Rumors swirled in army-ruled Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Wednesday that junta strongman Senior General Than Shwe has been removed by the powerful army commander. Reports suggested Than Shwe, head of a military junta which has ruled the former Burma in various forms since 1962, had been ousted by number two General Maung Aye although Yangon was calm and people said there was no extra security on the streets. A Thai intelligence official told Reuters his organization was trying to determine the truth of the Rumors in the absence of official comment from the Yangon government. "We've heard Maung Aye has seized power from Than Shwe, citing allegations of corruption and his involvement in illegal trade of weapons," he said. He said Thura Shwe Man, the number three general in the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), was rumored to have been assigned to investigate Than Shwe's alleged crimes.
Than Shwe has not been seen on state television since August 20 when he met U.N. envoy and former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, but official newspapers on Wednesday reported his message of congratulations to Ukraine on its independence day. Diplomats in Yangon said they believed he was on a provincial tour. "We understand he is out of town and this rumor did not start in Yangon, but outside the country," a Southeast Asian diplomat said. The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) also played down the Rumors. "So far as we can confirm, this rumor is more likely not to be true. The situation across the city is quite normal," NLD spokesman Nyan Win told Reuters. But the Thai language newspaper Phuchatkan reported on its Web site at manager.co.th that Maung Aye, the army commander-in-chief had ordered Than Shwe detained at a Yangon hospital on Tuesday. "General Maung Aye has taken over power since midnight on August 23," the newspaper said, citing Thai intelligence sources. |