General Than Shwe, the leader of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is a secretive, vindictive man. He shows no qualms about having dissidents, journalists, and even Buddhist monks beaten, jailed, tortured, or executed. Highly superstitious, in 2005 he moved the national capital essentially overnight, on the advice of an astrologer.
Despite his absolute power, Than Shwe is so reclusive that most Burmese people have never even heard his voice. Smuggled video footage of the sumptuous wedding thrown for the general's daughter sparked outrage across the country, as it provided a glimpse of the lifestyle of the very rich.
Early Life:
Very little is known about the secretive general's early life. He was born on February 2, 1933 in Kyuakse, in the Manadalay Division of Burma. At the time of Shwe's birth, Burma was considered a division of British India.
Education:
Few details of Than Shwe's education have emerged, though some sources report that he attended public elementary school before dropping out of high school.
Early Career:
Than Shwe's first government job after school was as a mail delivery clerk.
Sometime between 1948 and 1953, the young Than Shwe enlisted in the Burmese colonial army, where he was assigned to the "psychological warfare" unit. He participated in the government's ruthless counterinsurgency campaign against ethnic-Karen guerrillas in eastern Burma. This experience resulted in Shwe's several-year-long commitment to a psychiatric hospital for post traumatic stress disorder. Nonetheless, Shwe was known as a merciless fighter; his no-holds-barred style brought a promotion to the rank of captain in 1960.
Entry into National Politics:
Captain Than Shwe helped General Ne Win seize power in the 1962 coup that ended Burma's brief post-independence experience with democracy. He was rewarded with a steady series of promotions, rising to the rank of colonel by 1978.
In 1983, Shwe took military command of the Southwest Region/Irrawaddy Delta near Rangoon. This posting close to the capital was to aid him enormously in his quest for higher office.
Ascent to Power:
In 1985, Shwe was promoted to brigadier-general, and given the twin posts of Vice Chief of Army Staff and Deputy Minister of Defense. The following year, he was promoted again to major-general, and given a seat on the Burma Socialist Party's Central Executive Committee.
The junta crushed a pro-democracy movement in 1988, leaving 3,000 protestors dead. Ne Win was ousted after the insurrection. Saw Muang took control, and Than Shwe moved into a high Cabinet position due to "his ability to bore everyone else into submission."
Following the abortive elections of 1990, Than replaced Saw Maung as head of state in 1992.
Policies as Supreme Leader:
Initially, Than Shwe was seen as a more moderate-style military dictator than some of his predecessors. He freed some political prisoners, and released democracy-movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in the late 1990s. (She won the 1990 presidential election despite being in prison.)
Shwe also oversaw Burma's 1997 entry into ASEAN, and cracked down on official corruption.
However, he has become more hard-line with time. His former mentor, General Ne Win, died under house arrest in 2002. In addition, Than Shwe's disasterous economic policies keep Burma one of the poorest countries in the world.
Human Rights Abuses:
Given his early association with the brutal put-downs of the Karen independence and pro-democracy movements, it's not surprising that Than Shwe shows little regard for human rights.
Free press and free speech are non-existant in Burma. The journalist Win Tin, an associate of Aung San Suu Kyi's, has been in prison since 1989. (Aung San herself was also re-arrested in 2003, and has been under house arrest ever since.)
The junta uses systematic rape, torture, summary execution and disappearances to control the people.
Monk-led protests in September of 2007 resulted in a violent crack-down, which left hundreds dead.
Personal Life and Spending Habits:
Meanwhile, Than Shwe and other top leaders enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle (apart from worries about being deposed).
The opulence with which the junta surround themselves was put on display in a leaked video of the wedding reception of Shwe's daughter, Thandar, and an army major. The video, showing ropes of diamonds, a solid-gold bridal bed, and huge amounts of champagne, outraged people inside Burma and around the world.
It's not all jewels and BMWs for Shwe, though. The general is diabetic, and may also be suffering from intestinal cancer. He has spent time in hospitals in Singapore and Thailand.
