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15/11/97: SLORC CHANGES ITS NAME TO
ASIA: CHANGES TO BURMA'S MILITARY GOVT
BURMA MILITARY
RANGOON, Burma, Nov 15 AP - Burma had replaced its ruling
military council with a smaller group made up of regional
commanders, but the government's top four generals remained in
charge, state-run radio announced today.
The announcement said the 21-member State Law and Order
Restoration Council, or SLORC, which has been in power since
September 1988, was replaced with a 19-member group called the
State Peace and Development Council.
The new council was made up of the four government heads and 15
commanders of the various military regions of Burma, and could
represent a consolidation of power of top military leaders.
The leaders apparently at the head of the council are the
chairman of the SLORC, General Than Shwe; General Maung Aye; SLORC
Secretary One Kihn Nyut, head of military intelligence; and SLORC
Secretary Two, General Tin Oo.
The fate of the members of SLORC not included in the new council
was not immediately clear. For example, General David Abel, the
Minister of Economic Planning under SLORC, is not a regional
military commander and was therefore not included in the new ruling
group.
The reshuffle comes as the military government has recently
appeared to harden its stance against pro-democracy leaders,
particulary 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi was released from six years of house arrest in 1995, but
the SLORC has periodically clamped down on her activities. After a
softening of position in recent months, the government in the past
couple of weeks has blocked her from meeting with supporters.
The SLORC succeeded an earlier military regime in 1988,
suppressing pro-democracy demonstrations by killing thousands of
protesters. Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero Aung San, rose
to head the democracy movement.
The London-based human rights group Amnesty International
estimated last month that the military government keeps more than
1,000 political opponents in prison, many from Suu Kyi's party.
The government, however, has scored some diplomatic successes
recently, despite constant criticism from Western countries for
human rights abuses.
The country was admitted to ASEAN, the South-East Asian trading
bloc, this (northern) summer over the objections of some nations.
AP ao
ASIA: NEW RULING COUNCIL CREATED IN BURMA
BURMA MILITARY LEAD
RANGOON, Burma, Nov 15 AP - Burma's four top generals today
created a new ruling council to help them govern the country,
bringing in younger blood and consolidating their power while
pushing members of the old guard into chiefly ceremonial posts.
Despite a new name and new personnel for the military
government, analysts said the changes did not indicate any move by
the military towards giving up power.
A brief announcement on this evening's news said the 21-member
State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC, which has been
in power since September 1988, had been dissolved and replaced with
a 19-member group called the State Peace and Development Council.
The new council was made up of the four top generals and 15
commanders of the various military regions of Burma, and could
represent a consolidation of power by top military leaders.
The leaders at the head of the council are the chairman of the
SLORC, Senior General Than Shwe; vice-chairman General Maung Aye;
SLORC Secretary-One Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence; and
SLORC Secretary-Two, General Tin Oo.
Throughout the SLORC's eight-year rule, its leaders repeatedly
said it was only a transitional government.
Evening newscasters read an announcement over state-run radio
and television that said: "For the emergence and practice of
discipline democracy and for the emergence of a peaceful and
prosperous modern state and in the interest of the state and the
people, the State Peace and Development Council was formed with
immediate effect."
The military also announced the formation of a 14-member cabinet
and a separate 14-member advisory board. Eleven members of the
SLORC's previous cabinet were given positions on the advisory
board, but no statement detailing the role and relative power of
each body was made.
However, with the four top generals serving on the new peace and
development council, there is no doubt that it was now the supreme
authority in Burma.
Analysts in Burma said the changes were designed to bring in
younger, fresher blood to the military regime and relegate some
members of the old guard to what are considered ceremonial
positions on the advisory board.
The two new members of the group - considered to be rising stars
- are General Win Myint, who was given the title Secretary-3,
making him the fifth most powerful general, and General Tin Hla,
who heads the newly formed Ministry of Military Affairs.
Three important holdovers in the new cabinet are Minister for
Foreign Affairs Ohn Gyaw, Minister of Economic Planning General
David Abel and Minister of Finance Win Tin.
Although the SLORC opened up to foreign investment in the early
1990s, the economy is in a sharp decline with inflation running at
about 40 per cent and the currency, the kyat, rapidly losing value.
The reshuffling comes as the military government recently
appeared to harden its stance against pro-democracy leaders,
particularly 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi was released from six years of house arrest in 1995, but
the SLORC has periodically clamped down on her activities. After a
softening of position in recent months, the government in the past
couple of weeks has blocked her from meeting with supporters.
Suu Kyi and top leaders of her political party could not be
reached for comment as the government has cut their phone lines.
The SLORC succeeded an earlier military regime in 1988,
suppressing pro-democracy demonstrations by killing thousands of
protesters. Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero Aung San, rose
to head the democracy movement.
In 1990, Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in a national
election, but the SLORC ignored the result and jailed, harassed and
drove into exile many of the winning candidates.
The London-based human rights group Amnesty International
estimated last month that the military government keeps more than
1,000 political opponents in prison, many from Suu Kyi's party.
AP cdh
ASIA: BURMA QUESTIONING OFFICIALS IN SOME MINISTRIES
BURMA
By Deborah Charles
BANGKOK, Nov 24 Reuters - Burma's military government was
questioning people at several ministries following a government
name change and shake-up earlier this month, a government spokesman
said today.
But he denied reports that some former government ministers had
been detained or put under house arrest since the ruling junta
changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
When asked about the ministers, the spokesman would say only
that "inquiries" had been made at the relevant ministries.
"Inquiries have been made in the ministries, but it's too early
to say at the moment what it is about," he said, refusing to give
details.
Reports had circulated in the media, on the Internet and in
diplomatic circles that several former members of the now-defunct
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) -- abolished with
the creation of the SPDC -- had been arrested.
"They are not picked up for questioning," the spokesman told
Reuters by telephone from Rangoon. "They are staying in their
houses because they have new posts and they don't have any offices
to go to yet. That's probably where the confusion came about --
they aren't going into any office."
Diplomats said last week that the creation of the SPDC was
partly to weed out corrupt ministers and improve the image of a
government accused of rampant corruption as the country suffered a
severe economic slump.
Four of the more prominent ministers dealing with financial
issues under the SLORC were removed from their offices and put on a
newly created 14-member Advisory Council.
They include ex-SLORC member and tourism minister Lieutenant
General Kyaw Ba; former trade and commerce minister Lieutenant
General Tun Kyi; former forestry minister Lieutenant General Chit
Swe and the previous agriculture minister Lieutenant General Myint
Aung.
Rumours have been swirling in Rangoon and in expatriate Burmese
circles over the future of the Advisory Council members. Last week
diplomats said there was talk that several of the former ministers
had been detained.
The spokesman said the decision to change the government's name
and revamp the ruling council and cabinet showed the government's
desire to move towards democracy.
"This indicates that the government is a transitional
government," he said. "If it was going to hold on to power
indefinitely it wouldn't need to change its name or the people in
the government."
He said this was the government's second phase in a three-step
plan towards democracy. The SLORC period was the first phase and
the SPDC's goal was to keep the peace and build up the economy so
the country could eventually become a democracy, he said.
Diplomats said the new government, which is led by the same top
four generals as the SLORC, did not appear to have any new policy
and said the changes were made to improve its image and promote
some junior officers.
The SLORC -- which ruled the country with an iron hand after
seizing power in 1988 -- and now the SPDC have been accused of
trying to hold on to power at the cost of the people for the
benefit of the few top leaders.
REUTERS ts