POLITICS: Burma’s ‘Moderate’ Gen. and Ex-Premier Goes on Trial

By Larry Jagan Reprint | | Print |

Larry Jagan

BANGKOK, Jul 10 2005 (IPS) - Burma’s internationally best-known army general and former prime minister Khin Nyunt who is due to be tried this week can expect to be put away for the rest of his life say exile leaders.

Khin Nyunt, once regarded the ‘moderate’ face of the military junta which has been ruling the country for close to 17 years, was arraigned in the country’s notorious Insein prison last week on eight charges, including bribery, corruption and insubordination, according to government sources which said that his trial is slated to begin Tuesday.

Just as the regime prepares to put Khin Nyunt on trial, Burma’s military rulers released hundreds of political prisoners. Some key political activists, including several elected to parliament, were among those freed.

Diplomats in Rangoon believe this may be the junta’s way of distracting international attention from the trial.

At the same time, domestically, the trial of so powerful a man would send signals down the rank and file that it does not pay to push democracy too hard, Soe Myint, a New Delhi-based exile leader told IPS in an interview.

”The irony is that Khin Nyunt was very much the army man and only relatively more moderate than his peers,” Soe Myint said.

Khin Nyunt’s trial may also signal a struggle for power between Burma’s top generals – Senior General Than Shwe and General Maung Aye – left unresolved since the two combined to topple the third most powerful general Khin Nyunt nine months ago.

Massive security and secrecy surrounds Khin Nyunt’s trial. A special tribunal has been established inside Insein prison with three Supreme Court judges on the bench to try him.

The former premier may now be facing the death penalty, according to Burmese legal experts who were going by the long list of charges brought up against him and the fate of those who were arrested with him.

But others believe that a death sentence would not be carried out and that the man who was once served as the country’s intelligence chief is more likely to be kept in prison for a very long time.

”The trouble is that Khin Nyunt is not only the man who knew too much (as intelligence chief) but also that too many people knew him internationally,” said Soe Myint.

Khin Nyunt was appointed prime minister in August 2003 and almost immediately announced a seven-point roadmap to democracy. These included drafting a new constitution, putting it to a referendum, holding new free and fair elections and forming an interim, coalition civilian administration.

But Khin Nyunt and the country’s top general Than Shwe could not agree on the participation of incarcerated, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy in the government’s handpicked National Convention which is drafting the guidelines for the new constitution.

When Than Shwe finally tired of Khin Nyunt, he was arrested last October but allowed to retire because of ill-health.

Khin Nyunt’s military intelligence setup was disbanded and thousands sacked. More than 50 senior military intelligence officers were recently sentenced to hundreds of years of imprisonment on charges of economic crimes and corruption.

Government ministers close to the former premier and his supporters in government were all purged.

In the past week, three other former Burmese government ministers, including the ex-foreign minister Win Aung, were arrested and are expected to stand trial for economic crimes and corruption in the near future.

The former agriculture minister Nyunt Tin and his son Thar Gyi were arrested because of the family’s involvement in a foreign exchange and import licence scam which netted more than US 10 million dollars, mainly from the government ministries and economic agencies, the Myanmar Economic Bank and the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited.

More than thirty businessmen also fell for the fraud. Many of the top generals’ children, including Than Shwe’s sons, the number two general Maung Aye’s daughter and Burma’s top businessman and Than Shwe’s closest confidante, Tay Za were cheated.

When Nyunt Tin was arrested, authorities seized more than thirty unlicenced cars smuggled into the country and some five boxes of gold and jewellery. The former agriculture minister was sacked last September when Than Shwe launched his campaign against Khin Nyunt.

Nyunt Tin was sacked for excessive corruption, according to Burmese government sources.

The agriculture minister and his family were, however, notorious for their involvement in corruption. Last year the minister built a new house in a plush area in the capital and his neighbours say large amounts of gold bars, rubies, pearls and precious stones were plastered into the walls.

Former home minister Tin Hlaing and former foreign minister Win Aung were also arrested and may be facing charges. Information collected during the interrogation of the two ministers, among Khin Nyunt’s closest confidants, may be used in the trial against the former premier.

The day after Khin Nyunt was moved to Insein the regime began to release hundreds of jailed political activists. Several leading figures were freed in what was probably the biggest single release of political prisoners since the military seized power.

Diplomats in Rangoon believe this to be an attempt to create cover for Khin Nyunt’s trial. It may even be part of the accusations against the former intelligence chief.

The replacement as prime minister, General Soe Win, has suggested that many prisoners were falsely jailed during Khin Nyunt’s premiership by over-zealous military intelligence officers.

Last Nov. and Dec. more than 20,000 prisoners were freed but there were very few political activists among them except the prominent student leader Min Ko Naing.

”It may be part of a strategy to blame the country’s problems on Khin Nuynt,” an Asian diplomat based in Rangoon said over telephone.

The campaign against Khin Nyunt’s supporters has angered many in the army and there is growing frustration and disillusionment within the ranks. ”We would have died for Gen. Ne Win, but not these generals û all they are interested in is holding onto power at all costs,” said a retired military officer.

Many middle ranking officers are now openly criticising their superiors, said an Indian trader who has significant dealings in Burma.

To try to allay fears within the military and restore morale, Than Shwe has started a major restructuring of the army.

The power and authority of the regional commanders has been increased and the number of key officers under their command has been doubled, with three extra colonels attached to each regional command, in charge of military intelligence, inspection, public relations and the militia.

Regional commanders have had restored to them the power they enjoyed in pre-2001 days when Khin Nyunt reined them in as part of streamlining the army.

The restructuring though is largely the result of the struggle between the top two generals for power over the army command, Soe Myint said.

With Than Shwe’s health deteriorating, the battle for succession is beginning to hot up. Khin Nyunt’s trial may be a way of preparing the ground for the next generation of Burma’s military rulers, observers said.