Myanmar coup: army chief Min Aung Hlaing was headed for retirement before seizing control

Min Aung Hlaing was the public face of the offensive that sent more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslim fleeing to Bangladesh

United Nations investigators said the offensive included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson and was executed with ‘genocidal intent’

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Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:14am, 2 Feb 2021Updated: 11:59pm, 2 Feb 2021

After an election last November, Myanmar’s army chief had faced imminent retirement, as well as the sidelining of the army’s favoured political party and foreign calls for him to be tried for war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.

On Monday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was in full charge of Myanmar after a coup toppled elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose popularity for standing against decades of junta rule had won her another landslide.

The army acted in the name of alleged election malpractices – which the electoral commission had denied – and said it would hold a fair ballot when conditions were right and hand over to the winner.

A senior diplomat based in Yangon said Min Aung Hlaing had been driven by personal interest.

“There was no path for him to assume a leadership role in this government through the means that the constitution provided,” the envoy said on condition of anonymity.

Suu Kyi was also replaced as foreign minister as the military installed 10 new ministers to cabinet posts. A state-run television broadcast on Monday night announced the new foreign minister as Suu Kyi’s predecessor, Wunna Maung Lwin.