Myint Swe (general)


Myint Swe is a Burmese politician, currently serving as 3rd First Vice President of the Republic of Union of Myanmar. He previously served as Acting President of Myanmar after the resignation of President Htin Kyaw on 21 March 2018. He also served as Chief Minister of Yangon Region from 30 March 2011 to 30 March 2016. On 30 March 2016, he was sworn in as the Vice President of Myanmar. He is an ethnic Mon ex-military officer in Myanmar Army with the rank of Lieutenant general.

Military career

He graduated from the Defence Services Academy in 1971 as part of the 15th intake. He became a brigadier general and commander of Light Infantry Division 11 in 1997. He was appointed as Commander of Southeastern Command and member of State Peace and Development Council in 2001. He was transferred as Commander of Yangon Command and promoted to major general. He also acted as Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council.
He became the Chief of Military Security Affairs after Khin Nyunt was purged in 2004. He became Chief of Bureau of Special Operations – 5 in January 2006. He is the first ethnic Mon to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 2005. He was promoted to Quartermaster General and was rumored to be the next in line to replace Maung Aye in 2009.
He 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. His actions after Cyclone Nargis was criticized. He dealt with activists harshly in the pre-2010 general election period.

Political career

Chief Minister of Yangon Region

He was nominated as chief-minister of the Yangon Region after the general election by President Thein Sein. He 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 one of his son-in-law's was an Australia citizen at the time.

Vice Presidency

On 11 March 2016, military-appointed MPs of the Assembly of the Union nominated him as one of the Vice Presidents of Myanmar. He received 213 votes on 15 March 2016 and became First Vice President of Htin Kyaw's Cabinet. He was sworn in on 30 March 2016.

Acting President

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 also called for the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw to select a new President within seven days of Htin Kyaw's resignation.