(DVB) Government dismisses 17 offic

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BBC Summary of World Broadcasts
September 19, 2000

Government dismisses 17 officers loyal to ousted navy commander

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1245 gmt 17 Sep 00
Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 17th September

The Office of the Commander in Chief of the Defence Services
issued a notification on 28th August regarding the dismissal
of Vice-Adm Nyunt Thein [former navy commander in chief]
by the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] and
distributed it to the 12 military commands. DVB [Democratic
Voice of Burma] correspondent Myint Maung Maung filed this report.

[Myint Maung Maung] Reliable sources said that the first part
of the notification stated that Navy Commander-in-Chief
Vice-Adm Nyunt Thein was retired from his position and
responsibilities due to health reason. The second part confirmed
that Navy Chief of Staff Rear Adm Kyi Min was appointed
as navy commander in chief. The last part noted that Navy
Capt Thein Soe, General Staff officer of the navy, has been
appointed as the new navy chief of staff.

On 11th September the Office of the Commander-in-Chief
of the defence services dismissed 17 navy officers from the
Navy Commander-in-Chief's Office without any notification.
The dismissed navy officers included four navy captains -
naval base commanders, six commanders - vice naval base
commanders, and seven lieutenant commanders - heads of
division. The dismissed officers are currently on active duty and
they are all between 48-55 years of age. It has become a
tradition of the BSPP [Burma Socialist Programme Party],
SLORC [State Law and Order Restoration Council], and SPDC
[State Peace and Development Council] military governments,
that any subordinate or junior officer who is known to be loyal
to any army, navy, or air force commander-in-chief or any
cabinet minister who is dismissed is sacked without reason
while on active duty.