15 Facts About Saw Maung

Saw Maung is the first one to get the rank of Senior General which was created for him in 1990.

Saw Maung was born on 5 December 1928 in Mandalay, British Burma.

Saw Maung joined the army in 1945, three years before the country gained independence from Britain, and received a commission in 1952.

Saw Maung was army chief of staff and defence minister in the brief government of Sein Lwin and became chairman of the junta when the army staged its coup in 1988 after the 8888 Uprising.

Saw Maung was an effective ruler of the country as head of the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

Saw Maung held the posts of prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.

Saw Maung assumed responsibility as chairman of the newly formed State Law and Order Restoration Council on 18 September 1988, replacing the Burma Socialist Programme Party and promised multi-party elections to follow soon.

Saw Maung publicly stated that he would hand over power to the winning party and would have the army return to the barracks; where in his own words they "rightfully belonged".

Saw Maung was willing to hand the power to the civilian government; however, other generals representing the hardline faction of the SLORC did not agree to this, and successfully prohibited Saw Maung from respecting the results.

Saw Maung resigned as chairman of SLORC in April 1992.

However, this was the result of Saw Maung being sedated, isolated and quietly removed from power in a palace coup, after which it was widely reported that Saw Maung's mental health was rapidly deteriorating, and that he believed himself to be the reincarnation of an 11th-century warrior-king.

Saw Maung nextly lived in quiet retirement with his mental fantasies, making him unable to take decisions.

Saw Maung subsequently died on 24 July 1997 due to a heart attack.

Saw Maung married Daw Aye Yee who died on 25 December 2004.

Saw Maung is succeeded by his three children; two sons and a daughter, and three grandchildren.