Information Sheet No.B-1187 (I)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

                   MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
                                       YANGON

                               Information Sheet
                 No.B-1187 (I)        19th December, 1999

(1) All Faiths Exist Together and are Flourishing in Myanmar

    The dinner and gathering commemorating the birthday
of  Christ, jointly held by Myanmar Catholic Priests
Council and Myanmar Christian Council of Churches,
took  place at the Traders Hotel on 18 December,
attended by Secretary-1 of the State Peace and
Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. Joint Secretary
of MCCC Reverend U Smit Nguza Htaung spoke words of
blessings. Chairman of MCPC Archbishop Matiya U Shwe
extended greetings. Then, the Secretary-1 extended
greetings. In his greetings, the Secretary-1 said
today, the beginning of a new century or a new
millennium is being welcomed all over the world in
various ways. The Union of Myanmar has been built by
Myanmar national races and they have freedom  of faith
and culture and have been living in the Union for
years countable by the thousand. All the national
races born in the Union have had the right to preserve
their respective traditions and culture of high
standard since the time of ancient Myanmar monarchs
and it is also evident that they also have freedom of
faith. The Secretary-1 urged Christian leaders to
inform all Christians and the people of the world of
the absolute condition in which all the faiths exist
together and are flourishing. He said all national
races in Myanmar respect and practise the attitudes of
loving kindness, magnanimity and forgiveness and
freedom of religion would remain as a tradition and
would bring about goodwill relations among national
races. Next, General Secretary of Myanmar Baptist
Christian Association, Chairman of Kayin Baptist
Mission Society, Officer In-Charge of Myanmar
Salvation Army, Loikaw Catholic Priest and Pathein
Catholic Bishop gave the blessing. Members of the
association sang hymns. Secretary of Myanmar Catholic
Bishops Association Loikaw Catholic delivered a
sermon. Chairman of Independent Christian Church gave
the blessing and members of the association sang
hymns. Bishop of Myanmar Christian Church gave
blessings. Later, dinner was served for the guests.

(2) Symposium on Mobilization of Financial Resources
      for Development in Myanmar Ends

    The Symposium on Mobilization of Financial Resources
for Development in Myanmar jointly sponsored by
Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International
Studies and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
(Singapore), with the support of Sasakawa Peace
Foundation (Japan), continued for the second day and
the final day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18
December. On the second-day symposium, Associate,
Director Mr. Anton H Gunawan of Research Institute for
Economic and Social Research, University of Indonesia
presented a paper on Indonesia-Mobilization of
Domestic Financial Resources: Financial Reforms,
Research Associate of Malaysian Institute of Economic
Research (MIER) Dr. Syed Waseem Ahmad on
Malaysia-Mobilization of Domestic Financial Resources:
Stock Exchange and Assistant Professor Dr. Renaton E
Reside Jr.  of School of Economics, University of the
Philippines, on Infrastructure Development in
Philippines: An Overview with Some Lessons for Other
Countries. The symposium ended with remarks by
Director-General of ASEAN Affairs Department of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Aye Lwin, Director Dr.
Lau Sim Yee of Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Director
Professor Chia Siow Yue of Institute of Southeast
Asian Studies of Singapore.

(3) Chinese Women Delegation Arrives

    A five-member delegation led by Vice-President of All
China Women's Federation Mrs.Shen Shuji arrived Yangon
by air on 18 December.

(4) Myanmar Mayflower Bank Ltd Opens Branch in
Hlinethaya 

    Myanmar Mayflower Bank Ltd opened its 20th Branch in
Hlinethaya Industrial Zone in Hlinethaya Township, on
18 December.  MMB is a bank which gives financial
services for the people employing modern banking
techniques and it has now 20 branches . The new branch
would carry out financial services for industrial and
other businesses in the zone.

(5) Business Information Unit (BIU) to be Established

    The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry is collecting economic data to
establish Business Information Unit (BIU) for its
members.

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