22 Facts About Myint Swe

1.

Myint Swe previously served as the acting president after the resignation of President Htin Kyaw on 21 March 2018, and the chief minister of Yangon Region from 30 March 2011 to 30 March 2016.

2.

Myint Swe was declared acting president by the Tatmadaw in the coup d'etat on 1 February 2021, after which he immediately formally transferred power to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.

3.

Myint Swe has rarely been seen in public since the coup, with Min Aung Hlaing serving as the face of the government.

4.

Myint Swe graduated from the Defence Services Academy in 1971 as part of the 15th intake.

5.

Myint Swe became a brigadier general and commander of Light Infantry Division 11 in 1997.

6.

Myint Swe was appointed as Commander of Southeastern Command and member of State Peace and Development Council in 2001.

7.

Myint Swe was transferred as Commander of Yangon Command and promoted to major general.

8.

Myint Swe acted as Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council.

9.

Myint Swe became the Chief of Military Security Affairs after Khin Nyunt was purged in 2004.

10.

Myint Swe is the first ethnic Mon to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2005.

11.

Myint Swe was promoted to Quartermaster General and was rumored to be the next in line to replace Maung Aye in 2009.

12.

Myint Swe executed 3 major events while he was commanding the Yangon Command, arresting family members of Ne Win in 2002 after an alleged coup conspiracy was uncovered, arresting Khin Nyunt and his associates in 2004 in the purge of the Military Intelligence faction and crushing the Saffron Revolution in 2007.

13.

Myint Swe dealt with activists harshly in the pre-2010 general election period.

14.

Myint Swe was nominated as chief-minister of the Yangon Region after the general election by President Thein Sein.

15.

Myint Swe was tipped to be nominated to become Vice President of Burma after Tin Aung Myint Oo's resignation in 2012, but did not qualify per the Constitution of Burma, as his son-in-law was an Australian citizen at the time.

16.

Myint Swe received 213 votes on 15 March 2016 and became First Vice President of Htin Kyaw's Cabinet.

17.

On 21 March 2018, following the sudden resignation of Htin Kyaw as President of Myanmar, Myint Swe was sworn in as acting president under the Constitution of Myanmar, which called for the Assembly to select a new president within seven days of Htin Kyaw's resignation.

18.

On 1 February 2021, President Win Myint was illegally removed from office and detained by the Tatmadaw, so Myint Swe would become Acting President, allowing him to call a meeting of the military-controlled National Defence and Security Council so a state of emergency could be invoked and power could be formally transferred to coup leader Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, which Myint Swe did the same day.

19.

The military maintains that Myint Swe constitutionally assumed the presidency because the constitution states the first vice president becomes acting president if the presidency becomes vacant "for any reason".

20.

Myint Swe has extended the state of emergency three times by six month periods at meetings of the National Defence and Security Council, but has not otherwise participated in government.

21.

Myint Swe acknowledged this but justified the extension due to what he said are "unusual circumstances".

22.

Myint Swe is married to Khin Thet Htay, and has two children, including Khin Thet Htar Swe.