Monday, February 2, 2009
Myanmar announces first foot-and-mouth-disease-free zone
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6582497.html
February 01, 2009
The Myanmar livestock authorities has announced Kawthoung area in southern Myanmar's Tanintharyi division, one of the three targeted zones, as the first foot-and-mouth-disease-free zone, the local weekly Yangon Times reported in this week's issue published on Saturday.
Starting from 2005, Myanmar has been carrying out a campaign to control the disease in three main areas of the division under a foot-and-mouth eradication program of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The three main targeted areas are Kawthoung, Myeik and Dawei, of which Myeik ranked as the disease-controlled zone and Dawei rated as the buffer zone, the report said, quoting the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department.
Meanwhile, Myanmar has been placing emphasis on control of trans-border animal diseases, introducing animal quarantine laboratories in border trading areas with neighboring countries.
In cooperation with Thailand and China, animal quarantine labs in areas such as Myawaddy, kawthoung, Muse, Lashio, Kengtung and Myitkyina, where border trade activities are carried out, are being respectively established.
These labs will help transfer information speedily and test the safety of live animals and animal byproducts intended for export and import through border trade, experts said.
Besides, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also provided aid worth of 102 million Japanese yens (about 829,000 U.S. dollars) to Myanmar last year to help the country fight five animal diseases including avian influenza by setting up laboratories, exchanging information and conducting refresher courses for the diseases control, earlier report said.
Source:Xinhua
South Korean company seeks investment in mineral exploration in Myanmar
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90863/6582924.html
February 01, 2009
A South Korean leading private company is seeking investment in mineral exploration in a major mine in Myanmar's northern Shan state, the local weekly Yangon Times reported in this week's issue.
Confirmed by the South Korean Embassy here, the Korean HC Company has coordinated with the Myanmar mining authorities to make investment in the Yadanar Theinki mining block on a mutually-beneficial basis and a field survey running for a period of up to one year will be conducted by Korean experts soon.
The South Korean company's intentional investment in the mining sector will be the first in Myanmar, the report said.
According to the journal's report, South Korea stands the fifth largest foreign investor in Myanmar injecting 50 million U.S. dollars in the oil and gas sector. Total Korean investment amounted to about 350 million dollars in the fiscal year 2007-08.
According to earlier official report, three S Korean companies-- Korea Resources Corporation (KRC), Daewoo International Corporation and Taihan Electric Wire joined the Canadian company of Ivanhoe in producing copper in three blocks of Sabetaung, Letpadaung and Kyisintaung near Monywa in Sagaing division under an agreement reached among them in January 2006.
The copper mining activities have been undertaken by the Canadian company since 1996 with 39,000 tons of copper producing annually.
Other firms engaged in mineral exploration in Myanmar include those from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
Official statistics show that foreign contracted investment in Myanmar's mining sector has amounted to about 534.19 million U.S. dollars as of the end of 2007 since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, accounting for 3.6 percent of 14.736 billion dollars' total foreign investment and standing as the sixth largest sector.
Source: Xinhua
UN envoy in Myanmar meets Suu Kyi liaison: govt official
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090201/wl_asia_afp/myanmarpoliticsundiplomacy_20090201062146
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Sun Feb 1, 1:20 am ET AFP/Myanmar News Agency – UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari (L) meets with Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win (R) at the former war office … YANGON (AFP) – The UN's top envoy to Myanmar on Sunday met the minister tasked with liaising with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an official said, in the latest talks aimed at nudging the junta toward reform.
Ibrahim Gambari's last trip to the military-ruled nation in August 2008 ended in deadlock, with Aung San Suu Kyi refusing to meet the Nigerian diplomat and her party dismissing the visit as "a waste of time."
On this four-day trip which began Saturday, the United Nations has said Gambari wants "meaningful discussions with all concerned on all the points raised during his last visit."
But there is still no word on whether Gambari will be granted a meeting with the reclusive head of state Senior General Than Shwe, or whether Aung San Suu Kyi will this time consent to meet with Gambari.
On Sunday, the UN negotiator met officials including Information Minister Kyaw Hsan and Foreign Minister Nyan Win in the commercial hub Yangon.
"He also met with relations minister Aung Kyi," said a government official who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. He refused to reveal what was discussed.
Aung Kyi's appointment to coordinate junta contacts with Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2007 was seen as a major sop to the West after the violent suppression of anti-junta demonstrations in September that year.
But their last meeting was in January 2008, and Aung San Suu Kyi said soon after she was "not satisfied" with the way the dialogue was progressing.
Instead, the junta has forged ahead with its own "Roadmap to Democracy" which its says will lead to multi-party elections in 2010 but which dissidents deride as a sham as it does not include Aung San Suu Kyi.
She has been detained by the junta for most of the last 19 years, and surprised observers in August by refusing to meet Gambari, a move interpreted as a snub after he had failed to secure any political reform.
Myanmar government officials have said Gambari will likely meet with the Nobel peace prize winner on Monday, echoing the expectations of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
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