Thein Sein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thein Sein
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သိန်းစိန်
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Thein Sein in 2013
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| 8th President of Myanmar | |
| In office 30 March 2011 – 30 March 2016 |
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| Vice President | Tin Aung Myint Oo Sai Mauk Kham Nyan Tun |
| Preceded by | Than Shwe (Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council) |
| Succeeded by | Htin Kyaw |
| Prime Minister of Myanmar | |
| In office 12 October 2007 – 7 November 2010 Acting: April 2007 – 12 October 2007 |
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| Leader | Than Shwe |
| Preceded by | Soe Win |
| Succeeded by | Min Aung Hlaing (2021) |
| Secretary 1 of the State Peace and Development Council | |
| In office 19 October 2004 – 12 October 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Soe Win |
| Succeeded by | Tin Aung Myint Oo |
| Secretary 2 of the State Peace and Development Council | |
| In office 25 August 2003 – 19 October 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Soe Win |
| Succeeded by | Tin Aung Myint Oo |
| Member of Parliament for Zabuthiri |
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| In office 31 January 2011 – 30 March 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Sanda Min |
| Majority | 65,620 (91.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 April 1944 Kyounku, Burma (now Myanmar) |
| Political party | Union Solidarity and Development Party (2010–2016) |
| Spouse | Khin Khin Win |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Defence Services Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Years of service | 1968–2010 |
| Rank |  General |
Thein Sein (Burmese: သိန်းစိန်; born 20 April 1944) is a politician and former military general from Myanmar. He served as the 9th President of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016. Before that, he was the prime minister from 2007 to 2010. Many people in and outside Myanmar saw him as a leader who brought important changes to the government after a long period of military rule.
During his time as president, his government made several political changes. These included making the country's media less controlled and releasing many political prisoners. He also stopped a large, controversial hydro-power project. Because of these changes, Myanmar was chosen to lead the ASEAN group in 2014. Relations with the United States also got better. A major opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was released from house arrest. Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was allowed to take part in elections again.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Thein Sein was born in 1944 in Kyonku. This is a small village in the Irrawaddy delta region of what is now Myanmar. He was the youngest of three children. His parents were farmers who did not own land. His father worked by carrying goods at the river and weaving bamboo mats. Later in life, Thein Sein's father became a Buddhist monk.
Military Career Journey
Thein Sein joined the Defence Services Academy and finished his studies in 1968. He then became a second lieutenant. He spent four decades in the military. During this time, he was known more as someone who managed things (a bureaucrat) rather than a soldier who fought in battles.
He moved up through the ranks. By 1991, he was a colonel in Yangon. He later became a brigadier general and then a lieutenant general. In 1998, he joined the State Peace and Development Council, which was the ruling military group. He became Secretary-1 of this council in 2004 and was promoted to the rank of General.
Serving as Prime Minister
In April 2007, the military government chose Thein Sein to be the temporary prime minister. He took over from General Soe Win, who was sick. After General Soe Win passed away, Thein Sein officially became the permanent prime minister in October 2007.
As prime minister, he was the fourth-highest ranking general in the country. He also led a group that was working on a new constitution for Myanmar. He traveled to other countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to discuss important matters. In 2008, after a big storm called Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, he was in charge of the country's disaster response.
Becoming President
Election and Start of Term
On 29 April 2010, Thein Sein left the military to become a civilian leader. He then led the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). This party won many seats in the 2010 general election. Thein Sein himself won a seat in the parliament, getting a large number of votes.
On 4 February 2011, the parliament chose him to be the next President of Myanmar. This made him the first civilian president in the country in 49 years. He officially took office on 30 March 2011.
Leading Myanmar
As president, Thein Sein worked to improve Myanmar's standing in the world. He asked for support for Myanmar to lead the ASEAN Summit in 2014, which the country successfully did. The ASEAN summit was held in Naypyidaw that year.
He also focused on changes within Myanmar. He met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a well-known opposition leader. He also invited Burmese citizens living abroad to return home and help rebuild the country's economy.
Thein Sein faced challenges with different ethnic groups in the country. He stated that the events in Rakhine State in 2012 were not about race or religion.
Changes in Government
In August 2012, Thein Sein made some big changes to his cabinet. He replaced some ministers with people he trusted more. This helped him to have more control over the government.
He was also re-elected as the chairman of his political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), in October 2012. However, the country's constitution said that the president should not take part in party activities. Because of this, Thein Sein later handed over the chairman position to Shwe Mann in May 2013.
Life After Presidency
After leaving office on 30 March 2016, Thein Sein became a monk for a few days. This is a common tradition for Buddhist men in Myanmar. He was temporarily ordained under Ashin Nandamalabhivamsa at a monastery in Pyin Oo Lwin.
Since then, Thein Sein has lived a quiet life in retirement. He spoke in an interview in April 2023. He mentioned that the previous military government had kept the country isolated for 20 years. He said that during his presidency, he worked to end international sanctions against Myanmar.
Personal Life
Thein Sein is married to Khin Khin Win. They have three daughters. One of his daughters is married to a military captain. Thein Sein has heart disease and uses a pacemaker.
See also
In Spanish: Thein Sein para niños
