New title for old job

Rangoon appears to have adopted a new title for what is generally known as chief of Bureau of Special Operations, reports a ceasefire source from southern Shan State.

In the past, Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, predecessor to the incumbent Lt-Gen Kyaw Win, was introduced to the ceasefire groups as Chief of Bureau of Special Operations #2. "But when our representatives met Gen Kyaw Win in Taunggyi last week, he was referred to by (Maj-Gen) Ye Myint (the new commander of Taunggyi-based Eastern Region Command) as Taing-choke (Commander of a group of regional commands)," the source said.

The Burmese term for a regional commander is Taing-hmu.

Lt Gen Kyaw Win will oversee the following regional commands:

• Eastern Region Command - Southern Shan State and Kayah State
• Northeastern Region Command - Northern Shan State
• Triangle Region Command - Eastern Shan State

Contrary to speculations that he would broach the subject of regrouping the ceasefire armies' far flung units as in northern Shan State where the Shan State Army - North's Third Brigade is under orders to recall all of its troops stationed in 6 townships, Lt-Gen Kyaw Win told his guests attending the dinner party in his honor that he just wanted to meet them and renew their acquaintance in his new capacity.

Among the attendees, the source said, were:

• Lt-Col Laokawn - Commander, 7th Brigade, SSA "North"
• Lt-Col Khurhtai - Representative, 1st Brigade, SSA "North"
• Sai Kyaw - Representative, Shan State National Army (Splinter group)
• Phra Tan Aung Kham Hti - Pa-O National Organization
• (name unavailable) - Shan Nationalities People Liberation Organization
  The representatives from the SSA "North" returned to their respective bases on 11 September.

The Burma Army has 4 chiefs of Special Operations Bureaux:

• Lt-Gen Kyaw Win, former chief of Armed Forces Training
• Lt-Gen Aung Htwe
• Lt-Gen Maung Bo
• Lt-Gen Maung Maung Than

It is not known where Aung Htwe is being reposted. Kyaw win initially swapped offices with Lt-Gen Ye Myint, who was responsible for three military regions: Central, Northwest and Northern.