The National Defence and Security Council (, ; abbreviated NDSC) is an eleven-member

national security council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...

responsible for security and defence affairs in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. Though the president is the

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the government of Myanmar, the 2008 Constitution reserves certain important executive powers for the NDSC and certain actions of the president and the

Tatmadaw The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...

(military) require approval by the NDSC. Of the 11 members, the commander-in-chief of defence services appoints 5 members and controls 6 votes. The NDSC's existence is enshrined in Chapter V of the

Constitution of Myanmar The Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar () is the supreme law of Myanmar. Myanmar's first constitution adopted by constituent assembly was enacted for the Union of Burma in 1947. After the 1962 Burmese coup d'état, a second ...

, and it was formed on 31 March 2011. A meeting of the NDSC can only be called by the president, which was never done during the

National League for Democracy The National League for Democracy (, ; Abbreviation, abbr. NLD; Burmese abbr. ဒီချုပ်) is a deregistered liberal democratic political party in Myanmar (formerly Burma). It became the country's ruling party after a landslide victo ...

's 2016–2021 time in power. After President Win Myint refused to call a meeting of the NDSC to address the Tatmadaw’s baseless allegations of massive voter fraud in the 2020 general election, the Tatmadaw under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing executed a coup on 1 February 2021, removing Win Myint and installing Myint Swe as Acting President so he could call a meeting of the NDSC and transfer state power to Min Aung Hlaing. The NDSC has since continued to serve as the purported basis of legitimacy for Min Aung Hlaing’s

military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...

. The NDSC's constitutionally enshrined roles include expansive powers: * Recommend pardonees for the President to grant amnesty * Approve the President's act of severing foreign diplomatic relations * Coordinate with the President to take military action against aggressors * Approve the

's ability to conscript citizens * Nominate a candidate for Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, to be appointed by the president * Coordinate with the President in declaring a state of emergency * Exercise legislative, executive and judiciary powers during a state of emergency * Exercise sovereign power during a state of emergency *

Members

According to the Constitution, NDSC's membership must consist of the following individuals: * President * First Vice-President * Second Vice-President * Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw * Speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw * Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services * Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services *

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

Members

National Defence and Security Council of Min Aung Hlaing (2024–present)

National Defence and Security Council of Myint Swe (2021–2024)

National Defence and Security Council of Win Myint (2018–2021)

National Defence and Security Council of Htin Kyaw (2016–2018)

National Defence and Security Council of Thein Sein (2011–2016)

References

See also