US embassy cable - 05RANGOON927

UNCLAS RANGOON 000927 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, INR/B; PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, BM 
SUBJECT: BURMA: EDUCATION MINISTER OUSTED, MORE CHANGES TO 
COME? 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Burmese regime announced on August 11 
changes in leadership at two ministries and within the Prime 
Minister's office, including the firing of the Minister of 
Education.  The mini-shuffle may be a further rooting out of 
former-PM Khin Nyunt loyalists and sources indicate more 
"adjustments" are imminent.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) The SPDC announced in official state media that, 
effective August 10, Education Minister U Than Aung had been 
dismissed.  His replacement is the current Deputy Minister of 
National Planning and Economic development, Dr. Chan Nyein, a 
mechanical engineer and a graduate of Rangoon Institute of 
Technology.  Despite the change, the Ministry of Education 
remains one of only two ministries run by career civil 
servants (the other being the Ministry of Health).  Active or 
former military officers head all other ministries. 
 
3. (SBU) The regime's official orders, signed by Secretary-1 
Lt-Gen Thein Sein, replaced Chan Nyein at the Ministry of 
Planning with new Deputy Minister Col. Thurein Zaw.  The 
orders also announced that the regime had retired two 
ministers from the Office of the Prime Minister, U Than Shwe 
and Brigadier General Pyi Sone, a former Commerce Minister. 
The SPDC did not name their replacements. 
 
4. (SBU) COMMENT: It is unusual for the regime to terminate a 
senior official, as in the case of Education Minister U Than 
Aung.  Retirement or reassignment are the standard 
"face-saving" methods to make top-level changes.  Than Aung's 
ouster, and the other changes, may reflect a continued 
ferreting out of former-PM Khin Nyunt's cronies.  The 
retirements within the PM's office follow by less than a week 
the apparent dismissal of Cabinet Secretary, U Soe Tint, and 
SPDC chief of staff, Lt. Col. Pe Nyein.  Embassy sources 
believe similar changes may take place soon at the Ministries 
of Construction, Post and Telecommunications, Progress for 
Border Areas, and Livestock and Fisheries.  END COMMENT. 
Stoltz