General Than Shwe was a Myanmar soldier and politician, leader of the ruling military junta in Myanmar (Burma) from 1992 to 2011. General Than Shwe is a significant figure in Myanmar’s modern history, known for his role in the country’s military and political landscape. Here’s a brief biography of his life and career:

Early Life and Military Career

• Born: February 2, 1933, in Kyaukse, British Burma (now Myanmar).
• Military Career: Than Shwe began his career in the military by joining the Burma Army in 1953. He underwent training at the Officers Training School and later attended the Army Staff College. Rising through the ranks, he served in various capacities within the Burmese military, known for his administrative and strategic skills.

Rise to Power

• State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC): Than Shwe became more prominent when he joined the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in 1988, a junta that took power after a military coup, which ended the pro-democracy protests in Myanmar.
• Chairman of SLORC: In 1992, following the resignation of Senior General Saw Maung, Than Shwe became the head of SLORC. Under his leadership, SLORC was later renamed the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997, with Than Shwe as its chairman.

Leadership and Governance

• Head of State: Than Shwe ruled Myanmar as a military dictator from 1992 to 2011. His tenure was marked by strict military control, suppression of political dissent, and efforts to maintain the army’s grip on power. Despite international condemnation and sanctions, his government resisted calls for democratic reforms.
• Political Repression: His regime was characterized by widespread human rights abuses, including the arrest and imprisonment of political activists and opposition leaders, most notably Aung San Suu Kyi. Than Shwe’s government was criticized for stifling freedom of speech, media censorship, and its harsh response to ethnic minority conflicts.

Economic and Political Reforms

• 2008 Constitution: In an attempt to legitimize the military’s role in Myanmar’s politics, Than Shwe oversaw the drafting and approval of a new constitution in 2008. This constitution guaranteed the military a significant role in governance, even after a transition to a civilian government.
• Transition to Civilian Government: In 2011, Than Shwe officially stepped down as the head of state, handing over power to a nominally civilian government led by President Thein Sein. Despite this transition, the military continued to exert significant influence over the government due to the provisions in the 2008 constitution.

Later Years

• Retirement: Since stepping down from power, Than Shwe has lived a reclusive life away from the public eye. Reports suggest that he resides in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, where he still holds influence behind the scenes, although he rarely makes public appearances.

Legacy

• Controversy: Than Shwe’s legacy is controversial. While some credit him with maintaining stability in Myanmar during a tumultuous period, others criticize him for his authoritarian rule, human rights abuses, and the economic isolation of Myanmar. His leadership left a lasting impact on the political landscape of Myanmar, with the military retaining a significant role in governance even after his official retirement.

Than Shwe remains a figure of significant influence in Myanmar’s contemporary history, symbolizing the enduring power of the military in the nation’s politics.

Than Shwe worked as a postal clerk before joining the army in 1953. For the rest of the decade, he served in the army’s psychological warfare department and participated in counterinsurgency operations against guerrillas of the minority Karen ethnic group. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1960. Shortly after the military seized power in Burma in a coup d’état in 1962, Than was appointed an instructor at the Central Institute of Political Science. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1978 and was named commander of the 88th Light Infantry Division in 1980. He was later appointed chairman of the regional committee of the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP), the sole legal political party in the country. After a pro-democracy uprising in the country was crushed in 1988, U Ne Win, Burma’s military dictator, resigned as chairman of the BSPP, which was replaced by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), headed by Gen. Saw Maung. Than Shwe survived a series of internal purges and in 1992 replaced Saw Maung as chairman of the SLORC, effectively becoming head of state and government.

When General Than Shwe took power, it was widely believed that he would be more moderate than his predecessors. Nevertheless, the democratic reforms that many in Myanmar hoped for never took place. Than Shwe consistently refused to enter into discussions with the leader of the country’s pro-democracy faction, Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been under house arrest since July 1989. (She remained under house arrest until 1995 and thereafter was periodically detained.) In 1997 Than Shwe changed the name of the SLORC to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). His regime sought to quell internal revolts by Myanmar’s various ethnic groups, entering into peace agreements or cease-fires with many of the ethnic militias that were fighting for independence. Starting in 2004 Than Shwe oversaw the construction of the inland city of Nay Pyi Taw, which he proclaimed as the country’s new capital in 2006.

General Than Shwe regularly attended Myanmar’s annual army parade but was otherwise rarely seen in public. In 2007, rumours of his failing health began to circulate when he traveled to Singapore for treatment of an undisclosed illness before returning to Myanmar. Despite the state of his health, Than Shwe retained control of the SPDC and oversaw the ratification of a new national constitution in 2008 and parliamentary elections in 2010. In March 2011, after the new legislature convened, he formally disbanded the SPDC and relinquished his position as head of state and government. He also stepped down from the military (thus acquiring the U prefix on his name), but it was unclear to what extent he might have retained behind-the-scenes control in the new government.