Team (4) Youth members of USDA continuous to paticipate in reconstruction tasks in Saluseik village.

A team comprising about 300 youth members of USDA are taking cooperative measures in the tasks of sanitation, health and reconstruction in storm-hit regions in Ayeyarwady division.On 13-6-2008, youth members of state/division USDA are removing fallen trees , cleaning debris, reparing of village middle school and also providing health care to the storm victims in Saluseik village.

Youth members of USDA are actively participating in reconstruction tasks in Set San village.

On 12-6-2008, Youth members of state division USDA are repairing collapsed village school and removing of fallen trees in Set San village.

Team (2),Youth members of USDA continuous participating on reconstruction task in storm -hit regions

About (300)Youth members of State /Division USDA left for storm-hit regions in Ayeyarwady Division on 10-6-2008 to help and aid on reconstruction task. The youth are divided into six teams. The youth members are to help the storm victims with basic needs such as accomodation, food and health . It is known that USDA (HQ) has already fulfilled all the needs of the numbers who are going there.

Prime Minister inspects project to reclaim new plots for storm survivors of Labutta

Chairman of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee Prime Minister General Thein Sein visited relief camps in Myaungmya and Labutta in Ayeyawady Division today and gave instructions on relief works to officials concerned. The Prime Minister was welcomed by Chairman of Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Commander of South-West Command Brig-Gen Kyaw Swe and officials at Bo Myat Tun Bridge in Nyaungdon Township. First, they went to the gunnysack factory in Myaungmya where a relief camp was set up for storm survivors from Labutta. At the meeting hall of the factory, Chairman of Myaungmya District Peace and Development Council U Aye Han reported on arrangements for storm survivors who want to go back to their native areas of own volition and for those who want tosettle in Myaungmya Township. After hearing reports, the Prime Minister explained arrangements made by the government for providing relief aids to the storm survivors and enabling them to resume their livelihood, and called for prompt reconstruction of education and health infrastructures for providing health care to storm victims and timely opening of schools
and participation of entrepreneurs in the drive. He also spoke of the need not only to fulfil the reconstruction tasks but also to pay attention to development of Myaungmya and called for officials to strive for meeting the cultivation target of Myaungmya District and for boosting the rice output in the district.
Afterwards, thePrime Minister and party flew to the 3rd Mile Relief Camp in Labutta Township. At the camp, Minister for Cooperatives Maj-Gen Tin Htut reported on condition of sites around the camp which are chosen to be reclaimed for plots. Afterwards, the Prime Minister and party
went to the 7th Mile Relief Camp and inspected the reclamation of plots for the storm victims
who do not want to go back to their native areas. Director-General of the Department for Human Settlement and Housing Development U Aung Win and Minister Maj-Gen Tin Htut reported to the Prime Minister on condition of reclamation of plots. After the meeting, the Prime Minister went to the 5th-Mile Relief Camp and greeted physicians, general practitioners and nurses providing medical care to the storm victims and viewed children studyingat a temporary school.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister and party went back to the 3rd –Mile Relief Camp and inspected
relief works. They arrived back in Pathein at 3.15 pm by helicopter and on the way back to Pathein they viewed sites chosen for reclamation of plots for survivors.

Prime Minister inspects project to reclaim new plots for storm survivors of Labutta

NAY PYI TAW, 16 June —Chairman of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee

Prime Minister General Thein Sein visited relief camps in Myaungmya and Labutta in Ayeyawady Division today and gave instructions on relief works to officials concerned. The Prime Minister was welcomed by Chairman of Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Commander of South-West Command Brig- Gen Kyaw Swe and officials at Bo Myat Tun Bridge in Nyaungdon Township. First, they went to the gunnysack factory in Myaungmya where a relief camp was set up for storm survivors from Labutta. At the meeting hall of the factory, Chairman of Myaungmya District Peace and Development Council U Aye Han reported on arrangements for storm survivors who want to go back to their native areas of own volition and for those who want to settle in Myaungmya Township.

After hearing reports, the Prime Minister explained arrangements made by the government for providing relief aids to the storm survivors and enabling them to resume their livelihood, and called for prompt reconstruction of education and health infrastructures for providinghealth care to storm victims and timely opening of schools and participation of entrepreneurs in the drive. He also spoke of the need not only to fulfil the reconstruction tasks but also to pay attention to development of Myaungmya and called for officials to strive for meeting the cultivation target of Myaungmya District and for boosting the rice output in the district. Afterwards, the Prime Minister and party flew to the 3rd Mile Relief Camp in Labutta Township. At the camp, Minister for Cooperatives Maj-Gen Tin Htut reported on condition of sites around the camp which are chosen to be reclaimed for plots.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister and party went to the 7th Mile Relief Camp and inspected the reclamation of plots for the storm victims who do not want to go back to their native areas. Director-General of the Department for Human Settlement and Housing Development U Aung Win and Minister Maj-Gen Tin Htut reported to the Prime Minister on condition of reclamation of plots. After the meeting, the Prime Minister went to the 5th-Mile Relief Camp and greeted physicians, general practitioners and nurses providing medical care to the storm victims and viewed children studying at a temporary school. Afterwards, the Prime Minister and party went back to the 3rd –Mile Relief Camp and inspected relief works. They arrived back in Pathein at 3.15 pm by helicopter and on the way back to Pathein they viewed sites chosen for reclamation of plots for survivors. — MNA

Why did Myanmar people unanimously vote for State constitution?

Man has two kinds of knowledge—firsthand knowledge and secondhand knowledge. Firsthand knowledge is more serious than secondhand knowledge. For instance, there is difference between the knowledge of those who have faced a battle firsthand and that of those who have learnt about a battle from others. Therefore, social scientists said that social knowledge could not create social life, and social life could create social knowledge. And nothing but man and its environs could create human morale. It is right. Different peoples have different ways of life, cultures and traditions according to the period and the land concerned. So, a nation and its people develop according to the social life. In that regard, a nation cannot copy the social life of a foreign country directly. Looking back to the Myanmar’s political history in the post-independence period, the people had to suffer the evil consequences of internal armed conflicts following disintegration of national solidarity in the time of the AFPFL government that exercised the 1947 constitution. The conflicts between different groups of political parties destabilized the nation. Thus, the Revolutionary Council had to take State duties. And the 1947 constitution became defunct. In the time of the Myanma Socialist Programme Party government that exercised the 1974 constitution, the nation got into economic crises on account of the centralized economy and politics. In the time of the Tatmadaw government, it has managed to organize 17 national race armed groups and other small groups, which rose against the successive governments, to return to the legal fold. So, the nation has enjoyed national reconsolidation and internal peace at the unprecedented level.

The number of remnant insurgents is very small and they are only active in remote border areas. The nation tried its utmost to rise from the economic crises and introduced the market economy and the multi-party system, thereby producing national entrepreneurs and educated middle class. Furthermore, the whole infrastructure of the nation has developed to a certain degree. The State constitution (draft) has been drawn, adopted and approved through the National Convention that took place with the theme of national unity and democracy. A constitution is the lifeblood of the nation. Scholars defined that a constitution is an agreement reached between the people and the government to share duties, powers and rights. Whether a constitution wins the support of the Aung Ze Min people rests on how much the constitution reflects the social life of the people and is based on human rights and democracy affairs of the people. In Myanmar that has been in the process of transforming itself into a democratic nation through the seven-step Road Map, since the government issued Announcement No 1/2008 for the approval of the State constitution, which was adopted by the National Convention, NLD had provoked and persuaded the people in collusion with the four western media groups to vote ‘No’ for the constitution and to disrupt the process of the referendum. It also issued various announcements to attack the government at the instigation of certain foreign countries.

However, all those attempts did not work because the entire Myanmar people have gained firsthand experiences and are knowledgeable enough to distinguish between right and wrong. Altogether 98.12 per cent of eligible voters cast vote in the referendum and 92.48 per cent of the voters were in favour of the constitution. Every voter enjoyed the rights to express their desire freely in the referendum held democratically, so 1,631,712 voters or 6.1 per cent of the voters cast ‘No’ vote. It was approved by the fact that the government did not take any action against not only the groups and persons who persuaded the people to vote ‘No’ but also those who voted ‘No’. So, it is fair to say that the constitution won the powers bestowed by the people, and it is the true mandate of the people. In the 1990 elections held for framing a constitution, NLD won the majority of the seats, but it did not represent the public. It was because it won the support of only over seven million of over 20 million voters. For example, a representative who wins the support of seven of 20 voters cannot represent all the 20 voters. According to the democratic traditions, he can represent all the 20 voters only if he wins the support of the majority of

the 20 voters.

Therefore, the State constitution that has been approved with the support of 92.48 per cent of the voters will form a government consisting of representatives, 75 per cent of which will be people’s representatives and 25 per cent of which, Tatmadaw member representatives. So, it is in conformity with the social life of the people. If one studies the constitution to find out whether the constitution is based on human rights and democracy affairs, one will notice that the constitution guarantees human rights and democracy affairs, and it is based on the people’s human rights and democracy affairs. The constitution prescribes the rights of every citizen on a wider scale. Regarding citizenship, and fundamental rights and duties of citizens, the 1947 constitution prescribed only 23 sections, and the 1974 constitution, only 26 articles. The present
constitution prescribes 46 sections. That reflects serious attention given to each citizen.

In addition, the constitution guarantees rights of farming for peasants, that the government will

have to take measures for farmers to enjoy reasonable prices for the crops they produce, and that the government will have to construct dams, river water pumping stations and underground water tapping stations that can contribute towards their farming, and it will have to provide agricultural methods and high-yield crop strains. Moreover, the constitution guarantees that the government will have to promulgate laws as necessary to safeguard the rights of workers, to bring down the unemployment rate, and job security and fulfillment of basic needs of the people. It also enumerates that the government will not nationalize private-owned property and will not demonetize the currency in circulations. Besides, the constitution encourages the market economy and manifests measures for transforming the nation from the conventional farming to mechanized farming, national economic development and economic rights.

The constitution also stipulates better democracy rights than that in previous periods. It prescribes one self-administered division and five self-administered zones for national races. According to the constitution, every national race, which has not got region, state, self-administered division or self-administered zone and whose population makes up more than 0.1 per cent of the nation’s population will have to elect a representative from among its population to the Region/State hluttaw and will enjoy the rights to exercise the legislative power through that representative. The representative will become the minister for national race affairs of the governing body of the Region or State government. These points are only some of the rights stated in the constitution. In the three articles under the name of “The most appropriate State constitution” stated in the newspapers, writer Soe Mya Kyaw presented the rights and democracy rights bestowed upon the citizens. Those interested may study those articles for their knowledge. The people have studied the constitution that bestows better rights, making a comparative study of the three constitutions and taking lessons from the events they have faced in successive periods. That is the reason why 98.12 per cent of the eligible voters cast votes in the referendum, and 92.48 percent of the voters cast ‘yes’ vote for the State constitution (draft).

Witness may inform about misappropriation of internal and international relief funds and supplies

Anyone may dial the following phone numbers of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement if he witnesses or knows that the cash assistance and relief supplies donated from abroad and at home to the storm victims are kept for self-interest, traded, used for particular persons and organizations, or misappropriated for other purposes.

Head of Office Ph: 067 404021 and 067 404022

Deputy Head of Office Ph: 09 860 1002

Peaceful transition to democracy and development in post-storm period

In Myanmar, of those who had the rights to vote, 98.12 per cent cast votes in the referendum, and 92.48 per cent of the voters cast ‘yes’ vote, thus approving the State constitution (draft) the National Convention, taking time, had formulated with the objectives of national reconsolidation and democracy. That was indeed a national victory that represented the entire national people. In the transitional period to democracy, cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead or injured and hundreds of thousands of people homeless in Yangon and Ayeaywady divisions. The catastrophe also ravaged many social infrastructures. So, the Prime Minister and ministers and central executive committee members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association made trips urgently to th storm-affected areas to supervise the relief, resettlement and reconstruction tasks. In that regard, they are now working day in, day out in collaboration with local organizations and national entrepreneurs. Head of State Senior General Than Shwe made an inspection tour of the areas and gave guidance on rehabilitation and
reconstruction tasks to be carried out in tandem with regional development undertakings and natural disaster preparedness measures for the storm-hit areas to enjoy development better than ever. Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commanderin- Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye inspected rehabilitation and reconstruction tasks, and attended to the needs for ensuring systematic implementation of all the works. Now, rehabilitation works are in full swing due to the humanitarian assistance and relief supplies that are flowing from the UN and donor countries. Thanks to the measures the government is taking, the relief aid and health care provided by the UN, donor countries, and internal and international NGOs have reached the stormhit areas.

Well-wishers, members of the Sangha or lay persons, are making donations reaching right to the regions and meeting victims freely. UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon and party also visited the storm-affected areas and met some of the victims. Myanmar hosted the ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference at the Sedona Hotel in Yangon on 25 May. Prime Minister General Thein Sein and the ministers concerned attended the conference. It was also attended by UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon, 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, ASEAN Secretary-General Mr Surin Pitsuwan, ministers and deputy ministers of the government of the Union of Myanmar, Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, ambassadors, special envoys and high-ranking officials of Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, 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, Peaceful transition to democracy and development in post-storm period Aung Ze Min UNICEF, UNHCR, UNODC, WFP, ILO, UNDP, UNOPS, UNIC, IOM, IFRC, ICRC, WORLD BANK, ADB, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UN Habitat, UNHQ, OCHA, WMO, and MBC and Myanmar Business Coalition on AIDS.

That reflected the attempts the Myanmar government made to cooperate with the UN and international organizations, and to accept international assistance. So, the accusations that the Myanmar government did not accept international assistance were totally groundless. It is a formidable task for cyclone-hit Myanmar to return to normal. In the course of the world history, the wars and riots have adverse effects on the human society, shatter the cultural civilization, and destroy development infrastructures and education. Similarly, economic sanctions designed to get the people of the target countries into economic crises, and cuts in humanitarian assistance

destroy the social life of the world people. Throughout the history, the world has seen tens of thousands of wars, more than half of them took place in Europe. World War I and World War II both started in Europe due to the conflicts between the colonialist countries. World War I cost about 10 million people, and World War II, 60 million people. During the world wars, a great number of infrastructures including townships, villages, houses and factories were ravaged. Here, I would like to make a comment. It is said that man is mortal. Then, why have the world people developed both in quantity and in quality unlimitedly since the beginning of the Earth? The world population has grown to more than 8000 million. When it comes to development, man has passed many stages from the Mud age and Stone age to Electronic age. Due to the ability to apply the intellectual power, man has overcome various natural disasters and wars. In the animate world, man is more intellectual than any other animals. Man has not been able to control the nature yet, but is overcoming the nature gradually. Today, the world has been like a global village. Man has been able to pay growing attention to peace, cooperation and development instead of wars and riots. Once, about half a dozen of colonialist countries such as Britain, the Dutch, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and America with military superiority enslaved 77 percent of the earth and 75 percent of the global population. Nowadays, those enslaved nations have been free from the colonial rule and are in a position to shape their own future. One hundred and ninety two sovereign nations have been UN members and they can stand tall together with other nations. However, the world still has to see neo-colonialism and hegemonism. The people of the international community still have to face some great powers’ interference, pressure, invasion of other nations by violating the UN Charter, addressing the global issues by using their military might and trying to strengthen their power by using the UN as a tool. So, the onus is upon the world’s people to deal with natural disasters and ward off neo-colonialism and hegemonism.

While Myanmar, after being hit by cyclone Nargis, is receiving humanitarian aid and health and rehabilitation assistance from the UN, international governments and INGOs, she is also facing fabrications of some internal and external elements resorting to various ways to gain political profits. Now Myanmar and its people need a lot of international assistance. They are very grateful to the international community for their kind help. But it is necessary not to accept the assistance rendered with every intent to gain political benefits. For example, about a couple of days before the referendum was held for the approval of the draft constitution on 10 May, a western broadcasting station aired that another storm that was about two times stronger than cyclone Nargis was coming. Regarding this, Myanma Meteorology and Hydrology Department announced in daily newspapers unauthenticity of the news. The reason they manufactured the fabricated news was that they made a political trick dissuading the people from attending the national referendum and attempting to disrupt the process. The whole nation apart from the 40 affected townships in Yangon Division and the seven affected townships in Ayeyawady Division cast ‘yes’ vote for the approval of the draft constitution in the national eferendum held on 10 May accounting for 92.4 percent. Nonetheless, regarding the second-session holding of the referendum on 24 May for the 47 storm-hit townships, some western broadcasting stations and their cohorts fabricated news that the Tatmadaw government was trying to prolong their rule rather than helping the troubled people in order to cause misunderstanding with the people. There are also some internal elements who are in complicity with such news agencies. Furthermore, western broadcasting stations broadcast make-up news that the warships of one western country were waiting to help the Myanmar’s storm victims but they got no permission from the Tatmadaw government. It is obvious that although Myanmar welcomes help of any country, the goodwill of the big power wanting to help her with the warships was not genuine. It is necessary to be aware of the fact that the donations of western powers imposing economic sanctions on Myanmar, dissuading international monetary organizations from disbursing low-interest loans, cutting humanitarian aid exaggerating the Myanmar issue are indeed with strings attached.

Prime Minister General Thein Sein said in his opening speech in the ASEAN-UN international Pledging Conference held on 25 May that “Donation of relief supplies for the cyclone victims in Myanmar will be accepted through land route, by sea or by air. For the relief supplies coming by sea, I wish to inform that these supplies can be sent by civilian ships to the port of Yangon”. In compliance with this permission, ASEAN countries, neighbouring nations, the international community and UN rendering their assistance and making cooperation for the storm victims. There should be no attempt to break the rule of host country. This is the international code of ethics and mutual respect. Recently, some western news agencies broadcast slanderous news that shortly after the cyclone, the Tatmadaw government announced the death toll of over 20,000 but after two weeks, it announced more than 70,000 deaths and that its relief and rescue work was so slow that there were more deaths of the victims. In reality, the death toll collected shortly after the storm could not be complete as there were transport cuts due to the storm. The death toll increased later as transport links returned to normal. In China also, there was only low death toll soon after the quake but it increased later. It is clear that knowing the actual fact, western powers are playing a political game criticizing the Myanmar government alone without putting any blame on the Chinese government. If we say about the west-influenced news broadcasting stations, it seems it is endless. Therefore, now is the time when Myanmar national people are toguard against any danger while serving their own interest.
So, all the people are to strive for national development in the democracy transition and in the post-period of thestorm (natural disaster).

Prime Minister General Thein Sein meets USDA reconstruction volunteers to Ayeyawady Division

NAY PYI TAW, 9 June—Chairman of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee Prime Minister General Thein Sein met with members of State and Division Union Solidarity and Development Associations who are going to help in reconstruction of storm-hit regions in Ayeyawady Division at the meeting hall of the association on New University Avenue, Yangon, this afternoon. In his meeting with members of State and Division USDAs, the Prime Minister said that the government, the people and the Tatmadaw managed to successfully undertake rescue works in the storm-hit regions of Continued rehabilitation tasks are being carried out.The USDA was set up with the aims of protecting and Yangon and Ayeyawady Divisions in a short time. safeguarding the interests of the people.

In such a situation of encountering the natural disaster, members of USDAs in cooperation with the government, the people and the Tatmadaw are to help solve the problems the people have

faced. As the project sites of Ayeyawady Division are located in coastal areas, members of USDAs may encounter some difficulties during their travel and others. It is known that the USDA Headquarters has already fulfilled all the needs of the members who are going there. The members are to help the storm victims with basic needs such as accommodation, food and health out of goodwill. The community welfare is the foundation of social sector.

The members are to make all-out efforts to undertake welfare of the community in accord with the basic principles of the association. The meeting was attended by Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Hla Htay Win, Joint Secretary- General of USDA U Zaw Min, Secretaries U Aung Thaung and U Thein Zaw,CEC Members, Ministers, officials concerned of the
SPDC Office and USDA Headquarters and members of State and Division USDAs. Next, the Prime Minister cordially greeted members of USDAs. Afterwards, officials concerned explained the items the members will bring along to the storm-hit regions to the Prime Minister. After hearing the reports, the Prime Minister inspected the sample of a tent at which the members can temporarily camp in the storm-hit regions and gave necessary instructions.—MNA

We have to replace earth bricks with stone ones (2)

On 3 June, Vice- Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party left Pathein for Oktwin Village in Ngapudaw Township by helicopter and inspected the damages to the stormhit village and surrounding villages and reconstruction work in the region by helicopter. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye cordially greeted the storm victims of Oktwin, Phonedawpyi and Thegyoung Villages at the relief camp at Oktwin. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party went to Hainggyikyun in Ngapudaw Township where Commodore Myo Myint Than of the local station reported on damages in Ngapudaw and Hainggyikyun Townships, rehabilitation tasks, measures to be taken and requirements. On hearing the reports, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye said reconstruction works have to be carried out. He spoke of the need to make efforts for making more progress than before, to make arrangements without decreasing the previous arrangements for reconstruction of the stormhitareas.

He proceeded to Township People’s Hospital and inspected roofing and repair of the hospital. He

also visited the patients. They arrived back in Pathein in the afternoon. In the evening, a meeting on rehabilitation of the areas in Ngapudaw and Labutta Townships was held at Mya E-ya Hall in Pathein. At the meeting Vice-Senior General Maung Aye gave guidelines. He said in reconstructing the stormhit regions, it was necessary to render assistance to change conventional farming to mechanized one, which is one of the objectives of the State in agriculture sector. He stressed the need to grow the crops on the full sown acreage and to make the plans for increasing per acre yield in the fertile regions. Head of State Senior General Than Shwe had given guidance thatarrangements are to be made for ensuring sufficiency of the staple food such as rice, edible oil and salt in the respective regions and for ensuring some regions to become the basic food producing regions of the State. As the all-round arrangements had been made for the long-term in accord with the guidance, the regions facing the emergency had reach nearly the previous level. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the food in the division and efforts should be focused on provision of equipment such as power tillers, fertilizers, fuel, powered boats and fishing nets which are important for rehabilitation of the storm-hit regions.

The life of sons and daughters will be peaceful and beautiful due to the goodwill and correct deeds of good parents for the good of their offspring in the future. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party arrived in Yangon from Pathein by helicopter on 4 June. They went to Kungyangon by car. At the relief camp control office there, Minister Brig-Gen Lun Thi reported on reconstruction and development tasks of Kungyangon. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye gave instructions. They toured the township in a motorcade and went to Dedaye Township. At the meeting hall of Township Peace and Development Council Office, Minister Maj-Gen Aung Min reported on reconstruction and development tasks of Dedaye. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye then gave necessary instructions. They toured the township in a motorcade and went to Township People’s Hospital where Vice-Senior General Maung Aye greeted the patients, doctors and sown acreage through mechanized farming, to provide types of fishing gear and boats usually used in the region and to undertake the tasks for food and accommodation and improvement of economic enterprises. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party proceeded to Pyinsalu by helicopter.

They inspected opening of department offices in the temporary tents and greeted the service personnel. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye inspected accommodation of the storm victims in the

temporary tents and comforted the victims. He said the storm victims are our own people and the government will fulfill their requirements for rehabilitation tasks and raising their living standard. His words encouraged and refreshed the local people. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party went to Third Mile camp in Labutta Township and greeted the Japanese medical team. He then inspected fishing gearprovided by Myanmar Fisheries Federation and the entrepreneurs for the fishermen. They left for Labutta. Minister Maj-Gen Tin Htut reported on
requirements for relief and rehabilitation tasks. Vice- Senior General Maung Aye gave instructions on been able to overcome the anxiety. Regarding the agriculture sector, total acreage of summer and monsoon paddy reached 19.99 million acres nationwide last year including 4.95 million acres in Ayeyawady Division. The number of acres destroyed by the storm in the Ayeyawady Division was just 0.18 million. It is equivalent to 0.009 per cent of the cultivation acreage of the whole country and 0.36 per cent of the cultivation acreage of Ayeyawady Division. He said he believes that if the government fulfills the requirements and local people make efforts for cultivation of paddy, the acreage in the division will nurses. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party arrived back in Yangon in the afternoon. In the evening, Vice- Senior General Maung Aye discussed rehabilitation of regions in Kungyangon and Dedaye Townships at the meeting held at Yangon Command.

He said in reconstruction of towns and villages it is necessary to build hospitals that can provide better health care and to construct offices and schools with strong foundation. He also said that it is required to take preparedness and preventive measures against natural disasters by constructing stronger combined offices, schools and other government buildings with high level of foundation and by building roads leading to the coastal regions and by rebuilding 25 feet to 30 feet high roads. Concerted efforts are to be made for focusing on more development of the storm-hit regions, uplift of the social economic status of the local people to shape the brighter future of the State in accord with the expression, replacing earth bricks with the stone ones. The

exhortations of Vice- Senior General Maung Aye are precise work guidelines for successful implementation of the tasks in practical field.