Who Is Min Aung Hlaing?

Min Aung Hlaing was born on 3rd July 1956 in Dawei, Myanmar. He was born in a Bamar Buddhist middle-class family. His father, Khin Hlaing, was a civil servant. This environment exposed him to discipline and loyalty to the state at an early age. He was brought up in the socialist system led by General Ne Win. For many young men of his generation, the military was not only a career but also a fundamental institution responsible for promoting national solidarity.

In 1974, he was recruited to Myanmar’s Defense Services Academy (DSA). DSA teaches cadets some principles, which include the following:

Absolute loyalty to the Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces)

Hierarchical obedience

Perception of threat towards insurgencies

Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is administered by the Ministry of Defense of Myanmar (Burma). It follows a different ideology and is based on the following key assumptions:

The military is the guardian of the nation.

Ethnic disputes weaken state survival

Political freedom must remain controlled by the military.

These teachings portray civilian politics as unstable and military oversight as necessary. These ideas influence Min Aung Hlaing’s resistance to full civilian control. His policies are deeply rooted in the principles of the Tatmadaw’s military doctrine.

From the 1970s to 2000, he advanced through military ranks. He served in counterinsurgency campaigns against ethnic groups. His reputation in the armed forces rested on loyalty, discipline, and administrative efficiency. In 2011, he was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Tatmadaw by General Thaw Shwe. This position makes him the most powerful figure in Myanmar.

The commander-in-chief was politically influential in Myanmar in the case of the partial democratic transition (2011–2020). The constitution also allotted 25 percent of parliamentary positions to the military and placed major ministries, including defense, border affairs, and interior, under military control. Due to this, he was also involved in politics. He allowed democratic institutions to operate under the military’s oversight. This dual structure created ongoing civil-military tension.

Politics and the military are two distinctive pillars of a state but they should operate individually. There should be cooperation among them, but no oversight of each other. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said in his address........

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