Soe Win
Soe Win | |
|---|---|
စိုးဝင်း | |
 Soe Win in 2013 | |
| Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council | |
| Assumed office 2 February 2021 | |
| Chairman | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar | |
| Assumed office 1 August 2021 | |
| President | Myint Swe (acting) Min Aung Hlaing (acting) |
| Prime Minister | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Preceded by | Tin Hla (2001) |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services | |
| Assumed office 30 March 2011 | |
| President | Thein Sein Htin Kyaw Win Myint Myint Swe (acting) Min Aung Hlaing (acting) |
| Preceded by | Maung Aye |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 March 1960 Mandalay, Union of Burma[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Than Than Nwe |
| Alma mater | Defence Services Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Tatmadaw |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Years of service | 1981–present |
| Rank |  Vice-Senior General |
| Commands | Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Army |
Soe Win (Burmese: စိုးဝင်း; pronounced: [só wɪ́ɴ]; born 1 March 1960) is a Burmese army general and Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar.[2] He was appointed on 1 August 2021 after the formation of the provisional government. He is also the Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC), Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, and Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Army. Soe Win is a member of Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council (NDSC).[3][4]
Early life and education
[change | change source]Soe Win was born on 1 March 1960 in Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar). His parents are Chit Sein and Kyin Htwe. In 1976, he joined the Defense Services Academy (DSA) as part of the 22nd intake and graduated in 1981.[5] In 1976, he attended a cadet course at the Defense Services Academy, alongside Ye Htut, graduating with distinctions in military science and literature. He graduated as part of the 22nd intake in 1981.[6]
Military career
[change | change source]After graduating from the DSA in 1981, Soe Win held various military positions. In June 2008, he became the commander of the Northern Regional Command in Kachin State. In August 2010, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Special Operations-6 (BSO-6), where he oversaw military operations in Chin and Rakhine States and the Magway Region.[7]
Soe Win attempted to convince the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to transform into a Border Guard Force (BGF) under military control. Despite meetings with KIA leaders in 2009 and 2010, the KIA refused the offer. Soe Win denied the claims, saying that neither he nor anyone else in the Northern Regional Command had ordered an attack on the KIA.[3][8][9][10][11][12] In September 2011, the KIA accused Soe Win of ordering attacks on their positions, which violated previous ceasefire agreements. Soe Win denied these accusations.[13]
2024 rumors
[change | change source]In April 2024, rumors spread that Soe Win was seriously injured in a drone attack on the Southeastern Command headquarters in Mawlamyine, Mon State. His absence from public events for over two weeks fueled speculation. His last public appearance was on 3 April 2024 in Ba Htoo, Shan State. However, he reappeared on state TV on 30 April 2024, visiting injured soldiers in a military hospital and meeting with officials in Kayin and Mon states.[3][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Accusations of corruption
[change | change source]Soe Win has been accused of corruption and extortion during his time as commander of the Northern Regional Command from 2008 to 2010. He allegedly accepted bribes from companies involved in jade, timber, and gold in exchange for financial benefits. Reports claim he took a 150 million kyat bribe from Chinese teak businessmen to allow illegal timber trade. In March 2010, he also ordered military tax collection from jade mining companies in Hpakant, Kachin State.[20][21][22][23][24][25] Despite numerous meetings between Soe Win and KIA leaders in July 2009 and August 2010, the KIA did not become a BGF.[3][26][27][28][29][30]
Personal life
[change | change source]Soe Win is married to Than Than Nwe.[31][32][33][34][35][36]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Soe Win has been the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) since 2011. He is Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) and member of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC)". OpenSanctions.
- ↑
- "Vice-Senior General Soe Win comforts Tatmadaw members, MPF members, people's militia receiving treatments for their wounds in serving State defence and security duties". The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Ministry of Information. 17 December 2023.
- "Soe Win has been the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) since 2011". OpenSanctions.
- "Vice-Senior General Soe Win boosts morale at Tatmadaw Hospital in Mingaladon". Ministry of Information. 27 December 2023.
- Nabila Massrali (9 March 2021). "Myanmar: Phone call between Vice-Admiral Bléjean and Vice-Senior General Soe Win". European Union.
- "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Vice-Senior General Soe Win visits Higher Military Command School". Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Moscow (Russia). 8 September 2021.
- "Vice-Senior General Soe Win instructs members of Medical Corps to exchange experiences with international organizations". Global New Light of Myanmar. 3 October 2023.
- "Where Is Myanmar Regime No. 2 Soe Win?". The Irrawaddy. 11 April 2024.
- "Top Chinese intelligence official visits Myanmar for 'cooperation' talks". The Jakarta Post. 31 May 2023.
- "Junta Watch: Yet Another Top-Level Trip to Russia; ex-UK Envoy Becomes a 'Hostage'; and More". The Irrawaddy. 3 September 2022.
- Htet Naing Zaw (27 November 2017). "Top General to Take Active Role in Govt Reconciliation Efforts". The Irrawaddy.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "…". The Irrawaddy. 26 September 2023.
- ↑
- "Myanmar anti-regime drones chase and attack military generals". Nikkei Asia. 11 April 2024.
- "Drones target Vice-Senior General Soe Win in Mawlamyine". Mizzima News. 11 April 2021.
- "Senior general (former general) Than Shwe is looking for a change in leadership of the State Administration Council (SAC) where he wants to bring in vice-chairman General Soe Win as the successor to Min Aung Hlaing. Efforts are underway to effect a smooth change so there is no disturbance in the system of governance," an Indian analyst who follows Myanmar closely told StratNews Global". StratNews Global. 23 January 2024.
- Thomas Keen (1 March 2024). "The small protest in the central Myanmar town of Pyin Oo Lwin on January 16 was far less spectacular than the military's recent battlefield losses, but for dictator-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing it was possibly just as damaging. Rather than call for the end of the junta that seized power in a February 2021 coup – as millions across Myanmar have done over the past three years – the pro-regime protesters urged Min Aung Hlaing to step down as head of the military, and hand over power to his deputy, Soe Win. "Look at Soe Win's face," the nationalist monk Pauk Ko Taw told the crowd of a few hundred people. "That's the face of a real soldier. Min Aung Hlaing is not coping. He should move to a civilian role."". The Diplomat.
- "Myanmar Regime's Deputy Chief Makes Trip to War-Torn Kayah State". The Irrawaddy. 4 January 2022.
- Anthony Galloway (24 February 2021). "'Lethal force is unacceptable': Senior ADF officer raises concerns with Myanmar's military in first phone call". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑
- "PDF Drones Target Southeastern Regional Military Command During visit of Junta's Deputy Chief". Burma News International. 9 April 2024.
- "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends 2023 Monsoon Tree Planting Ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory". Myanmar National Portal. 11 July 2023.
- "Myanmar Junta Continues Tightening the Screws on Its Economic Team". The Irrawaddy. 20 September 2023.
- "Retired Top Brass Wheeled Out For Embattled Myanmar Junta Chief". The Irrawaddy. 29 March 2023.
- "Over 50 Top Officials From Myanmar's Ousted NLD Govt Face Long Jail Terms". The Irrawaddy. 30 November 2021.
- ↑
- "Min Aung Hlaing and His Generals: Some Biographical Notes". FULCRUM. 2021-08-04. Archived from the original on 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Honours Myanmar Academy Awards Ceremony for 2023". Myanmar National Portal. 6 February 2024.
- Subir Bhaumik (5 February 2024). "Three Years After Coup, Myanmar Military Junta Falling Apart – OpEd". Eurasia Review.
- Ei Thinzar Myint (10 April 2024). "Resistance Drones Strike Myanmar Military's SE Command During Junta No. 2's Visit". The Irrawaddy.
- "Political analysts note that the calls from Junta supporters for coup leader General Min Aung Hlaing to step down as Commander-in-Chief are evident signs of internal divisions within the coup regime. During a pro-Junta event in Pyin Oo Lwin on January 16th, Monk U Ariya Wun Tha, also known as Pauk Ko Taw, suggested that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is better suited for a civilian role, advocating for him to transition to such a position and transfer the Commander-in-Chief role to his deputy, Vice Senior General Soe Win". Burma News International. 19 January 2024.
- ↑
- "Last week, an ultranationalist Buddhist monk who helped set up pro-junta militias was detained and questioned by authorities after he joined calls for Min Aung Hlaing to resign to show responsibility for the string of humiliating military defeats. He told a crowd gathered for a pro-military rally in Mandalay Region's Pyin Oo Lwin town that Min Aung Hlaing should step down from his post as military chief and hand over control to his deputy, Vice Senior General Soe Win". The Irrawaddy. 22 January 2024.
- Brian Wei (25 January 2024). "Junta No. 2 Fails to Persuade Allied Karen Armed Group to Stay With Myanmar Military". The Irrawaddy.
- "General Soe Win is now deputy leader of the State Administration Council, the junta's governing body, and army commander-in-chief, while General Yar Pyae is now home affairs minister. General Kyaw Swe served as home affairs minister under the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi administration. In a twist of fate, General Yar Pyae is now handling Ye Htut's case". The Irrawaddy. 14 November 2023.
- "Don't Bet on Myanmar Junta No. 2 Ousting His Boss". The Irrawaddy. 16 August 2022.
- "SAC Vice-Chair Dy PM Vice-Senior General Soe Win attends 1st coordination meeting of Central Census Commission". Myanmar National Portal. 21 January 2023.
- "Myanmar Deputy Commander-In-Chief of Defence Services and Commander-In-Chief (Army) Calls on Minister for Defence". MINDEF Singapore. 10 February 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ↑ "China, Thailand and India Hold Talks With Myanmar Junta". The Irrawaddy. 5 September 2023.
- ↑ Shannon Tiezzi (23 September 2015). "China, Myanmar Talk Border Security at Military Consultation. Myanmar's deputy commander-in-chief visits China for talks, with joint border security high on the agenda". The Diplomat.
- ↑ "SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win comforts those receiving treatments at Defence Services Specialty Orthopaedic Hospital (500-bed), special care centre at Defence Services". Myanmar National Portal. 29 October 2022.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends Ceremonies to Open Maha Thingyan Pavilions (Water-Splashing Pavilions) in Nay Pyi Taw Council Territory". Myanmar National Portal. 18 April 2023.
- ↑ "Myanmar Junta Scraps Retirement Age for Its Leaders". The Irrawaddy. 20 May 2021.
- ↑
- "In Myanmar, The General Who Vanished Has Grabbed The Spotlight". The Irrawaddy. 23 April 2024.
- "Junta Watch: Mystery Deepens Over Fate of Regime No. 2; Finding Uses for Rohingya; and More". The Irrawaddy. 20 April 2024.
- "Myanmar Extends State of Emergency, Forcing Delay in Promised Election". Voice of America. 31 July 2023.
- "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends and Delivers a Speech at Rehabilitation Coordination Meeting of Natural Disaster Management Committee". Myanmar National Portal. 8 June 2023.
- "Swiss visit by Myanmar army officials sparks controversy". SWI swissinfo.ch. 18 October 2017.
- "Myanmar military forms caretaker gov't with army chief as PM". Kyodo News. 1 August 2021.
- ↑ "Myanmar regime vows to hold 2024 census despite spike in clashes". Nikkei Asia. 5 January 2024.
- ↑ "Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends and Delivers a Speech at Meeting 1/2023 of Myanmar Special Economic Zone Central Committee". Myanmar National Portal. 17 October 2023.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends and Delivers a Speech at Ceremony to Mark 75th Anniversary of Human Rights Day". Myanmar National Portal. 12 December 2023.
- ↑ "Top Chinese Intelligence Official Visits Myanmar for 'Cooperation' Talks. Major General Yang Yang, acting director-general of the Intelligence Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, met the junta's number two official, Soe Win, for talks on "cooperation between the two armies", state media said". The Irrawaddy. 31 May 2023.
- ↑ "SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win attends reception to mark 75th anniversary of founding Russia-Myanmar diplomatic ties". Myanmar National Portal. 19 February 2023.
- ↑ "NLD-Tatmadaw relations: strong words, rising tensions". Frontier Myanmar. 18 April 2019.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win Comforts Military Personnel, Myanmar Police Force Members, and People's Militia got Injuries in Serving State Defence and Security Duties". Myanmar National Portal. 19 December 2023.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Inspects Preparations for Hosting Dinner and Entertainment Programmes to honour 76th Anniversary of Independence Day". Myanmar National Portal. 5 January 2024.
- ↑ "SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win Attends Centennial Celebration of No.1 Military Hospital (700-Bed) and 30th Myanmar Tatmadaw Medical Conference". Myanmar National Portal. 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win Pays Homage to Remains of SSMNC Chairman Bhamo Sayadaw, and Inspects Preparations for Final Rites Ceremony". Myanmar National Portal. 13 June 2023.
- ↑ Michael Sullivan (29 April 2020). "U.N. Envoy Brings New Allegations Of War Crimes Against Myanmar". NPR.
- ↑ "US Imposes Sanctions on Myanmar Military Commander Over Rohingya Abuses". Voice of America. 16 July 2019.
- ↑ "Tracing Myanmar Junta's Repeated Governing Body Shakeups Since Coup". The Irrawaddy. 28 September 2023.
- ↑ "Vice-Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win Receives Chiefs of ASEAN Air Forces". Myanmar National Portal. 19 September 2023.
- ↑ "SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win receives Russian Ambassador to Myanmar who has completed his tour of duty". Myanmar National Portal. 29 June 2023.
- ↑ "Powerful BGF leader Protecting Chinese- Gangs at Shwe Kokko Declares Autonomous Zone in Myawaddy – Colonel Chit Thu also ends Karen BGF's Proxy Role Under the Junta". Burma News International. 26 January 2024.
- ↑ "SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win attends closing ceremony of International Army Games-2022". Myanmar National Portal. 29 August 2022.
- ↑ "Nationalist Monk Briefly Detained After Joining Chant Calling for Myanmar's Leader to Step Down". The Irrawaddy. 19 January 2024.
- ↑ "Myanmar's military government pardons 10,000 prisoners to mark Independence Day". BreakingNews.ie. 1 April 2024.
- ↑ "Crony Close to Myanmar Junta Boss Arrested as Commodity Prices Soar". The Irrawaddy. 14 September 2023.
- ↑ "At the funeral of highly revered Buddhist monk Bhamo Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kumara Bhivamsa on June 6, a solemn-faced Min Aung Hlaing was among those carrying the coffin, continuing the junta boss's efforts to portray himself as the protector of the religion in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Together with his deputy Soe Win, Min Aung Hlaing earlier carried the coffin of senior monk Zaygon Sayadaw from Naypyitaw's Pyinmana at the monk's funeral after he died in a military plane crash in June 2021". The Irrawaddy. 9 June 2023.
- ↑ "On March 9, at a regime meeting to discuss budget estimates for the 2023-24 fiscal year, deputy junta leader Vice Senior General Soe Win said the high cost of imported fuel made it necessary to reduce consumption to conserve foreign exchange. To address the situation, he said the junta would be exercising greater scrutiny over fuel consumption during this fiscal year, which began on April 1". Frontier Myanmar. 24 April 2023.
- ↑ "Myanmar Army's Vice Chairman Heads to Russia". The Irrawaddy. 1 September 2021.