MEGA CHINESE LOAN FOR BRIDGE for Bu

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Subject: MEGA CHINESE LOAN FOR BRIDGE for Burma


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The Nation (Bangkok)
February 26, 1994

Burma Notes
by Yindee Lertcharoenchok

MEGA CHINESE LOAN FOR BRIDGE 
[abridged]

The 2.9 km Rangoon-Syriam Bridge across the Pegu River has, since
its inauguration last July, become a new landmark in Burma's
capital.  Located in the southeastern suburb of Rangoon, the
US$300-million road-rail bridge was constructed with a 265-million
yuan interest-free loan from China.

The concrete structure, the largest bridge Beijing ever built for
any country, has not only become a new sightseeing must for foreign
visitors to Rangoon, but also a new attraction to local Burmese
people.  The bridge, which is 33 feet above the water, is comprised
of two 15-foot one way car roads with a rail track in the middle. 
It also has two five-feet foot paths along the sides.  Varying toll
fees are imposed on passing vehicles.


China has long been known for its desire to find an exit to the
South China Sea and the Indian Ocean for it s landlocked and
resourceful western and southwestern regions which have been
designated as the country's new agro-based and mining industrial
zones.  Plans for the Rangoon-Syriam bridge were drawn up in the
1970s as part of the Chinese plan to expand southwards and to
achieve its objective.

The project was first proposed to Burma in 1979 as part of a
Chinese loan package.  In July of that year, the two countries
signing in Beijing a 100-million yuan loan for eight projects
which, apart from the Syriam Highway Bridge, also included three
rice mills of 150/tons/day capacity, the Moulmein water supply
project, a spinning mil of 40,000 spinders, together with others.



THAI AID PROGRAMME

 ....The Thai-Burma technical  cooperation programme, as it is
preferably been called due to Rangoon's sensitivity and opposition
to being addressed as an aid recipient nation, kicked up in the
1992/93 fiscal year when several academic and humanitarian projects
worth Bt.21-million were implemented.  About half of the fund went
to short study tours to Thailand of Burmese academics and
government officials with an aim to benefit grassroots Burmese
people.

Over 160 Burmese including civil servants at various levels came
under the programme to study Thai development in the fields of
agriculture, public health and education.  The other half went to
medical assistance including donation of two ambulances, one set of
surgical equipment, and 100 hospital exam beds.

According to a senior Thai official, the bilateral cooperation
stemmed from "genuine Thai good-will" towards Burma and a desire to
see all its neighbors not only Burma prosper and develop
economically."  There have been "no strings attached" he said.

As for the 1993/94 fiscal year, Burma has turned up to be the
second largest  beneficiary of the Thai programme, compared with
the fourth rand the previous year.  A total budget of Bt. 50
million was appropriated for Burma, of which one-third will go the
public health sector.  Thailand has planned to help Burma improve
its rural or primary health services and has drawn up a three-year
80 million baht project for Pegu, which, if proved a success, could
serve as a role model of rural health services and development in
other areas.  The project will stress the improvement of local
health service facilities, surgical equipment and sanitation
systems.

The rest of the allocation will go to study tours and scholarships
in Thailand, mainly in the fields of public health, agriculture and
education.  The official said the scholarships and study trips will
focus on management of hospitals, rural and public health systems,
horticulture, project planning and implementation.  The programme
is introduced as a means for transfer of technology, he said.