This article is about a recently deceased person. Some information, such as the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change rapidly as more facts become known.

General Soe Win (Burmese: စုိးဝင္‌း; IPA: [sóu wín]) (1948 – 2 October 2007)^[1][2] was the Prime Minister of Burma and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council. The State Peace and Development Council (Burmese: ; IPA: ; abbreviated SPDC) is the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). ... A chair or seat is also a seat of office, authority, or dignity, such as the chairperson of a committee, or a professorship at a college or university, or the individual that presides over business proceedings. ... Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန္‌​းေရ္ဝ္ဟ; IPA: ; born February 2, 1933) is the military dictator of Myanmar (Burma), serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw and chairman of the State Peace and Development Council since April 23, 1992. ... The Prime Minister of Myanmar, formerly the Prime Minister of Burma is a high-ranking official in the government of Myanmar (or Burma). ... Lieutenant General Thein Sein is the acting prime minister of Myanmar. ... In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things. ... Political parties in Myanmar lists political parties in Myanmar (Burma). ... The Communist Party of Burma (Ba-ma-pyi Co-myu-ni pa-ti) is a political party in Myanmar (Burma). ... Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS), Burmese second largest political party, founded in 1988 by students and young activists; DPNS wants to build a democratic society based on freedom, national reconciliation, social justice, equality and human rights; one of the largest political parties; based in Thailand. ... The National Council of the Union of Burma is a liberal resistance organisation in Burma (Myanmar). ... The flag features a yellow dancing peacock, which has been a sign of freedom in modern Burmese history. ... The National Unity Party (Burmese: ; Taingyintha Silonenyinyutye) is a political party in Myanmar (Burma). ... The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy is a political party in Myanmar (Burma), representing the interests of the Shan minority. ... Zomi National Congress The Zomi National Congress (ZNC) is the name of a political party in Myanmar, registered in 1988. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... General elections were held in Burma on 27 May 1990. ... Human rights in Burma are a long-standing concern for the international community and human rights organizations. ... This politics-related article is a stub. ... Official language Burmese Headquarters In Exile in Rockville, Maryland,United States Prime Minister Sein Win Constitution December 18, 1990 national anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Web site Website of the NCGUB National Coalition Government of the Union Burma (NCGUB; Burmese: ???) is an exile government headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. ... The flag features a yellow dancing peacock, which has been a sign of freedom in modern Burmese history. ... Aung San Suu Kyi (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ); born 19 June 1945 in Yangon (Rangoon), is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar (Burma), and a noted prisoner of conscience. ... The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy is a political party in Myanmar (Burma), representing the interests of the Shan minority. ... Protesters in Yangon with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese A wave of anti-government protests started in Myanmar (also known as Burma) on August 15, 2007 and are ongoing. ... Burma (also called Burma) is divided into 14 administrative subdivisions, which include 7 states (pyi-neh) and 7 divisions (taing). ... Burma (also known as Myanmar) remains a pariah state to several nations due mainly to its human rights record. ... The renaming of Burma to Myanmar in the English language, decided by the Burmese military regime in 1989, has been controversial. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... The Prime Minister of Myanmar, formerly the Prime Minister of Burma is a high-ranking official in the government of Myanmar (or Burma). ... The State Peace and Development Council (Burmese: ; IPA: ; abbreviated SPDC) is the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). ...

He was known by Burmese dissident groups as "the butcher of Depayin" for his role as mastermind of the 2003 Depayin Massacre, in which 70 National League for Democracy supporters were killed by a government-sponsored mob.^[3] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Depayin Massacre Attacks Peoples Democratic Aspirations Asia Legal Resource Centre (Ed. ... The flag features a yellow dancing peacock, which has been a sign of freedom in modern Burmese history. ...

Biography

Early career

A graduate of the Defense Services Academy (12th intake), Soe Win was best known for his part in the crackdown on democracy protesters in 1988, deploying troops around Rangoon University and ordering them to shoot at Rangoon General Hospital during the upheaval. He became Tactical Operations Commander 3 of the Northwestern Regional Command in 1990. Yangon University   With truth and loyalty Yangon University is the most prestigious and the oldest university in Myanmar. ...

In 1997 he was named Regional Commander and a member of the junta, then called the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC.

In November 2001 he was named Air Defense General of the War Office.

In February 2003 he was promoted to Secretary-2 of the junta, which was vacant after Lieutenant General Tin Oo was killed in a helicopter crash two years before. General Thura Tin Oo (born March 3, 1927 in Pathein), (often referred to as U Tin Oo) is a retired general, former commander in chief of the armed forces of Union of Myanmar, highly decorated solider, pro-democracy activist and deputy leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in...

Soe Win is widely regarded as the mastermind behind the deadly attack against National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters in the May 30, 2003 Depayin Massacre. The flag features a yellow dancing peacock, which has been a sign of freedom in modern Burmese history. ... Aung San Suu Kyi (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ); born 19 June 1945 in Yangon (Rangoon), is a nonviolent pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar (Burma), and a noted prisoner of conscience. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Depayin Massacre Attacks Peoples Democratic Aspirations Asia Legal Resource Centre (Ed. ...

The same year he accompanied Than Shwe on state visits to Vietnam and China. Soe Win also signed the order to dismiss Foreign Minister Win Aung and his deputy in September 2003.^[3] Win Aung (born 1944) was the foreign minister of Myanmar from November 1998 until September 2004, when he was fired along with several other ministers in a cabinet reshuffle. ...

A devout Buddhist, Soe Win upped the persecution against the predominantly Christian Chin when he was the Northwestern Regional Commander in Chin State. A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Chin (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar (formerly Burma). ... Chin State is a state of Myanmar. ...

Rise to prime minister

Soe Win was appointed prime minister by State Peace and Development Council chairman Than Shwe on October 19, 2004. Soe Win succeeded Khin Nyunt, who officially had been "permitted to retire for health reasons", but the reformist-minded premier had actually fallen out of favor with Than Shwe.^[4][5] Khin Nyunt was later convicted by a special tribunal of corruption charges and sentenced to 44 years in prison. The State Peace and Development Council (Burmese: ; IPA: ; abbreviated SPDC) is the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). ... Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန္‌​းေရ္ဝ္ဟ; IPA: ; born February 2, 1933) is the military dictator of Myanmar (Burma), serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw and chairman of the State Peace and Development Council since April 23, 1992. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Khin Nyunt (born October 11, 1939 in Kyauktan, Burma) was the Prime Minister of Myanmar and the chief of intelligence of the Myanmar Army. ...

As Secretary-1 in the SPDC and prime minister, Soe Win was third in the leadership structure under Than Shwe and SPDC vice-chairman, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye. A senior member of the SPDC, Soe Win was close to Senior General Than Shwe, and the two men saw eye-to-eye on “nation building projects”, which included constructing dams, roads and bridges. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန္‌​းေရ္ဝ္ဟ; IPA: ; born February 2, 1933) is the military dictator of Myanmar (Burma), serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw and chairman of the State Peace and Development Council since April 23, 1992. ...

With his appointment as prime minister, he was expected to take a tougher line against political reform than did his immediate predecessor, Khin Nyunt. He was quoted as saying in January 2003 "the SPDC not only won’t talk to the NLD but also would never hand over power to the NLD."^[3] The flag features a yellow dancing peacock, which has been a sign of freedom in modern Burmese history. ...

Health issues, reported death

In March 2007, Soe Win was in a private hospital in Singapore. The government was secretive abou the nature of his illness, though it was reported in the media that he was suffering from leukemia. He returned to Myanmar on May 3, 2007, but then returned to Singapore later that month. The Myanmar embassy in Singapore said he was being treated for a "serious health matter". Leukemia or leukaemia (see spelling differences) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). ...

On May 18, 2007, Lieutenant General Thein Sein was appointed acting prime minister in Soe Win's absence.^[6][7] is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... Lieutenant General Thein Sein is the acting prime minister of Myanmar. ...

On October 1, 2007, in the wake of the anti-government protests, Soe Win returned to Burma. His condition was reported as "very ill" and he was admitted to a military hospital in Mingalardon Township in Rangoon.^[8] Protesters in Yangon with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese A wave of anti-government protests started in Myanmar (also known as Burma) on August 15, 2007 and are ongoing. ... Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ...

According to the dissident website, Mizzima News, Soe Win died at around 5:00 p.m. local time on October 2, 2007, and the report was carried by various other news outlets.^{[1][2][9][10]} Mizzima News is a Burmese news organization. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

Career timeline

• Chairman of Sagaing Division, State Law and Order Restoration Council
• Commander of Northwest Command (1997)
• Air Defense General in the State Peace and Development Council (November 2001)
• Secretary-2, SPDC (February 2003)
• Secretary-1, SPDC (August 2003)
• Prime Minister of Myanmar (October 2004)

Sagaing Division is a division of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30 north and longitude 94° 97 east. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The State Peace and Development Council (Burmese: ; IPA: ; abbreviated SPDC) is the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

References

v • d • e Prime Ministers of Burma/Myanmar
U Nu • Ba Swe • U Nu • Ne Win† • U Nu • Ne Win† • Sein Lwin† • Maung Maung Kha† • Tun Tin† • Saw Maung† • Than Shwe† • Khin Nyunt† • Soe Win† • Thein Sein*† † military     * acting

Current events/Southeast Asia Portal