• Burmese
Saturday, June 14, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
26 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Could Military VP Pick Sully New Govt Before It Takes Power?

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
March 9, 2016
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
a Question of Which Three

2014. (Photo: Reuters)|||||General Thura Tin Oo .|Sai Nyunt Lwin

5.1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — In this confusing time of democratic transition and shifting political alliances, it is perhaps no surprise that a military general with a checkered past has surfaced as leading contender for a vice presidential slot due to be chosen this week.

An unsettling rumor swirling among politicians, top Burma Army sources and businessmen in Rangoon puts Lt-Gen Myint Swe, the current chief minister of Rangoon Division, in pole position for the vice presidential post that military lawmakers are constitutionally empowered to determine on Thursday.

Hardly the cleanest résumé among a slate of retired or serving generals who have been tipped as possible picks, Myint Swe’s baggage includes corruption ties and links to a violent 2007 crackdown in the commercial capital on peaceful protestors led by Buddhist monks.

RelatedPosts

Renowned Myanmar language teacher John Okell is still inspiring students, five decades on.

Love of the Lingo

August 5, 2020
10.2k
--

‘Secret Garden’ in Wa Special Region Leaves Much to the Imagination

February 27, 2020
8.5k
This Week in Parliament (August 8-12)

This Week in Parliament (August 8-12)

August 13, 2016
3.8k

If true, some political observers predict the pick could lead to cracks and deep resentment within the military establishment itself, a faction of which is earnest in its desire to improve the powerful institution’s image both at home and abroad.

It would also prove a headache for an incoming administration that has made “clean government” a hallmark pledge, including a zero-tolerance approach to graft and nepotism. Myint Swe’s unusual wealth, allegedly corrupt tendencies and affiliation with the 2007 crackdown on street protests in Rangoon would no doubt be difficult for the National League for Democracy (NLD) government to defend. Though the party has no say in the military-selected VP slot, whoever is chosen will be a bona fide member of its cabinet.

His inclusion on the US Treasury Department’s list of “specially designated nationals” means that, at least for now, a prospective Vice President Myint Swe would be barred from travel to the United States, a strong backer of NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi and democratic reforms of recent years.

Myint Swe is known for his nepotistic inclinations when granting business concessions. The best known example is the Rangoon City Expansion project, which came in for scrutiny in 2014 after the US$8 billion tender was granted in secrecy to a company run by two low-profile Chinese businessmen, Xiao Feng and Xiao Sen, who are close to Myint Swe.

After a public outcry, the Rangoon chief minister suspended the project and later reopened a tender that was awarded this year to three local companies. One of them, Yangon South West Development Public Company, is run by the same Chinese businessmen.

The expansion project itself is in part a response to Rangoon’s rapid—and critics argue, unruly—development in recent years. Myint Swe is viewed by some as chiefly responsible for the city’s disorderly transformation.

Every development project in Burma’s biggest city technically requires approval from the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). But as high-rises have proliferated amid an influx of foreign investment, controversy has courted some developments that opponents have decried as ill-planned or otherwise threatening the city’s unique character. In multiple examples of this, permission for proposed towers has been described as “coming from upstairs,” meaning likely from senior government leaders at the divisional or Union level rather than following official channels for approval.

Myint Swe also recently took heat for giving his apparent imprimatur to a US$70 million international hospital project being built on land owned by the Ministry of Health near Rangoon General Hospital. He attended the groundbreaking ceremony in January.

The 65-year-old graduated from the 15th intake of the Defense Services Academy (DSA) in 1971 and rose steadily through the ranks to become the commanding officer of Light Infantry Division No. 11, overseeing security in the former capital. The ethnic Mon was brought to the War Office where he worked directly under Snr-Gen Than Shwe and his deputy Gen. Maung Aye. His relations with the former dictator Than Shwe’s family are said to be close to this day.

Known to be a loyal and hardline soldier, Myint Swe was responsible for the careful execution of two high-profile operations in Burma’s largest city: the arrest of Gen. Ne Win’s family members in 2002 after an alleged coup conspiracy was uncovered, and the arrest of then-intelligence chief and Prime Minister Khin Nyunt in 2004. He then became head of the newly formed Military Affairs Security department after the armed forces hierarchy dismantled the powerful intelligence units.

During the Buddhist monk-led “Saffron Uprising” in 2007, Myint Swe was in charge of security affairs in Rangoon. He is believed to have been responsible for several raids on monasteries during this time, despite—or perhaps because of—his ultimately unsuccessful campaign to pacify the Buddhist clergy with donations of cash, rice, cooking oil and medicine.

In September 2013, he denied responsibility for the violent crackdown and said he was willing to be investigated and would even submit to the death penalty if found guilty of involvement.

“If you think I’m responsible, I am ready [to face justice],” Myint Swe told businesspeople people at a meeting in Rangoon, a local journal reported. “To be frank, I am ready to be hanged [if there is a guilty verdict].”

In 2015, he was one of the key persons involved in state-sponsored vigilantes’ crackdown on supporters of students protesting for education reform. Myint Swe came out in defense of the methods used, saying the demonstrators were handled and detained according to existing laws, rubbing salt in the wound for a public that was outraged by the heavy-handed and thuggish tactics.

A former lieutenant-general who was tipped to be selected vice president in 2012, Myint Swe was passed over to fill that unexpected vacancy, as one of his sons was an Australian national. His son, it would appear, has since been reinstated as a Burmese citizen, removing that obstacle to his father’s nomination.

As militarily appointed lawmakers continue to adjust to their role in Parliament as opposition to the NLD-dominated legislature, it’s the Burma Army’s choice for vice president that could shake up its relations with the now ruling party, and perhaps even within the uniformed ranks.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: A_Factiva
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Inspiring Women of Burma  
Burma

Inspiring Women of Burma  

by The Irrawaddy
March 18, 2016
33.5k

The contributions of some of Burma’s leading female figures are highlighted in the final part of a series that ran...

Read moreDetails
Australian-Karen Actress: ‘I Hope Karen People Will Have the Right to Self-Determination’
Asia

Australian-Karen Actress: ‘I Hope Karen People Will Have the Right to Self-Determination’

by Saw Yan Naing
January 18, 2016
13.7k

Tasneem Roc, an Australian actress who also has ethnic Karen roots, speaks with The Irrawaddy about her career and her...

Read moreDetails
Burma’s Media Landscape Through the Years
Burma

Burma’s Media Landscape Through the Years

by The Irrawaddy
May 4, 2016
13.5k

In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on Tuesday, The Irrawaddy revisits a history of Burmese media stretching...

Read moreDetails
Burmese Director Explores Same-Sex Relationships in New Film
Burma

Burmese Director Explores Same-Sex Relationships in New Film

by Yu Mon Kyaw
January 28, 2016
8.2k

Entitled ‘Gemini,’ Nyo Min Lwin’s film about romance between two men explores ground seldom trod in Burma’s movie industry.

Read moreDetails
Lucky Numbers in the Quest for Peace
Commentary

Lucky Numbers in the Quest for Peace

by Nyein Nyein
September 10, 2015
8.7k

Burmese generals’ edicts have often been intimately tied to numerology and astrology. Is the peace process similarly tied to superstitious...

Read moreDetails
Chief Ministers of Arakan
Burma

Chief Ministers of Arakan, Karen States Resign to Join USDP

by Kyaw Phyo Tha
August 26, 2015
2k

The chief ministers of two states resign to contest Burma’s upcoming general election, set for Nov. 8, representing the ruling...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Korean Investment in Burma Likely to Increase

Korean Investment in Burma Likely to Increase

As Eyes Turn to Naypyidaw

As Eyes Turn to Naypyidaw, a Question of Which Three

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Will Myanmar’s Military Replace Its Embattled Leader?

Will Myanmar’s Military Replace Its Embattled Leader?

1 week ago
2.5k
How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

2 days ago
929

Most Read

  • Civilians in Need as Arakan Army Advances on Kyaukphyu

    Civilians in Need as Arakan Army Advances on Kyaukphyu

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Advances into Karenni State

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Jade Hub Burns as Junta Counteroffensive Penetrates Hpakant

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • China Defends Myanmar Junta on Human Rights at UN

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Untested Commander Takes Charge as Myanmar Military Faces Toughest Challenge in Decades

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.