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Wednesday, 5 Feb 2003

The New Secretary-2

The spokesperson of the military junta, Deputy Chief of Intelligence Major General Kyaw Win, told reporters at a press briefing on 17 November 2001 that the Secretary-2 post once held by late Lieutenant-General Tin Oo (died in a helicopter crash in February 2001) and the Secretary-3 post held by dismissed Lieutenant-General Win Myint "will not be filled."

Hence, a recent announcement by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) that Air Defense General Lt Gen Soe Win has been appointed as Secretary-2 of the SPDC, to say the least, was unexpected. Although there has been no indication as to whether the move will have an impact on the talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the new appointment signals a shift in the thinking of the top generals particularly when the new Secretary-2, Lt Gen Soe Win, was the person quoted as saying to local members of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association in Prome last month that "the SPDC not only won’t talk to the NLD but also would never handover power to the NLD."

Lieutenant General Soe Win, a career infantry officer and a graduate of Defense Services Academy, DSA, (Intake 12, BC 11715), is remembered by one of his professors at the DSA as "an average student" known for championing the "right" causes for his benefit. During the defense academy years when the Burma Socialist Program Party was in power, he was espousing the socialist doctrine so much that his fellow cadets considered him left-leaning and "red".

Army sources have said that there is not much that Lt Gen Soe Win could do to prove his worth in his present post as the Air Defense General (appointed in November 2001) given the situation of the Burmese air force and its air defense power. But what he may have excelled in is his performance as a leading official of Senior General Than Shwe's pet project--the Union Solidarity and Development Association.

Lt Gen Soe Win has always been the favorite of the top generals as his name always took precedence over his contemporaries in official releases. He is always listed below the top three leaders Senior General Than Shwe, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, General Khin Nyunt, and Lt Gen Thura Shwe Mann, another lieutenant general who was promoted at the same time as him but now reported to be the Chief of Staff for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

By virtue of his position in the Defense Services, Lt Gen Thura Shwe Mann could have been the choice for Secretary-2 position. But, according to Rangoon sources, he was a career soldier "good at obeying orders but lacked the initiative" shown by Lt Gen Soe Win.

(Lt Gen Thura Shwe Mann)

The Background

Although not much of Lt Gen Soe Win's earlier career in the Army is known, he was never named to leading party and council positions in the Burma Socialist Program Party period despite his socialist leanings. He caught the attention of the public only when he rose to the rank of colonel in early 1990s and became chairman of Chin State Law and Order Restoration Council. In the last major reshuffle of State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in 1997, he with the rank of Brigadier General succeeded Major General Hla Myint Swe (now the minister for transport) as commander of Northwest Command and made a full member of SPDC as the SLORC dissolved itself and transformed into SPDC.

Residents of Monywa recall him as "more likable" than his predecessor Hla Myint Swe because of his smooth dealings with civilians. When SPDC instructed local commanders to hold mass rallies all over the country to denounce the National League for Democracy, he avoided the wrath of the local people by not summoning them to the rallies and instead holding the rallies outside Monywa with attendance from neighboring townships, such as Budalin, Salingyi, Kani, and other places. He carried out his task without offending the Monywa population.

Another factor that may have stood in his good stead was his handling of the projects in his region--the Thaphanseik dam and hydropower project on the Mu River, Pakokku-Gangaw-Kale railways, and new Monywa-Kale road. With the deteriorating economy high on the list of priority in the minds of SPDC, Lt Gen Soe Win may be its choice to handle state projects.

The Top Commanders

The nine regional command commanders promoted at the same time with Lt Gen Soe Win and their positions to date are:

1. Lt Gen Thura Shwe Mann (ex-Southwest Command Commander) Chief of Staff of the Defense Services, officiating immediately under Vice Commander in Chief of Defense Services Vice-Senior General Maung Aye

2. Lt Gen Thein Sein (ex-Triangle Region Command Commander) Adjutant-General

3. Lt Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo (ex-Northeast Command Commander) Quarter-Master General

4. Lt Gen Tin Aye (ex-Southern Command Commander) Military Weapons Production General

5. Lt Gen Kyaw Win (ex-Northern Command Commander) Military Training General

6. Lt Gen Ye Myint (ex-Central Command Commander) Bureau of Special Operations-1 Commander

7. Lt Gen Aung Htwe (ex-Western Command Commander) Bureau of Special Operations-2 Commander

8. Lt Gen Khin Maung Than (ex-Rangoon Command Commander) Bureau of Special Operations-3 Commander

9. Lt Gen Maung Bo (ex-Eastern Command Commander) Bureau of Special Operations-4 Commander