Khin Sandar Win (also spelt Khin Sanda Win; ; born 1952 in

Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

Burma 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 ha ...

) is the daughter of former Burmese dictator

Ne Win Ne Win (; ; 24 May 1911 – 5 December 2002), born Shu Maung (; ), was a Burmese army general, politician and Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974, and also President of Burma from 1962 to 1981. Ne Win was Burma's mili ...

. She played a major role in the suppression of the democracy movement after her father resigned as ruler in 1988. Sandar Win is a medical doctor and later she left the military's medical services and became a businesswoman. Before her detention she presided over the Ne Win clan as it developed a significant business empire encompassing hotels, medical services and telecommunications.

Biography

Sandar was educated at the Methodist English High School in Yangon (now Basic Education High School No. 1 Dagon). She graduated from high school with the highest

University Entrance Examination The University Entrance Examination or Matriculation Examination () is an academic examination administered to 12th standard students at all schools in Myanmar, including government schools, comprehensive schools and private boarding schools, ...

matriculation scores in all of Burma, according to newspaper accounts. She then attended Institute of Medicine 1, Rangoon to become a doctor, working as a gynaecologist. She is considered Ne Win's favourite daughter, Sandar Win is believed to have been influential throughout the 26-year reign of her father, often acting as a mediator between Ne Win and the BSPP (Burma Socialist Programme Party). As Ne Win grew older and his health deteriorated, she took on an increasingly important role. Sandar Win was a key figure in suppressing the 1988 uprisings, during which thousands of Burmese protested demanding democratic control. Sandar Win was also influential in the

Burma Socialist Programme Party The Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) was the ruling party of Burma (now Myanmar) from 1962 to 1988 and the country's sole legal party from 1964 to 1988. Party chairman Ne Win overthrew the country's democratically elected government i ...

's decision to reemphasize English language education. After she failed to be admitted into a medical school in England because of poor English skills, English was reintroduced as a medium of instruction in secondary and higher education. After 1988, she left the military's medical services and became a businesswoman. She presided over the Ne Win clan as it developed a significant business empire encompassing hotels, medical services, telecommunications and a popular Yangon nightclub. Sandar Win was placed under house arrest in her lakeside house on University Avenue Road, on the banks of

Inya Lake Inya Lake (, ''ʔīnyā kǎn'' ; formerly, Lake Victoria) is the largest lake in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar), a popular recreational area for Yangonites, and a famous location for romance in popular culture. Located 6 miles (10 km) north of ...

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

in 2002. Sandar Win's husband, Aye Zaw Win, along with Kyaw Ne Win, Aye Ne Win, Zwe Ne Win and other family members and the family astrologer, were convicted of plotting a coup in the late 1990s, and were imprisoned in Insein. After 6 years of house arrest, she was released in 2008. After disappearing from public for many years, she attended the ceremony of 2022

Armed Forces Day An Armed Forces Day, alongside its Military branch, branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the Military, armed forces, o ...

alongside her sons.

References

External links

BBC Profile: Sandar Win
{{Authority control 1952 births Burmese women in politics Living people Burmese gynaecologists University of Medicine 1, Yangon alumni Children of presidents Children of prime ministers Family of Ne Win