Saw Maung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Excellency
Senior General Saw Maung
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စောမောင်
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| Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council | |
| In office 18 September 1988 – 23 April 1992 |
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| Deputy | Than Shwe |
| Preceded by | Maung Maung (as President) |
| Succeeded by | Than Shwe |
| Prime Minister of Burma | |
| In office 21 September 1988 – 23 April 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Tun Tin |
| Succeeded by | Than Shwe |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar | |
| In office 4 November 1985 – 23 April 1992 |
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| Deputy | Than Shwe |
| Preceded by | Kyaw Htin |
| Succeeded by | Than Shwe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 December 1928 Mandalay, Upper Burma, British India |
| Died | 24 July 1997 (aged 68) Yangon, Myanmar |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Political party | BSPP (until 1988) SLORC |
| Spouse | Aye Yee |
| Children | Thiha Saw Kay Thi Saw Thura Saw |
| Residence | Yangon |
| Awards | Alinkar Kyawswar |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Years of service | 1945–1992 |
| Rank |  Senior General |
Saw Maung (Burmese: စောမောင်; 5 December 1928 – 24 July 1997) was an important army general and leader in Myanmar, also known as Burma. He served as the head of the country's military government, called the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). He was also the Prime Minister of Burma from 1988 to 1992.
Saw Maung was the 8th Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw, which is Myanmar's armed forces. He was the first person to receive the rank of Senior General. This special rank was created just for him in 1990.
Early Life and Military Career
Saw Maung was born on 5 December 1928 in Mandalay, which was then part of British Burma. He joined the army in 1945, three years before Myanmar became independent from Britain. He became an officer in 1952.
From 1974 to 1976, he fought against rebel groups near the border with Thailand. He quickly rose through the ranks. In 1976, he became a brigadier general. By 1981, he was an adjutant-general. He became the commander of the armed forces in 1983.
Saw Maung also served as the army's chief of staff and defence minister. He became the leader of the military government in 1988. This happened after a large protest movement known as the 8888 Uprising. He was the effective ruler of the country as the head of the SLORC. He also held the positions of prime minister and foreign minister.
Leading the SLORC Government
Saw Maung became the chairman of the new SLORC government on 18 September 1988. He promised that multi-party elections would happen soon. He publicly stated that he would give power to the winning political party. He also said the army would return to their barracks, where they "rightfully belonged."
SLORC held free elections in 1990. The 1990 parliamentary elections were won by the National League for Democracy (NLD). This party was led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Saw Maung was willing to hand over power to the civilian government. However, other generals in the SLORC disagreed with this. They prevented Saw Maung from honoring the election results. At this point, he lost control of the military government.
Saw Maung resigned as chairman of SLORC in April 1992. The government stated that he resigned for health reasons. He then lived a quiet life. He passed away on 24 July 1997 due to a heart attack.
Family Life
Saw Maung was married to Daw Aye Yee, who passed away in 2004. He had three children: two sons and one daughter. He also had three grandchildren.
Saw Maung enjoyed playing golf. He was also a devoted Buddhist.
