Min Aung Hlaing ally appointed as speaker of Myanmar’s upper house

Myanmar’s military-appointed parliament convened its first Upper House session on Wednesday, appointing a close ally of junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as speaker. Aung Lin Dwe, a retired lieutenant general and long-time confidante of the military leader, was elected speaker of the Amyotha Hluttaw (House of Nationalities) at the parliament complex in Naypyitaw. The role includes serving as speaker of the Union Parliament, giving him influence over the presidential selection process. A graduate of the Defence Services Academy’s 25th Intake, Aung Lin Dwe served as the military’s Judge Advocate General from 2016 to 2022 and played a key role in the February 2021 coup. He was later appointed secretary of the State Administration Council, the regime that assumed power after the coup. In August 2024, he was promoted to full general alongside other trusted officers. He subsequently became a member of the restructured military commission and was assigned to serve as executive chief of the National Defence and Security Council office. Also elected during Wednesday’s session was Jeng Phang Naw Taung, who was named deputy speaker of the Upper House. He previously served as the regime’s minister for ethnic affairs and later held other ministerial posts, heading the ministries of sports and youth affairs and hotels and tourism. The appointments come just two days after the junta convened the Lower House for the first time since the 2021 coup, installing junta-linked figures including Khin Yi and Maung Maung Ohn as speaker and deputy speaker, respectively, and completing the formation of a legislature dominated by military allies. The new parliament—formed through elections held under military rule—has been widely seen as part of an effort to present a civilian façade, even as power remains concentrated in the hands of Min Aung Hlaing and his inner circle. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) secured a large majority of elected seats, ensuring control of the legislature. Min Aung Hlaing is expected to be elevated to the presidency by the new parliament in the coming days, a move that would further consolidate the military’s grip on power. Observers say key positions across the legislature, the incoming administration, and the military command are increasingly being filled by generals loyal to him, including a reshaped leadership within the USDP dominated by post-coup military figures.

Min Aung Hlaing ally appointed as speaker of Myanmar’s upper house

Yet another trusted general assumes a top position in parliament, tightening the junta’s grip ahead of a planned “civilian” transition

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