New Security Chief Appointed

to his current rank in July. He is a graduate of the 25th intake of the prestigious Defense Services Academy, and is thought to be trusted by those at the highest levels of Myanmar’s military establishment. He had served as chief of staff (army) since 2012.

Thai Director Studies Old Battlegrounds

Myanmar’s military carried out a reshuffle of its top brass on Sept. 8, with former chief of staff (army) Lt.-Gen. Mya Tun Oo appointed to two new roles including head of the military’s security agency. Military sources said the reshuffle sees Lt.-Gen. Mya Tun Oo appointed chief of Military Security Affairs and head of Bureau of Special Operations No. 6 Naypyitaw. Seen as a potential future military Commander-in-Chief, Lt.-Gen. Mya Tun Oo was only promoted from major general

The former Military Security Affairs chief Lt.-Gen. Kyaw Swe takes over as the chief of staff (army), a role he will fill concurrently with his position as head of Bureau of Special Operations No. 5. Commander of Yangon Command Maj.-Gen. Hsan Oo was also promoted to adjutant general, and the former adjutant general Lt.-Gen. Khin Zaw Oo was assigned as the head of Bureau of Special Operations No. 4. Commander of Northern Command Maj.Gen. Tun Tun Naung was appointed commander of Yangon Command, sources said. —Yan Paing

A film director from Thailand’s royal family has visited Myanmar for pre-production research before shooting the latest in a film series about an ancient Thai king. “The Legend of King Naresuan Part VI,” which will be filmed in Thailand, will feature a re-enactment of the Thai king’s attack on Taungoo in Myanmar’s Bago Region. The director, Chatrichalerm Yukol, came to Myanmar in early September to study the historic battlegrounds for two days, according to historian U Mya Thaung, who helped guide the film crew around the city. King Naresuan ruled the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605.

The film crew studied the area near Kywemagu and Yenwe creeks, where Naresuan stationed his troops, and along Sittaung River, where the troops marched on their way to Taungoo. Myanmar king, Bayinnaung, took 9-year-old Naresuan hostage to Hanthawaddy, the capital of the Myanmar kingdom of the same name, in a bid to keep Naresuan’s Ayutthaya kingdom subservient. In captivity, Naresuan learned military and leadership skills at a Myanmar monastery and, after the Myanmar king passed away, Naresuan fought the king’s successor, Nanda, for Ayutthaya’s independence in 1584. Last June, “The Legend of King Naresuan Part V” was shown at cinemas across Thailand by the Thai government in an attempt to boost nationalism. —Yan Paing

Myanmar’s Population Less Than Expected, at 51 Million

Myanmar’s first nationwide census in more than 30 years revealed that the country’s population is just 51.4 million, according to provisional data released on Aug. 30. The figure is significantly less than the government’s widely cited estimate of 60 million. The United Nations Population Fund assisted the census data collection process, surveying almost 11 million households.

Census data collectors also visited hospitals, tea shops and some camps for Internally Displaced Persons to collect information.

However, media reports suggested that Myanmar authorities failed to collect information from sensitive conflict-hit regions such as Rakhine and Kachin States. Salai Isaac Khen, director of the Gender and Development Initiative Myanmar who is also a member of the National Technical Advisory Board for the census, said that the census served as a reminder that the government had to be very careful in handling issues of ethnicity. Rohingya living in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State were barred from selfidentifying on the census and most were not enumerated. According to Immigration Minister, U Khin Yi, there are 1.33 million Rohingya living in Myanmar. The lower-thanexpected population total could impact development planning, said Salai Isaac Khen. When state budgets are devised for townships, they are calculated based on population.

—Yen Snaing