Myanmar junta replaces central bank head in reshuffle

Protester holding up a poster featuring Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in front of the Central Bank of Myanmar. Credit: AFP Photo

The head of Myanmar's central bank was replaced on Friday as part of a surprise reshuffle by the military junta which seized power in a coup last year, state media reported.

Deputy Governor Than Than Swe, who was hospitalised after being shot by unidentified attackers at her home earlier this year, will now head the bank, replacing Than Nyein.

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No reason was given for the change and a junta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the widely-condemned February 2021 coup, with the military battling ethnic armed groups and civilian protesters for control across the country.

Several regional security heads were also replaced as part of the reshuffle, which also included a handful of cabinet portfolios, including the immigration minister, state media reported.