The Myanmar military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, has been appointed as president of Myanmar, marking his continued rule in a civilian guise. He has also been replaced as army chief by former military intelligence chief, Ye Win Oo. Min Aung Hlaing, 69, seized power in a 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been imprisoned. Myanmar has been torn apart by civil war, with pro-democracy activists taking up arms against the junta alongside armed movements from long-hostile ethnic minorities. Recently, the Myanmar Parliament, dominated by pro-military parties, initiated the process of selecting a president. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), founded by a former general and comprised of retired high-ranking officers, won over 80% of the seats.
Analyst Naing Min Khant from the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar believes that these political maneuvers indicate Min Aung Hlaing’s intent to maintain an iron-fisted leadership. “He fundamentally lacks legitimacy but is desperately trying to appear as if he has it,” Khant added. The lower house also proposed Kyaw Swe as vice president, a member of the National Unity Party aligned with the military, formed during the 1988 pro-democracy protests. The upper house suggested two vice presidential candidates: Tuu Jar, a former ethnic Kachin armed group leader now aligned with the military, and Nan Ni Ni Aye, a regional elected official from Karen state aligned with the USDP.
A ceremony in Naypyidaw saw the transfer of military leadership to General Ye Win Oo, as Min Aung Hlaing handed over his command. The two generals, adorned with military medals, were seen shaking hands during the event, broadcast by state media. “Ye Win Oo has amassed considerable power thanks to Min Aung Hlaing’s support, serving as a key pillar in the leader’s grip on power,” explained Naing Min Khant. This proxy arrangement will enable Min Aung Hlaing to continue pulling the strings behind the scenes. As part of a new reshuffling within the military, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces, Soe Win, was replaced by Kyaw Swar Lin according to a junta statement.
