16-bed Hospital opened under Yaungkha Village Project of Myanmar-Thai narcotic drugs eradication and all-round development of border areas

28 Dec- Under the arrangement of Myanmar-Thai narcotic drugs eradication and all-round development of border areas, the ceremony to open 16-bed hospital which was one of the Yaungkha Village Project in Monghsat District, Shan State (East), was held at the venue on 26 December morning.

Chairman of Shan State (East) Peace and Development Council Commander of Triangle Region Command Maj-Gen Khin Zaw and Commanding General of 3rd Army Area of Thailand Lt-Gen Picharnmeth Muangmanee formally opened the hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, In-charge of Yaungkha Village Project Col San Pwint said that the project is being implemented according to the agreement of Myanmar-Thai narcotic drugs eradication and all-round development of border areas after the meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in 2001. The Prime Minister of Thailand provided 20 million Baht to implement the project.

According to the agreement between officials of the two countries, Yaungkha Village-tract, 30 miles west of Tachilek, was chosen as the project area in 2001-2002. So, the project will benefit not only Yaungkha Village but also local people who are residing in Yaungkha Village-tract formed with 13 villages and its environs. The project started in January 2003. In implementing the education sector of the all-round development project, Basic Education Primary School that can accomodate 500 students was built in May 2003. Starting from June 2003, 10 teachers appointed by the Ministry of Education are teaching 222 students at the school. In the health sector, construction of the 16-bed hospital was completed in September 2003. At present, one doctor and four nurses appointed by the Ministry of Health are providing health care service to local national races.

With regard to the agricultural sector, the plan has been drawn to cultivate opium-substitute crops. Nowadays, 1,300 acres of highland area and 900 acres of farmland, totalling over 2,200 have been put under paddy, and arrangements were made for building small-scale dams with a view to ensuring cultivation of double cropping. Now, six small-scale dams together with a 20-metre-long canal were built in cooperation with local people for supplying water to over 840 acres of farmland all the year round. So, over 2,000 tons of rice surplus achieved this year. Maize, soya beans, bamboo shoot, macadamia, etc were distributed to the local farmers and arrangements are being made to export poppy-substitute crops produced from the project area to Thailand. Before conclusion, Col San Pwint said that fish, poultry and pig are being bred in the region in the livestock breeding sector for distributing them to households of the villages.

Afterwards, Chenmai District Lwetong Project Chief Executive Officer Mr Disnadda Diskul, in-charge of the Thai side in Yaungkha Village Project, reported on arrangements for cooperation in education, health, agriculture and livestock breeding sectors related to the project.

Next, local national race leader U Pau Yu Chan presented fruit baskets to Commander Maj-Gen Khin Zaw and Lt-Gen Picharnmeth Muangmanee of Thailand. Then, Deputy Minister Brig-Gen Khin Maung handed over seeds of crops for local people to U Pau Yu Chan.

Commander Maj-Gen Khin Zaw and guests viewed agriculture and livestock breeding tasks in the compound of the school and the display of fruits produced from the area.

Then, Commander Maj-Gen Khin Zaw and Lt-Gen Picharnmeth Muangmanee of Thailand formally opened the stone inscriptions to mark the opening of the hospital.

Next, the commander and party viewed round the hospital.

Source: http://www.myanmar-narcotic.net/heroin/new2003/Dec2003a.html