US embassy cable - 03RANGOON1031

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV 
COMMERCE FOR ITA JEAN KELLY 
TREASURY FOR OASIA JEFF NEAL 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMA:  CABINET'S SECOND STRING SHUFFLE 
 
REF: RANGOON 1029 
 
Classified By: COM Carmen Martinez for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.   (C) SUMMARY:  On August 26, for the second day in a row, 
the SPDC announced additional cabinet changes, retiring eight 
Deputy Ministers, assigning nine new ones, and appointing two 
new cabinet level positions.  This latest cabinet adjustment 
includes a new Deputy Defense Minister and the addition of a 
second Deputy Foreign Minister.  In this current round of 
assignments in one of the world's largest government 
cabinets, Senior General Than Shwe continues the regime's 
patronage-based tradition of rewarding his supporters with 
wealth-generating positions and by retiring those who are no 
longer useful or may have questionable allegiances.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  Round two of the new assignments and retirements as 
listed in the local media follows.  Biographic information 
added in brackets: 
 
NEW APPOINTMENTS 
 
Maj Gen Lun Maung, Auditor General. (Formerly the Military 
Auditor General) 
 
Brig Gen Aung Thein Lin, Mayor of Rangoon.  (Formerly Deputy 
Minister for Industry II, also a USDA Central Executive 
Committee (CEC) member) 
 
Maj Gen Aung Hliang, Dep Min of Defense 
 
Brig Gen Phone Swe, Dep Min of Home Affairs 
 
U Kyaw Thu, Dep Min of Foreign Affairs (Formerly the Burmese 
Ambassador to India, a retired Brig Gen) 
 
Brig Gen Kyaw Myint, Dep Min for Social Welfare, Relief and 
Resettlement.  (Formerly Dep Min for Transport) 
 
Col Nyan Tun Aung, Dep Min of Transport 
 
Col Hla Thein Swe, Dep Min of Finance and Revenue 
 
Brig Gen Than Htay, Dep Min of Energy 
 
Col Tin Ngwe, Dep Min of Progress of Border Areas and 
National Races and Development Affairs 
 
RETIRING 
 
Brig Gen Tin Aye, Auditor General 
U Than Oo, Deputy Chief Justice 
U Hset Maung, SPDC Chairman's Office (A deputy minister-level 
post) 
U Thin Tun, Dep Min of Energy 
Brig Gen Than Tun, Dep Min of Finance and Revenue 
U Soe Nyunt, Dep Min of Culture 
U Kyaw Tin , Dep Min of Progress of Border Areas and National 
Races and Development Affairs 
U Hlian Win, Dep Min of Social Welfare, Relief and 
Resettlement 
 
3.  (C)  Burma will now have two Deputy Foreign Ministers. 
The current one, Deputy Foreign Minister U Khin Maung Win, 
will reportedly remain in his job and will still be the 
deputy leader of delegation to UNGA.  There is widespread 
speculation that Khin Maung Win could take over as Foreign 
Minister as the current FM, Win Aung, has been very open 
about his desire to retire to a Buddhist monastery.  The new 
additional Deputy Foreign Minister, U Kyaw Thu, may possibly 
be assigned responsibility for regional issues and building 
the regime's diplomatic defenses in preparation for this 
Fall's ASEAN meeting. 
COMMENT:  HOW DO YOU SPELL P-A-T-R-O-N-A-G-E? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) In this current round of assignments in one of the 
world's largest government cabinets, Senior General Than Shwe 
continues the regime's patronage-based tradition of rewarding 
his supporters with wealth-generating positions and by 
retiring those who are no longer useful or may have 
questionable allegiances.  The new Ministers and Deputy 
Ministers in the resources and business-related ministries 
can now begin to personally benefit from the 
institutionalized graft that make these positions so worth 
while.   For example, the new Mayor of Rangoon is in the best 
position for earning money, evidenced by former Rangoon Mayor 
and Than Shwe's golfing buddy U Ko Lay, who was allegedly 
able to earn over one million USD a year through kickbacks. 
Even the new Vice Mayor is in a lucrative position as he has 
authority to sign some contracts for the city.  End comment. 
Martinez