Six Senior Burmese Commanders Ge

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

Attn: Burma Newsreaders
RE: Six Senior Burmese Commanders Get Cabinet Jobs
______________________________________________

Six Senior Burmese Commanders Get Cabinet Jobs

     RANGOON, Burma (Reuter) - In a rare change in the line-up of Burma's
military government, six senior army commanders have been appointed to
Burma's cabinet. 

    State-run television reported Thursday that they included the commanders
of four key army regions, among the most powerful jobs in the military.
Burma's state media did not say who would replace them in their armed forces
jobs. 

    The military has ruled Burma since a 1962 coup and all but five of the 36
members of the newly-enlarged cabinet are serving or retired military
officers. 

    Lt. Gen. Maung Hla, the army operations commander, will head the
newly-formed Immigration and Population Ministry. 

    Maj. Gen. Kyaw Than, central region commander, becomes light industry
minister and Maj. Gen. Aye Kyaw, northeast commander, takes over as
information minister. 

    Maj. Gen. Soe Myint, southern commander, is the new social welfare,
relief and resettlement minister and Maj. Gen. Saw Tun, eastern commander,
becomes construction minister. 

    Lt. Gen. Min Thein, army quartermaster, was appointed minister in the
office of the chairman of the ruling military body, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC). 

    The council, headed by Gen. Than Shwe, the prime minister, was formed in
1988 and suppressed widespread pro-democracy protests which broke out that
year. 

    All but one of the previous incumbents at the ministries affected by the
reshuffle, many of them at or near retirement age, remained in the cabinet as
ministers in the prime minister's office, or in the office of the chairman of
the SLORC. 

REUTER
Transmitted: 95-06-15 14:18:44 EDT
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