General Thura Shwe Mann and wife Daw Khin Lay Thet attend ceremony to .......

Member of the State Peace and Development Council General Thura Shwe Mann of the Ministry of Defence and wife Daw Khin Lay Thet attended the ceremony to mark the 81st Anniversary of
the Founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at Traders Hotel, here, at 7 pm today. The General and wife were welcomed by Military Attaché of the People’s Republic of China to the Union of Myanmar Senior Colonel Fan Lianfeng and wife and the Deputy Military Attaché. Also present on the occasion were Lt-Gen MyintSwe of the Ministry of Defence and wife, Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Thu and wife, senior military officers of the Ministry of Defence, Charge d’Affaires ai of the PRC Embassy Mr Wang Zongying and wife, embassy staff and officials, Ambassadors of foreign missions and their wives, Military Attachés and their wives, officials and guests. During the ceremony, the cultural performances of the People’s Republic of China were presented to those present.

Doctors invited to provide free medical care

Myanmar Medical Association (Central) has invited doctors to volunteer to provide free medical treatment to storm victims in Yangon and Ayeyawady Divisions. MMA has carried out free health care services in storm-hit areas in Yangon and Ayeyawady Division. Over 585 doctors and specialists have provided treatment to 22,784 patients during their 38 trips last month. They distributed relief aids donated by wellwishers to the victims. Specialists of Yangon as well as Shwebo, Mandalay, Taunggyi, Magway, Pyay, Mawlamyine, Pathein, Labutta, and Bago participated in providing free medical services. Those wishing to participate in the programme may contact the MMA, No. 249 on Theinbyu Street, here and dial phone numbers 01-378863, 380899, 388097, 394141 and 098- 601677.

Donations invited for storm survivors

Rehabilitation is under way for local people in storm-hit regions who have lost their property in the storm. In that regard, well-wishers are invited to make donations for the following items individually or in groups in cooperation with the government at the donations accepting supervisory committee at the Fire Services Department (Head Office) here.
Items Per unit price (in kyat)
1. House K 600,000
2. 21-foot fishing boat

(with engine) K 400,000

3. 21-foot fishing boat
(without engine) K 200,000

4. Power tiller

(a) Leya-16 K 1,090,000

(b) Leya-22 K 1,550,000

(c) Ayeya-1 K 1,128,600
5. A bag of fertilizer K 18,000

Artistes refresh storm victims in Mawlamyinegyun

Mynmar artistes went to Mawlamyinegyun in Ayeyawady Division yesterday and distributed cash and relief aids to storm victims. They conducted a Artistes refresh storm victims in Mawlamyinegyun concert in Mandalay on 7 June to raise funds for the storm victims. Inland Water Transport of Ministry of Transport provided a ship for the trip and the artistes reached six villages in M a w l a m y i n e g y u n Township and entertained the survivors with songs. The group is led by U Thit Min, Secretary-3 of Myanmar Music Asiayon (Central) and comprises R Zarni, Pho Kar, J Mee, Kyat Hpa, J Maung Maung, Tekkatho Ko Ko Naing, Tin Oo Lay, Bo Bo Han, Shwe Htaik, Poe Ei San, Yadana, Yi Mon and She. They also distributed rice, edible oil, salt, beans, Ngapi, dry noodles, kitchen utensils and clothes worth K 30 million. Myanmar Music Asiayon organized the trip with the help of Ministry of Information and Inland Water Transport under the Ministry of Transport.

PBANRDA Minister oversees reconstruction and rehabilitation tasks in Hlaingphone village

Member of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee Ministerfor Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs Col Thein Nyunt during his stay in Mawlamyinegyun went to Hlaingphone village in Labutta Township on 30 June. At Hlaingphone
village, the minister gave encouragement to 12 members of Kayin State Union Solidarity and Development Association led by Secretary Dr Zaw Min Aung of Hpa-an District USDA, 12 from
Rakhine State USDA, 12 from Shan State (East), 5 from Ayeyawady Division USDA, 2 from the Ministry of Science and Technology totaling 43 who were participating in the rehabilitation tasks
of the villages. Moreover, the minister met with the medic team comprising 8 doctors and 12 nurses led by Dr San San Win who were providing free medical treatment to the local people in the clinics opened by Pinlong and Shwegonedine Hospitals in Hlaingphone village. At the briefing hall of Hlaingphone village Affiliated Basic Education High School, the minister met with officials concerned who were contributing to the rehabilitation tasks. Next, the minister handed relief supplies such as tarpaulin, tents, salt, dry noodle, clothing, varieties of foodstuff and personal goods to storm-hit rural people from Hlaingphone village tract and nearby villages. Afterwards, the minister cordially greeted the students attending Hlaingphone village Affiliated Basic Education High School and handed exercise books donated by Original Group Company to them. The school has a student population of 1074. The Original Group Company is repairing classrooms and constructing reinforced concrete type two-storey building. The minister donated 300 dozens of exercise books, 185 instrumental boxes and 222 school uniforms to students. Next, the minister inspected progress in repairing and building damaged classrooms and the place chosen for the construction of 90 durable houses, viewed ploughing of farmlands by the use of power-tillers distributed for the Hlaingphone village and cordially greeted the rural people. Afterwards, the minister inspected Hlaingphone village rural health centre and then Medical Superintendent Dr Aung San of M a w l a m y i n e g y u n Township People’s Hospital who accompanied the minister handed over medicines to the rural health centre.
Next, the minister looked into Hlaingphone Police Station and met with policewomen. Later, the minister viewed collective installation of power-tillers by Agricultural MechanizationDepartment and members of USDAs and donated offertories to Dhammisitayon Monastery Presiding Sayadaw Sumingala and members of the Sangha.

Lt-Gen Myint Swe inspects clearing of debris, dredging of drains for beautifying of downtown Yangon

Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence oversaw clearing of debris, dredging of drains, conditions of Tamway taxfree market and construction of the new school building by Yangon Division USDA yesterday morning. At Pyidaungsu Yeiktha compound on Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Road in Dagon Township, Lt-Gen Myint Swe viewed clearing of fallen trees and re-growing of trees being undertaken by Tatmadawmen. Lt-Gen Myint Swe also inspected greening tasks along Shwedagon Pagoda Road and the ring road of Kandawgyi Lake. He also looked into removal of fallen trees being carried out along Upper Pazundaung Roadin Mingala Taungnyunt Township by Tatmadawmen with the use of heavy machinery. At No. 4 Sawn Timber Shop on Upper Pazundaung Road, he inspected dredging of the 1000 feet long drain being undertaken by Yangon City Development Committee. Mayor Brig- Gen Aung Thein Lin and party reported on completion of work and future plan. In Gadohseik Ward in Mingala Taungnyunt Township, Lt-Gen Myint Swe viewed dredging of the 5,000 feet long drain and left necessary instructions. In Tamway Township, he inspected clearing of debris in Aungmingala Creek being carried out by

Tatmadawmen. After inspecting Tamway Tax-free Market, he instructed officials to supervise selling and buying at the market in accord with the aims of the tax-free markets. On Bayintnaung 12th Street in Yangonthit Ward of Thingangyun Township, Lt-Gen Myint Swe looked intoconstruction of a twostorey steel structure measuring 160 feet by 30 feet and a building measuring 80 feet by 30 feet donated by USDA at No 7 Basic Education Post-Primary School. In Ward B of Thingangyun Township, Lt-Gen Myint Swe inspected participation of USDA members in tarmacking of Mingala Road measuring 1150 feet by 12 feet.

Lt-Gen Myint Swe looks into completion in repairing jetties, running of vessels along Yangon River

Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence inspected repair of jetties along Yangon River,smooth and speedy flow of commodities from the delta region to Yangon andother regions and running of vessels in the river as usual, this afternoon.Together with Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Brig-Gen Win Myint and officials,Lt-Gen Myint Swe heard reports on damages of jetties at Yangon River due to the storm, repairing of the jetties by engineers of Myanma Port Authority, repaired six jetties, removal of two damaged jetties and salvage of 73 vessels that sank or were grounded in Yangon and Bago rivers presented by Managing Director U Thein Htay of MPA at Myanmar Mann General Trading Co Ltd at Central Sanpya Fish Market in Kyimyindine Township. Chairman U Ti Toe of the company and fish brokers of the market reported on trawlers at work, daily arrival of 150,000 tons of fresh water fish from the delta region and fresh water fish, lobsters and various sizes of prawns from storm-hit Labutta and Bogale. After hearing the reports on the works, Lt-Gen Myint Swe instructed officials to repair the remaining ravaged jetties for ensuring speedy flow of commodities and fulfilled the requirements. Lt-Gen Myint Swe, the commander and party inspected preparations for re-installation of the jetty at No. 5 Wharf of MPA in Kyimyindine Township, progress in repair of the jetty at No. 3 Wharf, arrival of trawlers carrying fresh water fish from the delta region, completion of the jetty at the market in Kyimyindine Township, transport of rice and commodities from the delta region to Yangon by boat, erection of a new 120-foot-long jetty at Wardan Port and completion of No. 1 Hledan Jetty.The Myanma Port Authority is repairing the ravaged jetties sunk in Yangon River promptly. At present, the jetty of Kyimyindine Market, Wardan No. 6 Jetty, Hledan No. 1 and No. 2 jetties, Dalla jetty and Minye Kyawthu Jetty have been repaired. Efforts are being made for timely completion of the remaining jetties.

Myanmar hosts ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference

YANGON, 25 May—Prime Minister General Thein Sein addressed Myanmar hosts ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference held at the SedonaHotel on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road here at 11 am today. It was attended by UN Secretary-General Mr BanChina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia,Ireland,Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Laos, Luxemburg,Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines,Poland,Russia, Serbia,Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden,Thailand,Turkey, Britain, Ukraine,Nigeria, Brazil, Spain, Hungary, the US and Vietnam totaling 51 nations and officials of the UN Headquarters, ASEAN Secretariat, 24 international organizations such as EU, UNFPA, WHO, FAO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNODC, WFP, ILO, UNDP, UNOPS, UNIC, IOM, IFRC, ICRC, WORLD BANK, ADB, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNHabitat, UNHQ, OCHA, WMO, and MBC and Myanmar Business Coalition on AIDS. Prime Minister General Thein Sein chaired the conference and UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Kimoon and Under Secretary-General of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr John Holmes,ASEAN Standing Committee Chairman and Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Singapore Mr George Yeo acted as members of panel of chairmen. The Prime Minister and the attendees paid a one-minute silent tribute to mourn those who died in the storm. Next, the Prime Minister made an opening speech. (The speech of the Prime Minster is reported separately). UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Kimoon made a speech. He said: I am very much encouraged by the Prime
Minister's remarks. They are fully in line with the agreement we reached with Myanmar's leadership
in recent days. I believe they herald a new spirit of cooperation and partnership between Myanmar and the international community. The government has agreed to allow all international aid workers into
the areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis, without bureaucratic hindrance and regardless of nationality
so long as the mission is purely humanitarian. There should not be any serious obstacle to organizing
effective aid and assistance operations. We also agreed, among other things, to establish several
forward logistics hubs in the affected areas, so that aid may be speedily distributed to those most in need. The government appears to be moving to implement these accords. Some international aid workers and NGOs have already gone into the regions of the Ayeyawady delta without problem. All
this will go far to meet the expectations of the international community, which sincerely wants to
help the government of Myanmar overcome this national calamity. I am heartened to be joined today by so many distinguished leaders and experienced relief experts from around the world. Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar's "rice bowl" and the heart of its fishing industry. More than 130,000 are dead or missing.A few days ago, I visited the area and saw for myself the human toll of this disaster—homes and villages and roads washed away, fields flooded, so Myanmar hosts ASEAN-UN …many livelihoods destroyed. But I also saw homes- and lives- being rebuilt. The people of the country have shown extraordinary courage and resilience in trying to save their fellowmen and to rekindle hope shattered as a result of this cruel blow. From all I have seen, the government, with the help of the international community, has put in place a functioning relief program. Experts and experienced international relief
workers, in addition to the medical teams from neighbouring countries, must have unhindered access to the areas hardest hit by the disaster. Extra transport assets, including helicopters and boats, are urgently required. Whatever is needed to build an effective aid and logistics pipeline
must be quickly put in place and be well-coordinated, both with Myanmar authorities and international aid agencies.I am encouraged by my discussions with Myanmar's leadership in
recent days. They have agreed on the need to act urgently. I expect the relief effort will run for several months, probably six months at least, as we feed and care for those who have lost everything. In parallel, our efforts must also turn to rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction.

Farmers and fishermen must be helped to resume their livelihoods. Destroyed infrastructure must be rebuilt. That is why I warmly welcome the government's agreement to join in a proposed tripartite coordination mechan ismled by ASEAN. I have said repeatedly that our immediate challenge is humanitarian. Our focus should be saving lives and helping Myanmar rebuild. There is good reason to hope that aid to the worst affected areas of Myanmar will increase significantly in the coming days. We have many generous bilateral and multilateral contributions, in cash and in kind, as well as pledges. We may need US$201 million to assist roughly 1.5 million survivors of Cyclone Nargis with emergency relief for the next three months. To date, we have contributions amounting to some 30 percent of that amount, with a further 20 percent pledged. I urge you to be more generous today. The needs remain acute —from clean water and sanitation to shelter, medical supplies and food. I am especially concerned about the lack of safe drinking water. Remember, also, that only a few weeks remain
until the rice planting season begins. Millions of people depend on this next harvest, at a time when food prices are soaring around the world. Next, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore
Mr George Yeo made a speech. He said that the today’s meeting is to focus on providing storm victims with food, shelter and medical attention. In that regard, more helicopters, road vehicles
and boats are in urgent need. In the months ahead, they will need seeds, farm machines, houses, schools and many other things in order to rebuild their lives. Therefore, we agreed
that an ASEAN-led coordinating mechanism should be set up for this purpose. This mechanism would work closely with the UN and with international and regional agencies. The ASEAN foreign ministers tasked Secretary-General Mr Surin Pitsuwan to lead an ASEAN Task Force that would work with the UN and Myanmar’s central coordinating body. I was heartened by Senior General Than Shwe’s agreement to let in aid workersfrom all countries, and thank the UN Secretary- General for working tirelessly to get us all together. At the meeting, we all should pay attention to how to provide storm victims with necessary assistance and must avoid politicizing the aid that we give. Next, the damages and loss to Myanmar caused by the storm and rehabilitationtasks being carried out were shown with the audiovisual aids. Next, Minister
for National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha reported on the government’s measures onrelief and rehabilitation work in the aftermath of the storm, start of the storm Nargis, storm-hit areas, the government’s efforts, launching of relief, care and rehabilitation programmes, disease prevention and treatment, assistance from home and abroad, delivery of supplies to the storm-hit areas, death toll and missing and injured people, destruction and requirements for rehabilitation. Under Secretary- General of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr John Holmes reported on international assistance in cooperation with the UN and ASEAN ASEAN Secretary- General Dr Surin Pitsuwan reported on coordination system led by ASEAN. Prime Minister General Thein Sein hosted dinner in honour of the UN Secretary-General, Under Secretary-General of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, ASEAN Secretary- General, deputy prime ministers and the ministers of the nations of the world. The conference resumed at 2.25 pm. Chairman of ASEAN Standing Committee Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Mr George Yeo presided over the conference with Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan and Under Secretary-General of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr John Holmes as members of Panel of Chairmen. The ministers and the deputy ministers, ambassadors, Charge d’s Affairs ai of Indonesia, the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Denmark, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sweden, Laos, Thailand, India, Britain, Brunei Darussalam, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, the Philippines, Australia, the USA, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, France, Turkey, Slovenia, Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Israel, Brazil, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, EU, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Nepal and the Russian Federation, delegates of WFP, IOM, World Bank, ADB, ICRC and Save the Children pledged financial and other assistance. Next, Prime Minister and the UN Secretary-General arrived at the hotel and attended the conference at
5.15 pm. The conference ended at 5.30 pm with concluding remarks by Chairman of ASEAN Standing Committee Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Mr George Yeo.
After the conference, the Prime Minister cordially greeted the participants. Next, Under Secretary- General of the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr John Holmes, Chairman of ASEAN Standing Committee Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Mr George Yeo, ASEAN Secretary-General Mr. Surin Pitsuwan and Minister for Foreign Affairs U Nyan Win met journalists from local and foreign countries and they replied to the queries raised by journalists at the press conference.

Prime Minister receives Deputy PM of SRV

NAY PYI TAW, 25 May —Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar General Thein Sein received Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Pham Gia Khiem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and party at the Ahlon Hall of Sedona Hotel on Kaba-Aye Pagoda Road, here, this morning.
Also present on the occasion were Minister forForeign Affairs U Nyan Win, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Maj-Gen Maung Maung Swe, Minister for Health Dr KyawMyint,Director-General Col Thant Shin of Government Office, Director-General U Kyaw Kyaw of Protocol Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese AmbassadorMr Tran Van Tung.

Prime Minister General Thein Sein attends ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference , Myanmar warmly welcomes any assisatand and aid prdsented ......

Yangon,25 May- The followinf is the full text of address delivered today by Prime Minister General Thein Sein at the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference .

Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Excellency Mr George Yeo, Chairman of the ASEAN Standinf Committee
Distinguished Ministers
Excellency Dr Surin Pitsuwan,Secretary-General of ASEAN
Delegates from donor countries
Excellencies, Ladies aenf Gentlemen
May, I first of all, say that the Government and the people of Myanmar extend our warmest welcome to all of you. May I also on behalf of the people of Myanmar, would like to express our deep appreciation to all of you for your presence and your readiness to provide aid and assistance to cyclone victioms at this critical time.

I would also like to reiterate our gratitude to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Foreingn Ministers of the AESEAN member countries,Ministers and delegates from deonr countries, Secretary-General of ASEAN and United Nations Agencies, representations of INGOS and international community,for their presence today at the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference.

The Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on the 2nd and 3rd May, was of unprecedented intensity in our history. The radius of the storm was about 200 miles wide and the wind speed at the eye of the storm ranged from 120 to 150 miles per hour. The strong wind was accompanied by surging tidal waves that ranged from 7 to 12 feet in height.

Consequently, 7 townships in Ayeyarwady Division and 40 townships in Yangon Division were severely affected. The strong winds and the accompanying high tidal waves have caused heavy losses of human lives, farming cattle, livestocks as well as extensive damages to properties . Some of the villages were completely wiped out due to the storm and the tidal waves.

According to the data collected to date, 77,738 people were confirmed dead, 55,917 were still missing and 19,359 were injured and there were huge loss in properties and material damaged. I won\\\'t be going in details of the damages cauesd by the cyclone Nargis as Minister U Soe Tha of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development will be giving a briefing on this later.

On 3rd May, the same day when the storm made its landfall, an emergency cabinet meeting was held presided by me and we rushed to the storm hit areas to carry out immediate rescue operations. On 4th May, at the supervision of the cabinet ministers many homeless victims totaling 1,064,623 were rescued and evacuated to temporary shelters at 12 front-line camps, and 5 base camps. Emergency relief items such as food and drinking water are also delivered by using helicopters and boats, to some villages.

Up to now the emergency search and rescue measure have completed to some extend and we are currently carrying out relief and rehabilitation measures by providing food, clothing and shelters to the victims. Our effotes were greatly benefited from the large aumount of humanitarian assistance that has poured in from local and international wellwishers. To date, we have received 3273.20 tons of humanitarian supplies that have been delivered by international donors were immediately distributed by using motorizes boats, ships and helocopters to the victims of the cyclone.

While we are able to provide the storm victims with basic requirments such as food and clothing, the monsoon season is approaching and our present concern is to provide adequate temporary shelters for the victims, to enable them to resume their daily economic activities . We are now providing victims with shelters built using locally available bamboo and timber and using tarpaulin and plastics sheets as roofing materials. We are using the tents, tarpaulins and plastic sheets donates from home and abroad to provide the necessary shelters.

For emergency relief and rehabitaion, the Government has allocated initial expenses of 5 billion Kyats to start with and so far the government has spent to the amount of 70 billions Kyats. Once again , I would like to reitarate our profound thanks to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for his leadership taking prompt action enabling the United Nations and its agencies to expeditiously and effectively assinst in our relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Our appreciations also go to other donor Gonernments, International NGOs, NGOs and individual welllwishers for their financial and material contributions.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our neighbours China, India, Bangladesh and ASEAN members such as Thailand , Laos and Singapore that have dispatched medical teams to provide medical care to the victims in 0rder to prevent epidemics that we usually encounter in the aftermath of natural disaster. We will accept additional medical teams from other countries in an orderly and systematic manner.

In closing, I would like to invire experts and wellwishers to extend their help in our preventive measures such as raising the levels of embankments , building temporary shelters in high grounds and paving causeways through swampy areas linking villages etc in order to miniminze casualties and damages in the event of such severe cyclone in the future. With your assintance I feel confident that we will be able to successfully overcome the challenge should we encounter similar cyclones,

I thank you all .