YANGON—A senior Home Affairs Ministry official who served as director general of the General Administration Department (GAD) was appointed as deputy minister for the Ministry of the Office of the Union Government on Wednesday, as part of the process of transferring authority over the formerly military-run department to the government.
The move comes one week after the GAD was officially transferred to the civilian-controlled Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, one of the major reforms implemented by the National League for Democracy-led government in its two-and-a-half years in office.
New Deputy Minister U Tin Myint, who has been promoted from his position as permanent secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), is a former captain in the Myanmar Armed Forces. He has held several positions in the GAD.
The department was formerly overseen by MOHA. Under the 2008 Constitution, the ministry is one of the three led by major-generals appointed by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
For more than 30 years, the GAD has formed the backbone of Myanmar’s public administration. Under the 2008 Constitution it serves as the primary link between the national and lower levels of government, and has direct control of district and township authorities, the country’s key administrative institutions.
The GAD is authorized to support government security efforts like imposing bans on any activities that threaten the rule of law and stability, and to sue a person who commits arms-related crimes while reporting relevant information back to Naypyitaw. Its duties also include reporting on population movements, security incidents and basic demographic data. Moreover, the GAD has the power to enforce some civil laws.
The Ministry of the Office of the Union Government was created by the current administration. In November, a former Air Force pilot, retired Colonel U Min Thu, was appointed as its minister.
