Myanmar’s Suu Kyi approved for cabinet post

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar

Myanmar’s parliament approved Thursday democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and 17 other nominees for ministerial posts in the incoming government scheduled to take power April 1.

Parliament Speaker Mann Win Khaing Than announced all 18 candidates for 21 ministries nominated by President-elect Htin Kyaw were approved unanimously.

An announcement on who will lead which ministries, however, has yet to be made.

Among the approved ministers, three have been subject to criticism.

Kyaw Win, nominated as minister of planning and finance and Than Myint, slated to become minister of commerce, were found to have dubious master’s and PhD degrees from universities in the United States that have drawn suspicion.

Meanwhile, Thura Aung Ko -- slated to become minister of religious affairs and culture -- has been accused by a Chin human rights group of raping an ethnic Chin woman during the campaign for a constitutional referendum in 2008.