Myanmar’s military junta has appointed former intelligence head Ye Win Oo as commander-in-chief, elevating a longtime loyalist to one of the most powerful positions in the country.
The appointment comes as junta leader Min Aung Hlaing prepares to step into the presidency following a widely criticised election, consolidating his influence even as he relinquishes direct control of the armed forces.
Ye Win Oo, 60, played a central role in the February 2021 coup, leading troops that arrested Aung San Suu Kyi during the operation that toppled her government and plunged the country into a civil war.
He is the first intelligence chief to lead Myanmar’s military. Analysts and insiders point to his close ties to Min Aung Hlaing as decisive in the appointment.
“Min Aung Hlaing has chosen to hand over power to his most trusted inner circle loyalist,” Naung Yoe, a major who defected from the military following the coup, told Reuters.
“He appointed Ye Win Oo so that he can maintain influence and authority and continue to dominate the military through someone who listens to him.”
The appointment coincides with a political transition in the country as the parliament chooses a new president in what authorities describe as a return to civilian rule.
Critics say the process is designed to entrench military rule behind a civilian facade, with lawmakers backed by the military wielding decisive power.
Ye Win Oo’s rise reflects years of patronage and proximity to Min Aung Hlaing. Unlike many senior officers trained at the elite Defence Services Academy, he came through the Officer Training School and built his career in infantry before entering the former commander’s inner circle while serving in Yangon. His promotion to chief of military security affairs in 2020 placed him in charge of intelligence and interrogation operations, a role that significantly expanded his influence.
“Ye Win Oo has gained significant power through Min Aung Hlaing's patronage, serving as a vital pillar for the leader’s grip on power,” Naing Min Khant, an analyst at the Institute for Strategy and Policy in Myanmar, said.
As intelligence chief, Ye Win Oo was credited by some analysts with strengthening surveillance and counterinsurgency operations in urban areas.
“Under his supervision, intelligence operations relatively improved,” an anonymous Myanmarese analyst in contact with military officials told Reuters.
Myanmar’s security forces, though, have faced widespread condemnation in recent years. They have been accused by UN investigators of perpetrating systematic abuses, including torture and killings in detention facilities.
The abuses include “beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, and torture by pulling out fingernails with pliers”, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar said in a report last year.
Despite the leadership reshuffle, analysts expect continuity in the military’s strategy as it continues to battle resistance forces across large parts of the country.
“For at least two years, the commander-in-chief will be compliant to the president,” the analyst said. “We won't see any radical or critical changes from the status quo.”
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