Clash Broke Out within Burmese Generals
January 26, 2005

The Kachin Post

A fresh shake-up has been broke out within top Burmese generals this morning, according to the ceasefire groups in northern Burma. Vice-Chairman of junta’s State Peace and Development Council Vice-Senior General Maung Aye was rounded up at undisclosed location in capital Rangoon and his office was closed down.

Rumor has been spreading that Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo and Burma Army’s Yangon Command Commander Maj-Gen Myint Swe were wounded after shooting broke out in Rangoon. Cesaefire groups believe that head of the Burmese military government Senior General Than Shwe is taking planned coup attempt on other generals.

Last Friday, Lt-Col Bo Win Tun, a personal assistant to Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, was died “on duty”. Burmese authority gave no official account on that. Rumors in Rangoon say that there has been planned shake-up within Burma Army. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye serves as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, and Commander-in-Chief (Army) of Burma Army.

Burmese Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win has also been missing since last week on the Junta’s media; Myanmar TV, The New Light of Myanmar, Kye Mone and Myanma Alin newspapers. Sources in Rangoon said he is believed to be under house arrest.

However, junta’s mouthpiece The New Light of Myanmar today reports that Senior General Than Shwe, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, Lt-Gen Soe Win and Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win sent facilitation letter to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of 56th Anniversary of the Republic Day of India.

Today’s meeting between Maj-Gen Maung Oo and KIO vice president Gen Gauri Zau Seng has been canceled, according to the Kachin Independence Organization.

Meanwhile, the trail of over 300 military intelligence officers, who were arrested after the purge of intelligence chief and prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt in last October, begins on Monday at Insein prison in Rangoon.

Diplomat sources in Rangoon said, Brig-Gen Myint Aung Zaw, former head of the administration department at the Office of Chief of Military Intelligence, or OCMI, is believed to have been tortured to dead and his body was secretly cremated.