General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Thura Kyaw Htin ( my, ကျော်ထင်, ; 26 July 1925 – 26 January 1996) was the 7th Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Union of Burma (now Myanmar), former Deputy Prime Minister of Burma (Myanmar) and

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Military career

Kyaw Htin enlisted the then Burma Defense Army (BDA) on 8 May 1943 as a private during the Japanese occupation of Burma. The BDA was founded on 26 August 1942 with three thousand

Burma Independence Army The Burma Independence Army (BIA), was a collaborationist and revolutionary army that fought for the end of British rule in Burma by assisting the Japanese in their conquest of the country in 1942 during World War II. It was the first post-c ...

BIA veterans. He served with the Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

based in Ahlone, Rangoon. When Burma achieved nominal independence on 1 August 1943, the BDA was expanded into the Burma National Army (BNA). On 9 September 1944, at the age of 19, Kyaw Htin attended the 4th intake of the Officers Training School in Mingalardon, Rangoon. After the graduation, he was posted as

platoon commander {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or firs ...

of the 4th Burma Rifles battalion. During the fascist revolution against Japan in 1945 the BNA officially joined the Allies as the Patriotic Burma Force (PBF) and Kyaw Htin served as

for 104th

Infantry Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

. Patriotic Burma Force was reorganized after the war in October, 1945 by the British by incorporating the British Burma Army to form the new post-war Burma Army. Only a small number of PBF troops were selected for the army, with most being sent home with two months pay. Kyaw Htin returned to his native town,

Prome Pyay (, ; mnw, ပြန် , ; also known as Prome and Pyè) is principal town of Pyay Township in the Bago Region in Myanmar. Pyay is located on the bank of the Irrawaddy River, north-west of Yangon. It is an important trade center for the Aye ...

. On 29 January 1946, Kyaw Htin re-enlisted as a private in 4th Burma Rifles. He rose through the ranks to

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

, sergeant and

. He was promoted to the rank of

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...

on 15 February 1946. After the independence of Burma from the British on 4 January 1948, he continued his service. He rose to the rank of second lieutenant on 20 September 1948. He was then transferred to 3rd Burma Rifle as platoon commander. Kyaw Htin was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 20 March 1949 and transferred back to 4th Burma Rifle as

on 22 March 1949. He was awarded with Thura medal, prestigious award for gallantry and bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of

Myanmar Armed Forces Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include t ...

on 9 June 1950. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 6 December 1950 and served as

company commander A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 250 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons. The exact organization of a company varies by countr ...

. Kyaw Htin was transferred to Reinforce

under Southern Regional Military Command on 23 November 1953 and became acting

battalion commander A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

on 26 May 1955. He was then transferred to 10th

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

on 9 March 1957. He was promoted to the rank of major on 28 May 1957. Kyaw Htin was then transferred to 1st Chin Rifle

on 31 January 1959 as acting battalion commander. On 28 May 1962, Kyaw Htin became lieutenant colonel and became official commanding officer of 1st Chin Rifle

. Kyaw Htin was transferred to South Eastern Regional Military Command Headquarters as Colonel General Staff (GSO1) on 7 December 1963. On 19 September 1964, Kyaw Htin was posted to Military Operations Headquarters within the Ministry of Defense as Colonel General Staff (GSO1). He also became deputy director for Directorate of Armor and Artillery at the same time. On 18 May 1966, he was posted to 77th

Light Infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

Division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

(LID) as deputy commander. While serving with 77th LID, he was promoted to the rank of full

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. He was the posted to 99th

as division commander on 12 August 1968, as commander for Yangon Regional Military Command on 3 July 1969. He was promoted to the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and became Vice Chief of Staff (Army) on 8 March 1974. Kyaw Htin was promoted to the rank of

Lt-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

on 6 March 1977 and became Commander in Chief of

Tatmadaw Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include th ...

. On 6 March 1977, Kyaw Htin was promoted to

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

and subsequently given the post of Minister for Defence while still serving as Commander in Chief of

. On 9 November 1982, Kyaw Htin became Deputy Prime Minister of Burma and simultaneously serving as Commander in Chief of

. Kyaw Htin became Minister of Defense on 4 November 1985 and step down as commander in chief.

Saw Maung Saw Maung ( my, စောမောင်, ; 5 December 1928 – 24 July 1997) was a Burmese army general and statesman who served as Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in Myanmar and Prime Minister of Burma from 19 ...

succeed him as Commander in Chief of

. Kyaw Htin honorably resigned from the army on 30 November 1985.

Political career

Kyaw Htin joined Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) in 1969 as chairman of

Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...

Division Management Committee. He then served in various political posts within BSPP.

Personal life

On 13 February 1951, Kyaw Htin, then aged between 25 and 26 years old, married Khin Win Myint in Pyinmana. He died on 26 January 1996, at age 70. He had 3 daughters and 5 sons. Thant Kyaw, his eldest son, is the former Deputy

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

under Wunna Maung Lwin during

Thein Sein Thein Sein ( my, သိန်းစိန်; IPA: ; born 20 April 1944) is a Burmese politician and retired general in the Myanmar Army who served as the eighth President of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016. He previously served as Prime Minister ...

's administration and retired in March 2016.

Maung Maung Kyaw General Maung Maung Kyaw ( my, မောင်မောင်ကျော်, born 23 July 1964) is a Burmese military officer who served on Myanmar's State Administration Council from 2021 to 2023. He previously served as Commander-in-Chief of t ...

, his youngest son, is currently serving in the

Myanmar Air Force The Myanmar Air Force ( my, တပ်မတော် (လေ), ), known until 1989 as the Burmese Air Force, is the aerial branch of Myanmar's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. The primary mission of the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) since its inception h ...

. He was brigadier general and commander of Myeik Airbase (2012–2014) and Meikhtilla Air Base HQ (2014–2016). He was promoted to Air Force Chief-of-Staff in June 2015 to the rank of general in January 2018, and is currently serving as the commander-in-chief of the

Military career

Political career

Personal life

Notes

See also