Myint Swe (general)

Myint Swe (; ; born 5 June 1950) is a Burmese politician and retired army officer who has been Vice President of Myanmar since 30 March 2016 and previously served as Acting President of Myanmar from 1 February 2021 to 22 July 2024. He also served as the acting president from 21 March 2018 to 30 March 2018 after the resignation of President Htin Kyaw, and the chief minister of Yangon Region from 30 March 2011 to 30 March 2016. A member of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, he is an ethnic Mon and a former lieutenant general in the Myanmar Army.

Myint Swe was declared acting president by the Tatmadaw in the coup d'état on 1 February 2021, after which he immediately declared a state of emergency and formally transferred power to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. Throughout his political career, Myint Swe has worked to ensure the Tatmadaw's influence in politics. He has rarely been seen in public since the coup, with Min Aung Hlaing serving as the face of the government. Myint Swe's main role in the military government was to formally grant and renew Min Aung Hlaing's emergency powers.

Military career

He graduated from the Defence Services Academy in 1973 as part of the 15th intake. He became a brigadier general and commander of Light Infantry Division 11 in 1997. He was appointed as Commander of Southeastern Command and member of State Peace and Development Council in 2001. He was transferred as Commander of Yangon Command and promoted to major general. He also acted as Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council.

He became the Chief of Military Security Affairs after General Khin Nyunt was purged in 2004. He became Chief of Bureau of Special Operations – 5 (BSO-5) in January 2006. He is the first ethnic Mon to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2005. He was promoted to Quartermaster General and was rumored to be the next in line to replace Vice-Senior General Maung Aye in 2009.

He executed 3 major events while he was commanding the Yangon Command, arresting family members of General Ne Win in 2002 after an alleged coup conspiracy was uncovered, arresting Khin Nyunt and his associates in 2004 in the purge of the Military Intelligence faction and crushing the Saffron Revolution in 2007. His actions after Cyclone Nargis was criticized. He dealt with activists harshly in the pre- 2010 general election period.

Political career

Chief Minister of Yangon Region

He was nominated as chief-minister of the Yangon Region after the general election by President Thein Sein. He was tipped to be nominated to become Vice President of Burma after Tin Aung Myint Oo's resignation in 2012, but did not qualify per the Constitution of Burma, as his son-in-law was an Australian citizen at the time.

Vice Presidency

On 11 March 2016, military-appointed MPs of the Assembly of the Union nominated him as one of the Vice Presidents of Myanmar. He received 213 votes on 15 March 2016 and became First Vice President of Htin Kyaw's Cabinet. He was sworn in on 30 March 2016.

Acting President

On 21 March 2018, following the sudden resignation of Htin Kyaw as President of Myanmar, Myint Swe was sworn in as acting president under the Constitution of Myanmar, which also called for the Assembly to select a new president within seven days of Htin Kyaw's resignation.

On 1 February 2021, President Win Myint was removed from office in a coup and detained by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar's military), so Myint Swe would become Acting President, allowing him to call a meeting of the military-controlled National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) and declare a state of emergency and formally transfer power to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. The military maintains that Myint Swe constitutionally assumed the presidency because the constitution states the first vice president becomes acting president if the presidency becomes vacant due to "resignation, death, permanent disability or any other cause". However, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, this interpretation is questionable as the military had no legal authority to detain Win Myint and the constitution provides for an impeachment and removal process which was not followed.

Myint Swe extended the state of emergency five times by six month periods at meetings of the NSDC, but did not otherwise participate in government. The third extension was especially controversial because the constitution says up to two extensions are "normally" allowed. According to some international observers such as the International Crisis Group, the third extension was unconstitutional. Myint Swe justified the extension due to what he said are "extraordinary circumstances". The junta-packed Constitutional Tribunal affirmed his interpretation.

In a November 2023 meeting of the NSDC, Myint Swe warned that the country was at risk of being "split into various parts" amid the civil war.

On 18 July 2024, state media in Myanmar reported that Myint Swe was suffering from neurological disorders and peripheral neuropathy disease, adding that he had been receiving medical treatment since early in 2024 and was unable to eat or carry out other basic functions. On 22 July 2024, he took medical leave and transferred his duties as president to Min Aung Hlaing on an acting basis.

Personal life

Myint Swe is of Mon descent. He is married to Khin Thet Htay, and has two children.

References

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{{Chief Ministers of Burma

1951 births
Burmese generals
Burmese Mon people
Defence Services Academy alumni
Living people
Vice-presidents of Myanmar
Leaders who took power by coup
Union Solidarity and Development Party politicians
People from Mandalay
Acting presidents of Myanmar
presidents of Myanmar
21st-century Burmese politicians
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List
Individuals related to Myanmar sanctions
Military rule in Myanmar