a headerover keeper Antonio Doblas two min-utes later.

Barcelona, who were held to a 0-0draw at home by city rivals Espanyol onTuesday, lead the standings with 59points, Real follow on 53, a distant 10ahead of in-form Villarreal.

Manuel Pelligrini's side climbed intothird thanks to a 2-1 win at home torelegation-threatened Real Mallorca,Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan snatch-ing a late winner to take his tally for theseason to 16.

Earlier Sevilla and Valencia foughtout a dramatic 2-2 draw that kept theteams in the hunt for the ChampionsLeague places.

Sevilla striker Julio Baptista, whohad equalized when he cracked home apenalty midway through the second half,missed a golden opportunity to seal vic-tory when he skied another spot kickover the bar just six minutes from time.

Valencia, who got off to a winningstart under new coach Antonio Lopezwith a 2-1 victory over Betis at the week-end, were also left ruing their bad luckwhen they had a late goal controversiallydisallowed for a foul.

The result left Sevilla fourth in thestandings, level on points with Villarrealand one ahead of champions Valencia.

MNA/Reuters

Bayern crush SC Freiburg 7-0 BERLIN, 3 March— Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro

scored four goals to help his side crush an overmatched SC Freiburg7-0 on Wednesday and cruise into the semifinals of the German Cup.

Such was the Bundesliga leaders' dominance, Pizarro's first-halfhat-trick had some discouraged home fans leaving before intermis-sion.

The Peruvian opened the assault in the seventh minute, poweringa shot from outside the area off the outstretched hand of Freiburgkeeper Julian Reinard and into the goal.

He followed that up three minutes later, latching on to a bounc-ing centre from Sebastian Deisler and sending a scorcher past a lead-footed Freiburg defence.

Germany captain Michael Ballack and Dutch striker Roy Makaayadded their own goals, before Pizarro notched his third on anunselfish pass from Makaay.

Play slowed in the second half, with Pizarro and Iranian substi-tute Vahid Hashemian further punishing a porous Freiburg defence.

MNA/Reuters

Sevilla, Valencia fight out dramatic 2-2 draw MADRID, 3 March — Sevilla and

Valencia fought out a dramatic 2-2 drawin the Primera Liga on Wednesday thatkept the teams in the hunt for the Cham-pions League places.

Sevilla striker Julio Baptista, whoput his side 2-1 ahead when he crackedhome a penalty midway through the

second half, missed a golden opportu-nity to seal the victory when he skiedanother spot kick over the bar just sixminutes from time.

Valencia, who got off to a winningstart under new coach Antonio Lopezwith a 2-1 victory over Real Betis at theweekend, were also left ruing their badluck when they had a late goal contro-versially disallowed for a foul.

The result left Sevilla fourth in thestandings, a point above last season'schampions Valencia, whose regional ri-vals Villarreal leapfrogged both teamsinto third spot with a 2-1 comeback winat home to relegation-threatened RealMallorca.

MNA/Reuters

Austrian skier banned for18 months for doping

VIENNA, 2 March — World championships silvermedalist Hans Knauss has been banned from racing for18 months by the International Ski Federation (FIS) onTuesday after the Austrian skier was tested positive forthe banned anabolic steroid Nandrolone.

Knauss, giant slalom silver medalist at the 2003world championships and one of Austria's most expe-rienced and popular racers, was provisionally sus-pended in January after a positive B test for Nandrolone.

The 33-year-old skier's lawyer Christian Flick toldAustrian news agency APA that Knauss would appeal thedecision with hopes of having the ban reduced to 12months, though he had escaped a potential two-year ban.FIS set the start of the ban from November 27, 2004, whenKnauss first returned a positive A test after a race in LakeLouise, Canada, and said in a statement that they believedKnauss had not acted intentionally.

Spanishrider

banned fortwo years MADRID 2 March —

Spanish rider SantiagoPerez was banned fortwo years by the Span-ish Cycling Federation(RFEC) on Tuesday af-ter testing positive for ablood transfusion in lastSeptember's Tour ofSpain where he finishedsecond overall.

Perez gave an irregu-lar blood test after therace which indicated hehad undergone a transfu-sion, while his teammateat the time at Phonak,American cyclist TylerHamilton, also testedpositive for the samethere.

Spurs to seal 3-0 victory at SecondDivision Nottingham Forest

LONDON, 3 March — Tottenham Hotspur scoredthree second-half goals to seal a 3-0 victory at SecondDivision Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup fifth-roundreplay on Wednesday.

Defender Noe Pamarot nodded in a near-post cor-ner after 61 minutes, Ireland striker Robbie Keanepounced from close range and substitute Mido addedanother in stoppage time to earn a quarterfinal trip toPremier League rivals Newcastle United.

Tottenham dominated the match, a repeat of the1991 FA Cup final also won by Spurs, and Keanenearly opened the scoring in the first half when hissnapshot was brilliantly saved one-handed by Forestgoalkeeper Paul Gerrard.

Holders Manchester United travel to Southamp-ton, Bolton Wanderers host Arsenal and BlackburnRovers entertain Second Division Leicester City in theother quarterfinals, which take place over the weekendof March 12 and 13. — MNA/Reuters

MNA/Xinhua MNA/Xinhua


R 489 Published by the News and Periodicals Enterprise, Ministry of Information, Union of Myanmar. Edited and printed at The New Light of Myanmar Press,No 22/30 Strand Road at 43rd Street, Yangon. Cable Newlight, PO Box No. 43, Telephones: Editors 296115, Manager 296864, Circulation 297093, Advertisement 296843,Accounts 296545, Administration 296161, Production 297032 (Office) /297028 (Press).

R 489 Published by the News and Periodicals Enterprise, Ministry of Information, Union of Myanmar. Edited and printed at The New Light of Myanmar Press,No 22/30 Strand Road at 43rd Street, Yangon. Cable Newlight, PO Box No. 43, Telephones: Editors 296115, Manager 296864, Circulation 297093, Advertisement 296843,Accounts 296545, Administration 296161, Production 297032 (Office) /297028 (Press).

7:00 am

1. Recitation of Parittas by

Missionary Saya-daw U

Ottamathara

7:25 am 2. To be healthy exercise

7:30 am

3. Morning news

7:40 am

4. Nice and sweet song

7:55 am

5. � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� 8:05 am

6. � � � � � � � � �� 8:15 am 7. The mirror images of

the musical oldies

8:25 am

8. � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� 8:30 am

9. International news

8:45 am10 English For Everyday

Use

4:00 pm

1. Martial song

4:15 pm

2. Songs to uphold

National Spirit

4:30 pm

3. Practice in Reading

4:45 pm

4.� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��

� � � � �� 5:00 pm

5. � � � � � �� ! � � � � � " � � � �� ! � � � � � " � � � �� ! � � � � � " � � � �� ! � � � � � " � � � �� ! � � � � � " � � � �# � � � �# � � � �# � � � �# � � � �# � � � � � � � $ � � � � � � � � � � �� $ � � � � � � � � � � �� $ � � � � � � � � � � �� $ � � � � � � � � � � �� $ � � � � � � � � � � �% � � & ' � � �% � � & ' � � �% � � & ' � � �% � � & ' � � �% � � & ' � � � (((((� � )� � � *+� � � ,� � )� � � *+� � � ,� � )� � � *+� � � ,� � )� � � *+� � � ,� � )� � � *+� � � ,(� � )� � ,(� � )� � ,(� � )� � ,(� � )� � ,(� � )� � ,

5:15 pm

6. Song of national races

5:30 pm

7. � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5:40 pm

8. Musical programme

5:50 pm

9. -.� � � � � � � � � � � � � *� � � " � /-.� � � � � � � � � � � � � *� � � " � /-.� � � � � � � � � � � � � *� � � " � /-.� � � � � � � � � � � � � *� � � " � /-.� � � � � � � � � � � � � *� � � " � /

(�� $ � � 01� � � � � � � � � 0� � � . � 0(�� $ � � 01� � � � � � � � � 0� � � . � 0(�� $ � � 01� � � � � � � � � 0� � � . � 0(�� $ � � 01� � � � � � � � � 0� � � . � 0(�� $ � � 01� � � � � � � � � 0� � � . � 0� '� � � '� � ,� '� � � '� � ,� '� � � '� � ,� '� � � '� � ,� '� � � '� � ,23# � � � � % � � & �23# � � � � % � � & �23# � � � � % � � & �23# � � � � % � � & �23# � � � � % � � & �

6:10 pm

10. Discovery

6:15 pm

11. Song of yesteryears

6:30 pm

12. Evening news

7:00 pm

13. Weather report

7:05 pm

14. ' � � � � � � � 4� � � � � � � � ��' � � � � � � � 4� � � � � � � � ��' � � � � � � � 4� � � � � � � � ��' � � � � � � � 4� � � � � � � � ��' � � � � � � � 4� � � � � � � � ��-� � � � � � � " � � /(� � � � � � % 56,-� � � � � � � " � � /(� � � � � � % 56,-� � � � � � � " � � /(� � � � � � % 56,-� � � � � � � " � � /(� � � � � � % 56,-� � � � � � � " � � /(� � � � � � % 56,

Thursday, 3 March, 2005Summary of observations recorded at 09:30 hours

MST: During the past 24 hours, except for isolatedlight rain in upper Sagaing Division, weather has beengenerally fair in the whole country. Day temperatureswere (3˚C) to (4˚C) above normal in Kachin and ShanStates, Magway, Mandalay and Ayeyawady Divisions,(5˚C) above normal in upper Sagaing Division, (7˚C)above normal in Taninthayi Division and about normalin the remaining areas. The significant day tempera-tures were Mandalay and Magway (38˚C) each.

Maximum temperature on 2-3-2005 was 99°F.Minimum temperature on 3-3-2005 was 64°F. Relativehumidity at 9:30 hrs MST on 3-3-2005 was 87%. Totalsunshine hours on 2-3-2005 was (9.3) hours approx.Rainfalls on 3-3-2005 were nil at Yangon Airport, Kaba-Aye and central Yangon. Total rainfalls since 1-1-2005were nil at Yangon Airport, Kaba-Aye and centralYangon. Maximum wind speed at Yangon (Kaba-Aye)was (9) mph from West at (15:35) hours MST on2-3-2005.

Bay inference: Weather is partly cloudy in the SouthEast Bay and generally fair elsewhere in the Bay ofBengal.

Forecast valid until evening of 4-3-2005: Possibil-ity of isolated light rain in Kachin State and upperSagaing and Taninthayi Divisions and weather will bepartly cloudy in Ayeyawady and Yangon Divisions andgenerally fair in the remaining areas. Degree of cer-tainty is (40%).

State of the sea: Seas will be slight to moderate inMyanmar waters.

Outlook for subsequent two days: Generally fairweather in the whole country.

Forecast for Yangon and neighbouring area for4-3-2005: Partly cloudy. Forecast for Mandalay andneighbouring area for 4-3-2005: Fair weather.

WEATHER

Friday, 4 March

View on today:

YANGON, 3 March —At the invitation of Min-ister for Foreign AffairsU Nyan Win of the Un-ion of Myanmar, Speakerof Parliament of theDemocratic Socialist Re-public of Sri Lanka MrWJM Lokubandara andparty arrived here by airfor paying a goodwillvisit this morning.

The Sri LankanSpeaker of Parliament andparty were welcomed atYangon International Air-port by officials of theMinistry of Foreign Af-fairs, Sri Lankan Ambas-sador to Myanamar MrDMM Ranaraza and re-sponsible officials. Thevisiting Sri Lankan Par-liament Speaker and partywent to Myanmar-SriLanka Rama Monasteryin Tamway Township anddonated the offertories to

Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker arrives

Local and Foreign Mis-sionary State OvadaçariyaAgga Maha PanitaBaddanta Ñaninda.

Afterwards, the vis-iting Sri Lankan Parlia-ment Speaker and partyvisited ShwedagonPagoda and offered flow-

ers and lights to the Bud-dha Image at the South-ern Prayer Hall. Next, thevisiting Sri Lankan Par-liament Speaker signed inthe visitors’ book of thepagoda and donated cashfor all-round constructionof the pagoda.

YANGON, 3 March—The Ministry of ForeignAffairs of the Union of Myanmar today issued astatement in response to the report issued on 28February by United States Department of State,to the effect that there has been violation of hu-man rights in Myanmar.

The full context of the statement is as fol-lows:—

The United States Department of State hasonce again arrogated to itself the moral authorityto pass judgement on human rights practices inMyanmar. The report for 2004 issues in Wash-ington DC on 28 February is patently false andis nothing more than a catalogue of allegations.It fails to reflect the true situation obtaining inthe country. The Myanmar government has notonly succeeded in meeting the challenge of re-

Myanmar dismisses US issue on violation of human rights

In the evening, Min-ister for Foreign AffairsU Nyan Win hosted adinner to the visiting SriLankan ParliamentSpeaker and party atSedona Hotel on KabaAye Pagoda Road.

MNA

7:25 pm

15. ' � � � (78, � " �9� � � � � � � � � � �' � � � (78, � " �9� � � � � � � � � � �' � � � (78, � " �9� � � � � � � � � � �' � � � (78, � " �9� � � � � � � � � � �' � � � (78, � " �9� � � � � � � � � � �� 1�� 1�� 1�� 1�� 1�

7:35 pm

16. � � � � � � � � � � � � � . � � � � � � � � � � �� . � � � � � � � � � � �� . � � � � � � � � � � �� . � � � � � � � � � � �� . � � � � � � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � $ � � �� $ � � �� $ � � �� $ � � �� $ � � �7:45 pm

17. � � � : � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � �� : � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � �� : � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � �� : � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � �� : � � � � " � � � � � � � � � � � � �8:00 pm

18. News

19. International news

20. Weather report

21. Myanmar video

feature:-� � � � � � � � � ;� � .� � /-� � � � � � � � � ;� � .� � /-� � � � � � � � � ;� � .� � /-� � � � � � � � � ;� � .� � /-� � � � � � � � � ;� � .� � /(� � � � � � % 6,(� � � � � � % 6,(� � � � � � % 6,(� � � � � � % 6,(� � � � � � % 6,(� 2� � 0� '<� � � � � 0 � � � � � � � � � � � 0(� 2� � 0� '<� � � � � 0 � � � � � � � � � � � 0(� 2� � 0� '<� � � � � 0 � � � � � � � � � � � 0(� 2� � 0� '<� � � � � 0 � � � � � � � � � � � 0(� 2� � 0� '<� � � � � 0 � � � � � � � � � � � 0

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22. The next day’s

programme

Minister U Nyan Win welcomes Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mr WJMLokubandara and party at Yangon International Airport. — MNA

storing peace and stability in the country but instrengthening national unity as well. With thesteady improvement of the country’s infrastruc-ture, the economy has expended and living stand-ards of the people have improved.

Any objective observer can see the positivechanges in the political, economic and socialspheres in Myanmar. The very fact that the seven-step Road Map to democratization is on the track,and that the National Convention, which resumedwork on 17 February is attended by delegatescoming from all parts of the country and all strataof society including representatives of nationalraces, political parties and armed groups, speaksvolumes for the systematic manner in which theaspirations of the people are being met.

With regard to the economy, the country has

registered an average growth rate of 8.5 per centannually for the past three years, despite sanc-tions imposed by some countries. In the socialfield, notable improvements can be seen as healthand education facilities have been enhanced bothquantitatively and qualitatively.

No foreign power can claim to have greaterinterest in the well-being of citizens of Myanmarthan the government and people of Myanmar. Thereport of the United States Department of Statecan only be regarded as a politically-motivatedattempt to maintain pressure on Myanmar and tointerfere in the domestic affairs of the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore cat-egorically rejects the United States Departmentof State annual report on human rights inMyanmar.—MNA

9th Waning of Tabodwe 1366 ME Friday, 4 March, 2005

Myanmar women do not need to make demand nor strugglefor women rights and are enjoying these rights since bornMWAF annual meeting commences

YANGON, 3 March—The opening of the annualmeeting of the Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federationtook place at its office on Thanlwin Street in BahanTownship here this morning, with an address by PrimeMinister Lt-Gen Soe Win.

Also present on the occasion were ministers, thechairman of Yangon City Development Committeethe mayor, deputy ministers, members of the Panel ofPatrons of the MWAF, the president, the vice-presi-dent and CEC members of the MWAF, scholars,leaders, co-leaders and secretaries of the MWAF divi-sions and working groups, members of the supportinggroups, State/Division organizations for Women’sAffairs Federations.

In his address, the Prime Minister said thatMyanmar women can be proud to be the citizens ofMyanmar as throughout the nation’s history they havebeen enjoying the rights equally with men and they

have a golden opportunity to play an important role inthe tasks sharing the same status with men for develop-ment of families of their own, human societies, themotherland and the people. Vividly visible is the factthat each and every Myanmar woman never feelsinconsequential at all due to being women and theyhave never failed to reveal their abilities and qualifica-tions whenever there are any kinds of crises andhardships faced by the mother country and the people.

The Union of Myanmar is indeed a nation in whichwomen can play greater role in all sectors and enjoygreater kindness, protection and care than the womenin other nations.

That is why the government is encouraging andnurturing the mass of Myanmar women effectively toenhance their abilities and capabilities and to elevatetheir role.

(See page 7)

YANGON, 3 March — The plenary session of theNational Convention continued at Pyidaungsu Hall ofNyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Township this morn-ing.

The clarification of the Chairman of the Na-tional Convention Convening Work Committee con-cerning detailed basic principles to be laid down forsharing of legislative power to be included in thedrawing of the State Constitution were read out.

Present at the plenary session of the NationalConvention were Chairman of the National Conven-tion Convening Commission Secretary-1 of the StatePeace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Seinand Commission members, Chairman of the NationalConvention Convening Work Committee Chief Jus-tice U Aung Toe and Work Committee members,Chairman of the National Convention ConveningManagement Committee Auditor-General Maj-GenLun Maung and Management Committee members,chairmen of subcommittees and officials, representa-tives of Kokang Democracy and Unity Party, National

Detailed basic principles for sharing of legislative power clarified98.7 per cent of delegates attend NC plenary session

Unity Party, Union Kayin League, Union Pa-O Na-tional Organization, Mro (a) Khami National Solidar-ity Organization, Lahu National Development Partyand Wa National Development Party, representatives-elect of National Unity Party and Mro (a) KhamiNational Solidarity Organization and independent rep-resentatives, delegates of national races from Kachin,Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan (South),Shan (North) and Shan (East) States, Sagaing,Taninthayi, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Yangon andAyeyawady Divisions, delegates of peasants fromKachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan(South), Shan (North) and Shan (East) States, Sagaing,Taninthayi, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Yangon andAyeyawady Divisions, intellectuals and intelligent-sia, delegates of workers from Kachin, Kayah, Kayin,Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan (South), Shan (North) andShan (East) States, Sagaing, Taninthayi, Bago,Magway, Mandalay, Yangon and Ayeyawady Divi-sions, delegates of State Service Personnel from the

(See page 13)

Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win addresses theannual meeting of the Myanmar Women’s Affairs

Federation. — MNA

Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Thein Sein presides over theplenary session. — MNA