Global InformationThan Shwe information
His Excellency[1] Senior General Agga Maha Thray Sithu Than Shwe | |
|---|---|
သန်းရွှေ | |
 Than Shwe in 2010 | |
| Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council | |
| In office 23 April 1992 – 30 March 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | See list
|
| Deputy | Maung Aye |
| Preceded by | Saw Maung |
| Succeeded by | Thein Sein (as President) |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar | |
| In office 23 April 1992 – 30 March 2011 | |
| Deputy | Maung Aye |
| Preceded by | Saw Maung |
| Succeeded by | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Prime Minister of Myanmar | |
| In office 23 April 1992 – 25 August 2003 | |
| Leader | Himself |
| Preceded by | Saw Maung |
| Succeeded by | Khin Nyunt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 February 1933[2] Kyaukse, Upper Burma, British Burma (present-day Myanmar) |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Spouse | Kyaing Kyaing |
| Relations | Nay Shwe Thway Aung (grandson) |
| Children | Multiple, including: Htun Naing Shwe Kyaing San Shwe Thandar Shwe Khin Pyone Shwe Aye Aye Thin Shwe Kyi Kyi Shwe Dewa Shwe Thant Zaw Shwe |
| Alma mater | Officers Training School, Bahtoo, Frunze Military Academy (Soviet Union) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Years of service | 1953–2011 |
| Rank |  Senior General |
Than Shwe (Burmese: သန်းရွှေ; pronounced [θáɰ̃ ʃwè]; born 2 February 1933) is a retired Burmese army general who played a role in Myanmar's political landscape.[3] As the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), he held influential authority, contributing to a perception of centralized power.[4][5] His governance from 1992 to 2011 involved policies that some considered restrictive, alongside a notable military presence.[6][7] Than Shwe served as the head of state of Myanmar, holding the position of Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) during the same period, influencing the country's political trajectory.[8][9]
Occupying key positions, including Prime Minister of Myanmar, Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Defence Services, and head of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDP), Than Shwe has elicited various perspectives on his governance.[10][11][12][13] In March 2011, he officially stepped down as head of state, facilitating the transition to his chosen successor, Thein Sein.[14][15][16] As the head of the Armed Forces, he was succeeded by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.[17][18] Than Shwe continues to wield significant influence within the military.[19][20][21][22]
- ^ by His Excellency Senior General Than Shwe Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar
- ^ "Than Shwe". Alternative Asean Network on Burma. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
- ^ "Than Shwe – Myanmar soldier and politician, leader of the ruling military leadership in Myanmar (Burma) from 1992 to 2011". Britannica.
- ^ "Hearty Congratulations to Burmese Military Leader Senior General Than Shwe". Amnesty International.
- ^ Egreteau, Renaud (19 October 2009). "Born in February 1933, Senior-General Than Shwe has been the leader of the Burmese junta since 1992". SciencesPo.
- ^ Sa Tun, Aung (26 October 2023). "How a protected coastline became the private property of Than Shwe's daughters". Myanmar Now.
- ^ "Than Shwe had by now risen through the ranks of the military regime and its 'Burma Socialist Programme Party'. Born in 1933 – prior to Burma's invasion by Japan during World War Two, and its independence from Britain thereafter – he began his working life delivering mail". New Internationalist. 1 September 2005.
- ^ "Senior General Than Shwe, the Burmese military's 'old fox'". Reuters. 4 October 2007.
- ^ Nyi Nyi, Kyaw (27 October 2021). "Burmese army general Senior General Than Shwe created a sheltered Tatmadaw family. Living side by side in cantonments, soldiers train and farm. Their wives go to meetings with fellow military wives, and their children go to military-run public schools or attend schools outside in Tatmadaw trucks". East Asia Forum.
- ^ "Military Watch: Regime boss targets 'Western culture'; Than Shwe Falls From Favor; and More". The Irrawaddy. 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Whatever happened to the leader of Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe?". Southeast Asia Globe.
- ^ "For Suu Kyi and Than Shwe, an Inconvenient Truce". The Irrawaddy. 14 December 2015.
- ^ "Has former Burmese army general Than Shwe retained his influence?". Frontier Myanmar. 11 September 2016.
- ^ "Myanmar's Military Chief Staged a Coup. But He Did Not Act Alone". The Irrawaddy. 13 August 2021.
- ^ Anne, Gearan (19 May 2013). "Burma's Thein Sein says military 'will always have a special place' in government". The Washington Post.
- ^ "This political transition was a top-down approach, initiated and implemented by the regime—particularly by Than Shwe's successor, President Thein Sein, along with the vital participation of Aung San Suu Kyi in the latter stages of reform". Oxford Academic.
- ^ "Later that month, an envoy from the CCP came and met former military leader Senior General Than Shwe — now 90 years old — who had nurtured closer relations with China than Min Aung Hlaing. The envoy also met former president Thein Sein". East Asia Forum. 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Myanmar Army Chief Min Aung Hlaing Visits Former leader of Myanmar Than Shwe". The Irrawaddy. 21 April 2022.
- ^ "During his visit to Myanmar, Qin Gang also met with former Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.
- ^ "Has former army leader Senior General Than Shwe retained his influence?". Frontier Myanmar. 11 September 2016.
- ^ Robert, Horn (11 April 2011). "Is Burma's leader Than Shwe Really Retiring?". TIME Magazine.
- ^ Bill, Ide (23 November 2011). "Burmese Press Mention 'Retired' Former Leader Than Shwe". Voice of America News.