Ten generals to shed rank in pre-vote reshuffle

Friday, 20 August 2010 03:26 Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Burmese junta is to undertake a huge military reshuffle next week, after which 10 officers at the rank of lieutenant general ranks are to retire to participate in the recently announced general elections on November 7, a source at the Ministry of Defence said late yesterday.

“Of the 14 lieutenant generals in the Burmese army, only four will be left in position and all the others will go”, the source said.

The positions will be filled by officers holding the rank of brigadier general, mostly Regional Military Commanders, the source said.

The men whose positions remain unchanged are military intelligence chief Lieutenant Gen Ye Myint, armed forces training chief Lieutenant General Hla Htay Win, Adjutant General Lieutenant General Thura Myint Aung and Bureau of Special Operations (BSO) 3 chief Lieutenant General Ko Ko.

The reshuffle is expected to occur next Friday.

Unexpectedly, the man who took part in talks to purchase weapons from North Korea, chief of military ordnance Lieutenant General Tin Aye, will vacate his army post.

The final decision to announce the mass retirements followed a meeting of State Peace and Development Council hard-core members last week in Naypyidaw.

This is the second occasion senior military staff have shed their uniforms to take part in the widely condemned national elections in November. In early April, Prime Minister Thein Sein led more than two dozens army officers out of the military and inherited leadership of the junta-backed Union Solidarity Development Party.

Out of uniform
(1) Lieutenant General Ohn Myint (BSO 1, DSA intake 17)
(2) Lieutenant General Min Aung Hlaing (BSO 2, DSA intake 19)
(3) Lieutenant General Khin Zaw (BSO 3, OTS inatake 49)
(4) Lieutenant General Thar Aye (BSO 4, DSA intake 16)
(5) Lieutenant General Myint Swe (BSO 5, DSA intake 15)
(6) Lieutenant General Myint Hlaing (Chief of Air Defence, DSA intake 17)
(7) Lieutenant General Tin Aye (Chief of Military Ordnance, DSA intake 9)
(8) Lieutenant General San Sint (Military Appointment General, DSA intake 15)
(9) Lieutenant General Soe Maung (Judge Advocate General, DSA intake 17)
(10) Lieutenant General Thein Htike (Inspector General, DSA intake 16)

Abbreviations
BSO – Bureau of Special Operations
DSA – Defence Services Academy