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Mizzima: Earthquake continues insid
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Earthquake continues inside the Burmese junta
By Win Htein
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com): November 16, 2001
On November 9, the powerful First Secretary of the Burmese ruling junta
Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt issued two orders, 5/2001 and 6/2001, dismissing two
of his assistants: Third Secretary Lt Gen Win Myint and Minister of
Military Affairs Lt Gen Tin Hla.
Two days later, five generals were dismissed from their ministerial
posts by orders 7/2001 and 8/2001. According to sources in Rangoon, Khin
Nyunt has signed a dozen orders and will continue to print in the
state-run paper.
?Ten out of twelve regional commanders have been ordered to resign from
their posts. They are now in Rangoon to take up secretarial and
ministerial posts?, the sources said.
In fact, no commander is keen on a ministerial post because any regional
commander in Burma is automatically a member of the State Council and a
king of the region controlled by him. Taking up a ministerial post would
mean being separated from one?s troops. No general without troops
survives inside the SPDC.
?This mass reshuffle gives evidence to a heavy earthquake inside the
junta. But this is not a political matter, just power struggle?,
commented Dr Tint Swe, a minister of the government in exile, the
National Coalition Government of Union of Burma. ?But we are worried
about the effects of this struggle on the year-long dialogue process
(between Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi)?, he added.
Many observers agree with him. ?This is a corruption case. As you know,
both Win Myint and Tin Hla are deeply involved in the state-run business
enterprises?, explained a business writer in Rangoon. ?This case is
similar the dismissal of Gen Tun Kyi and 13-generals in 1997?.
However, some analysts say that Win Myint and Tin Hla are hard-liners
close to vice chairman Gen Maung Aye. Army chief Maung Aye and his
front-line commanders voiced complaints about intelligence chief Khin
Nyunt's proposal that negotiation with opposition Aung San Suu Kyi
should proceed.
In fact, this mass dismissal is not the first of its kind. Since 18
September 1988, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
dismissed its first chairman Gen Saw Maung in 1992. In 1997, it was
re-named from SLORC to State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
Subsequently, 14 original members of SLORC were dismissed by Khin Nyunt
in the same year. In February 2000, the second secretary Lt Gen Tin Oo
and ten other high-ranking official were killed in a helicopter crash.
Until now, no one knows exactly why they were dismissed and killed. But
every Burmese understands that they were dismissed because they opposed
Khin Nyunt.
Khin Nyunt officially holds the position of Number Three in the ruling
junta but many believe that, in reality, he is Number One. All of
government's daily agenda is run by his Office of Strategic Studies. He
plays a key role in politic, diplomacy, ethnic and other affairs.
Since October 2000, Khin Nyunt has been leading the negotiation process
with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. From 1989 until today, he has
been in charge of the cease-fire process with dozens ethnic armies. On
diplomatic front, he allowed visa for UN, EU officials such as Mr
Razali, Mr Pinhero, the ILO investigation team and the EU troika.
After mass purge of his opponent, what will be Khin Nyunt's next step?
Is he planning to hand over power to an elected government?
?No, absolutely not?, shouted a veteran politician in Rangoon who did
not want his name quoted. ?He is a clever soldier. So he knows that how
to shift his strategies at this point in time. But this does not mean
that he is willing to hand over power to Daw Suu. This shift is affected
towards long-term power in his hands?, he pointed out.
However, latest reports from Rangoon confirm that the UN Special Envoy
Razali Ismail is to return to the capital later this month. He means to
pursue his mission of fostering talks between Khin Nyunt and Suu Kyi.
With few other options in sight, most Burmese hope that the UN-lead
negotiation process will prove beneficial for their country.
Win Htein is a correspondent for the Democratic Voice of Burma.
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<center><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Earthquake continues inside
the Burmese junta</font></font></center>
<p><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>By Win Htein</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com):
November 16, 2001</font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>On November 9, the powerful First Secretary of the Burmese
ruling junta Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt issued two orders, 5/2001 and 6/2001,
dismissing two of his assistants: Third Secretary Lt Gen Win Myint and
Minister of Military Affairs Lt Gen Tin Hla.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Two days later, five generals were dismissed from their
ministerial posts by orders 7/2001 and 8/2001. According to sources in
Rangoon, Khin Nyunt has signed a dozen orders and will continue to print
in the state-run paper.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?Ten out of twelve regional commanders have been ordered
to resign from their posts. They are now in Rangoon to take up secretarial
and ministerial posts?, the sources said.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In fact, no commander is keen on a ministerial post because
any regional commander in Burma is automatically a member of the State
Council and a king of the region controlled by him. Taking up a ministerial
post would mean being separated from one?s troops. No general without troops
survives inside the SPDC.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?This mass reshuffle gives evidence to a heavy earthquake
inside the junta. But this is not a political matter, just power struggle?,
commented Dr Tint Swe, a minister of the government in exile, the National
Coalition Government of Union of Burma. ?But we are worried about the effects
of this struggle on the year-long dialogue process (between Khin Nyunt
and Aung San Suu Kyi)?, he added.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Many observers agree with him. ?This is a corruption case.
As you know, both Win Myint and Tin Hla are deeply involved in the state-run
business enterprises?, explained a business writer in Rangoon. ?This case
is similar the dismissal of Gen Tun Kyi and 13-generals in 1997?.</font>
<p><font size=+1>However, some analysts say that Win Myint and Tin Hla
are hard-liners close to vice chairman Gen Maung Aye. Army chief Maung
Aye and his front-line commanders voiced complaints about intelligence
chief Khin Nyunt's proposal that negotiation with opposition Aung San Suu
Kyi should proceed.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In fact, this mass dismissal is not the first of its kind.
Since 18 September 1988, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
dismissed its first chairman Gen Saw Maung in 1992. In 1997, it was re-named
from SLORC to State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Subsequently,
14 original members of SLORC were dismissed by Khin Nyunt in the same year.
In February 2000, the second secretary Lt Gen Tin Oo and ten other high-ranking
official were killed in a helicopter crash. Until now, no one knows exactly
why they were dismissed and killed. But every Burmese understands
that they were dismissed because they opposed Khin Nyunt.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Khin Nyunt officially holds the position of Number Three
in the ruling junta but many believe that, in reality, he is Number One.
All of government's daily agenda is run by his Office of Strategic Studies.
He plays a key role in politic, diplomacy, ethnic and other affairs.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Since October 2000, Khin Nyunt has been leading the negotiation
process with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. From 1989 until today,
he has been in charge of the cease-fire process with dozens ethnic armies.
On diplomatic front, he allowed visa for UN, EU officials such as Mr Razali,
Mr Pinhero, the ILO investigation team and the EU troika.</font>
<p><font size=+1>After mass purge of his opponent, what will be Khin Nyunt's
next step? Is he planning to hand over power to an elected government?</font>
<p><font size=+1>?No, absolutely not?, shouted a veteran politician in
Rangoon who did not want his name quoted. ?He is a clever soldier. So he
knows that how to shift his strategies at this point in time. But
this does not mean that he is willing to hand over power to Daw Suu. This
shift is affected towards long-term power in his hands?, he pointed out.</font>
<p><font size=+1>However, latest reports from Rangoon confirm that the
UN Special Envoy Razali Ismail is to return to the capital later this month.
He means to pursue his mission of fostering talks between Khin Nyunt and
Suu Kyi.</font>
<p><font size=+1>With few other options in sight, most Burmese hope that
the UN-lead negotiation process will prove beneficial for their country.</font>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Win Htein is a correspondent for
the Democratic Voice of Burma.</font></font>
<br>
<p> </html>
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