Myanmar's junta announces small reshuffle of Cabinet and military posts

YANGON, Myanmar (IHT): Myanmar's junta reshuffled three of its top-ranked officials Friday, giving one of the key ministers in charge of cyclone relief work more time to focus on his job.

The reshuffle, which had been rumored for weeks, was announced on state-run radio and television Friday. No explanation was given, as is customary for Myanmar's secretive military regime. The changes did not involve any officials with influence on policy decisions.

One of the key ministers handling post-cyclone management, Resettlement Minister Maj. Gen. Maung Maung Swe, previously held two Cabinet posts. His other portfolio, minister of immigration and population, was given to Maj. Gen. Saw Lwin.

The U.N. estimates that 2.4 million people were affected by the May 2-3 cyclone, which killed more than 78,000 and left another 56,000 missing.

The junta has faced worldwide criticism for failing to speed relief to survivors, but foreign aid agencies say that a widely feared second wave of deaths from disease and starvation has so far not occurred.

Maung Maung Swe has been one of the junta's point men for coordinating with U.N. officials and diplomats in cyclone relief work. The change apparently was to allow him to concentrate on relief efforts and was not viewed as a demotion since he had only been expected to hold the immigration Cabinet portfolio until a replacement could be found, said officials who spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

Saw Lwin was previously one of the government's two industry ministers. That job, called Industry Minister Two, was transferred to Vice Admiral Soe Thein, the navy's commander in chief.

Naming a senior military commander to a lower-ranking Cabinet post is unusual, but Soe Thein is approaching 60, the age of retirement for a navy chief, said officials who spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

A new navy commander was not immediately named.