COMMENTS (0)

RECOMMEND (176)

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PLUSONE

MORE

E-MAIL

PRINT

TEXT SIZE

One factor throwing doubt on the gun battle rumor is that while the generals’ personal assistants are allowed to carry weapons in the war office, the top brass themselves have to hand in their arms outside the meeting room.

 

Bo Win Tun’s death and rumors of the shoot out coincided with a meeting of army regional commanders in Rangoon. The meeting was held last week, and was attended by all three leaders as well as other senior officers.

 

Whatever the truth behind the rumors, analysts in Rangoon believe a major military reshuffle is looming. Some thought an announcement would be made by the junta on Thursday night. Rangoon-based news wire journalists were on full alert. One veteran journalist said he had been watching TV and listening to radio news bulletins for weeks expecting such an announcement. “I don’t want to miss anything,” he said.

 

The one solid fact so far is that Soe Win was last seen meeting officials from India in Rangoon on January 11. While some western diplomats scoff at the idea of a gun battle, they have been making serious attempts to locate Soe Win. They believe the Prime Minister’s job has been shaky for a while, and that top military brass were about to show him the door.

 

Soe Win is widely believed to have organized the physical attack on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her convoy while traveling through Depayin, Sagaing Division, in May 2003. The incident was quickly followed by her return to house arrest.

 

Further confusion was thrown on the gun battle rumor by Rangoon’s official newspapers yesterday, when all three regime leaders were reported to have sent messages to India congratulating it on its 56^th Anniversary of the Republic Day. But many Burmese appeared to remain unconvinced that all was well.

 

Lt-Gen Soe Win (new Prime Minister)

Soe Win is the junta’s new prime minister, succeeding Gen Khin Nyunt, who was sacked in October. Apart from taking over as prime minister, Soe Win also assumed responsibility for many national committees.

He brings to the job a reputation no better than Khin Nyunt’s—both men were notoriously ruthless in putting down the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. Soe Win is remembered for ordering troops to fire on Rangoon General Hospital, where demonstrators were staging a protest.

He is also widely believed to have organized the attack on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s convoy as she and her supporters were traveling through Depayin, Sagaing Division (dozens, perhaps hundreds were beaten to death in the massacre), and to have been instrumental in her subsequent arrest.

The US State Department has noted his role in the attack.