New Myanmar government unveiled. Aung San Suu Kyi head of diplomacy

A website close to the government said that the NLD leader will head the Ministries for Education, Foreign Affairs, Energy and Office of the President. She will be the only woman to join the new government. Interior, Borders and Defense go to military leaders. AsiaNews sources: Figures from the Church and the Christian world appointed. The full list of ministers.

Yangon (AsiaNews) - The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi, will have a prominent role in the new government. The website closest to the Nobel Laureates Party, which won the November election, www.pyithuhluttaw.gov.com reports that Suu Kyi will head the ministries for Education, Foreign Affairs and Energy as well as the Office of the President. In short she has taken four key positions despite the military’s attempts through a law contra personam to effectively block her ascent to the office of president.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s name is on a list of 18 people, each of which will have a specific role in the new government; the new president Htin Kyaw submitted the list to Parliament for approval.

The "Lady" is the only woman in the new government, made up of 17 men from her party. As per the Constitution, the Ministries of Defence, Interior and Borders have been assigned to three military men: Generals Sein Win, Kyaw Swe and Ye Aung.

Many problems remain unresolved in the country that was ruled for decades by a military dictatorship. And five years of semi-civilian government have certainly not been enough to change the situation, although there were small improvements in the economy and in terms of rights.

The unresolved issues include: conflicts in ethnic minority areas (Kachin, who, Shan); the legal classification of the Rohingya ethnic group, so far persecuted and without the right to citizenship; a better allocation of resources which have to date been the prerogative of the military elite and its cronies.

Catholic AsiaNews sources in Myanmar comment with moderate optimism on the names of the new government, some of which are a sign of "unity" within the government. The choice of a Christian vice-president is a sign " of the 'Lady's attention to the Church," says the source, plus the appointment "of many important names" from the Christian world in commissions and parliamentary groups.

The relegation to the margins "of nationalist movements and Buddhist extremists" who have challenged the decisions of the new government has sparked some discontent. To which Henerey Van Tio, responded "real monks look at the human attitude of people and the goodness of the actions that are carried out".

Here, below, a list of ministers of the new Burmese government:

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (Minister of Education, Foreign Affairs, President office and Electrical power and Energy) – 4 ministries

Dr. Aung Thu (Ministry of Agricultural, Livestock and irrigation)

U Thant Zin Maung (Ministry of Transport and communication

Thura U Aung Ko (Ministry of Religious and cultural)

U Ohn Win (Ministry of Natural resources and Environmental conservation)

Dr. Pe Myint (Ministry of Information)

U Thein Swe (Ministry of Labor, population and immigration)

U Win Khine (Ministry of Construction)

Naing Thet Lwin (Ministry of Ethnic affairs)

Dr. Myint Htwe (Ministry of Health)

Dr. Than Myint (Ministry of Economic and commerce)

Dr. Win Myat Aye (Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement)

U Khin Maung Cho (Ministry of Industry)