Myanmar dictator names members of new ‘super council’

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, fresh off of assuming his new role as Myanmar’s “civilian” president, appointed members of the newly created Union Consultative Council on Friday, according to state media reports. The list of council members, released shortly after Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as president, immediately raised questions about the actual function of the council, which was widely expected to serve as a “super body” for the dictator to maintain control over the military. Instead, the appointments suggest it will be used largely as a vehicle to sideline close allies while preserving their status and co-opting other political actors without empowering them. The 11-member body will be led by Soe Win, who until recently served as Min Aung Hlaing’s deputy in the armed forces, with former general Maung Maung Aye appointed as secretary. Other members include Ko Ko Gyi, a former student leader who contested the recent junta-orchestrated elections but failed to secure a seat, and Mahn Nyein Maung, formerly a senior figure in the Karen National Union, who has acted as an intermediary and adviser to the regime since the 2021 coup. People’s Party leader Ko Ko Gyi speaks at a campaign rally in Yangon in early December (Photo: Myanmar Now) Also named are Yin Yin Nwe, an adviser to the regime, and former admiral Moe Aung. When it announced the formation of the council in February, the junta said it would provide advice and coordination on issues related to national security, rule of law, international relations, peace affairs, and legislation. The council’s mandate runs concurrently with the president’s five-year term, and its members receive pay, benefits, and administrative backing from the state. The president holds exclusive authority to appoint its leadership and define its responsibilities, while the President’s Office oversees its operations and sets out the rules for its implementation. While it was initially believed that Min Aung Hlaing intended to make himself chair of the body in order to keep the military firmly under his control once he had completed his transition from armed forces commander-in-chief to president, it now appears that he had a more modest role in mind for the council. The appointment of Soe Win, once the regime’s number two, as chair of the council is particularly telling, suggesting a deliberate effort to keep trusted insiders within the system while limiting their independent power. Also worth noting is the absence of General Ye Win Oo, the new commander-in-chief, from the council. This points to the fact that Min Aung Hlaing has no doubts about his ability to manage his handpicked successor, according to military sources in Naypyitaw. “Ye Win Oo has risen rapidly through the ranks and is a key trusted subordinate of Min Aung Hlaing,” said a former army general who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity. The emerging power structure bears similarities to the system established by Myanmar’s first military dictator, General Ne Win. After seizing power in a 1962 coup, Ne Win later installed himself as president through a rubber-stamp parliament and formally relinquished the army chief position, while continuing to exercise ultimate control over the military until he was forced from power amid nationwide pro-democracy protests in 1988. Asked about the independence of the current army leadership, the former general said the new command structure—beyond just the commander-in-chief—consists entirely of officers loyal to Min Aung Hlaing. “Min Aung Hlaing is confident he will maintain complete control over the armed forces for at least the next decade,” he said.

Myanmar dictator names members of new ‘super council’

Min Aung Hlaing’s appointments to the newly formed Union Consultative Council suggest it will play a largely ceremonial role

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