New army chief installed as Myanmar junta leader moves toward presidency

Myanmar’s junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has handed over the office of commander-in-chief of the armed to an associate after 15 years in the post and paving the way for his transition to the presidency under the military-drafted constitution. At a ceremony in Naypyitaw on Monday, he formally transferred command to military intelligence chief General Ye Win Oo, 60. Vice Senior General Soe Win, the military’s second-in-command, also retired alongside Min Aung Hlaing. General Kyaw Swar Lin was appointed deputy commander-in-chief, while Lieutenant General Ko Ko Oo, a Defence Services Academy Intake 38 graduate, was named joint chief of staff (army, navy, and air force), the military’s third-highest position. Min Aung Hlaing, who relinquished his military post, was nominated by parliament as a presidential candidate earlier in the day. General Ye Win Oo addresses the handover ceremony after taking over as army chief in Naypyitaw on Monday. (MOI) Intelligence chief rises to top command General Ye Win Oo played a central role in the military’s 2021 coup, leading the raid on detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s residence in Naypyitaw. He was appointed head of military intelligence in 2020, about a year before the coup, and his influence expanded rapidly after the takeover with Min Aung Hlaing’s backing. Following the coup, he served as joint secretary of the junta’s governing council and later as secretary after it was restructured in 2025. He also held a senior role in the National Defence and Security Council office. Infographic: Myanmar Now As intelligence chief, he oversaw interrogation centres widely known for the physical and psychological abuse of politicians and pro-democracy activists. “He is extremely loyal and deferential to Min Aung Hlaing. The level of closeness between them is very significant,” said Naung Yoe, a former major who deserted the army in protest against the military coup. Ye Win Oo has frequently accompanied Min Aung Hlaing on foreign trips, including visits to Russia and China. Earlier in his career, he served as a staff officer at the Yangon Regional Command and later commanded the No. 11 Light Infantry Division. He became rector of the Defence Services Medical Academy in 2016 before being appointed commander of the Southwestern Regional Command based in Pathein, Ayeyarwaddy Region. In 2020, he succeeded Lieutenant General Soe Htut as chief of military security affairs after Soe Htut was appointed home affairs minister. In March 2026, he was promoted from that position to army chief. A retired senior military officer in Naypyitaw said Ye Win Oo’s background lies primarily in regional command and military security affairs, rather than combat or logistics operations. Ye Win Oo is the ninth commander-in-chief since Myanmar gained independence from Britain in 1947.

New army chief installed as Myanmar junta leader moves toward presidency

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing hands over command of the military to a close ally as he moves to assume the presidency

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