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Provision of the Medical Equipment to the Laukkai General Hospital
1. The Government of Japan in cooperation with AMDA, a Japanese NGO, has provided the medical equipments for diagnosis and treatment valued a bout 20 million Japanese Yen, to the Laukkai General Hospital in Kokang Special Region. This contribution was made under the Japan's Grassroots Grant Assistance Scheme and the ceremony to hand-over the items was held thereafter on 3 November 2005 in Laukkai. With the presence of His Excellency Mr. Nobutake Odano, Ambassador of Japan to Myanmar, officials concerned from DPDC, the Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs and the Ministry of Health of Myanmar, and Mr. P hone Tar Shwin, Vice-Chairman of Kokang Special Region attended the meeting .
2. Kokang Special Region is located in Northern Shan State, where Myanmar border touches Yunnan Province of China, and seventy percent of its population ascended from the Chinese (Kokang National Race) who migrated into Myanmar during the Ming Dynasty. The rulers of that Special Region reached a peace agreement with the Myanmar Government in 1989. For a century, Kokang had been the world's famous opium producing region, and in 2002, however, the poppy cultivation in the whole area was prohibited by the Kokang leaders. That Special Region has been occupied not only by Kokang people but also other ethnic groups such as Shan and Palaung who has limited access to basic facilities for their daily living including health facilities.
3. The medical equipments provided this time are mainly surgical instruments for emergency patients and the x-ray machine. This assistance aims at upgrading the health sector of Kokang widely for the benefit of the needy. The Government of Myanmar and the Kokang authorities expressed their heartfelt thanks to the People and the Government of Japan and AMDA for this invaluable cooperation.
Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Care Services in Myanmar
1. The Japanese Government decided to provide US$3.8 Million to UNICEF to protect Myanmar Children's Health. The Exchange of Notes of this Grant Aid were signed between Ambassador Odano of Japan to Myanmar and UNICEF Representative in Myanmar Ms. Carroll C. Long in Yangon on 9 November 2005 in presence of officials from Ministry of Health. Ms. C.Long pointed out that the support of the international community to protect Myanmar's children from fatal diseases are needed more than ever and she thanked the Japanese Government that the fund had come at the critical time and many children's lives would be saved next year by this assistance.
2. The fund will be used to support immunization, combating to malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in 2006. Japanese assistance to Myanmar through UNICEF has started in order to eradicate Polio and to prevent measles since 1994. Japan has provided a series of assistance for the Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Care Services in Myanmar since 1999 and this is the support for the sixth phase of the project.
3. The Japanese Government continues its supports to improve health care and welfare of children and mothers in Myanmar in collaboration with Ministry of Health and UNICEF.
The 16th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes, Academic Prize for Dr. Thaw Kaung
On the 2nd of August, 2005, a Celebration Ceremony was held at the International Business Center, Yangon for the laureate of the16th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes, Dr. Thaw Kaung, a Member of the Myanmar Historical Commission, Retired Chief Librarian of Universities' Central Library, and Professor Emeritus of the Yangon University. Japanese Ambassador, Mr. N. Odano, Minister for Education H. E. U Than Aung and many distinguished guests were present at the Ceremony. On behalf of the Fukuoka City, Executive Director of the International Department of Fukuoka City Mr. Yoshimichi Kusakabe presented the Prize Winning Notice to the laureate. Dr. Thaw Kaung is the second Myanmar laureate to receive this prize after Dr. Than Tun, a laureate of the Academic Prize of the year 2000. In September, a Prize Presentation Ceremony and many related cultural and academic events will be held in the Fukuoka City in Japan. It shows that Japan and Myanmar enjoy friendly relations in various fields. (Updated on 12 August, 2005）
Emergency Food Assistance by Government of Japan and World Food Programme
The government of Japan has allocated
US$ 500, 000 in April, 2005 for WFP for its food assistance project
in Kokang area of northern Shan state. In this area, the total ban of
poppy farming has caused the loss of cash income and diminishing rapidly
in food provision. While the government of Japan and Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) are working to develop buckwheat cultivation
as a substitute cash crop for ex-poppy farmers, WFP, with assistance
of the government of Japan, has now distributed buckwheat biscuits in
addition to rice distribution to farmers in food shortage. These buckwheat biscuits have been distributed to primary school children in the villages, where poppy farming was done earlier. This project helps promote buckwheat cultivation and distribution for consumption in a domestic market as well as nutritious state of the children. It also encourages those children to go back to school as a result of school feeding. The Embassy of Japan in Myanmar would like to continue to support these poverty eradication activities. (Updated on July, 2005)
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