Min Aung Hlaing | The man behind the coup

When Min Aung Hlaing became Myanmar’s military chief in 2011, the country was transitioning into quasi democracy. The military had introduced a new Constitution in 2008, a year after the violent crackdown of the Buddhist monks who led the ‘saffron revolution’. Senior General Than Shwe, who had been in power since 1992, had handed powers to a new transition government of President Than Sein, a former military officer. Aung San Suu Kyi and many other political prisoners were released. All eyes were on the little-known General Min Aung Hlaing, who was described by blogger Hla Oo, who knew the commander from his childhood, as “a battle-hardened warrior of the brutal Burmese Army”.