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• Than Shwe to visit China
  Burmese strongman and former Senior General Than Shwe is preparing for a five-day state visit to ...
  
  Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Burmese strongman and former Senior General Than Shwe is preparing for a five-day state visit to China.
  
  According to the Chinese news service Xinhua, the visit, on which Than Shwe will be accompanied by his wife, is scheduled for September 7 to 11.
  
  Having last visited China in 2003 as chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the upcoming sojourn comes shortly after several senior members of Burma’s armed forces abruptly retired their fatigues and declared themselves civilians in apparent preparation for the country’s November general election.
  
  In recent months China has rampantly increased its investment into Burma, already pumping in over 8 billion dollars during the current fiscal year. The sum is two-thirds Burma’s total investment over the past two decades.
  
  Of the recent infusion of investment, 5 billion dollars is directed at hydropower projects, with the oil and gas sector benefiting from a further 2.15 billion dollars.
  
  Xinhua reports the latest tête-à-tête comes at the behest of an invitation extended to the Burmese leader from Chinese President Hu Jintao.
  
  Than Shwe had also visited China in 1996 as chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the junta’s precursor to the SPDC.
  
  The last high-level Chinese mission to Burma was led by vice president Xi Jinping in December of last year.
  
  In July of this year Than Shwe travelled to India, where he was feted by Indian leaders and signed several agreements, including economic concessions, aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries.
  
  
  
  
  
• Than Shwe's retirement imminent
  Mizzima has learned from military sources that Burma's military dictator Senior General Than Shwe will officially resign his post in ...
  
  Mizzima has learned from military sources that Burma's military dictator Senior General Than Shwe will officially resign his post in September. The ageing dictator will be replaced as head of the Armed Forces by General Thura Myint Aung, a close ally in his 50's.
  
  Our sources have also confirmed that the regime's second in command, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, will also follow Burma's notorious strongman into official retirement. Maung Aye, widely known for his alcoholism and loyalty to Than Shwe will be replaced by the former Chief of the Bureau of Special Operations Lt. Gen Ko Ko.
  
  According to sources, while it has yet be announced by Burma's state owned media General Min Aung Hlaing has already been promoted to become the junta's third ranking member, Joint Chief of Staff of the combined Army, Navy and Air Force. This powerful position was formerly held by the recently retired General Thura Shwe Mann.
  
  Quarter Master General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo will soon be relived by former Naypyidaw Command head Maj. Gen. Wei Lwin.
  
  Most of the senior officers holding the position of Lt. Gen. have already resigned, and have been replaced by Maj. Gen. rank officers, many of whom were regional commander chiefs.
  
  It is expected that many of Burma's newly resigned senior officers will contest Burma's upcoming November election. An election which many observers expect to be rigged.
  
  Below are the names of other newly promoted senior officers and their rankings:
  
  
  
  

  Current Post	Former Post
  Joint Chief of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force	BSO 2 chief - Lieutenant General Min Aung Hlaing
  Quartermaster General	Naypyidaw Command chief Major General Wei Lwin
  Adjutant General	Coastal Command chief Major General Khin Zaw Oo
  Military Appointment General	Rangoon Command chief Major General Win Myint
  Rangoon Command	LID 77 chief Colonel Tun Than
  Military Intelligence Headquarters	Southwestern Command chief Major General Kyaw Swe
  Chief of Military Ordnance	Deputy Defence Minister Major General Thein Htay
  BSO 1 - Kachin State, Mandalay Division, Chin State, Sagaing Division	Northwestern Command chief Major General Myint Soe
  BSO 4 - Karen State, Mon State, Tenasserim Division	Southeastern Command chief Major General Thet Naing Win

  Abbreviations

  BSO – Bureau of Special Operations

  LID – Light Infantry Division

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Burma reshuffles top military brass
  Several Lieutenant Generals have today resigned and seen their positions in the armed forces replaced by Major Generals. According to unconfirmed reports, ...
  
  Several Lieutenant Generals have today resigned and seen their positions in the armed forces replaced by Major Generals. According to unconfirmed reports, General Thura Shwe Man and the junta’s Secretary (1) General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo are among those who have resigned from their military posts. It is predicted that the resigned officers will contest in the upcoming election. Details of the latest reshuffling of Burma's armed forces are still under investigation.
  
  
  
  
• NDF leader gives up on polls citing bureaucratic obstacles
  National Democratic Force party central executive committee member Khin Maung Swe announced today he is withdrawing from nationwide polls ...
  
  Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – National Democratic Force party central executive committee member Khin Maung Swe announced today he is withdrawing from nationwide polls on November 7.
  
  He and other members of the main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party had split to form the National Democratic Force (NDF) so they could stand in this year’s elections.
  
  The junta’s electoral watchdog, the Union Election Commission (UEC), told Khin Maung Swe and the NDF’s vice-chairman Tin Aung Aung, central executive committee member Thar Saing and politburo member Sein Hla Oo, to file an appeal to allow them to stand, as electoral laws barred them from participating on grounds of their high treason convictions in 1990.
  
  Though they had already filed such petitions they said they were instructed to file again, so Khin Maung Swe believed this suggested the junta would block any of their efforts to be elected.
  
  “I have submitted this petition to them. Now they’ve [the UEC staff] asked me to file it again as a personal appeal. They will not give me permission to contest in this election even though I submitted this petition again as they said. So I will not file this petition again and will not contest in this election,” Khin Maung Swe told Mizzima.
  
  “They’ve imposed restrictions on me for this election. They have permitted registration of our party so they should also allow its leaders to participate … It is logical and natural,” he said.
  
  It is not yet known whether the three other leaders will resubmit their petitions.
  
  Other politicians who have turned their backs on the upcoming election, denouncing it as neither free nor fair, include Union Democratic Party chairman Phyo Min Thein.
  
  
  
  
  
• Village dam breaks after heavy rain in Mandalay
  Five days of heavy monsoonal rain have caused the breach of a man-made village reservoir in central Burma’s Mandalay Division, ...
  New Delhi (Mizzima) – Five days of heavy monsoonal rain have caused the breach of a man-made village reservoir in central Burma’s Mandalay Division, villagers said.
  
  Heavy rain that started five days ago caused the reservoir to fill, overflow and then break in Kyapinkone village, five miles (eight kilometres) east of Thazi Township in Meiktila District, a resident said.
  
  “The [heaviest of the] downpours came twice and they were very heavy. The reservoir broke but it affected only just a little”, Ohn Shwe from Wundwin Township, 25 miles north of Thazi, said.
  
  Some of Wundwin’s streets flooded on Tuesday after the dam broke, Ohn Swe said.
  
  The water level of the previously dry Samone Dam, another reservoir in Wundwin, had risen after the downpours, he said.