Dictator
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Than Shwe Take me to the Picture
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Than Shwe (born February 2, 1933 in Kyaukse, Burma) has been the ruler of Myanmar since 23 April 1992. Than Shwe began his working life in the Burmese postal service. However, soon after, at age 20, he enlisted in the army instead. This saw him spend several years in the Psychological Warfare department, engaged in the fight against Karen rebels. In 1960, he was promoted to the rank of captain. After the military coup which ousted Prime Minister U Nu in 1962, Than Shwe continued rising through the ranks. He reached lieutenant colonel in 1972, colonel in 1978, Commander of the Military District of the South West in 1983, Assistant Manager of the General Staff of the Army, brigadier-general and Vice-Minister of Defence in 1985 and then major-general in 1986. He also obtained a seat on the ruling party's Central Executive Committee. When the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
was created as a response to the bloody protests of 1988, Than Shwe was
appointed as one of its 21 members. He grew to become the right-hand man
of then ruler, General Saw Maung. On 23 April 1992, Saw Maung
unexpectedly resigned, citing health reasons, and Than Shwe replaced him
as Chairman of the Council, head of state, Secretary of Defence and
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Than Shwe initially appeared to be more liberal
than his predecessor, as he set free political prisoners, and began to
relax the restrictions on democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi, who had
been placed under house arrest after the crushed elections of 1990. He
renamed the country from Burma to Myanmar, and in 1993, ordered the
writing of a new Constitution. Than Shwe relaxed some state control over
the economy, and has been a vocal supporter of Myanmar's participation
in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). He also oversaw
a large crackdown on corruption, which saw the sackings of a number of
ministers in 1997. Though he is often seen as not tolerating criticism,
he has, for the first time in many years, allowed the International
Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International to make visits to
Myanmar. However, Than Shwe's government has continued the
persecution of Myanmar's ethnic minorities, such as the Karen and Shan
peoples. He launched a campaign of repression against Muslims in
Myanmar's north that forced an estimated 250,000 people to flee to
Bangladesh as refugees. The new Constitution has never been finished,
and is still in the committee stage, as of 2004. He has continued the
suppression of the free press in Myanmar, and has overseen the detention
of journalists who oppose his regime. While he oversaw the release of
Aung San Suu Kyi during the late 1990s, he also oversaw her return to
detention in 2003. Despite his relaxation of some restrictions on
Myanmar's economy, his economic policies have been oft-criticised as
being ill-thought-out. Than Shwe maintains a low profile. He tends to be seen as being sullen and rather withdrawn, a hardliner and an opponent of the democratization of Myanmar. He marks national holidays and ceremonies with messages in the state-run newspapers, but rarely talks to the press. For many years, Than Shwe was seen as being something of a figurehead as head of state, with the power over policy being held by his ministers. However, more recent reports suggest that, in recent years, he has been consolidating his power over the country. When he reached the mandatory retirement age of 60, he simply extended it, which has led to suggestions that he may remain as head of state for the rest of his life. This article is from www.wikipedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Than_Shwe and is subject to the GNU-FDL free documentation license List of authors at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Than_Shwe&action=history
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