Junta Leader in Myanmar Steps Down

The leader of Myanmar’s harsh military junta has resigned for health reasons and the deputy chairman has taken over the post, the government announced Thursday.

“Owing to heavy responsibilities undertaken continuously by Senior Gen. Saw Maung, his health failed, necessitating a complete rest as advised by his doctors,” the official Yangon Radio said.

Gen. Than Shwe, deputy chairman and army commander, will succeed Saw Maung as leader of the junta that took power in Myanmar, formerly Burma, after brutally suppressing a nationwide pro-democracy uprising in September, 1988.

Although the radio announcement did not specifically mention Saw Maung’s retirement from his positions as armed forces supreme commander, prime minister and president, “complete rest” probably means that he is retiring from all his duties.

Saw Maung, 63, had been widely reported to be suffering from a nervous disorder, and many of his public speeches have verged on the incoherent in recent months. He previously gave up the posts of foreign minister and defense minister to colleagues.

Than Shwe, 58, has been holding the jobs of army commander, deputy chairman of the junta, deputy supreme commander of the defense forces, and defense minister.

However, analysts long have believed that the key junta figure has been Khin Nyunt, its secretary. Since 1988, he has been involved in key decisions and policy deliberations while Saw Maung has usually dealt with generalities.

The military rulers held a promised general election in May, 1990, but refused to allow the pro-democracy party that overwhelmingly won the balloting to assume power.

Instead, it arrested those who won seats in Parliament on various charges and continued to hold the main pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest.