Myanmar's SSPC Chairman inspects excavation of centuries-old Ketumati City
During the trip, the SSPC Chairman, along with SSPC Joint Chief Executive General Ye Win Oo and the accompanying delegation, toured the ancient city of Ketumati in Taungoo, Bago Region, including the Yodaya hole site at the eastern moat, the excavation and preservation of the city wall at the western wall, and the moat site and the road along the city wall outside the city wall.
Based on the presentations of Bago Region Chief Minister U Myo Swe Win and officials from the Department of Archaeology and National Museums, Taungoo, the SSPC Chairman said the research work on the ancient city walls and moats of Ketumati, built in 1510 AD during the Toungoo dynasty of Mingy Nyo (AD 1485 - 1531), should be successfully implemented, the bridge sites and bridge designs in the old city should be re-examined and built in places where they can be built, the ministry buildings that need to be moved should be moved, and the designated cultural heritage sites should be systematically maintained in accordance with the law.
Then, the SSPC Chairman and members arrived at Taungoo Station. At the station briefing room, Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Mya Htun Oo gave a presentation on the progress of the Taungoo bypass railway construction, including information on the railway line and railways, the planned construction of the new Taungoo Station, the demarcation of the railway and station entrance road, the plans for the land reclamation project and the status of the work.
In response to the explanations, the SSPC Chairman said that the construction of the new railway and station should be carried out in accordance with the standards and guidelines set for sustainability from the beginning to the end, and that it should be built in accordance with the process steps and meet the quality standards.
The SSPC Chairman and his wife, Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, and the members accompanying them on the trip travelled along the railway section from Taungoo Station to Yangon Station with the passengers on the Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon No. (8) Down DEMU passenger express train that departed from Nay Pyi Taw.
During the ride, the officials inspected the conditions of the services provided by Myanma Railways to ensure that passengers can travel comfortably by train, and the conditions that need to be further improved, the conditions of agricultural activities along the railway tracks, and the development of urban and rural areas.
The SSPC Chairman stated that continuous efforts should be made to ensure the strength and systematisation of the railway tracks, that the railway tracks should be kept clean and beautiful, that the water flow should be improved, that the farmlands along the railway tracks should be developed into systematic farmlands, that the station yards and stations should be kept clean and tidy, and that small forests should be planted in the railway areas that are green and pleasing to the eye.
He directed that the railway passengers who are traveling by train should be able to travel comfortably and that public transportation, such as train transportation, should be further enhanced.
The SSPC Chairman also greeted the passengers on the train journey.
The new DEMU passenger express trains will be operated on the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw railway section from February 28, 2025, with Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw and Nay Pyi Taw-Yangon trains and the running time will be about five and a half hours. - Eleven Media/ANN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Malaysia to head Asean mission to assess Myanmar's post-emergency election plans
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Malaysia will lead a regional delegation to Myanmar next month after the junta scrapped its state of emergency, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan announced on Friday. Mohamad told reporters the trip will 'most likely' take place on September 19 and include the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. 'I want to get a clear picture for me to bring to the attention of the Asean leadership in October,' he said, referring to the Association of South-east Asian Nations' year-end summit. Malaysia currently chairs the bloc, which has tried to increase pressure on member state Myanmar's junta, including by barring its leaders from summits, over the ongoing bloodshed. But the Asean has so far been fruitless in its diplomatic efforts to end Myanmar's conflict, triggered by the junta's ousting of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, sparking a many-sided civil war. Last week, military chief Min Aung Hlaing ended the nationwide state of emergency declared during the coup and touted plans for an election in December. Opposition groups said they will boycott the vote, while a UN expert has branded the exercise a 'fraud' designed to legitimise the junta's continued rule. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad said the Asean delegation will look into the coming polls. 'I want to discuss with them whether their elections will be comprehensive,' he said. Mohamad pointed out that 'there are still 63 cities or areas currently still under a state of emergency'. Most of them are conflict zones or areas under the control of anti-junta groups. No exact date has yet been set for the election. — Bernama
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Myanmar hires US lobbyists for $3m yearly to mend US relations
WASHINGTON: A Washington lobbying firm has signed an agreement worth $3 million a year with Myanmar's Ministry of Information to help the long-time military-ruled country rebuild relations with the United States. According to documents submitted under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the DCI Group signed the agreement with the ministry on July 31, the day Myanmar's military nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of a planned election. Myanmar's leadership under military chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a 2021 coup and that year an Israeli-Canadian lobbyist they hired to represent them in Washington and other capitals said he had stopped his work because U.S. sanctions on the generals prevented him from being paid. The U.S. Treasury Department, the DCI Group, the U.S. State Department and Myanmar's Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment when asked if U.S. sanctions would affect the agreement between the Myanmar ministry and the DCI Group. The formation of an interim government signals no change to the status quo in Myanmar, with Min Aung Hlaing holding on to all major levers of power as acting president while retaining his position as chief of the armed forces. He has appeared eager to engage with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration after years of isolation. When Trump threatened new tariffs on Myanmar's U.S.-bound exports this month as part of his global trade offensive, he did so in a signed letter addressed personally to Min Aung Hlaing. The general responded by lavishing praise on Trump for his 'strong leadership' while asking for lower rates and the lifting of sanctions. He said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington, if needed. 'TRADE, NATURAL RESOURCES' According to the FARA filing, the DCI Group 'shall provide public affairs services to (the) client with respect to rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief.' The filing was signed on August 1 by DCI managing partner Justin Peterson, who served in the previous Trump administration, and another managing partner, Brian McCabe. Reuters reported last year that the FBI has been investigating the DCI Group over its alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of its client Exxon Mobil's biggest critics. The DCI Group has said the allegations that it commissioned the hacking operation were false and that it directs all of its employees and consultants to comply with the law. In 2008, two top aides to then Republican presidential nominee John McCain resigned after work they did with the DCI Group for a previous military junta in Myanmar came to light. Jim Murphy, a former DCI president and managing partner, served as Trump's national political director during his 2016 campaign. Myanmar's state media reported on Thursday that Myint Swe, who became Myanmar's president during the 2021 coup that saw the arrest of incumbent Win Myint and Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, had died in hospital earlier in the day. Myint Swe, a 74-year-old former general, was placed on medical leave in July last year, with his duties passed to Min Aung Hlaing. Engaging the junta would be a sharp departure for the United States, given U.S. sanctions on the military leaders and the violence committed against the Rohingya minority that Washington calls genocide and crimes against humanity. Last month, the Trump administration lifted sanctions designations on several junta allies, but U.S. officials said this did not indicate any broader shift in U.S. policy toward Myanmar and was unrelated to the general's letter. Last week Reuters reported that the administration had heard competing proposals on ways to divert Myanmar's vast supplies of rare earth minerals away from strategic rival China, although nothing had been decided upon amid major logistical and geopolitical obstacles. Securing supplies of so-called heavy rare earths, used in high-tech weaponry, is a major focus of the administration in its competition with China, which is responsible for nearly 90% of global processing capacity. - Reuters
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Myanmar signs deal with Washington lobbyists to rebuild US relations
WASHINGTON: A Washington lobbying firm has signed an agreement worth US$3 million a year with Myanmar's Ministry of Information to help the long-time military-ruled country rebuild relations with the United States. According to documents submitted under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the DCI Group signed the agreement with the ministry on July 31, the day Myanmar's military nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of a planned election. Myanmar's leadership under military chief Min Aung Hlaing (pic) seized power in a 2021 coup and that year an Israeli-Canadian lobbyist they hired to represent them in Washington and other capitals said he had stopped his work because US sanctions on the generals prevented him from being paid. The US Treasury Department, the DCI Group, the US State Department and Myanmar's Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment when asked if US sanctions would affect the agreement between the Myanmar ministry and the DCI Group. The formation of an interim government signals no change to the status quo in Myanmar, with Min Aung Hlaing holding on to all major levers of power as acting president while retaining his position as chief of the armed forces. He has appeared eager to engage with US President Donald Trump's administration after years of isolation. When Trump threatened new tariffs on Myanmar's US-bound exports this month as part of his global trade offensive, he did so in a signed letter addressed personally to Min Aung Hlaing. The general responded by lavishing praise on Trump for his "strong leadership" while asking for lower rates and the lifting of sanctions. He said he was ready to send a negotiating team to Washington, if needed. According to the FARA filing, the DCI Group "shall provide public affairs services to (the) client with respect to rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief." The filing was signed on Aug 1 by DCI managing partner Justin Peterson, who served in the previous Trump administration, and another managing partner, Brian McCabe. Reuters reported last year that the FBI has been investigating the DCI Group over its alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of its client Exxon Mobil's biggest critics. The DCI Group has said the allegations that it commissioned the hacking operation were false and that it directs all of its employees and consultants to comply with the law. In 2008, two top aides to then Republican presidential nominee John McCain resigned after work they did with the DCI Group for a previous military junta in Myanmar came to light. Jim Murphy, a former DCI president and managing partner, served as Trump's national political director during his 2016 campaign. Myanmar's state media reported on Thursday that Myint Swe, who became Myanmar's president during the 2021 coup that saw the arrest of incumbent Win Myint and Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, had died in hospital earlier in the day. Myint Swe, a 74-year-old former general, was placed on medical leave in July last year, with his duties passed to Min Aung Hlaing. Engaging the junta would be a sharp departure for the United States, given US sanctions on the military leaders and the violence committed against the Rohingya minority that Washington calls genocide and crimes against humanity. Last month, the Trump administration lifted sanctions designations on several junta allies, but US officials said this did not indicate any broader shift in US policy toward Myanmar and was unrelated to the general's letter. Last week Reuters reported that the administration had heard competing proposals on ways to divert Myanmar's vast supplies of rare earth minerals away from strategic rival China, although nothing had been decided upon amid major logistical and geopolitical obstacles. Securing supplies of so-called heavy rare earths, used in high-tech weaponry, is a major focus of the administration in its competition with China, which is responsible for nearly 90% of global processing capacity. - Reuters
