In a striking departure from precedent, Myanmar’s military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has appointed a personal photographer to document the activities of both himself and his wife, Kyu Kyu Hla.
For decades, Myanmar’s military leaders have relied exclusively on official photographers from the Ministry of Information or the Myawaddy Media Group, the mouthpiece of the Myanmar military, to handle public imagery. The use of a privately appointed individual for such a role is unprecedented in the history of the Myanmar military.
By contrast, even senior officials in the US military depend on photographers from Public Affairs Offices within their respective commands.
During the rule of the previous junta, known as the State Peace and Development Council, Min Aung Hlaing’s predecessor Senior General Than Shwe’s family used a private photography service led by Sai Phone Htoo. However, he was not privately hired by Than Shwe’s family. Rather, his services were arranged by tycoons who were business partners of the Myanmar military’s leadership.
However, all images and video clips published by state-run outlets were produced by staff of the Information Ministry and Myawaddy, maintaining a formal distance between the private and public spheres.
Initially, the same applied to Min Aung Hlaing, whose public activities were documented by photographers from Myawaddy, but things changed after his February 2021 coup. After the power grab, the junta boss decided to handpick a photographer for his exclusive use.
That role went to Pyi Oo Aung, a military officer and former blogger known in photography circles as “Black Dream.”
Min Aung Hlaing’s son, Aung Pyae Sone, a photography enthusiast himself, reportedly helped facilitate the appointment. He had previously taken part in workshops organized by the Myanmar Photographers Association, giving him access to a network of skilled professionals.
Pyi Oo Aung’s background makes him an unconventional choice for the role. He started as a travel and nature photographer, before making a name for himself in underwater photography, capturing the splendor of the Myeik Archipelago in the Andaman Sea off the coast of southern Myanmar.
He launched a photography blog while studying in Russia, using the alias “Aperture 21,” according to a well-known photographer.
“He used to be well-liked and had good relationships with others in the photography community. But, since the coup, he has found his way into Min Aung Hlaing’s inner circle,” said a colleague of Pyi Oo Aung.
A graduate of the Defense Services Academy (DSA) Intake 47, Pyi Oo Aung returned from Russia around 2010 and took a post at the Defense Science and Technology Research Department in Pyin Oo Lwin, specializing in weapons testing and analysis.
Though he rose through the ranks to became a major after his return from Russia, he never served in an infantry or light infantry battalion. Instead, he remained in Pyin Oo Lwin, where he developed his photography portfolio alongside his military duties.
According to sources close to the matter, he repeatedly attempted to resign from the Myanmar military, but was unable to do so, reportedly due to his specialized Russian training. That changed after the 2021 military takeover, when his appointment as Min Aung Hlaing’s personal photographer signaled both a shift in career and status. He has never spoken about resignation since, said a source close to him.
He reportedly received a promotion, and now works at Naypyitaw’s War Office headquarters, where Min Aung Hlaing works.
Since then, only images approved by Major Pyi Oo Aung have been released to the public via junta-controlled outlets—broadcasters including Myawaddy TV and Myanma Radio and Television, and dailies including Myanmar Alin and Kyemon. His position now involves carefully managing the visual presentation of the junta chief, down to the selection and release of every official photograph.
In Naypyitaw circles, Min Aung Hlaing’s hypocrisy has earned him the nickname “photographic politician”—a reference to his narcissism, and to the stark contrast between his authoritarian leadership style and the carefully crafted media persona he displays in public.
