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Burmese military generals assume key ministries
Irrawaddy - February 9, 2011
Ba Kaung and Wai Moe – Three military generals were appointed on Wednesday by Burmese junta supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe to the powerful ministerial posts of defense, home affairs, and border affairs, according to MPs in Naypyidaw.
Burma's new defense minister is Lt-Gen Ko Ko, a former chief of the Bureau of Special Operations-3 (BSO-3), while Maj-Gen Hla Min, the current BSO-3 chief, becomes the minister of home affairs. Both previously served as commanders of Southern Regional Military Command.
Maj-Gen Thein Htay, the chief of military ordnance, has been appointed minister for border affairs, considered a key position in the new government.
A former military officer turned Burmese diplomat, Wanna Maung Lwin, becomes Burma's new foreign minister.
The four ministers will automatically be members of the Nation Defense and Security Council (NDSC) alongside the president, two vice-presidents, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the deputy commander-in-chief, and the two House speakers.
With the exception of Vice-president Sai Mauk Kham, every member of the NDSC is a military officer or former officer.
Under the 2008 constitution, the commender-in-chief of the armed forces has the exclusive authority to appoint the ministers of defense, home affairs, and border affairs.
Other ministerial appointments on Wednesday include Pe Thet Khin as health minister, and Dr. Mya Aye as education minister.
Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan retains his position as minister of information. Construction Minister Khin Maung Myint also remains at his current post. Thein Nyunt is named as minister of the presidential office, Khin Yi is named as minister of science and technology, and Aye Myint is appointed minister of culture.
Thein Tun has been appointed as head of the Ministry of Telecommunications, Post and Telegraphs, a job previously held by Thein Zaw.
MP Khin Maung Yi, who represents the National Democratic Force and attended the parliamentary session on Wednesday, said that parliamentary officials distributed a list of the ministerial appointments to every MP on Wednesday, while another list of 34 appointments was handed out the day before.
A rumor leaked from the War Office on Monday suggesting that Lt-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the current joint-chief of staff (army, navy, air force), and Maj-Gen Soe Win, the head of BSO-6, would take over as commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief respectively if Than Shwe and his deputy, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, stepped down.
From Friday through to Wednesday, Burma's state-run newspapers have run Than Shwe's previous Union Day messages with his photo on their front pages and/or alongside their mastheads.
"The talk of the town is Than Shwe's Union Day messages with his photos," said an editor with a private news journal in Rangoon. "I think he ordered the Ministry of Information to put them there.
"Maybe it's a message from the old psychological warfare officer reminding his soldiers that the senior-general is still number one."
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