Kyaw Nyein, who served as the Minister of Forestry and Mining under the Thein Sein regime, has accepted a position within the Chin State Administration Council under the current military junta.

He said that he took on the role because of the issues facing Paletwa Township, where he lives, and will reportedly work on issues including forestry, agriculture, education, health, electricity access, and tourism.

“Paletwa is affected by COVID-10, armed clashes, and now a political crisis. There are many IDPs [internally displaced persons]in the Paletwa area,” he told Khonumthung News. “Because of these issues, I accepted this job for Chin State.”

Paletwa Township has been the site of clashes between the Burma Army and Arakan Army that have displaced around 10,000 people.

Kyaw Nyein said that he consulted with leaders and elders beforehand, and added that they “urged [him]to accept this job.”

Most recently, Kyaw Nyein had joined the Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD), running as a parliamentarian in Paletwa in the 2020 general election. He did not win.

He resigned from the CNLD on February 16, in which he was Chairperson (4).

The State Administration Council replaced the elected government after the military carried out a coup on February 1 in Burma. It has been widely opposed by the public through nationwide demonstrations and a general strike.