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14 March 2002

Coup Plot Update

Tightening the Net

The former military strongman and dictator retired General Ne Win and his daughter, Sandar Win, were earlier left out of the list of coup plotters when the plot was first announced at a Special Press Conference on 9 March by Vice Chief of Defense Services Intelligence Major General Kyaw Win. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) said, "...we are not arresting them or taking any action against them...It is a security measure for their own safety" that they were confined to their home and kept under guard.

By the second press conference on 12 March, Major General Kyaw Win openly discussed the role Sandar Win played in the coup plot. There were also revelations about the role the aging dictator Ne Win was to have played in the coup.

Demonizing the Dictator

The disclosures made at the press conference were an indication that the SPDC leadership was confident about the control it had over the country, and that it was ready to discredit Ne Win's family image and by proxy the dictator himself. The disclosures at the press conference were carefully crafted to show that the family wanted Ne Win to be a monarch-like figure and that the family was superstitious, consulting with a special astrologer, and using black magic and occultism to gain power. The exhibits were thoughtfully selected to drive home that point.

Some of the exhibits said to be seized from the family and shown to journalists contain a three-edged short sword which traditionally is wielded only by monarchs, "voodoo" dolls in the image of Senior General Than Shwe, General Maung Aye, and Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, and other things used in occultism.

One of the emblems designed by Aye Ne Win for the coup Army was a picture of a dancing peacock with a royal crown on top. Major General Kyaw Win said, "The dancing peacock represented the sun or U Ne Win (transliterated as "Brilliant Sun" in Burmese) and there was a crown on top.

The Role of Sandar Win

With regard to Sandar Win's role, Major General Kyaw Win said, "Witnesses said that all five members of the family--not just U Aye Zaw Win and his sons but also Daw Sandar Win--who frequently held closed door meetings at the office of the Nawarat Concorde hotel to discuss the change of leadership in the state.”

The Role of Ne Win

In connection with details of the coup plan and Ne Win's role, Major General Kyaw Win said U Aye Zaw Win planned "to take Senior General Than Shwe to Ady (Maykha) Road and let him meet U Ne Win. Those who did not follow the instructions of U Ne Win would be detained at that home and those who do would be made leaders. A government would be formed only with people who would obey U Ne Win.”

The Coup Date

The coup plotters planned "to take the opportunity of organizing and recruiting troops who arrived from different regions in Rangoon for the celebration of 57th Armed Forces Day (on 27 March). They would use the armed forces as a scapegoat to accomplish their goal.

A Private Army

The press conference also revealed that Ne Win family had a "private security force" of over 50 people hired as employees of their construction company, Golden Crown. "The company wasn't doing any real construction work even though it claims to be a construction company," said Major General Kyaw Win. "These hired hands were used as a private security force who accompanied their motorcade and provided security to their homes and offices," he added. Ne Win family spent about 3 million kyat every month on salaries for these people.

The press conference also disclosed how Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win used to travel in motorcade, beat up and humiliate a driver who would not make way and also abducted a young man, taking him to a military unit to beat him up, shave his head, and humiliate him.

Astrologer as Consultant

To show that the family was superstitious and ambitious, Major General Kyaw Win said an astrologer--Myo Myint Aung, alias Setkya Aung Pwint Gaung, alias Sayar Lay--was also on the payroll of Sky Link (a telecommunication business of the family) as a consultant. He was paid 300,000 kyat per month, a drum of octane car fuel and allowed the use of a cellular phone and an Isuzu Trooper.

The Crackdown Begins

The leaders in the SPDC are weeding out military and civilian elements with possible links to the coup plotters and keeping the rank and file in line in the aftermath of the conspiracy to overthrow the leaders recently. According to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), troops and police are on alert until further notice and officers from the Bureaus of Special Operations (BSO) of the Defense Ministry are touring different regions to meet armed units in order to prevent division within the Army, Navy and Air Force. Since Police Chief Major General Soe Win was named as a conspirator in the coup plot, police personnel were said to be instructed "to take orders only from their immediate commanders. All units were told to report to military intelligence units about any irregular activity."

Border Control

The War Office, DVB reported, has issued a directive to all border security posts prohibiting all ranking military and police officers from leaving the country through the border gates. The War Office must be informed of any military or police officer requesting for permission to cross the border. Security personnel together with military intelligence agents, DVB added, are thoroughly searching every passenger car and cargo truck leaving the border checkpoints for Thailand, India, and China.

Assets Frozen

DVB also said, "assets, economic enterprises, and financial accounts of Daw Sandar Win, the favored daughter of former Burmese dictator U Ne Win have been frozen" and her "Business Center at Nawarat Hotel has been closed and interrogation of employees has begun." In addition, DVB said, "maritime voyage permits have been suspended for boats from the fisheries enterprises in Tavoy, Mergui, and Kawthaung jointly owned (by Sandar Win and) Coastal Region Commander Maj Gen Aye Kyway (another alleged coup plotter). Boats offshore have been ordered to return to the ports.”

Business associates, "U Paw Kywe, director of Tenasserim International Company Ltd who has a fisheries partnership with U Aye Zaw Win, and board of directors of Htoo Htoo Toe Company jointly owned by Daw Sandar Win and Maj Gen Aye Kyway have also been arrested." Former senior officials of the Burma Socialist Program Party and family members who are friendly with Sandar Win and have become her business associates are also being investigated.

All bank accounts of Daw Sandar Win, her husband U Aye Zaw Win, and the three sons--Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win, and Zwe Ne Win--were frozen.

Arrests and Investigations

Air Force Commander in Chief Major General Myint Swe, Police Chief Major General Soe Win, and Triangle Region Command Commander Brig Gen Chit Than were the first Defense Services bigwigs named as conspirators in the coup plot earlier. According to DVB more arrests have been taking place all over the country. Some of those arrested and/or being interrogated are Coastal Region Command Commander Major General Aye Kyway, Northern Military Command Commander Brig Gen Maung Maung Swe, a Colonel from from No 502 Air Force Base, two Lieutenant Colonels from No 506 Air Force Base, No 1 Company Commander Maj Kyaw Thein from Mergui-based Military Intelligence Battalion 6, and No 3 Company Commander Capt Aung Kyaw Thein from Kawthaung Military Intelligence Unit. They were "all summoned to Rangoon and detained."

DVB said others reported to be taken in for interrogation involve "the director for Military Communications, the secretary of Industrialists Association, a Deputy Director from the Trade Ministry, the executive officer of Rangoon Port Authority, and 12 officials from Mingaladon Airport."

DVB said "Investigations are being launched against Former Deputy Prime Minister and Air Force Commander in Chief Lieutenant General Tin Tun and Former Trade Minister and Central Command Commander Lieutenant General Tun Kyi." A different reliable news source, however, said Lieutenant General Tun Kyi appeared to be as surprised as anyone about the coup and he seemed to be more interested in his businesses than politics.

A DVB broadcast said "the Directorate of Defense Services Intelligence in Rangoon has taken into custody Coastal Region Military Command Commander Maj Gen Aye Kyway together with Military Intelligence Battalion 6 Commander Major Thet Tin. More officers from battalions and units under the Triangle Region Military Command are also reported to have been arrested in connection with the failed coup. One major and some captains from the No.2 Armored Battalion based in Hmawbi (outside Rangoon) are being interrogated."

DVB also reported about the crackdown in the Coastal Military Region. It said, "Several senior military officers from the Coastal Region Military Command have been detained. Among those arrested were Commanders of No. 8, No. 13, and No. 20 Military Operations Management Commands Colonel Htein Win, Colonel Khin Maung Yin, and Colonel Tin Maung Tun; and Commanders of No 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Strategic Commands Colonel Soe Thet, Colonel Kyaw Swa, and Colonel Khin Win. A team of military intelligence officers from the Office of the Defense Services Intelligence in Rangoon has arrived in Mergui to interrogate the seized commanders."