Action is being taken against the officials who committed malpractice and related persons in the election, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting 18/2021 of the State Administration Council at the Office of the SAC Chairman, in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
In his opening address, the Senior General said a total of 42,771,600 units of COVID-19 vaccines including the vaccines purchased by the State, the vaccines donated by foreign countries to the State and the Tatmadaw, the privately donated vaccines and the vaccines donated by the China-Myanmar Friendship Association for the Myanmar-China border areas have arrived in the country. One more million doses of vaccines purchased from Russia will arrive in Myanmar this month, and it was reported that China will donate more vaccines to Myanmar. Moreover, the Nippon Foundation from Japan pledged to donate two million doses of vaccine to Myanmar, and one million of it would arrive here this month and one more million in January. Myanmar has vaccinated 31,049,275 doses with 11,722,325 doses in hand. And, a total of 12,693,945 people have received the vaccines two times and 5,661,385 people once, totalling 18,355,330. The government strives for the completion of vaccination to the 50 per cent of the people above 18 years old across the nation in December this year. Efforts are being made for exceeding the target. A plan is underway to vaccinate the people to get the booster at private hospitals under the prescribed disciplines.
The violent attack on the people is vulgar, posing the threat to the people. Posing the threat on the people to be feared is directly different from democracy. The entire people and all the administrative bodies need to join hands in combatting terrorism.
Coordination is being undertaken with China to produce the COVID-19 vaccine. A plan is underway to start production of the vaccine in the coming January. Since its operations, a target was set to produce five million units of vaccine per month. Although the Omicron virus has not infected the country yet, such kind of virus spreads in some neighbouring countries and regional countries. If the infection rate is high, treatment will be given at the hospitals and clinics where preparations have been made.
Those who committed the terror acts are arrested and the information about the terrorism is released in real-time. The violent attack on the people is vulgar, posing the threat to the people. Posing the threat on the people to be feared is directly different from democracy. The entire people and all the administrative bodies need to join hands in combating terrorism.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint were handed down four years’ imprisonments each under two sections on 6 December but their imprisonments were reduced to two years each. They are kept at the existing place for continuing the trials for further cases without sending them to the prisons. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint are allowed to independently meet with their advocates from the trials to the judgment under the rules. It was accepted that they would know the current political trend, terrorist cases and formation of CRPH and NUG from their advocates. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has the right to give remarks through her advocates. The Tatmadaw kept elected representatives freely at the time of taking responsibilities and sent them back home. But, some persons responded to the government through terrorism.
The errors in the voter list caused some problems in the 2020 multiparty democracy general election. As such, the Ministry of Immigration and Population was formed to issue the citizenship scrutiny cards to the people under the Pankhin project.
The Senior General invited suggestions from the State Administration Council members to extend more district level offices in line with the rules so as to implement effective development projects.
With regard to the reopening of universities and colleges, the Senior General said: “We have opened basic education schools. We have allowed the opening of universities and colleges not under the control of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology, for example, National University of Arts and Culture, under the Ministry of Culture and the universities under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. Moreover, we have allowed the opening of the Sangha Universities. Roughly, universities will be reopened in January. In this regard, control of COVID-19 is of great importance for the reopening of the universities. The number of infected persons hit 423 on 1 December, 521 on 2 December, 402 on 3 December, 374 on 4 December, 285 on 5 December, 230 on 6 December, 367 on 7 December, 398 on 8 December, 347 on 9 December, 274 on 10 December, 375 on 11 December and 280 on 12 December. So, the data shows the infection of the disease does not stable. If possible, the infection rate needs to stay at a lesser two per cent. Yesterday, we found the infection rate reached more than two per cent. So, we need to expedite control of the pandemic with efforts for the reopening of the schools. We should not erase everything. So, I instructed my cabinet as well as military officials on my arrival in regions and states not to ease the restrictions. If not, the long term plans would face many problems. I urged them to restrict the COVID-19 without any easing. On the other hand, our country faced the third wave of the pandemic but avoided the fourth wave and Omicron as well. But, such a new virus has been found in some 50 countries. So, we need to take care of the virus. Whatever it may be, we need to make preparations at hospitals. I gave a guideline to hospitals of the Ministry of Health and military hospitals to make separate units for providing healthcare to the COVID-19 patients. These units must be facilitated with oxygen plants and medical doctors. All should not ease tensions if the pandemic is not yet to break out. If it breaks out, they may face a lack of equipment and materials. We have experienced difficulties. So, region and state authorities need to inspect such activities. Depending on these situations, if the situation is good, we will reopen colleges and universities in the first week of January, after the Independence Day.”
It is important that students must attend school healthily under security. Likewise, school attendance is of importance. So, it is necessary to restrict the school attendance for students. All need to strive for the soonest reopening of the basic education schools. Some farmlands are not used under the projects but these are being used in other ways. Hence, officials need to scrutinize the abuse of farmlands under the laws, rules and regulations.
The Council members discussed the topics on scrutiny of registration of private schools, action taken against those who committed the voting frauds, resumption of Myanmar-China trade, construction of the east to west railways and motor roads in Myanmar, electricity, agriculture, nature conservation, the release of information on social media, and extension of necessary government offices in self-administered regions.
In his concluding speech, the Senior General urged region and state governments need to strive for food sufficiency of the people. The SAC members need to coordinate with Union ministers and region and state chief ministers for the development of the regions and states.
In his response, the Senior General said the construction of a road from Myawady-Mae Sot to Ngayokkaung passing Yangon has been allowed. A plan is underway to establish the manufacturing cooperative system for farmers to get good prices for their products. It is necessary to grow mangrove forests and maintain them. Arrangements are being made to grow mangrove plants and coconut plants in Ayeyawady, Yangon and Taninthayi regions and Rakhine and Mon states. Efforts will be made for possessing more than 41 per cent of forest coverage in Myanmar.
Action is being taken against the officials who committed malpractice and related persons in the election. The Union Election Commission will hold further meetings with political parties to exercise the PR system. The government has signed agreements with India, Thailand and China to practise the direct payment of Myanmar kyats to that of other countries.
Efforts are being made to generate electricity from the Kalay coal power plant and hydropower at the border of Chin and Rakhine states. District offices will be established in self-administered regions for making decisions if necessary.
In his concluding speech, the Senior General urged region and state governments need to strive for food sufficiency of the people. The SAC members need to coordinate with Union ministers and region and state chief ministers for the development of the regions and states.
Medical universities turned out more than 30,000 medical doctors from 1995 to 2020. Some 10,000 of them serve as the service personnel. In the coming matriculation examination, the eligible students winning remarkable marks in the English, Biology and Chemistry will be allowed to join the entrance test of medical universities. Medical students will be provided with the stipend but they have to serve the State as service personnel for 10 years. Preparations are being made to establish a university that can conduct academic measures for arts, science, law, economics, medical education and social work in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area. — MNA
