Information Sheet No.A. 0717(I) (r)

[khtut@xxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: Information Sheet    No.A. 0717(I)

Ko Okkar:

>From your posting, it is nice to know what Khin Nyunt has in his mind about
"disabled persons."  He appeared a saint in your information-sheet.   As I
do not want to believe you are a devil's adovcate, let me ask you one
important scenario that you left to write in your article.

What about the able-bodied young men and women?

According to my experience, the physical and mental wellbeings of most
unfortunate student colleages  including Minn Ko Naing who were arrested
under 5/J  Act are diabled and invalided after they underwent electric
shock, sleep-deprivation and other inhuman investigative methods used by
Khin Nyunt's anti-democracy cells under the supervision of Directorate of
Defense Service Intelligence.  As they become politically changing, these
students are aimed and assulted, consequently changed as mentally and
physically challenging persons.   There are also other young men and women
who become disabled during the converntional war between ethnic, student and
your armed forces.

These Khin Nyunt-made disabilities in Burma should be given some thought and
some place in your information-sheet as well.

Deaf and dumb?  Interesting.  For what?  The whole Burma population have
been deprived of freedom of expression and access to information.  In the
absense of these basic rights, what's the use  of having perfect ears, eyes
and mouths?


Sincerely,

Kyaw Kyaw Htut
Indiana

<<Though the
>disabled are regarded as those having ill-luck owing to their past deeds in
>accord with Myanmar traditional concept, they are not regarded as those
whose
>lives have ended up, for they believe in the concept that one can enjoy the
>fruits of good deeds not only in the present existence but also in the
future
>and that the disabled can regain able life in the future existence by
>performing good deeds in the present existence. >>>>


**************************************
Doing what you like is freedom.
Liking what you do is happiness.
***********Read Somewhere  in India***********
-----Original Message-----
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Date: Friday, December 04, 1998 7:05 AM
Subject: Information Sheet No.A. 0717(I)


>MYANMAR  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE
>YANGON
>Information Sheet
>
>                                No.A. 0717(I)                        4 Dec
>1998
>
>(1) The Disabled being Accorded Special Care, Sympathy, Kindness, Attention
>and Assistance in Myanmar
>
> The International Day of the Disabled was observed at the International
>Business Centre on Pyay Road on 3 December. In his address the Secretary-1
of
>the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen. Khin Nyunt stated that the
>government's organizing the ceremony to observe the International Day of
the
>Disabled, designated by the United Nations to observe the Day for promoting
>the morale of the disabled and uplift of their standard means maintaining
of
>the tradition to actively participate in the UN's activities. Though the
>disabled are regarded as those having ill-luck owing to their past deeds in
>accord with Myanmar traditional concept, they are not regarded as those
whose
>lives have ended up, for they believe in the concept that one can enjoy the
>fruits of good deeds not only in the present existence but also in the
future
>and that the disabled can regain able life in the future existence by
>performing good deeds in the present existence. Myanmar's efforts to enable
>the disabled to participate in the nation-building tasks as a member of the
>community reflect the UN's major  objectives for designating the
International
>Day of the Disabled. The Secretary-1 spoke of the UN's unprecedented
efforts
>for the disabled-- designation of 1981 as the Year of the Disabled, the
Decade
>of the Disabled from 1982 to 1993, formulation of global action plans for
the
>disabled in 1982, laying down of ' Standard Rules" for the disabled in
1993,
>and formulation of long-term global strategies for the handicapped for
2000s.
>
> In accord with the decision passed at the UN General Assembly in 1993 to
>observe the Day world-wide on 3 December every year, Myanmar organizes the
>ceremonies starting from 1994. UN's activities and objectives to enable the
>disabled not to be discarded by the community and to be able to participate
in
>the social activities of respective communities are found to be compatible
>with Myanmar culture and way of life, for it is the inborn nature of
Myanmars
>that they possess sympathy and humanity concepts. Myanmars help others and
>therefore, the disabled will never be discarded in Myanmar  community. The
>disabled are usually taken good care of by their parents and relatives and
if
>they have no relatives, the places such as monasteries provide refuge to
them.
>Myanmar's activities to give systematic care to the disabled started as
early
>as 1914 when the School for the Blind was founded in Kyimyindine, which was
>followed by founding of Yangon School for the Deaf and Dumb in 1923, the
>School for the Blind in Pakokku in 1939, Mandalay  School for the Deaf and
>Dumb in 1962 and so on.
>
> Today, the Social Welfare Department, a governmental organization, is
taking
>charge of rehabilitation projects for the disabled, providing them with
>medical care and treatment, learning, vocational training, arts and other
>livelihood training programmes, with the contribution of the governmental
as
>well as the non-governmental organizations. Ministry of Education and
Myanmar
>Christian Fellowship of the Blind co-initiated the integrated education
system
>in Yangon School for the Blind (Khaweigyan). Computer science can be taught
>there at international level. Competitions for the disabled were held from
11
>to 24 November 1998 for this year's International Day of the Disabled
persons,
>which included rattan spinning, sewing, painting, dancing and singing. The
>disabled, the blind, the deaf and persons who have intellectual defect from
>schools and centres under the Social Welfare Department, Health Department
and
>welfare organizations took part in the contests.
>
> The rehabilitation programmes for the disabled are gaining success due to
>the encouragement of the government and the participation of welfare
>organizations and the public. The progress in morale of the disabled can be
>seen distinctively due to application of international-level advanced
>techniques and their active participation in the social activities. It is a
>pride for Myanmar as it has always actively taken part in the forefront in
the
>international arena as a human society effectively rendering assistance for
>the progress of the disabled and enabling them to enjoy an equal life which
is
>the result of the fine traditions of Myanmar community. Resident
>Representative of UNICEF Dr. Juan Aguilar Leon also spoke on the occasion.
>Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Ministers and Dr. Juan Aguilar Leon
presented
>gifts to the disabled who won prizes in the competitions.
>
>(2) Thailand Exhibition '98 Opens
>
> Thailand Exhibition '98, held under the Myanmar-Thai economic cooperation
>promotion programme and with the permission of the Ministry of Commerce,
>opened at Tatmadaw Convention Centre on U Wisara Road on 3 December.
>Organized by Department of Export Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce of
>Royal Thai Government and with the support of TTF (Yangon) Co Ltd, the
>inauguration ceremony was addressed by Minister for Commerce. The
exhibition
>is organised by the Department of Export Promotion of the Ministry of
Commerce
>of Thailand in collaboration with the Board of Trade, Thai Chamber of
Commerce
>and the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon. This is also the first Thai products
>exhibition in Myanmar. Myanmar has hosted in the past few years quite a
number
>of trade fairs, single country trade exhibitions and specialised
exhibitions
>on construction materials, packaging and small scale machinery from India,
>Bangladesh, Malaysia, People's Republic of China and  Singapore. Myanmar
has
>also participated in the international trade fairs occasionally and
organized
>Myanmar's Trade Fairs in Yangon inviting exhibitors from abroad. More than
80
>percent of Myanmar's external trade remained in Asia. Myanmar therefore
>attaches great importance to further develop and strengthen the trade
>relations  with Asian countries in general, and with its five neighbouring
>countries China, Lao, Thailand, India and Bangladesh in particular. Myanmar
>has opened border trade check-points with the neighbouring countries taking
>into consideration communication and transportation. On the long border
>between Myanmar and Thailand Myanmar already opened three border trade
>checkpoints  at Tachileik-MaeSai, Myawaddy-Mae-Sod and Kawthoung & Ranong.
>Three-pagoda route may be the additional checkpoint together with others.
>Knowing that Myanmar is the country with large stores of natural resources
and
>16.5 million active labour force, the total volume of foreign direct
>investment up to now has exceeded 7.8 billion US dollars. Thailand is the
>third largest investor in Myanmar next to Singapore and the United Kingdom.
>Deputy Minister for Commerce of Thailand Dr. Pravich Ratanapian also gave a
>speech. Minister for Commerce and Dr. Pravich formally opened the
exhibition.
>Ninety-three companies of Thailand are presenting auto parts manufactured
in
>Thailand, social goods, costumes, medicines, foodstuff, construction
>equipment, paints, stationery, oil drilling equipment, fishing nets, farm
>machinery, rubber goods, chemicals, cosmetics, electronic apparatus,
>furniture, water purificators, other goods and trade services. The
exhibition
>opens daily from 10 am to 5 pm till 6 December.
>
>(3) Milk Powder Donated to Children's Hospital
>
> Well-wisher  Mr. Kenji Tsutsumi of Snow Brand Milk Product Co Ltd of Japan
>donated Snow PL milk powder to the Children's Hospital on 2 December.
>
>(4) Secretary-1 Receives Adviser to People's Government of Yunnan Province
of
>PRC
>
> Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt
>received Adviser to the People's Government of Yunnan Province Mr. Linghu
An
>and party who called at Dagon Yeiktha of the Ministry of Defence on 3
>December.
>
>(5) MIC Secretary Receives Thai Deputy Minister
>
> Secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission  receives Deputy Minister for
>Commerce of Thailand Dr. Pravich Ratanapian and party who called at the MIC
>Office on 3 December.
>*************
>
>
>