Introducing Burma’s New Foreign Minister

Maj-Gen Nyan Win was named Burma’s new foreign minister during the weekend, replacing Win Aung, a civilian, after Burma’s military junta on Saturday replaced four ministers. The junta gave no reasons for the Cabinet shake-up.

Nyan Win is one of two vice chiefs of Armed Forces Training, a unit that is headed by Lt-Gen Kyaw Win, a member of State Peace and Development Council junta. Until early last year Nyan Win was the Commandant of Command and General Staff College of Kalaw, in southern Shan State.

Later in the year, he was moved to the Ministry of Defense’s Office of Strategic Studies, now called the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence, an intelligence and policy bureau which was founded in 1994.

Last September he was named to the National Convention Convening Commission to continue the constitution-drafting assembly, which reconvened in May, after an eight-year interval. Earlier this year he was promoted from brigadier-general to major-general.