Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has appointed as his advisor a lieutenant general who has long headed a notorious military conglomerate, according to a Wednesday announcement by the regime, which compared the new role to that of a Union-level minister.
The individual in question, Nyo Saw, has served as the chair of the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) since 2014, when he was appointed by Min Aung Hlaing, then commander-in-chief of defence services.
Nyo Saw also simultaneously assumed the position of Quartermaster General, the military office that owns the multi-pronged MEC. Before this, Nyo Saw headed the Defence Services Academy as well as various military commands.
“He held two positions: Quartermaster General and the MEC chairmanship, without resigning from the military,” the source said. “As a Quartermaster General, he automatically became the chairman of MEC,” said a retired army official who worked with military-owned businesses.
He explained that Nyo Saw retained the chairmanship even after he was replaced as Quartermaster General in 2020, months ahead of the coup. The recent appointment of Lt-Gen Nyo Saw as an advisor “signifies [Min Aung Hlaing’s trust” in him, he added.
“In terms of loyalty, he has been promoted,” the source said, noting that if this loyalty comes into question, Nyo Saw can swiftly be removed from MEC’s leadership.
The current quartermaster general is Lt-Gen Kyaw Swar Lin, who was promoted to the role in May 2020 at age 49 from his previous position as head of the Myanmar army’s central command—one was one of several younger generals who 67-year-old Min Aung Hlaing has kept close.
Meanwhile, Nyo Saw—who at age 60 is still Min Aung Hlaing’s junior—retains his rank but is believed to no longer hold a military position beyond his advisory role.
However, he was also appointed chair of the junta’s organising committee for the purchase and distribution of Russian oil last August. Under his leadership, MEC has also re-established a monopoly on the importation and distribution of fuel in the country. The move is similar to that which it enjoyed under the rule of an earlier military regime headed by Than Shwe before limited democratic reforms were introduced in 2011.
“The situation is back to the way it was before,” the retired military official said of the corporation’s recent expansion, which includes factories, hospitals, and even a renewed interest in steel plants it once operated but turned over to the industry ministry more than a decade ago.
He noted that the business enjoys direct investment from the military and oversight by the office of the commander-in-chief, which gives it more “freedom” under the regime, particularly when compared with Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, another junta conglomerate which must appease individual military shareholders.
This difference allows MEC to “make its own decisions,” the official explained.
The conglomerate was one of the first Myanmar entities to be sanctioned by Australia, the EU, UK and US after the 2021 coup.
