| A Special Press Conference Held |
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A special press conference with local and foreign journalists was held at the Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road here at 12 pm today. As explained by Maj-Gen Kyaw Win at the briefing, At the press conference held on 12th March we gave a briefing to news correspondents who are present today on the strategies and tactics planned by U Aye Zaw Win and sons Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win with the aim of seizing State Power. This week we shall provide further information on material evidence seized in the form of communication sets, military uniforms and equipment, badges and symbols, motor vehicles as well as personnel implicated in the conspiracy.
Recruitment of a company commander of the Security Force to participate in the plot to seize State Power For the sake of U Ne Win’s personal safety, a security force of company strength under a company commander had long been assigned guard duties. But in the time of previous company commanders their relationship with the three brothers Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win was normal with nothing out of the ordinary. In the past two years however, the three brothers began to form closer relations with the company commander who had been security duties to gain intimacy and authority over them. Kyaw Ne Win subsidized this company commander’s salary with a monthly payment of K 50,000 as a means of establishing intimacy and gaining authority. It so happened that this particular company commander was due to attend a commanding officers’ training course in March of this year. So he duly informed Kyaw Ne Win in February that he would have to attend this course. Kyaw Ne Win then told him that he had plans to hold consultations with a senior military commander before the Armed Forces Day in March to bring about a change in State leadership and that there were plans to appoint a certain Commander of a Military Command as the new Commander-in-Chief. He said therefore that at such a crucial period he needed to have a trusted company commander in charge of U Ne Win’s personal security and told him that he, Kyaw Ne Win would approach the authorities concerned to exempt the company commander concerned from attending the Commanding Officers’ Course. True to his word in the last week of February, Kyaw Ne Win went to see the Vice Adjutant General and requested that this particular company commander be given exemption from attending the said course. The reason he gave was that, U Ne Win had only recently undergone cardiac surgery in Singapore and that at a time when he required care and attention, they did not want make any changes in officers responsible for U Ne Win’s personal security; that if such a change was made they would lose someone who had an intimate knowledge of U Ne Win’s needs to carry out his wishes to his liking. So it was requested that the present company commander be excused from attending the course. The Vice – Adjutant General replied that this matter was not within the jurisdiction of his department and would have to go through proper official channels from the commanding officer in charge and submitted to the Commander of the military command concerned.
At the same time, the company commander himself had submitted an application to his commanding officer for exemption from attending, the Commanding Officers’ Course. He explained that it was at the request of U Ne Win’s family because they had planned birthday celebrations for U Ne Win. The Commanding Officer had therefore forwarded this application to the Senior Military Commander concerned. These events led the authorities make a search of trunks belonging to the company commander and they found 72 walkie- talkies together with batteries and battery chargers, car phones, and flak jackets. In addition other material evidence consisting of special camouflage jackets, camouflage peak caps, long camouflage boots, camouflage pistol holsters, scabbards for daggers and ammunition pouches specially designed by Kyaw Ne Win’s family were all seized. Among these the belts, flak jackets ammunition pouches and some of the holsters were foreign made goods, which Kyaw Ne Win had bought in Singapore and illegally brought into the country.
Inquiries have also revealed that Kyaw Ne Win had hinted at and consulted close friends and colleagues about plans to effect a change in State leaders. Furthermore, the three brothers Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win revealed their plans to a kind of astrologer/sorcerer whom they trusted and paid him 300,000 thousand kyats to use his occult powers for the smooth success of their plot. According to statements made by witnesses from among their colleagues, this family of five including Daw Sandar Win had from the past month begun to hold closed-door discussions quite frequently which was highly irregular. Aye Ne Win and brothers had also held a closed-door meeting on 7-3-2002 just before they went to meet a certain Military Commander. How the Security Company was recruited and organized contrary to military regulations Kyaw Ne Win had equipped the company responsible for security with a suit of non-regulation uniforms for each member, together with a flak jacket, peak cap, shoulder braids, combat boots, anklets and belts. They also supplied camouflage woolen jerseys and green jerkins that could be worn on both sides. According to military regulations those in charge have to carry out regular inspection of the turn out of the soldiers. Duty warrant officers carry out such inspections every Monday while the company commander carries out monthly inspections during the last week of the month. At the inspection carried out in the last week of the month Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win usually accompanied the company commander and took part in the inspection. Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win were also present together with the company commander and actively took part in inspection of the bedding in the barracks. Such military inspection can be conducted only by ranking members of the military. But the fact that civilians such as Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win infringed military rules and regulations by taking active part in such inspection implies that their motives were to wield influence over the military and also to sow discord among military servicemen. Marks were given for the weekly Monday personal turnout inspection and daily barracks inspection and first, second and third prizes as well as two consolation prizes were awarded according to the marks. The first prize was a cash award of kyat 7000; the second prize was kyat 5000; the third prize kyat 3000 and the consolation prizes were kyat 1000 each Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win themselves handed out the prizes. In addition, on every first Wednesday of the month, soldiers of the security company were regularly treated to a special lunch and prizes distributed at a special ceremony. The first prize was given by Aye Ne Win, the second prize by Kyaw Ne Win and the third prize by Zwe Ne Win. Kyaw Ne Win also sponsored sports meets for this security company and also bought sports outfits for them. Kyaw Ne Win has twice given a dinner at his own expense to honor the winning company team at the Sedona Hotel. This dinner was attended by Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win with their personal security men in attendance and the number of guests totaled around 120. After dinner was served at these functions the commanding officer and Kyaw Ne Win usually gave after-dinner speeches followed by prize distribution. The members of the battalion football team and the winning security company team were each awarded one quartz watch, a walkman radio/cassette and an envelope containing kyat 1500. Kyaw Ne Win gave the prizes away. Kyaw Ne Win invested his own money and established 3 chicken farms, 1 quail farm and one cattle farm, for the welfare of the soldiers of the security company. They have also taken the officers as well as some of the rankers for vacation to places like Ngapali. From this account, we can see clearly that these actions giving excessive privileges to a company which is part of a battalion was prompted by the ulterior motive of recruiting military personnel with ulterior motives. To spend an excessive amount of money to honor a company level football team with a dinner at the Sedona Hotel and handing out extremely expensive gifts is clear proof that they intended to recruit this force as their private militia. More material evidence seized
In a further search made of Kyaw Ne Win’s Golden Crown Co., Ltd. in the compound of the Narawat Hotel one Tharne and Tharne satellite phone, 4 Pasti satellite phones, 4 Erricsson satellite phones together with other wireless sets, G.S.M phones, and motor vehicle signal lights used by law enforcement agencies were discovered and seized. Another significant find after a search was conducted of Kyaw Ne Win’s office was a tapestry of a seal very similar to the State Seal in design. There were also printed greeting card with the same emblem and a family group photograph of U Aye Zaw Win, Daw Sandar Win and sons Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win, Zwe Ne Win and including U Ne Win. Altogether 350 greeting cards and envelopes have been confiscated. It is said that Aye Ne Win designed the seal or emblem seen in the tapestry work as a family emblem at the beginning of the year 2001.
Upper class and aristocratic families in foreign countries often have a family seal or emblem. So, likewise they decided to copy this practice and designed their own family emblem using symbols denoting the ancestry of both parents. In this emblem the peacock wearing a crown is placed at the top and as stated at last week’s press conference, three swords a tiger, and a fish are placed in the center of the arm badge. On the left of the arm badge is a lion holding a royal dagger. The lion denotes the mother Daw Sandar Win who is Tuesday born and the dagger represents her three sons whom she commands. On the right side of the arms badge is another peacock under a white umbrella. The peacock is U Ne Win who is being shaded with the white umbrella. Below are the words, “Pyinnya”, knowledge, “Thada” generosity, “Thamar” justice and “Weeri”, diligence. According to Aye Ne Win it is meant only as a family emblem but it seems to have been deliberately designed to simulate the State Seal. The royal dagger, the white umbrella and crown are all part of the Myanmar royal regalia and using these as part of the family seal shows their aspirations to a royal family status. They seem to consider themselves as a Royal Family. If they should succeed in their plot to seize power, it seems likely that they would surely set up a monarchy with hereditary rule to hold on to power forever in their hands. Confiscation of Unlicensed Vehicles
Concerning their economic activities I would like to brief you on how they illegally brought vehicles into the country without official license and permits. On Kyaw Ne Win’s orders, the Director of Pyi Sone Kyaw Trading Company Wai Linn Hsann was obliged to purchase vehicles bring them illegally into the country without licenses on his behalf. Kyaw Ne Win also used sources other than Wai Linn Hsan to buy cars without license from other brokers. Some of these vehicles were then resold at a profit. Some others were given false registration numbers and used by family members or as company cars. I have already given an account of 15 vehicles without proper licenses at the last press conference. But investigation into these vehicles unearthed other links. It was discovered that on 6th February 2002, the authorities concerned seized 4 vehicles without license at the town of Namsan, Shan State. These 4 vehicles turned out to be the ones that were bought by Wai Linn Hsan on behalf of Kyaw Ne Win who had given him 10 billion kyats. Wai Linn Hsan and group had crossed over to neighboring Mai Sai and bought one Escalade vehicle for four billion kyats, one Pajero Vehicle for three billion kyats, one Land Cruiser for two billion kyats and another Pajero for one billion kyats, totaling 4 vehicles at 1000 billion kyats, which they smuggled into the country.
Kyaw Ne Win not only smuggled vehicles from abroad into the country, he also attempted to import cars illegally. One cargo container imported from the port of Tokyo, Japan with Kyaw Ne Win’s name and address arrived by the vessel MV- GISSANG at the Asia World Port Terminal on 27th November 2001. This cargo container was addressed to Kyaw Ne Win of May Kha Road Mayangon Township. But he could not take delivery because he did not have the necessary import license. When no claim was made after the statutory 60 days after intimation, the container was opened for inspection and for auction. An Isuzu motor vehicle was found in the container. It was an ISUZU, VIHE CROSS (97 Model) that had been ordered through illegal exchange of money through agents at home and abroad known locally as the “Hondi” system. This motor vehicle has been confiscated in accordance with existing laws and procedures. If one studies the account that has been given of the preceding events it is obvious that U Aye Zaw Win, Daw Sandar Win and sons Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win had recruited the company commander and the men under his command to set up a private pocket army. They also equipped this company with all kinds of communication sets, military equipment and gave them other incentives to be able to make use of them when necessary. This is an act that could lead to disunity and discord within the Armed Forces. However, because Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win discussed their plans and consulted persons close to them, we were able to pinpoint and uncover some of the persons involved and those witnesses who were privy to the plot.
U Ne Win’s family has been conspiring not only to stage a coup and take over State Power but have also been involved in illegal and unjust economic enterprises. So all these will be taken into consideration when conducting further inquiries and action will be taken in accordance with the existing laws of the country. The special press conference concluded at 12.40 pm. |
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Kyaw Ne
Win also did not pursue his economic ventures within the law. He violated
the economic laws and rules and regulations of the country to enrich himself
through underhand means at the cost of the nation.