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Evaluation
Captions: Lieutenant Common Gen Moe Myint Tun.
By The Irrawaddy 17 March 2022
When President U Win Myint and his spouse had been detained on the morning of the February 1, 2021 coup, the arresting workforce was led by Lieutenant Common Moe Myint Tun, the quantity 4 man within the Myanmar navy.
Now the 54-year-old is the youngest member of the State Administration Council (SAC), the navy regime’s governing physique. He’s additionally the military’s Chief of Workers and the youngest officer to carry a regional commander place since Senior Common Min Aung Hlaing grew to become head of the navy.
Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun can be the chairman of the junta-controlled Myanmar Funding Fee, making him one of many few SAC members to carry posts in each the armed forces and the regime’s authorities.
His loyalty to junta boss Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing is unquestioned. Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun reportedly sleeps beneath an image of his chief.
It’s no shock then that the Lt-Gen, who’s over ten years youthful than the junta chief, is being extensively tipped as a possible successor to Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, ought to he maintain an election in 2023 and run for the presidency.
There’s a precedent, too, for such a promotion. Former navy dictator Senior Common Than Shwe selected Min Aung Hlaing, who was then the youngest Lt-Gen. within the military, as his successor when he stepped down.
Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun confirmed no respect to President U Win Myint when he got here to arrest him, first asking him to step down on well being grounds. President U Win Myint replied that he would somewhat die than resign.
“It was him [Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun] who instructed the president that they [the National League for Democracy’s leadership] are fairly cocky,” stated a navy officer acquainted with the occasion.
That disdain is in sharp distinction to the respect the Lt-Gen. shows for the regime chief. He first hung his image above his mattress in 2011, whereas serving as the pinnacle of the Fourth Army Operations Command in Hpugyi, Yangon Area, in line with officers who served with him then.
“He worships him [Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing] as a God,” stated a captain who served beneath the Lt. Gen.
Who’s Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun?
Though Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun has no report of excellent navy or administrative efficiency, he rose quickly by way of the ranks.
Moe Myint Tun was born in 1968 in Kyauktaga Township, Bago Area. He was a part of the thirtieth consumption on the Protection Providers Academy. As a junior officer, he spent most of his time in administrative work.
As a captain, he labored within the workplace of Common Maung Aye, the then deputy chief of the previous navy regime, which referred to as itself the State Legislation and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). He changed Common Maung Aye’s private employees officer Captain Win Tun when he died.
Later, he grew to become a lieutenant colonel, overseeing No. 303 Battalion based mostly in Paung Laung, close to the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw. The battalion was primarily answerable for offering safety for the SLORC leaders in Naypyitaw.
“Since he grew to become a captain, he was assigned to good postings and rose by way of the ranks to grow to be a significant common. He was assigned solely to models close to cities. He was by no means assigned to distant areas and I’ve by no means heard of him taking part in fight,” stated one retired Lt-Gen.
Whereas serving as the pinnacle of the Fourth Army Operations Command, Moe Myint Tun was concerned in a single navy operation in Karen State. However the operation was carried out when the Karen Nationwide Union and the then President U Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian administration had signed a state-level ceasefire. So there was no precise combating occurring in Karen State on the time.
Nonetheless, an officer beneath his command stepped on a landmine whereas chopping firewood through the operation. Moe Myint Tun ordered his officers to not report the incident to his commanding officers, a captain who served in his command on the time instructed The Irrawaddy.
“He requested us to not report the incident. He has a lust for positions of energy. He’s the form of one who curries favor with higher-ups and oppresses subordinates,” stated the captain.
Youngest Commander
Whereas he was serving within the Fourth Army Operations Command, Moe Myint Tun was assigned in March 2013 to deal with sectarian battle between Buddhists and Muslims in Meiktila in Mandalay Area. Following riots throughout the area, President U Thein Sein’s authorities needed to declare a state of emergency in Meiktila, Mahlaing, Thazi and Wundwin townships, and sought the assistance of the navy to make sure safety.
The riots resulted in heavy casualties as a result of the safety forces did not deal with the state of affairs correctly, critics stated.
Moe Myint Tun additionally confiscated land in Yangon’s Hmawbi Township whereas serving as the pinnacle of the Fourth Army Operations Command.
“He grabbed land from civilians to distribute to tactical and battalion commanders beneath him. He needed to give the land again when individuals filed complaints about it,” stated a military officer at present serving within the Fourth Army Operations Command.
However he didn’t return land he grabbed from native farmers in Hpugyi and Gyoe Phyu in Yangon Area. As a substitute, he utilized for official land use permits to develop crops on that land, added the officer.
In 2015, then Maj-Gen. Moe Myint Tun grew to become the chief of Naypyitaw Command. On the time, he was 47-years-old and the youngest officer to carry the command. Two years later, he grew to become a Lt-Gen holding the positions of each Chief of Workers (military) and Chief of the Bureau of Particular Operations Six, which oversees Naypyitaw.
He was then assigned to guide the Bureau of Particular Operations Two, which oversees northern Shan State, at a time when the Myanmar navy was combating the Ta’ang Nationwide Liberation Military (TNLA), a part of the Northern Alliance, within the area.
His troopers arrested the leaders and confiscated the medication and weapons of the Kaung Kha militia based mostly in Kutkai in northern Shan State, thus destroying the militia. On the finish of 2019, his troops additionally seized over 100 weapons, together with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, from the TNLA.
Following final yr’s coup, the Lt-Gen. grew to become a member of the SAC and was additionally appointed chairman of the Myanmar Funding Fee. He stays the military’s Chief of Workers.
The Lt-Gen. has taken the helm of Myanmar’s financial affairs for the reason that coup. From his time as private employees officer to Common Maung Aye, he has shut ties with long-time cronies U Aung Ko Win, the Chairman of the KBZ Group, and U Tay Za, Chairman of the Htoo Group of corporations. One in all his classmates from the Protection Providers Academy, U Nyunt Aung, can be the deputy commerce minister within the SAC.
“His youngsters are nonetheless younger. So there isn’t a report but of them establishing an organization,” stated a businessman who requested for anonymity. However he’s taken with enterprise, added the businessman.
Will Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun be Promoted This Yr?
If Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun is to be the subsequent navy chief, he should be promoted to Common this yr. By mid-2022, he can have been a Lt-Gen. for 5 years. Beneath new pointers issued by the Ministry of Defence for the reason that coup, officers who’ve served for 5 years as a Lt-Gen. must retire if they don’t seem to be promoted.
Common Maung Maung Aye, the present Chief of the Common Workers (Military, Navy and Air Pressure), will flip 60 on the finish of this yr. Ought to Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun be appointed as his successor and promoted to Common, then it is vitally probably that he’ll take over from Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing as the subsequent head of the navy.
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