麻豆APP

Flag of Myanmar photo sourced from

Top 10 Sensational Facts about Sein Lwin

In everyday life, the term 鈥減olitics refers to the way that countries are governed and to the way the government makes rules and laws. Politics can also be witnessed in other groups such as companies, clubs, churches and schools.

Politics is making agreements between politicians and people to enable co-existence in groups such as tribes, cities or countries. It is the way that people living in groups make decisions.

One such renowned politician was Sein Lwin, a Burmese politician and retired military general in the Myanmar Army. He had a fierce reputation throughout his rise in the military accompanied by controversial incidences that left his name forever cemented in Myanmar history.

Here are the top 10 sensational facts about him.

1. Young Sein Lwin worked as a school teacher

Photo by Taylor Wilcox on

Sein Lwin was born on 27 January 1924 in Kawkayin Village, Paung, Mon State, British Burma to his parent Shwe Yin and his wife Ma Ma Gyi. Early on before politics, he worked as a school teacher in his hometown.

2. Sein Lwin joined the army in 1943

He joined the army in 1943 and in 1944 he joined Ne Win鈥檚 4th Burma Rifles. The Battalion was a Burman battalion, with the majority of recruits being former members of the patriotic Burma Forces (P.B.F).

He served the brutal cohort of Ne Win and the man responsible for the ruthless suppression of dissent, notably anti-government protests in 1962 in which scores of university students were slaughtered.

3. He had a reputation for being Ne Win鈥檚 henchman

David Ben Gurion greeting General Ne Win, PM of Burma, on his visit to Israel in 1959 photo by Moshe Pridan –

Sein Lwin had a reputation as being a henchman for General Ne Win. He was one of those responsible for the Rangoon University Student union massacre on 7 July 1962 when 130 university students protesting against General Ne Win鈥檚 Coup d鈥� `etat were killed and the student union building was dynamited the next day.

Sein Lwin was the field commanding officer in the University region.

4. He is believed to have killed the Karen rebel leader

Portrait of Saw Ba U Gyi photo sourced from

After joining Ne Win鈥檚 4th Burma Rifles. He is believed to have personally killed Karen rebel leader Saw Ba U Gyi. Saw Ba U Gyi led an armed rebellion as commander of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNDO) In 1949.

He was killed on 12 August 1950 at a small village near Moulmein, 170 miles from Rangoon with other Karen leaders and an English major who were imprisoned for supplying arms.

Saw Ba鈥檚 corpse was transported for miles out to sea where it was thrown overboard, thus ensuring there would be no martyr鈥檚 grave for him. Sein Lwin was the man responsible for the entire ordeal.

5. Sein Lwin got the rank of general in 1978

In 1978, Sein Lwin became chief of staff of the Burmese armed forces with the rank of general. After serving as chief of the Mandalay and Irrawaddy division army commands, he was brought to the Burmese capital of Rangoon as joint general secretary of the party in 1981.

Later he served variously as minister of Cooperatives, Minister of Transport, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Religious Affairs under General Ne win鈥檚 Cabinet.

6. He retired from the army ranked as Brigadier general

Photo by Stijn Swinnen on

Sein Lwin was decorated military personnel who was a brigadier general before succeeding Ne Win as Burma Socialist Program Party chairman.

7. He served as the sixth president of Burma

The proposal flag of the Federal Republic of the Union of Burma. photo by Kkkleyuot –

Lwin served briefly as president of Myanmar from 27 July 1988 for 17 days following the resignation of Junta strongman Ne Win in the face of mass demonstrations against decades of military rule.

Pro-democracy protests grew after he became president. Instead of negotiating, he tried to end the protests by force but he failed and he eventually resigned on August 12, 1988.

8. Sein Lwin was dubbed the 鈥淏utcher of Rangoon鈥�

Image by Shany Kasysyaf from

He was dubbed the 鈥淏utcher of Rangoon鈥� for his brutal suppression of successive student-led demonstrations in the capital. Sein Lwin, implementing the threat in Ne Win鈥檚 鈥淲hen the Army shoots, it shoots to hit鈥� resignation speech, directed troops to fire on groups of unarmed demonstrators in Yangon during the 8 August 1988 demonstrations (referred to as the 8888 uprisings), killing and wounding hundreds.

Protests, mores shootings and arrests continued until Sein Lwin resigned on 12 August. For these actions, he earned the nickname 鈥淏utcher of Rangoon鈥�.

9. He imposed martial law in the capital as Burmese leader

A road in Yangon ( Rangoon) Downtown, Myanmar photo by Milei. vencel –

After he took the presidency and became Burma鈥檚 new leader, Brigadier-General Sein Lwin, imposed law in the capital, Rangoon as part of a security crackdown leading to the arrest of the Government鈥檚 most prominent critics and those associated with them.

10. Sein Lwin died at the age of 80

Fine colonial architecture of Yangon General Hospital photo by ReflectedSerendipity –

Sein Lwin died on 9 April 2004 at Yangon General hospital at the age of 80 after his return from Singapore where he had sought treatment for a stomach ailment. His death was reported in a State-run newspaper, Myanmar Ahlin, which did not give a cause of death.

 From serving the nation as a minister in various departments to being the president for 17 days in 198, Sein Lwin had quite a political career during his years at the country’s political helm.

Being involved in multiple conflict boycotts and demonstrations, Sein Lwin did not compromise his stance as a leader. Major human rights outlets in the world have criticized how he ruled the nation with a fis, terming him a major instigator in human rights violator. 

His reign was among the saddest times the nation had to go through and lucky for the residents it surely came to an end after his resignation. He will be remembered as the most ambitious leader Myanmar ever had given how he rose from just being a school teacher to being the nation’s president.