President U Thein Sein Reshuffles His Cabinet!

(Translation of News from the Yangon Press International on 27 August.)

Burma President U Thein Sein has reshuffled his cabinet and also appointed some new deputy ministers on today 27 August 2012.

All together 9 Ministerial appointments and 15 Deputy-ministerial appointments are announced by a presidential decree today. The rest are to be announced in coming days.

The nine new ministerial appointments are as follows.

1.      U Soe Thein, President’s Office Minister (former Industry Minister).

2.      U Aung Min, President’s Office Minister (former Railway Minister).

3.      U Hla Htun, President’s Office Minister (former Finance & Revenues Minister).

4.      U Tin Naing Thein, Presidnet’s Office Minister (former National Planning Minister).

5.      U Aung Kyi, Information Minister (former Welfare & Labor Minister).

6.      U Kyaw San, Cooperatives Minister (former Information Minister).

7.      U Ohn Myint, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries Minister (former Cooperatives Minister).

8.      U Aye Myint, Industry Minister (former Science & Technology Minister).

9.      U Tint San, Sports Minister (former Hotel & Tourist and Sports Minister).

The new deputy ministerial appointments are below here.

1.      Police-chief Kyaw Kyaw Htun, Home Ministry.

2.      U Pike Htwe, Information Ministry.

3.      U Than Swe, Culture Ministry.

4.      U Aung Thein, President’s Office Ministry.

5.      Dr. Lin Aung, Finance & Revenues Ministry.

6.      U Set Aung, National Planning & Economic Development Ministry.

7.      Dr. Khin San Yee, National Planning & Economic Development Ministry.

8.      Daw Suu Suu Hlaing, Welfare, Rescue, & Resettlement Ministry.

9.      U Thaung Tin, Communication, Post, & Telecommunication Ministry.

10.  U Htin Aung, Energy Ministry.

11.  Brigadier Win Myint, Immigration & Manpower Ministry.

12.  U Aye Myint Maung, Environment & Forestry Ministry.

13.  Dr. Thet Thet Zin, Environment & Forestry Ministry.

14.  U Thaung Htaik, Sports Ministry.

15.  Dr. Thein Thein Htay, Health Ministry.

The reshuffle involves 9 ministers and 15 deputy ministers and some civilian academics and businessmen are among the 15 new deputy ministers. Well-known academics with PhD are now the deputy ministers in the Environment & Forestry, Finance & Revenues Ministry, and the Health Ministry.

Former Information Minister U Kyaw San.

IT entrepreneur U Set Tin is now the Deputy Minister for Communication, and the well known economist Dr. Khin San Yee and one of the President’s Economic Advisors U Set Aung are now the Deputy Ministers in the National Planning &  Economic Development Ministry.

The surprise was the apparent demotion of Minister U Kyaw San from the Information Ministry to the Co-operatives Ministry.

And the reason for 6 union minsters in the President's Office   is not so clear but the speculation is U Thein Sein wanted the union ministers to handle individual cases like the Arrakan Islamic Crisis and  the ceasefire negotiation cases and report to him directly.

Some of the new ministerial posts are still to be announced as the following 8 ministerial positions are now vacant.

1.     Minister for Culture Ministry.

2.      Minister for Railway Transportation Ministry.

3.      Minister for Finance & Revenue Ministry.

4.      Minister for Labor Ministry.

5.      Minister for Welfare & Resettlement Ministry.

6.      Minister for National Planning & Economic Development Ministry.

7.      Minister for Hotel & Tourism Ministry.

8.      Minister for Science & Technology Ministry.

                                          Presidential Decree of Cabinet Reshuffle (in Burmese)