Re: New title for old job, 16 September 2005

From: Eric Snider <excelsus@shaw.ca>

Dear editor:
The plain and simple truth of the matter is that Kyaw Win and Aung Htwe traded jobs. SHAN seems to have finally caught up with the fact that Kyaw Win is in charge of the military and administrative regions of Shan State. All that is necessary is to read SPDC publications to know what Aung Htwe is up to since the job swap (see below). Ye Myint was never involved in the horse trade. What isn't too clear is why the junta bosses switched with each other. Perhaps Aung Htwe's wife told him she wanted to see him around the house a little oftener.

Yours,
The Courier
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Secretary-1 Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Thein Sein sees off Tatmadaw Shooting Team
YANGON, 1 Sept — Chairman of Defence Services Sports and Physical Education Administrative Committee Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Thein Sein saw off the Myanma Tatmadaw Shooting Team led by Lt-Col Aye Thaung of Defence Services (Army) Combat Training School (Bahtoo) at Mingaladon Airbase , here, this morning. The shooting team will take part in the 15th ASEAN Countries Defence Services (Army) Shooting Competition to be held in Darussalam of Brunei Darussalam.
Also present at the airport to see off the shooting team were Members of the State Peace and Development Council Chief of Armed Forces Training Lt-Gen Aung Htwe and Lt-Gen Tin Aye of the Ministry of Defence, Chief of Staff (Navy) Commodore Nyan Tun, Vice-Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj-Gen Aung Kyi, Vice Quartermaster-General Maj-Gen Khin Maung Tun, senior military officers of the Ministry of Defence and officials of the Defence Services Sports and Physical Education Administrative Committee.
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----- Original Message -----

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.

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.