Soe Win

General Soe Win ( born May 10, 1948 in Taunggyi, Shan State, † October 12, 2007 in Yangon, Myanmar ) was a politician and leading member of the military junta of Myanmar ( Burma). Since 19 October 2004, he was prime minister of the country. Soe Win was considered hardliners and harder opponents of political reform than its predecessor, Khin Nyunt.

Soe Win made ​​primarily by the suppression of the uprising at the University of Rangoon in 1988 a name. He was Second Secretary since February 2003 under the name of State Peace and Development Council ( SPDC ), the ruling military junta in Myanmar. In August 2003 he was promoted to the First average secretary. He was a member of the mass organization Union Solidarity and Development Association ( USDA) and was chief Than Shwe regime close. It is believed that Soe Win is behind the attack on Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters in May 2003. He was therefore in the press, similar to the titling of former President His Lwin, referred to as ' the butcher of Depayin '. In the same year he accompanied Than Shwe on state visits to Vietnam and China. He signed the dismissal of Foreign Minister Win Aung and his deputy. The devout Buddhist engaged in the persecution of Christian minorities primarily as Chin and Karen.

It had been long speculated that Soe Win was suffering from leukemia. This was confirmed according to press reports after his death by his family. To treat this life-threatening illness he had spent already in March 2007 in Singapore. In May this year he returned to Rangoon, but was ten days later flown to Singapore again. On 1 October 2007 Soe Win had been transferred back to the military hospital in Rangoon district Mingaladon. First, it was reported that he had died there on October 2. This statement was revised on October 5. Accordingly, Soe Win, however, was in critical condition in the ICU. After his death, the regime called for a three-day national mourning until October 14, the day of his funeral. On 19 September 2007 his twin brother Tin Htun had died at the age of 59 years.

Soe Win was married to Daw Than Than Nwe, who was most recently President of Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation, an office which has traditionally been delegated to the wife of the current Prime Minister.

Because of the serious illness of the leadership of the official duties of the Prime Minister was Lieutenant-General Thein Sein, the First Secretary of the SPDC transferred. The Myanmar government press this first mentioned on 18 May 2007.