NPR: Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe

Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe

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Senior General Than Shwe

Khin Maung Wing/Getty Images

On Tuesday's edition of The Bryant Park Project, we wrestled with the question of whether to say "Burma" or "Myanmar." In coming days, we'll aim to give you another dose of our guest, Maureen Aung-Thwin, director of the Open Society Institute's Burma Project/Southeast Asia.

But for now, it's on to the man behind the junta, Senior General Than Shwe—he says "Myanmar." General Shwe's nation recently cracked down on some of the largest pro-democracy demonstrations there since the army took over in 1988. After the bump, we'll give you five things to know about Shwe. Feel free to add your own in the comments field.

1.) Biopic: Shwe was born on February 2, 1933 (so he's 74), and became head of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (read: head of the whole deal) in 1992.

2.) Public relations: Last year, Shwe gave control of the armed forces to General Thura Shwe Mann. A story in the Mizzima News (where reporters call it "Burma") suggests the move was a "show piece" designed to make it look as though the military was yielding some of its control. Shwe remained in charge of the renamed State Peace and Development Council.

3.) Pursuits: Shwe has been taking lessons in French cooking. Radar reports that Shwe moved the capital from Rangoon to the jungle outpost of Pyinmana, after he was spooked by a bad horoscope.

4.) Friends and enemies: Democracy activist and later Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi defeated Shwe at the polls, with an 82 percent majority, in 1990. Shwe's government refused to let her party take over and instead placed Suu Kyi under house arrest, making her case a cause celebre for human rights activists (they say "Burma"). Bonus: Corey Flintoff on Suu Kyi's continuing influence.

5) Past lives: Shwe once toiled as a postal worker.

Know more: NPR.org on the situation in Myanmar

Laura Conaway

12:27 PM ET | 10- 2-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

The US and (I belive Britain) do not recognize the Junta's renaming of Burma....so what's the question on this?

Sent by Darrylin | 12:23 AM ET | 10-13-2007

Leaders world over always believe they have the best interest of their people at heart when they make decisions, even one not to allow foreign aid workers access to assist in Myanmar. There has never been one who publicly admitted making wrong policy decisions, regardless of the consequences to their citizens, and Than Shwe will not be an exception.

However, it is up to the people to decide when enough is enough; when a change is needed, and how best to effect that change; again, Myanmar will not be an exception. Everything with a beginning has an end.

Patience, my friends!

Sent by Felix Oti | 4:18 PM ET | 05-22-2008

Than Shwe is a cold-hearted brute. He is so paranoid that outsiders will influence the population, that he will allow them to suffer and die to maintain his power. I suppose it wouldn't occur to someone like that there are decent people in the world who actually would like to ease the suffering and misery of the Burmese people. He has malice in his heart and assumes others do as well. Than Shwe is old. I can only hope that he will die soon, but not before his karma catches up with him.

Sent by Carol | 3:51 AM ET | 05-31-2008

Where do these twelve leaders meet, How often? They must have homes and why don't the people in burma against these assholes just put a bullet in thier heads.

Sent by Rolmbo | 11:50 PM ET | 06-01-2008

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