Yar Pyae, the chairperson of the regime’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC), was appointed the Minister for Defence by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday, while outgoing Defence Minister Tun Aung was reassigned to the post of Minister for Digital Development and Communications.
In his new role, Yar Pyae chaired a workshop in Naypyidaw on Oct. 15-16 to mark the 11th anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). At the close on Oct. 16, he called for efforts to establish a democratic federal union, ensure lawful resource extraction, and advance a unified peace process in Myanmar.
Yar Pyae served as the Minister for Border Affairs, Home Affairs, and as a national security advisor in Min Aung Hlaing’s regime from the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 up until April 10, when it was abolished by a pro-military parliament.
On Oct. 14, retired military doctor Ko Ko Lwin replaced former regime deputy Soe Win as the Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. Ko Ko Lwin was the executive chief of the Social and Health Bureau of the President’s Office.
Soe Win was appointed as Minister for Health, following the retirement of Thet Khaing Win on Oct. 9. Both are reportedly physicians and confidants of Min Aung Hlaing, who was inaugurated as Myanmar president by a pro-military parliament on April 10.
The latest cabinet reshuffle by Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw followed the reassignment of Hotel, Tourism and Culture Minister Maung Myint to the post of Minister for Labour on Oct. 3, with Labour Minister Khin Maung Soe replacing him in a reciprocal exchange.
Min Aung Hlaing formed 31 ministries as regime leader—four days prior to assuming the role of president—on April 6, which is an increase from the 25 ministries under the National League for Democracy (NLD) administration that was ousted in the 2021 coup.
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