Thein Sein

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Thein Sein
?????????
TheinSeinASEAN.jpg
8th President of Myanmar
In office
30 March 2011 � 30 March 2016
Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo
Sai Mauk Kham
Nyan Tun
Preceded by Than Shwe as Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
Succeeded by Htin Kyaw
11th Prime Minister of Myanmar
In office
24 October 2007 � 7 November 2010
Acting: April 2007 � 24 October 2007
Leader Than Shwe
Preceded by Soe Win
Succeeded by Aung San Suu Kyi (State Counsellor, 2016)
First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council
In office
19 October 2004 � 24 October 2007
Preceded by Soe Win
Succeeded by Tin Aung Myint Oo
Member of Parliament
for Zabuthiri
In office
7 November 2010 � 30 March 2011
Preceded by Constituency established
Succeeded by Sanda Min
Majority 65,620 (91.2%)
Personal details
Born 20 April 1944 (age 74)
Kyounku, Burma
Political party State Peace and Development Council (Before 2010)
Union Solidarity and Development Party (2010�present)
Spouse(s) Khin Khin Win
Children 3
Alma mater Defence Services Academy
Cabinet Thein Sein's Cabinet
Military service
Allegiance Myanmar
Service/branch Myanmar Army
Years of service 1968�2010
Rank Vice Senior General.gif General
This article contains Burmese script. Without proper rendering support, you
may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Burmese script.
Thein Sein (Burmese: ?????????; IPA: [?�?? s�??]; born 20 April 1944) is a Burmese
politician and retired general in the Myanmar Army who served as the 8th President
of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016. He previously served as Prime Minister from 2007 to
2011, and is considered by many in and outside Myanmar as a moderate and reformist
in the post-junta government.[1]

His government undertook a series of political reforms including some deregulation

of the country's censored media, releasing many political prisoners and halting the
country's controversial large Chinese-led hydro-power project. The developments
that followed included Myanmar's appointment to chair ASEAN in 2014, improved
relations with the US, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi � his 2015 general election
rival � from house arrest, and the reinstatement of major opposition party National
League for Democracy (NLD) in the by-election held on 1 April 2012.[2]

Contents
1 Early life
2 Military career
3 Prime Minister
4 Presidency
4.1 Election and appointment
4.2 Regional policy
4.3 Domestic policy
4.4 2012 cabinet reshuffle
4.5 Union Solidarity and Development Party
5 Monkhood
6 Personal life
7 References
Early life
Thein Sein was born in Kyonku, British Burma (now Myanmar), a small Irrawaddy delta
village near Hainggyi Island in what is now Ngapudaw Township to Maung Phyo
(father) and Khin Nyunt (mother).[3] He was the youngest of three children. His
parents were landless farmers, and his father made a living carrying cargo at the
river jetty and weaving bamboo mats.[3][4] Thein Sein's father Maung Phyo became a
Buddhist monk 10 years after his wife's death, and spent his remaining years as a
monk.[3]

Military career
Thein Sein graduated from the 9th intake of the Defence Services Academy with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968, becoming a second lieutenant afterward.[3][5]
Throughout Thein Sein's four-decade long military career, he was considered a
bureaucrat, not a combat soldier. In 1988, he served as a major for Sagaing
Division's 55th Light Infantry Division and later served as a commander for Sagaing
Division's 89th Infantry Battalion in Kalay Township. The following year, he
studied at the Command and General Staff College in Kalaw, Shan State.

By 1991, he had returned to Yangon, after being promoted to the rank of colonel and
1st Grade General Staff Officer in the War Office. He was then promoted to
Brigadier General, but remained at his position in the War Office, which marked the
first time a Brigadier General was promoted to General Staff Officer. In 1995, he
was recruited as the commander of Yangon Division's Military Operations Command 4
in Hmawbi. A year later, in 1996, he was appointed to lead the new Triangle
Regional Military Command in Kyaingtong, Shan State, serving this role for four
years (1997�2001).[5]

In 1997, he became a member of the State Peace and Development Council and was
appointed as Secretary-2 in 2003.[6][7] He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
General that year.[8] After Khin Nyunt was deposed and Soe Win became Prime
Minister in 2004, he was promoted to Secretary-1 and promoted to General in late
2004.[7]

Prime Minister

Thein Sein and Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva during a state visit to Naypyidaw in
October 2010.
Thein Sein was appointed in April 2007 by the nation's ruling military junta[9] as
interim prime minister, replacing Soe Win, who was undergoing medical treatment for
leukaemia.[10][11] He was formally appointed as Soe Win's permanent successor on 24
October 2007 after Soe Win's death on 12 October 2007.[12]

He held the position of first secretary in the ruling State Peace and Development
Council junta. He was the country's fourth-highest ranking general,[13] and also
served as the chairman of the government-sponsored National Convention Convening
Commission.[14] Thein Sein carried out high-level negotiations with Bangladesh and
Cambodia.[10][11]

In 2007, sometime after his official appointment as prime minister, he was promoted
to the rank of General from Lieutenant General.[15] On his first official visit
outside Myanmar as prime minister, Thein Sein carried out high-level negotiations
with Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.[16][17][18] In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in
May 2008, he led the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee as chairman
and was criticised for the government's systematic blocking of relief efforts.[5]

Presidency
Election and appointment
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2010
On 29 April 2010, he retired from the military, along with 22 other military
officials, to lead the Union Solidarity and Development Party as a civilian.[19]
During the 2010 general election, he was head of the Union Solidarity and
Development Party, which contested in a controversial election and won the
overwhelming majority of seats in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. Thein Sein ran against
National Unity Party candidate Kyaw Aye during the election, contesting a Pyithu
Hluttaw seat to represent the constituents of Naypyidaw Union Territory's Zabuthiri
Township. He purportedly won 91.2% of the votes (65,620).[20]

On 4 February 2011, he was elected by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw's Presidential

Electoral College as the next President of Myanmar, becoming the country's first
non-interim civilian president in 49 years. Tin Aung Myint Oo and Sai Mauk Kham
were named as the new vice-presidents.[21] He was sworn in on 30 March 2011
alongside the two vice-presidents and the newly elected parliament.[22]

Regional policy
In the first month of his presidency, he sought the support of ASEAN Secretary-
General Surin Pitsuwan to support Myanmar's bid to chair the ASEAN Summit in 2014.
[23] As of July 2011, the government has formed a planning committee led by foreign
affairs minister Wunna Maung Lwin.[24] In his presidency, Myanmar took the ASEAN
chairmanship in 2014. ASEAN summit was held in Naypyidaw in the same year.[25]

Domestic policy
Some have considered Thein Sein as a moderate because he was willing to engage with
Aung San Suu Kyi; he had a high-profile meeting with her in Naypyidaw on 19 August
2011.[26] On 17 August 2011, he was quoted by the state newspaper, The New Light of
Myanmar as saying:[27]

� We will make reviews to make sure that Myanmar [Burmese] citizens living
abroad for some reasons can return home if they have not committed any crimes. And
if a Myanmar citizen in a foreign country who committed crimes applies for
returning home to serve terms, we will show our benevolent attitude in dealing with
his case. �
Various news sources interpreted his suggestion as an invitation for overseas
Burmese citizens to return to their country of origin and help rebuild the Burmese
economy.[28]

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Burma's President Thein
Sein in Naypyitaw, 1 December 2011.
In 2012, Thein Sein proposed that the minority Rohingya ethnic group, which had
lived in Burma for hundreds of years, be "resettled" abroad, a proposal the United
Nations was quick to object to.[29] Thein Sein has also supported domestic policies
that label Rohingya as "non-citizens".[citation needed] He has said that the 2012
Rakhine State riots "has nothing to do with race or religion."[30]

Thein Sein meets US President Barack Obama in Rangoon, 19 November 2012

2012 cabinet reshuffle
Further information: Cabinet of Burma
On 27 August 2012, Thein Sein announced a major cabinet reshuffle of 9 ministers
and 15 deputy ministers, to consolidate the authority of his office by removing
hardliner ministers and replacing them with political allies.[31] Among the more
prominent changes was the transfer of Kyaw Hsan from the post of Minister for
Information to Minister of Cooperatives, and the appointment of Aung Min, Tin Naing
Thein and Soe Thein, all former lieutenants under Thein Sein, to the posts of
Minister of the President's Office.[31]

Union Solidarity and Development Party

On 16 October 2012, Thein Sein was re-elected as the chairman of the Union
Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) at the USDP's first party conference in
Naypyidaw.[32] This is in direct contradiction to the 2008 Constitution of Myanmar,
which states:[33]

� If the President or the Vice-Presidents are members of a political party,

they shall not take part in its party activities during their term of office from
the day of their election. �
According to the constitution, he was technically barred from taking part in party
activities during his term of office. Because of mounting criticism over his dual
role, Thein Sein handed over the chairman position of party to Shwe Mann on 1 May
2013. But Thein Sein will continue to play a leadership role within the ruling
party and did not disqualify himself from consideration as the party's presidential
candidate of 2015 election.[34][35][36]

Ordination of Thein Sein into the Sangha

Monkhood
A day after Thein Sein left office, the Democratic Voices of Burma published a news
article that the ex-president would be ordaining as a monk on 1 April 2016 for a
few days. According to the DVB, a 'spokesperson close to the President' refused to
disclose where he would be ordained, but it would be in a "small, peaceful town".
[37]

According to a Facebook post, he was ordained under Ashin Nandamalabhivamsa in a

monastery in Pyin Oo Lwin under the monastic name U Santi Dhamma.[38][39]

Personal life
Thein Sein is married to Khin Khin Win. The couple have three daughters.[3] One of
his daughters, Yin Thuzar Thein, is married to a military captain, Han Win Aung.
[40] He suffers from heart disease and uses a pacemaker.[41][42]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thein Sein.
Ba Kaung (15 August 2011). "Will Naypyidaw's Olive Branch Bear Fruit?". The
Irrawaddy. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
"One Year of Myanmar's Thein Sein Government: Background and Outlook of Reforms".
KUDO Toshihiro. Retrieved May 2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
Keller, Bill (30 September 2012). "A Conversation with President U Thein Sein of
Myanmar". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
Fuller, Thomas (14 March 2012). "A Most Unlikely Liberator in Myanmar". The New
York Times. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
"President Thein Sein". Alternative Asean Network on Burma. Retrieved 19 August
2011.
"THEIN SEIN profile". Alternative Asean Network on Burma. Retrieved 22 August
2011.
"Lt-Gen Thein Sein is new PM". Myanmar Times. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 22 August
2011.
Tun Tun (3 February 2011). "Profiles of vice president nominees". Mizzma News.
Retrieved 22 August 2011.
"Countries Me-My". Rulers.org. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
Burmese junta choose stand-in PM, BBC.co.uk; retrieved 20 May 2007.
Burmese Junta Tips New Prime Minister; retrieved 20 May 2007.
Myanmar appoints new PM, Xinhua; retrieved 24 October 2007.
Myanmar paramount leader not nominated for president: MPs, Reuters; retrieved 1
February 2011.
Work coordination meeting of National Convention Convening Commission, Work
Committee and Management Committee held, The New Light of Myanmar; retrieved 20
April 2004.
Myanmar PM to visit Laos, Vietnam, Xinhua. Retrieved 7 November 2007.
Burma's PM visits Vietnam, Associated Press via The Age. Retrieved 11 November
2007.
Laos, Myanmar set to enhance relations, Xinhua; retrieved 11 November 2007.
Myanmar's prime minister visits Cambodia to garner support against sanctions
Wai Moe (5 May 2010). "Tight Censorship on Reporting USDP". The Irrawaddy.
Retrieved 22 August 2011.
"People's parliament candidates in Zabuthiri constituency (Naypyitaw Union
Territory)". Retrieved 21 August 2011.
Burma ex-Prime Minister Thein Sein named new president, BBC, 4 February 2011.
"President sworn in, junta dissolved- DVB Multimedia Group". Dvb.no. 2011-03-30.
Retrieved 2015-11-15.
"Burma as Asean Chair in 2014? Think Again". The Irrawaddy. 3 May 2011. Retrieved
22 August 2011.
Nyi Thit (25 July 2011). "Burma organizes committee to host Asean Summit".
Retrieved 22 August 2011.
"ASEAN Summit 2014, Myanmar". asean-summit-2014.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
"Aung San Suu Kyi meets Burma's president Thein Sein". The Guardian. 19 August
2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
Ko Htwe (18 August 2011). "'Welcome Home' Greeted with Skepticism". The Irrawaddy.
Retrieved 21 August 2011.
"Burmese President Invites Return of Citizens Abroad". Voice of America. 17 August
2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
"UN refugee chief rejects call to resettle Rohingya". The Huffington Post. 12 July
2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
Voice of America, Burma: Sectarian Violence Not About Race or Religion, 10 August
2012, http://www.voanews.com/content/burma-sectarian-violence-not-about-race-or-
religion/1483768.html
Fuller, Thomas (27 August 2012). "President of Myanmar Reshuffles His Cabinet".
The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
Wang Yuanyuan (16 October 2012). "President U Thein Sein re-elected as Myanmar's
ruling party leader". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
"Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (PDF). Government of
Myanmar. 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
"Thein Sein resigns as chairman of Burma's ruling party". DVB News. 2 May 2013.
Retrieved 25 June 2013.
Win Ko Ko Latt (6 May 2013). "Speaker confirmed as new USDP chairman". The Myanmar
Times. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
WENG, LAWI (3 May 2013). "Thein Sein Still a USDP Leader, May Be Party's 2015
Presidential Pick: Lawmaker". The irrawaddy. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
"Ex-president Thein Sein to ordain as monk: report- DVB Multimedia Group". DVB
Multimedia Group. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
"Myanmar Ex-president Mr. U Thein Sein... - Bhikkhu Bhaddiya | Facebook".
www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
"Burma's Former President Thein Sein Joins Monkhood". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved
2016-04-05.
Min Lwin (5 February 2009). "Burmese PM's Daughter Camera Shy on Her Wedding Day".
The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
"Profile: Burmese leader Thein Sein". BBC News. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 22
August 2011.
McCoy, Clifford (4 May 2011). "Man in the mirror in Myanmar". Asia Times.
Retrieved 22 August 2011.
Political offices
Preceded by
Soe Win Prime Minister of Myanmar
2007�2010 Vacant
Title next held by
Aung San Suu Kyi
as State Counsellor of Myanmar
Preceded by
Than Shwe
as Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar President of
Myanmar
2011�2016 Succeeded by
Htin Kyaw
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Hassanal Bolkiah Chairperson of ASEAN
2014 Succeeded by
Najib Razak
vte
Heads of state of Myanmar (list)
vte
Heads of government of Myanmar (Burma)
Authority control Edit this at Wikidata
GND: 1171260091 LCCN: n2011204841 VIAF: 296367091 WorldCat Identities: 296367091
Categories: Prime Ministers of Myanmar1944 birthsBurmese military personnelBurmese
Theravada BuddhistsDefence Services Academy alumniLiving peoplePeople from
Ayeyarwady RegionPresidents of MyanmarRecipients of the Order of the Union of
MyanmarRecipients of Thiri Thudhamma ThingahaUnion Solidarity and Development Party
politicians
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