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

Established 1914

Volume XV, Number 345 5th Waning of Tabaung 1369 ME Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

Senior General Than ShweChairman of the State Peace and Development Council

Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services(From address delivered at the 62nd Anniversary Armed Forces Day Parade)

The primary requisite of the country is none other than the na-tional solidarity. In consolidating the national unity, the national policywhich should be relied on as the main pillar is non-disintegration ofthe Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and the perpetua-tion of the sovereignty of the State.

National solidarity — primaryrequisite of the country

* 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 participa-tion in terms of technical know-how and invest-ments from sources inside the country and abroad

* The initiative to shape the national economy must bekept in the hands of the State and the national peoples

* Uplift of the morale and morality of the entirenation

* Uplift of national prestige and integrity and pres-ervation and safeguarding of cultural heritageand national character

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

of the entire nation

* Stability of the State, community peace and tran-quillity, prevalence of law and order

* National reconsolidation* Emergence of a new enduring State Constitution* Building of a new modern developed nation in

accord with the new State Constitution

Four economic objectives

Four social objectives

Four political objectivesSenior General Than Shwefelicitates Bangladeshi President

NAY PYI TAW, 26 March — On the occasion of the anniversary of the National andIndependence Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which falls on 26 March 2008, SeniorGeneral Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union ofMyanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to His Excellency Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed, Presidentof the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. — MNA

Prime Minister General Thein Sein felicitates BangladeshiChief Adviser of Non-party Caretaker GovernmentNAY PYI TAW, 26 March — On the occasion of the anniversary of the National and Independence Day

of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which falls on 26 March 2008, General Thein Sein, Prime Ministerof the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to Honourable Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, ChiefAdviser of Non-party Caretaker Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. — MNA

YANGON, 25 March—Hailing the 63rd Anniver-sary Armed Forces Day, aceremony to openWayalet-Shwehninsitarred road built on self-reliant basis to link Palaya,Pyitawtha and Paukonvillages in MingaladonTownship, Yangon NorthDistrict, was held at thearchway of the road inPalaya Ward in the town-ship at 7 am today.

Chairman of YangonDivision Peace and

(See page 10)

Wayalet-Shwehninsi tarred roadopened in Yangon North District

Lt-Gen Myint Swe unveils the signboard of Wayalet-Shwehninsi tarred road in Mingaladon Township.— MNA

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM1

2 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

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 DesireWednesday, 26 March, 2008

Environmental conservationfor safety of living creatures

Living creatures rely on natural

environment such as water, earth, forests,mountains, rivers, creeks, lakes and seas fortheir living.

The government has placed emphasis onconservation of forests and protection of bio-diversity for prevention against

environmental degradation.In 1990, Myanmar formed the National

Commission for Environmental Conservationand launched its plans for environmentalconservation. In addition, it conserves morethan 60,000 square miles of forest reserves,

protected forests and natural forests forensuring sustainable progress of forests.

The plans include extensive establishmentof forest plantations including tasks forgreening Bago Yoma mountain range andarid zones, and establishment of sanctuaries

and wildlife parks.Now, the nation has many sanctuaries,

and Indawgyi Lake, for instance, holds morethan 200 species of fish and tortoise and morethan 120 species of birds. Plans are wellunder way to protect some rare species of

animals residing near the lake from theirextinction.

There is a link between security of livingcreatures and environmental conservation.So, local organizations and the entire peoplehave to work in concert for conservation of

the environment including forests and rarespecies of birds and animals.

“Twentieth CenturyTatmadawmen Writers”

in circulationYANGON, 25 March—Honouring the

Tatmadawmen writers who contributed literary workssuch as literature, poems, stories etc. from colonialperiod to date, the Information and Public RelationsDepartment published a book titled “Twentieth CenturyTatmadawmen Writers”.

The book carries biographies of 108Tatmadawmen writers and literary works they contributedto mark the 63rd Anniversary Armed Forces Day.

It is available at Sarpay Beikman Book Shop, WarMoe Aung Sapay and the Township Information andPublic Relations Departments at K 1500 per copy.—MNA

NAY PYI TAW, 26 March — The Chairmanof the State Peace and Development Council of theUnion of Myanmar has appointed U Hla Myint,Director General of the International Organizationand Economic Department, Ministry of ForeignAffairs, as Ambassador Extraordinary andPlenipotentiary of the Union of Myanmar to theCommonwealth of Australia. — MNA

U Hla Myint appointed asAmbassador to Australia

Foreign Minister felicitatesBangladeshi adviser for

Ministry of Foreign AffairsNAY PYI TAW, 26 March — On the occasion

of the anniversary of the National and IndependenceDay of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, whichfalls on 26 March 2008, U Nyan Win, Minister forForeign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, has senta message of felicitations to Dr Iftekhar AhmedChowdhury, Adviser for the Ministry of ForeignAffairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

MNA

Thura U Thet OoMaung appointed as

Ambassador to BruneiNAY PYI TAW, 26 March — The Chairman

of the State Peace and Development Council of theUnion of Myanmar has appointed Thura U Thet OoMaung as Ambassador Extraordinary andPlenipotentiary of the Union of Myanmar to BruneiDarussalam. — MNA

YANGON, 24March — President of theUnion of MyanmarFederation of Chambers ofCommerce and Industry UWin Myint met Mr SarathEkanayake, Chief Minister,Central Province District ofKandy, of the DemocraticSocialist Republic of SriLanka at his office, here, on20 March.

The meetingfocused on investmentand business oppor-tunities, discussingeconomic-related mattersby sending delegategroups reciprocally,participation in trade fairsand cooperation intechnology in industryworks.

Present on theoccasion were Vice-President of UMFCCI UZaw Min Win, General-Secretary U Sein WinHlaing, Joint-Secretary 1

UMFCCI President meetsChief Minister, Central

Province District of KandyDr Maung Maung Lay,Joint-Secretary 2 U TunAung, CEC member UMyo Thant, Mr UPFSaranawarige and Mr JSNavaratne of ChiefMinister's Office andCounsellor of theEmbassy of theDemocratic SocialistRepublic of Sri LankaHMGRRK WijeratneMendis.

MNA

Beware ofFire

Take FirePreventiveMeasures

UMFCCI President U Win Myint meetingMr Sarath Ekanayake, Chief Minister,Central Province District of Kandy, of

Sri Lanka.—UMFCCI

Cover ofthe book

titled“Twentieth

CenturyTatma-dawmenWriters.”

123456712345671234567123456712345671234567123456712345671234567

123456712345671234567123456712345671234567123456712345671234567

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM2

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 3

AL chief welcomes Hamas-Fatahdeal to resume talks

Members of Turkey’s Labour Party chant anti-US slogans outside thepresidential palace as US Vice President Dick Cheney and Turkey’s President

Abdullah Gul meet at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara. —INTERNET

CAIRO, 25 March—Arab League SecretaryGeneral Amr Moussawelcomed an agreementsigned betweenPalestinian Hamas andFatah move-ments onSunday in the Yemenicapital of Sanaa to resumedialogue.

The agreement isregarded as a positive stepto end internal conflictsamong the rival Pale-stinian groups, theEgyptian official MENAnews agency quotedMoussa as saying in astatement following the

announcement of theHamas-Fatah deal.

Hailing the effortsexerted by Yemeni Pre-sident Ali Abdullah Saleh,Moussa hoped that therival Palestinian groupswill soon resume talks tohelp Palestinians face theserious challenges due tofailure of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Earlier in the day,Hamas spokesman inGaza Ayman Taha saidHamas and its rival Fatahmovement leaders agreedto resume dialogue on 5April.

“Leaders of Hamas andFatah agreed in Yemento resume their dialogueon 5 April in thePalestinian territories.The dialogue will bebased on the Yemeniinitiative for recon-ciliation,” said Taha.

Yemeni PresidentSaleh has presented aseven-point initiative toleaders of Hamas andFatah, which suggestedareversion to the pre-June2007 situation and holdingearly presidential andlegislaive elections.

MNA/Xinhua

A group of tourists watch the Inca’s citadel of Machu Picchu in Cuzco on 24March, 2008. Peru expects the arrival of two million visitors in 2008, after the

election of Machu Picchu as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World,according to Peru’s Tourism and Commerce Ministry.—INTERNET

I N T E R N A T I O N A L N E W S

Magnitude 6.1 quake hitsChile, no damage reported

SANTIAGO, 25 March—A powerful magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck copper-richnorthern Chile on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were noimmediate reports of damage.

“For the moment we have no reports of damage or power disruptions,” a source atChile’s National Disaster Agency (ONEMI) said shortly after the quake, which strucknear the Bolivian border.

The USGS said the quake, centred 88 miles (141 kilometres) east of the Chileancity of Iquique, struck at a depth of 74.3 miles (120 kilometres). Originally it said thequake occurred at a depth of 24.9 miles (40 kilometres).

Miners in the region said they felt the quake, but there were no initial reports ofdamage from major mines either in Chile or Peru to the north.

Quake-prone Chile is a major copper producer.— MNA/Reuters

BAGHDAD, 25 March—US helicopters pounded anarea in a town in the volatile province of Diyala onSunday morning, killing 12 people and woundingfive others, an Interior Ministry source said.

“US helicopters pounded four houses in the town ofBaladruz, some 100 kilometres northeast of Baghdad,killing 12 civilians and wounding five others,” thesource told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

MNA/Xinhua

Peace activists march inthe streets protesting

against war in Berlin,Germany, on 24 March,

2008. German peaceactivists took to thestreets Monday to

demonstrate againstwar in several cities ofGermany. —Xinhua

BASRA (Iraq), 25 March—Iraqi authorities onMonday imposed a night-time curfew on the move-ment of people and

Iraq imposes Basra curfewdue to clashes

vehicles in the southernprovince of Basra untilfurther notice due toclashes between police andmembers of Mehdi Army

militia. “To impose thelaw and chase thecriminals.—we havedecided to impose acurfew in the whole ofBasra starting fromtonight at 10 pm until 6am and everyday afteruntil further notice,” saidLieu tenan t -Genera lMohan al-Furaiji.

Authorities said theywould also temporarilyclose access to Basra, 550kilometres (340 miles)southeast of Baghdad,from neighbouring pro-vinces during the eveninghours starting fromWednesday and lastinguntil Friday. Schools anduniversities will also nothold classes on Wednes-day and Thursday.

MNA/Reuters

Attacks kill 32 in IraqBAGHDAD, 25 March 25 — A new wave of attacks

across Iraq on Sunday killed at least 32 people andwounded more than 70, while insurgents fired barragesof rockets on the US-protected Green Zone area inBaghdad.

Of Sunday's bloodshed, the deadliest occurred inthe northern city of Mosul, where a suicide bomberdrove his explosive-laden truck into an Iraqi Armybase at about 7:00 a.m (0400 GMT) local time in theHaramaat neighbourhood in western of the city,killing 13 soldiers and wounding 30 others, a localsecurity source told Xinhua.

He added that 12 civilians were also wounded bythe powerful blast which damaged several nearbyhouses. — MNA/Xinhua

US helicopters’ attack kills12 civilians in N-E Iraq

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM3

4 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

ISMAILIA (Egypt), 25March — A US warshipfired on a motor boat inthe Gulf of Suez on Mon-day, killing one Egyptianand wounding twoothers, Egyptian securitysources and witnessessaid.

The US ship Global

HARARE, 24 March — Zimbabwean PresidentRobert Mugabe accused the main opposition onSaturday of forging a “treasonous” alliance with formercolonial power Britain to oust him.

The 84-year-old leader is seeking re-election foranother five-year term in a presidential race in whichhe faces former finance minister Simba Makoni andMorgan Tsvangirai, who leads the main faction of theMovement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mugabe, a former liberation hero in power sinceindependence in 1980, took his election campaign tothe capital Harare in the final stretch to the 29 Marchgeneral election, the biggest challenge to his rule sincehe took office.

He told thousands of supporters in an open sportsground in the poor township of Mbare that Britain wassponsoring the MDC in a bid to reverse the seizure ofWhite-owned land for Blacks. —MNA/Reuters

ISLAMABAD, 25 March— Pakistan's formerNational Assemblyspeaker Yousuf RazaGillani was elected as thenew Prime Minister of thecountry on Monday.

Gillani secured 264votes from the 342-seatParliament, and PervaizElahi, the candidate fromopposition party PakistanMuslim League-Quaid

TEHERAN, 24 March— Iran on Sunday rejectedFrench President NicolasSarkozy’s comments onthe necessity to build astrong deterrent againstnew security threats posedby nuclear-armed Islamicstates, a news agency re-ported.

Speaking on Friday atthe launch of the fourth ofFrance’s latest generationof nuclear-armed sub-marines, Sarkozy said Iranwas “increasing the rangeof its missiles whileserious suspicions weigh

Using the yellow

flowers of rape as a

background, wheat

crops are planted in

circles to create the five

Olympic rings in

Kaiyang County in

Southwest China’s

Guizhou Province, on

24 March, 2008. Each

ring is 136m in

diametre and 9m wide.

XINHUA

Police and rescuersanchor their boatsnear Tuen Mun inHong Kong, on 25

March 2008 as theycontinue to search forthe missing Ukrainian

crew of the ill-fatedNaftogaz-67 tugboat.

INTERNET

T-50 supersonic training planes take off for training at an airforce base inGwangju, south of Seoul in this picture released on 24 March, 2008. SouthKorea plans to cut down on training flights, reducing the army’s field drillsand slowing down ships in order to save fuel with global oil prices at record

highs, a Defence Ministry official said on Monday.—INTERNET

Iran rejects Sarkozy’sclaim on missile threats

on its nuclear programme”.But Iranian Foreign

Ministry spokesman Mo-hammad Ali Hosseini in-sisted Iran was a source ofpeace and stability in theMiddle East.

“Iran has upgraded itscapabilities (and) drawinga parallel between theseachievements and possiblethreats against othercountries is inappropriateand invalid,” the students’news agency ISNA quotedHosseini as saying.

Iran, locked in astandoff with the West over

its nuclear plans, hadpreviously boasted it hadmissiles that could sink“big warships” in theGulf, a region where USaircraft carriers andwarships operate.

Iran’s Shahab-3 mis-sile, with a range of 2,000kilometres (1,250 miles),is capable of hitting Israeland US bases in the Gulf,Iranian officials say. Iranhas refused to recogniseIsrael since the 1979Islamic revolution top-pled the US-backed Shah.

MNA/Reuters

Gillani elected as Pakistan’sPrime Minister

(PML-Q), got 42 votes. The Prime Minister

will be sworn in beforePresident PervezMusharraf on Tuesdayand the government isexpected to be sworn inlater in the week.

"We have paid heavyprices for restoration ofdemocracy," Gillani saidin his first address asPrime Minister.

"Bhutto's sacrifice hasenabled the restoration ofdemocracy," said Gillaniin Pakistan's nationallanguage urdu.

Gillani said thegovernment would pro-tect all the institutionsincluding judiciary,asking the immediaterelease of detainedjudges.

MNA/Xinhua

US warship fires on Egyptiancraft, killing one

Patriot fired on theEgyptian vessel after itignored calls to stay away,the sources said.

The Egyptian vesselwas carrying goods tosell to ships passingthrough the Suez Canal,a transit for US shipsheading to the Gulf, the

sources said. The US ship had been

awaiting permission to passthrough the Suez Canalfrom the Red Sea to theMediterranean, the sourcesadded.

MNA/Reuters

Mugabe calls opposition“treasonous” British allies

Vietnam to build first nuclearplant in 2010

HANOI, 25 March —Vietnam will startconstruction of its firstnuclear plant with capacityof 2,000 megawatts at totalinvestment of some fourbillion US dollars in2010, local newspaperInvestment reportedMonday.

The plant will be built

in southern Ninh ThuanProvince, and becomeoperational in 2020, thenewspaper quoted sourcesfrom the ElectricityVietnam (EVN), thecountry's biggest elec-tricity producer and soledistributor, as reporting.

MNA/Xinhua

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THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 5

Students of QingdaoNo1 Middle School

play on a playgroundbuilt on the roof of a

commercial building inthe downtown area of

Qingdao, East China’sShandong Province, on

24 March, 2004.XINHUA

Dialogue between G-8, developingnations should be maintained

All Items from Xinhua News Agency

BEIJING, 24 March—Chinese Foreign MinisterYang Jiechi said in aninterview with Russianmedia that China believedthe dialogue between theGroup of Eight (G-8) anddeveloping nations was agood pattern which shouldbe maintained.

“The current dialoguepattern between G-8 andrelevant nations isworking well, and shouldbe maintained,” said Yangwhen responding to thequestion on whether China

planned to join the G-8 ina written interview withthe Interfax news agencyon Friday.

He said there were stilldifferences between G8members on the expansionof G-8, and China willkeep contacts with allrelevant parties on thisissue. Yang said China hasnoticed the recent remarksfrom inside and outsideG-8 to expand the groupand increase somemembers of developingnations. “This shows that

relevant side attaches greatimportance to the role ofdeveloping nations and thedialogue and cooperationbetween the South andthe North, which Chinaappreciates,” he said.

Yang added thatChinese leaders haveattended the dialoguesbetween G-8 and develop-ing nations for many timesat invitation, which Chinabelieved were conduciveto promoting multi-lateralism and thesettlement of globalissues, and building a newglobal partnership ofdevelopment featuringequality, mutual benefitand win-win results.

Xinhua

Ship sinking kills fouroff Alaska’s harbourLOS ANGELES, 24

March— Four crew mem-bers were confirmed deadafter a ship sank offAlaska’s Dutch Harbour,the Coast Guard said onSunday. The Seattle-basedfishing boat began sinkingoff Alaska’s DutchHarbour early Sundaymorning, prompting 43other crew members toabandon the ship, saidCoast Guard LieutenantEric Eggan. The 43 crewmembers who abandonedship have been recoveredsafely, said Eggan.

The 180-foot AlaskaRanger began taking onwater shortly before 3 amafter losing control of itsrudder 120 miles (192kilometres) west of DutchHarbour, according toEggan. The rescued crewmembers were heading toDutch Harbour, accom-panied by a Coast Guardcutter and a sister ship ofthe Alaska Ranger, Eggansaid. —Xinhua

A model

shows a

creation by

Russian

designer

Natasha

Glazkova

during

Moscow

Fashion

Week on

24 March,

2008.

XINHUA

Thai PAD condemns Govt’sConstitution amendment planBANGKOK, 24 March—The People’s Alliance for

Democracy (PAD), a known Thai civil group, onSunday condemned the government’s plan to amendthe 2007 Constitution and vowed to fight against theamendment.

The group said during a Press briefing on Sundayafternoon that the amendment will lead to a“Constitution crisis”.

PAD’s secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila wasquoted by the state-run Thai News Agency as sayingthat “if the Constitution amendment is carried out byany party with some interests (in the amendment), theamended version might not be well accepted andconsequently lead to a Constitution crisis”.

Suriyasai made the comment after the ruling PeoplePower Party (PPP) announced its resolution on Saturdayto push for Constitution amendment. —Xinhua

China’s vice-PM underscoresimproving people’s livelihoodBEIJING, 24 March—Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang

said here Sunday that China would stick to reform andopening up and step up efforts to improve the people’slivelihood.

Addressing a forum in Beijing, Li said that Chinawould deepen reform, improve the socialist marketeconomy and build a service-oriented government.

China would strengthen bilateral and multi-lateraleconomic and trade cooperation and take scientificinnovation as the core of the country’s developmentstrategy, he said.

To improve people’s livelihood, the governmentshould prioritize education development, create morejobs, improve social welfare, bridge income gap andseek solutions in medical care and environment, hesaid.—Xinhua

Hamas slams Cheney’sstatements

GAZA, 25 March—Aspokesman for IslamicHamas movement in Gazaslammed on Sunday thestatements of US Vice-President Dick Cheney onthe conflict between Israeland the Palestinians,saying it is biased.

Cheney said onSaturday that the US willnot pressure Israel and the

US has a “continuing andunshakable” commitmentto Israel’s security andits right to defend itselfagainst those bent ondestroying the Jewishstate.

“Cheney’s statementscertify that the AmericanAdministration is apartner with the Israelioccupation in its crimescommitted against ourPalestinian people,”Fawzi Barhoum, Hamasspokesman in Gaza toldreporters.

Terming the state-ments “a full biasedposition” unfair towardsthe Palestinian people,”Barhoum warned thatit could incite greatholocaust against Gaza.

Xinhua

Performers of a Czechtraditional troupe

attend a street showfor Easter in Kralicena Hané, the Czech

Republic, on 24March, 2008. XINHUA

Serbia reaches $235marms deal with IraqBELGRADE, 25 March— Serbia has reached a deal

with Iraq to export weapons and military equipmentworth 235 million US dollars, Serbian Defence MinisterDragan Sutanovac said Monday.

“We expect that the money will be deposited,and that we will show that despite challenges, thecountry is stable, and the Serbian military industryhas the capacity to produce what has been agreedupon,” Sutanovac told the official news agencyTanjug.

Serbia’s government collapsed on 13 March dueto infighting between the ruling coalition over Kosovoand EU integration. Early parliamentary electionshave been called for 11 May.

Sutanovac said an Iraqi Defence Ministrydelegation had visited Serbia twice in recent monthsand that a deal was signed with the state military tradecompany Jugoimport SDPR.

Xinhua

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM5

6 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

Indonesia plans to banthe sale of live poultryin Jakarta markets by

2010 as authoritiesintensify efforts to

contain the spread ofbird flu in the capitaland its neighbouringdistricts on 25 March,

2008. —INTERNET

Europe is the world’s largest market for fish and while consumers’ appetiteshave grown, stocks in European seas have dwindled.—INTERNET

A local villager looks at the ruins of an agricultural tractor after it plungedinto a 12-metre ditch in Fengqing county, Yunnan Province

on 24 March, 2008. —INTERNET

WELLINGTON, 25 March— Air New Zealand plansto issue its Chinese staffwith credit cards after itwas revealed last weekthat Shanghai based cabincrew members received aquarter of their NewZealand colleagues’ pay.

Last year, 59 of the 64Chinese crew wrote aletter to Air New Zealandcomplaining of inequi-table work conditions andhaving their meal allow-ance restricted to the hotelthey stayed in and oneChinese restaurant, the

KATHMANDU , 25 March — A job aspirant in Nepalhas to pay only 970.28 US dollars before being recruitedin South Korea under the Employment Permit System(EPS) of Korean Government, local media reportedon Monday.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the Ministry ofLabour and Transport Management said the exam ofKorean Language Test would be held on 29-30 March.

A total of 31,525 job seekers have applied for theexam, which is going to be held at 20 exam centres incapital Kathmandu.

The ministry has cautioned that job aspirants tobeware of any individual making false promises of jobopportunity in South Korea, a lucrative labourdestination. —MNA/Xinhua

KABUL , 25 March —The government of Af-ghanistan on Sundayannou-nced to put on salethe only state-ownedtelephone company “Af-ghan Telecom”.

“Ministry for Commu-nication and IT (MCIT)is seeking an investor topurchase 80 per cent ofAfghan Telecom and thegovernment will retain 20per cent of ensure Afghaninterests,” Amirzai Sang-

BEIJING , 24 March —The Singapore unit ofChina’s major jet fuel pro-vider China Aviation OilGroup (CAO) has re-covered from losses,according to CAOsources.

From 2006 to 2007,the Singapore unit made69.7 million US dollarsof profits through the oilbusiness and returns onother investments,

Air NZ plans to issue credit cards toChinese crewNew Zealand Heraldreported Monday.

In an internal memosent last Friday, Air NewZealand’s Shanghai man-ager Darrin Curtis told hisstaff they would be givencredit cards to solve theissue of meal allowances.

Their allowance is nowpaid only if they havemeals at the Dragon BoatRestaurant or the CrownePlaza Hotel when they are

in Auckland. He also saidtheir pay review would begiven “top priority”.

Other Air NZ crewreceived 175 NZ dollars(140 US dollars) cash inthe hand for every day theywere away from home.

The newspaper report-ed Air NZ had warned itscrew against talking tonews media about paydisparities.

MNA/Xinhua

China’s CAO recovers from losses afterboss’s malpractice

CAO’s general managerSun Li told Xinhua onSunday.

The Singapore-listedcompany also paid offdebts four years inadvance and issued highdividends, Sun said. Thecompany purchased 8.9million tons of aviationoil from 2006 to 2007.The company’s formerchief executive officer(CEO) Chen Jiulin recei-

ved a sentence of fouryears and three monthsimprisonment and a fineof 335,000 Singaporedollars (about 207,443US dollars) after pleadingguilty to charges of cheat-ing, false reporting andinsider trading.

The company lost over500 million US dollars tospeculative trading byChen Jiulin in 2004.

MNA/Xinhua

Afghan govt to privatize state-runtelephone company

in, Minister for Com-munication and IT toldnewsmen at a Press con-ference.

Established four yearsago the company’s capitalhas reached 190 millionUS dollars.

The company withusing the latest CDMAcoverage in all Afghanis-

tan’s 34 provinces hasconnected the far-flangedareas to the capital cityKabul, the minister said,adding that those com-panies or individualsinterested in purchasingthe Afghan Telecom canoffer their proposals earlynext month.

MNA/Xinhua

31,525 Nepali job seekers applyfor Korean Language Test

Serb PM accuses NATObombers of cynical land grabBELGRADE, 25 March

—Prime Minister VojislavKostunica marked theanniversary of NATO’sbombing of Serbia onMonday with an attackaccusing the West ofcynically grabbingterritory in the name ofhumanitarian intervention.

“Now it is more thanobvious that the crueldestruction of Serbiaduring the NATObombardment had onlyone aim: to turn theprovince of Kosovo intothe world’s first NATO

state,” he told the statenews agency Tanjug.

NATO began bomb-ing strategic targets inSerbia on 24 March, 1999,and kept it up for 78 daysuntil the late strongmanSlobodan Milosevicagreed to pull his forcesfrom Kosovo and end thekilling of Albanian civi-lians in a counter-insurgency war. Launch-ing the first war in itshistory, and freighted witha failure to act in Bosnia,the alliance said it wouldnot stand by and watch

another bloodbath in theBalkans by Serb forces.

Kosovo has been runby the United Nations andpatrolled by NATO troopssince 11 June, 1999. Its 90per cent Albanian majoritydeclared independence on17 February with Westernsupport.

The European Union,which Serbia wants tojoin, plans to deploy asupervisory mission inthe country, following ablueprint set out by UnitedNations envoy MarttiAhtisaari.—MNA/Reuters

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM6

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 7

Hailing 63rd AnniversaryArmed Forces Day

Progress of Transport Sector in the

Time of Tatmadaw Government

Sr. Subject 1988 2007 Progress

1. Rail Transportation- railroad miles 1976.35 3148.86 1172.51

- railtrack miles 2793.86 4230.40 1436.54

- station 487 806 319

- railroad bridge (big) 547 735 188

- railroad bridge (small) 5103 9347 4244

2. Aviation- runway (over 5000 feet) airport 21 38 17

3. Water Transport- Jetty (local vessel) 86 107 21

- Jetty (foreign vessel) 13 29 16

4. Extension of roads 13635/0 19020/6 5385/6

5. Extension of bridges- Public Works

- above 180 feet bridge

- completed construction 198 407 209

- under construction - 24 24

- under 180 feet bridge 3305 5379 2074

- Myanma Railways (above 180 ft) - 8 8

- Military Engineer (over 180 ft) - 11 11

- Electric Power (over 180 ft) - 2 2Phaungdawgyi Jetty built at Sittway Wharf in Rakhine State.

Dagon Bridge built across Bago River linking Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) and Thanlyin Townships of Yangon Division for ensuring smoothtransportation.

A train seen on Thanlwin Bridge (Mawlamyine), built for ensuringsmooth transportation between upper, middle and lower Myanmar

areas, that is the longest bridge in the entire nation.

Newly constructed Nay Pyi Taw Airport in Nay Pyi Taw.

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM7

8 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

Only when the Tatmadaw isstrong, will the nation be strong

HAILING THE 63rd ANNIVERSARY ARMED FORCES DAY:

Strong and capable modern TatmadawKhine Myo Sit

Just as a nation has

been built with one race

or more than one race, it

needs to form a national

army in order to guard

against alien intruders

and safeguard the

nation. Armed forces

protecting the State have

existed in various forms

in the successive periods

no matter what they are

called, the military or

the armed forces.

All the nations have

had their armed forces

to defend themselves in

the successive ages —

in the age of stick,

Taking lesson from the past, Myanmar needsto reinforce the Tatmadaw in all aspects. Unlikea mercenary, pocket army, colonialist armyand hegemonic army, the Myanma Tatmadawmust be strong standing as a Tatmadaw ornational army protecting the nation and thepeople.

sword, arrow and bow, in

the age of one-barrel gun

and home-made gun, in

the age of rifle, machine-

gun and artillery and in

the present age of

sophisticated weapons.

If we study formation

of armed forces, most are

national defence services.

There are also mercenaries

who fight only for the

money. We have often

noticed advertisements in

periodicals calling for

vacancies of mercenary

soldiers. Those

mercenaries are hired not

for fighting for their own

country but for the money,

especially for those who

hire them to fight the target

nations desired by the

hirers.

There are also pocket

armies that fight for a

party, a ruling political

organization or a person.

A pocket army even fights

against the innocent

civilians if given orders

let alone defending own

nation and the people. It is

not different from a

mercenary.

Some avaricious

nations with superiority in

weapon and manpower are

forming and using

colonialist troops to

invade and exploit other

nations, different from

national armies. In the

past, there was a certain

imperialist nation also

known as the vast empire

where the sun never set.

Till today the imperialist

armies keep occupying

about 60 nations. Most of

the annexed nations are

island nations in the

Pacific and the Atlantic

Oceans with poor national

defence.

Because of the

Fascist troops of the Axis

nations (that triggered

WWII), more than 60

million world people

died. With the invention

of very sophisticated

weapons, more and more

atomic bombs, hydrogen

bombs, nuclear bombs,

nuclear missiles and

chemical and biological

weapons are used. With

an excuse that the

Japanese troops were to

surrender in the final days

of WWII, two atomic

bombs were dropped on

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

of Japan in August 1945

killing some 300,000 or

400,000 civilians.

Despite the fact that

weapons should be used

for defence purposes,

people who want their

world to be peaceful look

as if they were sitting on a

nuclear bomb.

Ancient Myanmar

kings formed armed forces.

There were courageous

Myanmar soldiers in the

successive periods as

Myanmars have

nationalistic fervour,

patriotic spirit and national

outlook. Myanmar has a

fine tradition of fighting

back the imperialist

intruders. Although the

armed forces of Myanmar

kings had military skills,

physical and mental

prowess, bravery and

military tactics, they were

weak in weaponry skills

while the western

imperialist nations were

inventing advanced

weapons. As a

consequence, Myanmar

had to surrender to the

imperialists also known as

pirates, due to poor

weaponry skills. However,

the lake next to the northern

stairways of the Shwedagon

Pagoda is called

Thwesaykan (the lake in

which the bloodstains of

imperialists on the swords

were cleaned up) as a

gesture of honouring

Myanmar’s swordmanship.

Even the colonialists

were shocked to see the

bravery and fighting skills

of the Myanmar national

people with unyielding

spirit during the

aggressive wars in 1824,

1852 and 1885. And they

praised Myanmar in

their documents.

Undergoing mili-

tary training and

collecting weapons in

order to fight back the

colonialists and fascists

for regaining indepen-

dence, Myanmar formed

a modern Myanma

Tatmadaw.

With the

strength of Burma

Independence Army, the

country was able to drive

out the British as well as

the Fascist troops. From

Burma Independence

Army, to Burma

Defence Army to

Patriotic Burmese

Forces, the present

Myanma Tatmadaw

changed its name under

time and circumstances.

But it has always

stood as a Tatmadaw

which took risk to

safeguard Myanmar’s

independence, the

Union and the people. It

has always stood as a

people’s patriotic,

faithful Tatmadaw.

During WWII, the

Fascists reduced the

number of BIA members

and reconstituted it.

However, Myanmars

drove the Fascists out of

the country and strove

for the Tatmadaw to be

able to fight the

colonialists any time, to

be recognized by the

people and to be strong.

During the World

War II the country

needed a song

encouraging the people

to help the Tatmadaw

(See page 9)

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM8

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 9

Summer Story(from page 8)

on all fronts by saying

only when the Tatmadaw

is strong, will the nation

be strong. Bogyoke Aung

San sent Lieutenant Tun

Hla (Takkatho Nay Win)

to patriotic composer

Shwe Taing Nyunt, well-

versed in music, to

compose the song.

Despite being ill and

bedridden, he managed

to compose the song as it

was very important. In

this way, the song titled

“Only when the

Tatmadaw is strong, will

the nation be strong”

emerged and it is now

sung across the country.

After WWII, the

colonialists reentered

Myanmar and revived

their administrative

machinery. Letya-

Freeman agreement was

singed to weaken the

Myanma Tatmadaw. At

a time when the leftists

and rightists were taking

up armed insurrection in

the post-independence

period, pro-communist

commanders went

underground along with

some units and

companies of the

Tatmadaw. The

Tatmadaw crushed the

armed insurgencies and

helped the ruling AFPFL

government carry on. The

Tatmadaw has a fine

tradition of protecting the

State always standing by

the people and especially

in times of emergency.

At present time, wars

are waged in many

countries for various

purposes, for example,

colonialism, intrusion,

interference, self-interest

* Taboung ushers in summer

Green leaves and buds

Blooming with vigour

Summer they beautify

In large numbers

Fall yellow leaves on ground

Cooing is a cuckoo

Reminds me of history

Tatmadaw heroes wrote

* One summer night

In the dark-blue sky

Missing were stars and moon

In that pitch-black midnight

Launched the guerrilla war

Fighting back Fascists

Sound of guns uninterrupted

With surprise attack

Seized a Fascist outpost

Bayonet fighting

Drenched with blood

A memorable night battle

On that March twenty-seventh

* In that particular March

United were people

In harmony whole country

On Bago Yoma

Across Sittoung

Mobilizing forces

Storming enemy

Blood-bath battles every hour

Died many Fascists

Their bodies floating

Defeated by guerrilla war

Consolidated our patriots

Victory ours, end of Fascists

* Summer story in mind

Brought into a poem

Reflecting Tatmadaw members

born of the people

Never forget where conceived

Will continue to work unwaveringly

Remaining loyal with nationalistic vigour

Risking life and limb

In the interests of the State

National Flag with white star on red

background

Hoisted together with the people.

(Hailing the 63rd Anniversary Armed Forces Day)

Ketu Nilar

(Translation)

Strong and capable modern Tatmadaw

and hegimonism. Be-

cause of such wars, world’s

countries are found to be

trying their utmost to

strengthen military might.

Taking lesson from the

past, Myanmar needs to

reinforce the Tatmadaw in

all aspects. Unlike a

mercenary, pocket army,

colonialist army and

hegemonic army, the

Myanma Tatmadaw must

be strong standing as a

Tatmadaw or national

army protecting the nation

and the people.

This is why the draft

constitution (2008) drawn

based on the fundamental

principles laid down by the

National Convention states

as follows-

Article 20 (A) says

“The Tatmadaw is the sole

existing Tatmadaw which

is strong and modern.”

As a united force, the

Tatmadaw fought for

Myanmar’s indepen-

dence. It safeguarded

independence. It has

restored internal peace. It

has successfully carried out

all-round development

tasks in order that the

people could fully enjoy

taste of independence.

In the article 20 (D)

and (E) of the draft

constitution, the people

entrust the Tatmadaw with

the following

responsibilities.

Article 20 (D) states

“The Tatmadaw is mainly

responsible for safe-

guarding non-disinte-

gration of the Union, non-

disintegration of national

HAILING THE 63rd ANNIVERSARY ARMED FORCES DAY:

Khine Myo Sit

NationalDefence and

Security Sector

When Tatmadaw andpeople join hands

who will dare to harm us?

Ye Min Htet

solidarity and perpetu-

ation of sovereignty.”

Article 20 (E) says

“The Tatmadaw is mainly

responsible for safe-

guarding the State

Constitution.”

That is why the

Tatmadaw which is

mainly responsible for

safeguarding Our Three

Main National Causes

and the State Constitution

is being built to become a

strong, efficient and

modern force in accord

with the above-

mentioned prescriptions.

It is obvious that

the endeavours are meant

for serving the interests

of the State and the

people.

(Translation: ST)

*******

Poem

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM9

10 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

(from page 1)Development CouncilCommander of YangonCommand Maj-Gen HlaHtay Win, CEC Memberof the Union Solidarityand Development Asso-ciation (Yangon DivisionIn-charge) U Aung TheinLin and Patron of Com-mittee for Construction ofthe road U Khin MaungOo formally opened theroad.

Next, Lt-Gen MyintSwe of the Ministry ofDefence pressed a buttonto open the archway, andthen inspected the road.

A ceremony to handover the road was held atthe hall of No 10 BasicEducation Primary Schoolin Palaya Ward. Chairmanof Committee for Con-struction of the road USein Maung handed overdocuments related to theroad to Head of the Town-ship Development AffairsCommittee U Yi Tun.

The ceremony endedwith the remarks of USDACEC Member (YangonDivision In-charge) UAung Thein Lin.

The tarred road is

Wayalet-Shwehninsi…3,960 feet long, 12 feetwide and 6 inches thick.The facility serving as alink between No 1 MainRoad and No 3 Main Road,plays a leading role in re-gional development.

The emergence of theroad contributes much toregional development aswell as to improving theliving standard of localpeople.—MNA

Myanmar FisheriesFederation to organize talksYANGON, 25 March — Jointly organized by

Myanmar Fisheries Federation and Myanmar PrawnsEntrepreneurs Association and supported by Han SeinThant Engineering & Trading, Dr Tin Latt (MATCollege) will give talks on Internal Auditing and RiskManagement at Thiri Annawar Hall of MFF on BayintNaung Road in Insein Township here on 29 March.Interested persons may attend it.—H

NPE families offer meals to Sanghas underauspices of Minister and wife

YANGON, 25 March—Under the auspices ofMinister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan andwife Daw Kyi Kyi Win, Managing Director of Newsand Periodicals Enterprise U Soe Win and wife DawThan Than Aye and staff families offered meals tomembers of the Sangha who will sit for Pathamapyanexamination at Dagon Pariyatti Monastery in DagonTownship here this morning.

The ceremony was opened with three timesrecitation of Namo Tassa . The managing director and

wife and staff families received the Five Precepts fromPresiding Sayadaw Agga Maha Gantha Vacaka PanditaBhaddanta Mamaka of Dagon Pariyatti Monasteryand presented eight requisites.

The managing director and wife and staffs sharedmerits gained and the ceremony ended with the three-time recitation of Buddha Sasanam Ciram Titthatu.

After the ceremony, the managing director andwife and staff members offered ‘soon’ to members ofthe Sangha.—MNA

Myanmar-China fibre optic cable ofGMS-IS Project launched

NAY PYI TAW, 25March — Myanmar-Chinafibre optic cable that isincluded in GMS-ISProject was launched at theoffice of Auto-exchange ofMyanma Posts andTelecommunications inMuse town, Muse Districton 12 March.

Present on the occasion

were the Director-Generalof Directorate of Tele-communications, theGeneral Manager of MPTand officials, heads ofdepartments in MuseDistrict, local people,Deputy General DirectorMr Qian Tingshuo ofMinistry of Informationand Industry and party and

officials of ASB, ChinaTelecom and YunnanTelecom.

In order to implementfiber optic cable, MoU wassigned and tasks werestarted carrying out afterthe minister level meetingheld in Laos in 2004. Atotal of 12 fibre optic cableswill be built in Mekong

region. There areMyanmar-China andMyanmar-Thailand fibreoptic cables in Myanmarside.

The General Managerof MPT and DeputyGeneral Director Mr QianTingshuo of Ministry ofInformation and Industryformally opened theceremony and then theDirector-General ofDirectorate of Com-munications unveiled thesignboard of the ceremony.

Those presentpractically made use oftelephone, Internet andVideo conferencing andthey grew trees on the plotin front of the office.

Bandwidth CapacitySTM-64 (10 Gb) can beused on the fibre optic cableand STM-16 (2.5 Gb) onits auxiliary cable. Apartfrom China, Myanmar canexchange information bytelephone and Internet withsix countries in Mekongregion.—MNA

The best time to plant a tree was 20years ago.

The second best time is now.

Managing Director U Soe Win and wife Daw Than Than Aye and staff families offer ‘soon’ to monks.— MNA

Opening ceremony

of Myanmar-China

fibre optic cable of

GMS-IS project in

progress in

Muse.— MNA

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM10

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 11

A child visits the “Cloth Dolls’

Salon” in Sabile of Latvia,on 24

March, 2008. The salon, founded

by a handicraft lover more than a

year ago, displayed almost 300 dolls

made of cloth. XINHUA

Chinese soprano Shen Na,seen here at a press confer-ence at the National Center

for the Performing Artson 24 March, will play

Rozenn in opera “Le Roid’Ys.” —INTERNET

The photo taken on 23March, 2008 shows a

scene from the musicalplay “Cat” at Poly

Theater of Shenzhen,south China’s

Guangdong Province.The play would stage

eight performances from23 to 30 March in

Shenzhen.—XINHUAJugglers of Baobab circus from

Africa perform during a show at

Jorge Isaacas theatre in Cali,

Colombia, on 12 March, 2008.

Picture taken on 12 March,

2008.—INTERNET

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Images of

the Day

One of the The

Bombastic Bouncers,

from Ukraine, with

the Ringling Bros.

and Barnum & Bailey

Circus, does a back

flip when the cast of

the circus appeared

on the NBC ‘Today’

television show in

New York’s

Rockefeller Plaza, on

25 March, 2008.

INTERNET

Farmers in Germany have taken to spraying

their budding fruit trees with water for protec-

tion from the cold weather that’s put a damper

on spring here. Once the water turns to ice, the

buds are safe from frost.—INTERNET

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:12 PM11

12 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

CLAIMS DAY NOTICEMV KOTA TABAH VOY NO (TBH-217)

Consignees of cargo carried on MV KOTA TABAHVOY NO (TBH-217) are hereby notified that the vesselwill be arriving on 26.3.2008 and cargo will be dis-charged into the premises of A.W.P.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 from 8 amto 11:20 am and 12 noon to 4 pm up to Claims Day nowdeclared as the third day after final discharge of cargofrom the vessel.

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

SHIPPING AGENCY DEPARTMENTMYANMA PORT AUTHORITY

AGENT FOR: M/S ADVANCE CONTAINERLINES PTE LTD

Phone No: 256908/378316/376797

A car is seen on the snow-covered mountainousarea of Hankyeryong in Yangyang county, about280 km (174 miles) east of Seoul, on 24 March,

2008.— INTERNET

Morales vows to continuebattle for lost sea access

LIMA, 24 March—Bolivian President Evo Moralessaid on Sunday his nation will never give up fightingfor its sea access seized by Chile during a war in the19th century.

His administration would continue using peacefulmeans to get back its sea access to the Pacific Oceanand that he was confident an understanding could bereached with the Chilean side, Morales said at a publicceremony. Sunday marks the anniversary of the deathof Bolivian hero Eduardo Abaroa, who lost his life indefending Calama, a Bolivian city annexed by Chile inthe 1879 War of the Pacific.

During the War, Chile defeated a combined forcesof Bolivia and Peru and took 120,000 square kilometresfrom Bolivia, including 400 kilometres of coastline onthe Pacific Ocean.

The South American nation, which has demandedsea access ever since, cut off diplomatic relations withChile in 1978, saying its demand had not been takenseriously. Morales said at the end of last year he hadmet with his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bacheletand worked out with her a 13-point agenda on theissue.– MNA/Xinhua

Brazil spends nearly $200m ontobacco-linked illness

RIO DE JANEIRO, 24 March—Brazil’s governmentspends at least 330 million reais (194 million USdollars) annually on treating tobacco-related illness,the state-run Oswaldo Cruz Foundation said in a reportSunday.

Foundation economist Marcia Pinto based theestimates on spending by the Unified Health Systemon patients being treated for 32 smoking-relatedconditions.

The figure, representing nearly 8 per cent of totalspending by the health system, has been extrapolatedfrom a sample of 310 patients who were treated in 2000at the National Cancer Institute or the NationalCardiology Institute, she said. —MNA/Xinhua

Mexico authorities fightforest fire in northern stateMEXICO CITY, 24 March—Mexican authorities are

fighting a major forest fire in Santiago, a town in thenorthern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, with eighthelicopters and earth movers, which are being used tocreate firewalls, the National Forest Fire Centre saidSunday.

The helicopters, which belong to the state’s CivilProtection Authority, the Defence Ministry, andgovernments of neighbouring states Coahuila and SanLuis Potosi, are spraying water and chemical fireretardants.

There are yet to be any reports of casualties, the firecentre said.

The authorities said the fire has affected an areacovering 3,600 hectares, of which 3,060 hectares arebush and shrubbery and 540 hectares are mature pineor holm oak trees.—MNA/Xinhua

British woman gives up NorthPole bid after fall

Mexican Army arrestssenior drug smugglerMEXICO CITY, 25

March—Mexico’s Armyhas arrested Raul Her-nandez Barron, known byhis alias Flander, a formersoldier who left the Armyto work for a leadingMexican drug cartel,Mexico’s Defence Minis-try said in a statement onSunday. Hernandez was akey figure in the controlof drug flows through thenorth of eastern Mexicanstate Veracruz where hewas arrested on Friday,the statement said.

Hernandez had beencarrying an AR-15 rifle, 150cartridges and a nine-millimetre handgun, thereport said.—MNA/Xinhua

LONDON, 24 March—British explorer HannahMcKeand has called offher attempt to become thefirst woman to reach theNorth Pole alone andunaided after fallingthrough ice and injuringherself, her expeditionmanager said on Sunday.

She set out fromCanada’s Ward HuntIsland on 8 March and byskiing, walking andswimming had hoped totake 60 days to cover the478 miles (770 kilo-metres) to the pole, wheretemperatures can dip tominus 60 degrees Celsius(minus 76 Fahrenheit).

The 34-year-old Mc-Keand hurt her leg, backand shoulder after fallinginto an eight-foot deephole in the polar ice on

Thursday night, 45 milesnorth of her starting point.

“Hannah had climbedonto a pile of ice blocks toscout the view ahead,” saidexpedition manager SteveJones.

“There was a crack inthe ice but no hint that itwas a dangerous situation.Without warning the snowgave way and Hannah fellsideways into a hole eight-feet deep.”

McKeand took an hourto extricate herself fromthe hole and camped

overnight but in pain andwith limited mobilitydecided to abandon theexpedition.

She will be airlifted toa Canadian forces airstripand then taken to Resoluteand finally on to Ottawafor medical checks.

. Five years ago BritonPen Hadow, then 41,became the first person toreach the North Poleunaided from Canada,completing the trip in 64days.

MNA/Reuters

Flooding hits Sri Lanka, slowscivil war pace

COLOMBO, 25 March—Heavy rains in Sri Lankahave killed eight peopleand affected more than340,000 others whilerestricting military gainsover rebels in thecountry’s worsening civilwar, the military said onSunday.

Unusually heavy tor-rential rains have causedwidespread flooding andlandslides in easternagricultural and rice-growing areas, as well asin the north where themilitary has launched afresh offensive againstTamil Tiger rebels.

“Around 7 per cent of

the harvest in major pad-dy producing areas hasbeen destroyed,” saidAgriculture DepartmentDirector General C Ku-dagamage on Sunday.

Disaster Relief Ser-vices Minister MSSAmeer Ali told localmedia that food rationswould be distributed totens of thousands offamilies in the worstaffected “food bowl”province of Ampara andother areas.

Flooding and massdisplacement of peopleare common in Sri Lanka,but northeast monsoonrains usually start in May.

Flooding had also hitmore than 41,000 peoplein the conflict-torn north-eastern district of Man-nar, where fighting iscontinuing between theTigers and governmentforces after a truce in thecountry’s 25-year civilwar ended in January.

The military on Sundaysaid its forces had takencontrol of small butstrategically vital areasaround Parayakulamand Andillanthaven inMannar, with 25 Tigerskilled and another 25injured, according tointercepted rebel radioreports.—MNA/Reuters

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM12

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 13

UN chief calls for eliminationof roots of TB

The shuttle Endeavour is seen from a camera mounted on the InternationalSpace Station in this image from NASA TV after the two spacecrafts

undocked on 24 March, 2008. —INTERNET

A rainbow is seen in the background while awoman holding an umbrella walks in downtown

Sofia.—INTERNET

UNITED NATIONS, 24March — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon onMonday called for theelimination of the roots oftuberculosis epidemic instruggling with thedisease.

In his message markingthe World TB Day, whichis observed annually on24 March, Ban said inorder to prevent avirtually untreatabletuberculosis epidemic,“we must tackle the rootsof the problem: poorservices, poor supplies,poor prescribing and poor

use of drugs.”“This is a fight that can

be won only with thecollective commitment ofmillions of individuals —donors and researchers,doctors and health careworkers, patients andfamily members,” hestressed, urging anintensified global respo-nse to save lives.

The UN chief alsoannounced that the UnitedNations will convene aGlobal Leaders’ HIV/TBForum this June in aneffort to boost the col-lective capacity to drivedown HIV-associated TBdeaths.

”In this effort, we can

draw inspiration froma number of Africancountries which haveshown that it is possible toscale-up services thatreach out and screen TBpatients for HIV, screenHIV-infected people forTB, and initiate care,” henoted.

Ban observed thatthese impressive ad-vances are the result ofthe efforts of individuals,adding that “I am stopp-ing TB” is not just thetheme for this day, but apledge people mustuphold as they battle theepidemic throughout theyear and into the future.

InternetJapan PM’s support

slides to 24.7%TOKYO, 24 March —

Japanese Prime MinisterYasuo Fukuda’s supportrate slid to 24.7 per cent ina poll by private broadcasterTV Asahi released onMonday, the latest sign ofdoubts about his leadershipthat are raising questionsabout his future.

Fukuda’s fallingpopularity — he initiallyboasted support rates ofabout 60 per cent — hassparked speculation thathis ruling party may try toreplace him before anelection that could comethis year. But analysts sayousting a premier isdifficult.

“Somebody has to takethe initiative and draw outthe knife,” said KoichiNakano, a political scienceprofessor at SophiaUniversity. “It takes a bitof courage to do this.”

Public backing for 71-year-old Fukuda has takena hit from his apparentfailure to cope with apolitical deadlock born ofa divided Parliament thathas already left a vacancyat the top of the Bank ofJapan. The stalemate isalso threatening taxmeasures needed to fundnational and state budgetsfor the fiscal year from1 April. —MNA/Reuters

Brazil mily will combatdengue outbreak in Rio

BRASILIA, 24 March — Brazil’s military will helpfight an outbreak of dengue fever in Rio de Janeiro, theDefence Ministry said at the weekend, after the diseasekilled 49 people and made more than 30,000 ill thisyear.

Public hospitals in the northern and western districtsof the city were overwhelmed by the number of patientsseeking treatment at the weekend. Many complainedabout long delays.

The Defence Ministry said Army, Air Force andNavy commanders would propose an action plan toDefence Minister Nelson Jobim as early as Monday onhow to combat the disease in the famous beach and portcity. Jobim said on Friday the Armed Forces may setup field hospitals in the city.

Health officials confirmed on Sunday that a 12-year-old boy died of dengue, bringing the death toll to49 people this year, according to the Globo Onlinenews agency. More than 30,000 people have fallen illwith the disease this year, state health officials said onThursday. —MNA/Reuters

Five killed in fresh rocketattack in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, 24 March— Five people were killedand eight others woundedwhen a fresh rocket attackstruck a residential areain eastern Baghdad onSunday, an InteriorMinistry source said.

“One Katyusha rocketstruck an area near amosque in the neighbour-hood of Kamali-yah ineastern Baghdad at about10:00 am (0700 GMT),killing five peopleand wounding eightothers,” the source toldXinhua on condition ofanonymity.The attack tookplace after five rocketstargeting different partsof the capital city, includingthe heavily fortified GreenZone, killed a civilian and

wounded five others. Baghdad’s Sunday

started with a rocketbarrage when about 10rocket explosions rockedthe sprawling Green Zonein central Baghdad around6:00 am (0300 GMT), aministry source said.

Emergency sirens couldbe heard in the highlyprotected area which housesthe government officesand foreign embassies,including the US one.

Insurgents frequentlytargeted the Green Zoneby mortars and rockets.

The roughly 10 squarekilometres area is locatedon the west bank of theTigris River which bisectsthe Iraqi capital.

MNA/Xinhua

270 die of TB inHong Kong every year HONG KONG, 24 March

— Tuberculosis (TB)remains one of the topinfectious diseases inHong Kong as an averageof 270 people were killedby the epidemic annuallyin the metropolis duringrecent years, a seniorhealth official said hereon Sunday.

Speaking at a cere-mony marking the annualWorld TB Day, Dr GloriaTam, the Acting Directorof Health, said that itwould be incorrect to thinkthat the disease was some-thing of the past and hadno local relevance.

According to the

Department of Health’sfigures, 6,000 new TBcases were reportedannually in Hong Kong,whose socio-economicdevelopments and publichealth efforts were amongone of the world deve-loped regions.

Dr Tam said thatnearly nine million newcases and more than 1. 5million deaths werereported worldwide eachyear, stressing theimportance of setting 24March each year to be theWorld TB Day by theWorld Health Organi-zation (WHO).

MNA/Xinhua

Four policemen, rebelkilled in Kashmir clash

SRINAGAR, 24 March—Four policemen and amilitant were killed onSunday after a gun battle inKashmir’s main city, policesaid. The encounter, thefirst in past eight monthsin Srinagar, Kashmir’ssummer capital, broke outafter police raided a militanthideout.

“Militants hiding in ahouse fired indiscrimi-nately. We have lost fourpolicemen,” Srinagar police chief Syed AhfadulMujtaba said.

He said a top militant ofPakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group wasalso killed. The violencecomes days after rebels

exploded a powerful bombin the heart of Srinagar,killing one person andwounding about twodozens. —MNA/Reuters

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM13

14 THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

S P O R T S

Stanford’s JayneAppel, left, scores over

UTEP’s IzabelaPiekarska in the

second half during thesecond round of the

NCAA women’sbasketball tournament

in Stanford, Calif,on 24 March, 2008.Stanford won 88-54.

INTERNET

Beckham wants more than 100 England caps

David Beckham

Geoff Ogilvy of Australia holds the CAChampionship trophy after winning the golf

tournament in Doral, Florida. Ogilvy finished17-under-par 271.—INTERNET

LONDON, 25 March— David Beckham saidhe would be honoured to win his 100th cap forEngland in Wednesday’s friendly away toFrance, if selected by manager Fabio Capello,but stressed he didn’t want the milestone tomark the end of his international career.

Now playing for US side LA Galaxy, theformer Manchester United and Real Madridmidfielder failed to be included in Capello’sfirst England squad for last month’s 2-1 winover Switzerland at Wembley.

But, having been recalled by Capello - his boss at Real - the ex-England captainis keen to play his part in the team’s bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finalsin South Africa.

“I’ve enjoyed it, enjoyed being back with the guys and training was great so Iam very happy,” Beckham told a news conference after a practice session here atLondon Colney, Arsenal’s training ground.

“I never thought a year ago or two years ago that I would make 95 caps, nevermind 100. I’m honoured that I’m making, hopefully, my 100th appearance in anEngland shirt but I’m also honoured to be doing it against one of the best teamsin the world.

“But as much as I’m honoured to be here I want it to carry on. It doesn’t stophere for me. It’s not about ‘have your 100th game and then retire’. It’s aboutcarrying on trying to play well for my country.”—Internet

Rooney, Lampard fit enoughto train with England

Injured Ronaldo, Nani pullout of Portugal squad

LISBON, 25 March — Manchester United’s CristianoRonaldo and Nani have been ruled out of Portugal’sEuro 2008 warm-up with Greece in Duesseldorf,Germany on Wednesday due to injuries, the Portu-guese Football Federation said on Monday.

Ronaldo and Nani, who both scored in United’s3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, are suffering fromleg muscle problems, the federation said on its website(www.fpf.pt).

“We proposed to coach (Luiz Felipe Scolari) thatthe players be released from the squad and heaccepted,” squad doctor Henrique Jones was quoted assaying. No replacements were named.

Portugal are in Group A with Czech Republic,co-hosts Switzerland and Turkey in the Euro 2008finals in June. —MNA/Reuters

Beijing Olympic flame litin ancient Olympia

OLYMPIA (Greece), 25 March — The Beijing Olym-pic flame was ignited in a traditional sun-ray ceremonyat 11:45 on Monday in front of the Hera Temple ofancient Olympia.

Dark clouds over the lighting rehearsal parted as aflawless torch lighting ceremony was held to start anunprecedented torch relay in Greece, across five con-tinents and China.

The High Priestess Maria Nafpliotou lit the flameout of a concave mirror. Then the flame was carried ina replica of ancient urn to the ancient Olympia stadiumwhere it was to kindle the first Olympic torch.

High Priestess Maria Nafpliotou handed over thetorch to the first torchbearer Alexandros Nikolaidis,2004 Olympic silver medallist in taekwondo.

The Olympic Anthem, the National Anthem of thePeople’s Republic of China, the National Anthem ofGreece were played and the Olympic Flag, the ChineseFlag and the Greek Flag were hoisted at the lightingceremony.

Speeches were given by the mayor of ancient Olym-pia Georgios Aidonis, International Olympic Com-mittee President Jacques Rogge, President of the Hel-lenic Olympic Committee Minos Kyriakou and LiuQi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee ofOlympic Games (BOCOG).

“Today will lead to the opening of the first everOlympic Games in China, where one fifth of theworld's population is longing for them,” said Rogge.

MNA/Reuters

Russia coach Hiddink signsnew two year contract

Henry, Vieira join Francecasualty list

CLAIREFONTAINE (France), 25 March — France willbe depleted by injuries when they face England in afriendly on Wednesday after striker Thierry Henry andcaptain Patrick Vieira added their names to a longcasualty list on Monday.

Henry pulled out of the game at the Stade de Francebecause of an unspecified injury, a French team spokes-man said.

Inter Milan midfielder Vieira, who is hampered bya sore thigh muscle, said he would not play.

“I’m feeling better but not enough to play on Wednes-day,” Vieira told reporters at France’s training campoutside Paris “It’s very frustrating”.

France coach Raymond Domenech, who last weeknamed a 39-man squad both for the England match anda game between France's B side and Mali on Tuesdayin Paris, has seen many of them pull out since.

“It’s a nuisance to have so many players injured butit's better to have the problem now than just beforeEuro 2008,” said Vieira.

MNA/Reuters

WATFORD (England),25 March — WayneRooney and FrankLampard, who both tookknocks in their PremierLeague matches on Sun-day, trained in the snowwith England on Mondayand should be fit forWednesday’s friendlyagainst France.

Lampard took a blowto his hip during Chel-sea's 2-1 win over Arse-nal at Stamford Bridge,while Rooney grimacedin pain while holding hisknee in Manchester Unit-ed’s 3-0 win over Liver-pool at Old Trafford.

Both players wentthrough their paces atArsenal’s London Colneytraining ground with therest of a 23-man squadwhich included DavidBeckham, who shouldwin his 100th cap onWednesday.

Coach Fabio Capello,who named a provisional30-man squad last weekhas already been forced tomake some changeswith injured goalkeepers

Chris Kirkland and ScottCarson being replaced byPaul Robinson and RobertGreen.

Gabriel Agbonlahor,Jermain Defoe, JermaineJenas, Ashley Young,Shaun Wright-Phillips andDavid Wheater were allleft out of the originalsquad while MatthewUpson withdrew becauseof injury.

Capello, in charge ofEngland for a secondmatch, said he had no prob-lems in recalling Beckhamafter leaving him out ofhis first squad againstSwitzerland last month.

MNA/Reuters

MOSCOW, 25 March — GuusHiddink signed a new two-yearcontract on Monday to continuecoaching Russia until the 2010World Cup in South Africa.

“Hiddink signed his contractthis evening,” a spokesman for theRussian Football Union (RFU) toldReuters. The Dutchman said hewas pleased with the deal.

“It took a while but we are allhappy now,” said Hiddink. “I cannow focus all my energy to preparethe team for Euro 2008 (in June).”

His initial contract was due toexpire this July. Details of the newdeal were not disclosed.

Hiddink, 61, who guided Russiato the Euro finals from a toughgroup that included Croatia and

England, had been earning twomillion euros (2.9 million US dol-lars) a year, according to mediareports. His salary package is paidfor by Chelsea's billionaire ownerRoman Abramovich through hisNational Academy Fund.

The Dutchman agreed in princi-ple to extend his contract in Octoberon the eve of a Euro 2008 qualifieragainst England in Moscow but ittook another five months for thetwo sides to work out the detail.

Most of the negotiations werefocused on paying taxes. Last yeara Dutch court handed Hiddink asix-month suspended sentence andfined him 45,000 euros (59,270 USdollars) after finding him guilty oftax fraud. —MNA/Reuters

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM14

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Wednesday, 26 March, 2008 15

WEATHER

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 392308, Manager 392226, Circulation 392304, Advertisement 392223,Accounts 392224, Administration 392225, Production/Press 392369

Tuesday, 25 March, 2008Summary of observations recorded at 9:30 hours

MST: During the past 24 hours, rain or thundershowershave been fairly widespread in Kachin State, isolatedin Chin State, Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago and TaninthayiDivisions, weather has been partly cloudy in RakhineState and generally fair in the remaining States andDivisions. Day temperatures were (7ºC) below Marchaverage temperatures in upper Sagaing Division, (6ºC)below March average temperatures in Kachin andNorthern Shan States, (3ºC) to (4ºC) below March av-erage temperatures in Mandalay and lower SagaingDivisions and about March average temperatures inthe remaining States and Divisions. The significantday temperatures were Minbu (42ºC), Nay Pyi Taw,Aunglan and Magway (40ºC) each. The noteworthyamounts of rainfall recorded were Nay Pyi Taw, Putaoand Myeik (0.12) inch each and Yamethin (0.07) inch.

Maximum temperature on 24-3-2008 was 100ºF.Minimum temperature on 25-3-2008 was 73ºF. Rela-tive humidity at (09:30) hours MST on 25-3-2008 was79%. Total sunshine hours on 24-3-2008 was (8.8)hours approx.

Rainfall on 25-3-2008 was (Nil) at Mingaladon,Kaba-Aye and Central Yangon. Total rainfall since1-1-2008 was (0.67) inch at Mingaladon, (0.47 ) inchat Kaba-Aye and (0.35) inch at Central Yangon.Maximum wind speed at Yangon (Kaba-Aye) was(6) mph from Southwest at (00:30) hours MST on25-3-2008.

Bay inference: Weather is generally fair in theCentral Bay and partly cloudy in the Andaman Seaand elsewhere in the Bay of Bengal.

Forecast valid until evening of 26-3-2008: Like-lihood of isolated rain or thundershowers in Kachin,Chin, Northern Rakhine, northern Shan States, SagaingMandalay, Magway and Taninthayi Divisions, weatherwill be partly cloudy in Yangon Division and gen-erally fair in the remaining States and Divisions. De-gree of certainty is (60%).

State of the sea: Seas will be moderate in Myanmarwaters.

Outlook for subsequent two days: Likelihoodof isolated rain or thundershowers in the NorthernMyanmar areas.

Forecast for Nay Pyi Taw and neighbouringarea for 26-3-2008: Possibility of isolated rain or thun-dershowers. Degree of certainty is (40%).

Forecast for Yangon and neighbouring areafor 26-3-2008: Partly cloudy.

Forecast for Mandalay and neighbouring areafor 26-3-2008: Possibility of isolated rain or thunder-showers. Degree of certainty is (40%).

Wednesday, 26 MarchView on today

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S Korea military “trains” against oilprice surge

SEOUL, 25 March — South Korea’s military said on Monday it wouldintroduce a new type of training in the face of record oil prices — energy saving.

Israeli Armydetains six

Palestiniansin WestBank

RAMALLAH, 25March — The IsraeliArmy forces arrestedSunday six Palestinianactivists in the WestBank city of Nablus, thePalestinian securitysources reported.

Israeli Army forcesstormed several neigh-bourhoods in the city,where soldiers raidedhouses and detained sixPalestinian young men,said the sources.

Meanwhile, theIsraeli Army imposed acurfew on a village nearQaqilia in northern WestBank after youngstershurled stones at Israelicars, said the sources.

Also in the WestBank, Islamic Hamasmovement said morethan 30 vehicles ofsecurity forces loyal toPalestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbasstormed a village nearsouthern West Banktown of Hebron.

Dozens of Hamasactivists clashed withAbbas security officers,the witnesses said.

No injuries wasreported.

MNA/Xinhua

China’s installed capacity of windpower hits ten mln KWS

A Defence Ministryofficial said that seniorofficers of the Army, Navyand Air Forces had decidedto lop more than 50 millionUS dollars off their fuel billthis year by cutting trainingflights, Army field drills andmaking ships slow down.

“We are basicallycarrying out ‘energy-saving’ training in whichwe aim to reduce oil

expenses while stillmeeting our goals,” theofficial said.

Under the plan, flighthours for training will becut from 150 to 135 withpilots spending more timeat computer simulatorsinstead of in the cockpit.

Along with slowingdown the speed of vesselstraining at sea, the Navywill also try to keep older,

and less fuel efficient shipsin port to save on oil.

Resource-poor SouthKorea is the world’s fifthlargest oil importer andrelies entirely on importfor the commodity that hita record high over 111 USdollars a barrel in March.

South Korea, which isstill technically at war withNorth Korea, has about670,000 troops in itsmilitary, backed by around28,000 US troops.

While pauper NorthKorea spends a largeportion of its meagrebudget on its 1.2-million-strong military, it has foryears has had to keep muchof its ageing Air Force onthe ground and tanks inbunkers because of a lackof fuel. — MNA/Reuters

BEIJING, 25 March —China’s installed capacityof wind power will hit 10million kilowatts this year,and the figure is expectedto double in 2010, a seniorofficial said here on Sunday.

To develop cleanenergy, China will expandthe installed capacity ofnuclear power, making itaccount for more than 5 percent of the national totalpower installed capacity bythe year 2020, said vicechairman of the NationalDevelopment and ReformCommission ZhangGuobao.

China has vowed todevelop nuclear power inits 11th five-year plan foreconomic and socialdevelopment (2006-2010),with the aim to realize

40,000 megawatts ofoperating installedcapacity by 2020.

Currently, China’soperating installed capa-city of nuclear powerstations stands at 8,600megawatts.

MNA/Xinhua

Foot-and-mouth disease hitscentral Vietnam

HANOI, 25 March — Vietnam’s central Ha TinhProvince has been stricken by foot-and-mouth disease,local newspaper New Hanoi reported on Monday.

The disease affected six bulls in the province from16-19 March, the paper quoted the Department ofAnimal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development as saying.

The provincial Veterinary Bureau has culled allinfected cattle and detoxified the affected farms.

Under a national agriculture development planapproved by the government in 2005, Vietnam will, by2010, have 35-40 million pigs, some 6.7 million bullsand cows and 2.8-3 million buffaloes. — MNA/Xinhua

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM15

5th Waning of Tabaung 1369 ME Wednesday, 26 March, 2008

SPECIAL FEATURES TO HAIL THE 63rd ANNIVERSARY ARMED FORCES DAY

ARTICLE

PAGES 8+9

POEM CARTOON

People’s Desire� We favour stability.� We favour peace.� We oppose unrest and violence.

Objectives of the 63rdAnniversary Armed Forces Day

* To work in concert with the peo-ple in building a peaceful, mod-ern, developed and discipline-flourishing democratic nation

* To realize the seven-step RoadMap of the State joining handswith the people

* Joining hands with the people andbased on Union Spirit to crushinternal and external destructiveelements sabotaging stability anddevelopment of the State

* To build a strong, capable andmodern patriotic Tatmadaw tosafeguard Our Three Main Na-tional Causes

Commander, Ministers inspect maintenanceof retaining wall in Nyaungdon

NAY PYI TAW, 25 March — Chairman ofAyeyawady Division Peace and Development CouncilCommander of South- West Command Brig-Gen KyawSwe, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-GenHtay Oo and Minister for Transport Maj-Gen TheinSwe on 20 March met with local authorities and depart-mental officials at Directorate of Water Resources andImprovement of River Systems in Nyaungdon, MaubinDistrict, Ayeyawady Division and gave necessary

instructions.Director-General U Soe Myint of

DWRIRS, Chairman of Maubin District Peace andDevelopment Council U Htay Win and Chairman ofNyaungdon Township PDC U Nyunt Tin reported onthe maintenance of embankments and building ofretaining wall along the river to the commander whocalled for maintenance of the retaining wall ofPanhlaing River.

Commander Brig-Gen Kyaw Swe briefedon the maintenance of embankment. Next, MinisterMaj-Gen Thein Swe stressed the need for officials toengage in maintenance of embankment in rainy season.Minister Maj-Gen Htay Oo briefed on the maintenanceof Nyaungdon embankment in cooperation with Direc-torate of Water Resources and Improvement of RiverSystems and Irrigation Department.

Afterwards, the commander and ministerslooked into building of retaining wall between 11th and12th Streets and the current of Panhlaing River.

MNA

Commander Brig-Gen Kyaw Swe, Minister Maj-Gen Htay Oo and Minister Maj-Gen Thein Sweinspect the retaining wall in Nyaungdon.— A & I

* Taboung ushers in summer Green leaves and buds Blooming with vigour Summer they beautify In large numbers Fall yellow leaves on ground Cooing is a cuckoo Reminds me of history Tatmadaw heroes wrote

Progress of Transport Sector in theTime of Tatmadaw Government

When Tatmadaw and people join handswho will dare to harm us?

National Defence and SecuritySector

Ye Min Htet

Strong and capablemodern TatmadawTaking lesson from the past,

Myanmar needs to reinforce theTatmadaw in all aspects. Unlike amercenary, pocket army,colonialist army and hegemonicarmy, the Myanma Tatmadawmust be strong standing as aTatmadaw or national armyprotecting the nation and thepeople.

26-3-08 NL 7/30/18, 11:02 PM16