There has been a significant increase in junta military officers being appointed to jobs in civilian ministries with about 330 moving into civil service jobs in the last year.

Since the coup, there has been a notable increase in transfers from the military to civilian positions across almost all civil service departments, including the Union Civil Service Board, and junta-controlled entities like the Central Bank, and the Myanmar Economic Corporation.

The Myanmar Gazette reported that over 280 military officers moved into civil service posts between January and December 2023, with an additional 50 transfers from January 2024 to May 2024. These officers ranged in rank from lieutenant to colonel. It included retired majors, Air Force colonels, and Navy lieutenant colonels.

They took jobs normally taken by civilians in ministries that oversee the economy, health, transport and communication, amongst others. They have also taken union-level administrative jobs and positions.

At least 80 of those junta military officers transferred to departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs from January 2023 to May 2024. Their new jobs included roles within the police force, the Corrections Department, and the General Administration Department, according to the Myanmar Gazette.

Observers and political analysts view this influx as a strategic move by the military junta to maintain control because they distrust civilian governance.

Captain Kaung Thu Win, a member of the Civil Disobedience Movement said that under the National League  for Democracy (NLD) government there were far fewer soldiers moving into the civil service but since the junta had come to power far more have moved into the civil service.

He said: “These former military officers get official titles when they transfer and often come with a hierarchical mindset that can clash with civilian protocols.”