Myanmar has been encouraging literatus in the country to strive for developing Myanmar literature and arts, calling for serving national interest and educating people with literature as well as to lead people applying modern arts, new thoughts, theories and ideas. 
Aimed at preserving and promoting literary and cultural heritage, the government presents national literary awards (NLA) to successful writers annually, while the Sarpay Beikman (literature house) also extends its manuscript award to literary talents every year.

The Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Awards are next to the state's National Literary Awards (NLA).

Over the past three days, the National Literary Award Scrutinizing Committee of the Information Ministry announced that a total of 11 literatus have won Myanmar's NLA for 2008.

Besides writer Dr. Kyaw Sein, who was chosen as the winner of Life-time Achievement Literary Award, 10 others respectively won the NLA for the year in collection of short stories, belles-letters, Myanmar culture and fine arts literature, child literature, youth literature, translation (informative), translation (creative), general knowledge (arts) and general knowledge (applied science).

Of the 14 categories of NLAs, no writers won awards for novel, collected poem, drama and political literature.

Over the same period, the Sarpay Beikman Manuscript Awards Scrutinizing Committee also announced that 29 literatus have won its manuscript awards for 2008.

The 29 literatus respectively won the awards in genres of novel, collected short stories, collected poems, belles-letters, Myanmar culture and fine arts literature, child literature, youth literature, general knowledge (arts), general knowledge (science and applied science) and drama.

Among the 12 genres, there was no winners in the manuscript award in political literary and translation genres.

The Sarpay Beikman was founded as the "Burma (now Myanmar) Translation Society" in 1947 and has published numerous magazines, lexicons, illustrated journals and volumes of Myanmar encyclopedia.

The prize presentation ceremony for both of the two awards is set for Dec. 31 in the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw.

Last year, 12 literatus won NLAs for 2007 including a life-time achievement literary award, while 31 literatus received manuscript awards for the year extended by the Sarpay Beikman.

Myanmar has a fine tradition of paying respect to old-aged and doyen literati annually when the country's Sarsodaw Day (Poets' Day or Literati's Day) falls with the Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association (MWJA) sponsoring a ceremony in Yangon to mark the event.

The information minister, leading his officials and younger literati present dozens of doyen literati aged over 80 with cash and gifts on behalf of the government and individual wellwishers.

The Poets' Day has been observed yearly since 1944, two years after the Myanmar Writers Association (MWA) was formed which was later re-established as MWJA in October 1989.

Besides, aimed at vitalizing patriotism and nationalism, preserving and safeguarding Myanmar's own cultural heritage, Myanmar holds traditional cultural performing arts competition annually and this year's two-week-long event taking place in Nay Pyi Taw in October was the 17th since 1993 when such competitions were first introduced.

The competitions were participated by 1,853 contestants from across the country's 14 states and divisions.

The annual event, to which the state attaches importance, comprise such objectives as perpetuation of genuine Myanmar music, dance and traditional fine arts, preservation of Myanmar national character, nurturing of spiritual development of youths, preventing from alien culture influence and strengthening of national unity and union spirit.

The competitions were yearly participated by thousands of youth contestants, include contests of song, dance, composition, music and play at different stages such as professional, amateur, higher education and basic education levels.

Moreover, aimed at nurturing skilled actors, actresses and directors for the development of Myanmar's motion picture industry, Myanmar's National University of Culture and Arts in Yangon has decided to confer Bachelor of Arts degree with cinema  B.A (Cinema) for the academic year 2008-09.

The major subject is jointly introduced by the Ministry of Culture, National University of Culture and Arts and the Movie and Drama Department.

The move represents part of the efforts to promote the standard of the country's video features and movie production for penetrating foreign markets while preserving and safeguarding national cultural heritage, national prestige and national character through the arts of film.

Also as part of its encouragement to developing quality movie industry, the Myanmar government presents motion pictures academy awards annually.

The film awards include best film award, best director award, best actor award, best supporting actor award, best music award and best cinematography award.

Myanmar formed the Motion Picture Promotion and Scrutiny Board in 1952 and since then 290 domestic academy awards have been presented to successful artists annually.