Reuters: When Myanmar’s military ousted a democratically elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, Ye Win Oo led the troops that arrested Nobel Peace Prize winner and then-leader Aung San Suu Kyi. On March 30, 2026, the 60-year-old general was appointed commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s military, one of the most powerful offices in the country. Ye Win Oo’s rise—the first intelligence chief to reach the top—is linked to his loyalty to outgoing commander Min Aung Hlaing.
Min Aung Hlaing, who is set to become Myanmar’s president following a general election widely criticized as a sham, has chosen Ye Win Oo to maintain influence over the military through a trusted loyalist.
Unlike many senior officers who graduated from the elite Defence Services Academy, Ye Win Oo attended the Officer Training School. He served early years in infantry battalions before taking senior command positions in central Myanmar.
During his time as a colonel in Yangon, he entered Min Aung Hlaing’s orbit, a relationship strengthened by family ties. His ascent culminated in 2020 with his appointment as Chief of Military Security Affairs, overseeing intelligence and interrogation operations.Ye Win Oo is known for improving intelligence operations and suppressing anti-junta guerrillas in urban areas. However, U.N. investigators have accused Myanmar’s security forces of systematic torture, killing, and other abuses during interrogations and in detention facilities, including beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, and fingernail removal.
Analysts expect Ye Win Oo’s early command to closely align with Min Aung Hlaing’s needs, with no major changes in military doctrine despite ongoing conflicts with armed groups.
