Khin Nyunt

In this Burmese name, the given name is Khin Nyunt. There is no family name.

His Excellency General Khin Nyunt
ခင်ညွန့်
Khin Nyunt in 2004
Prime Minister of Myanmar
In office 25 August 2003 – 18 October 2004
Leader	Than Shwe
Preceded by	Than Shwe
Succeeded by	Soe Win
Secretary 1 of the State Peace and Development Council
In office 15 November 1997 – 25 August 2003
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Soe Win
Secretary 1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council
In office 18 September 1988 – 15 November 1997
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Director of Defence Service Intelligence
In office 1984 – 18 October 2004
Preceded by	Kyaw Win
Succeeded by	Myint Swe
Personal details
Born	(1939-10-23) 23 October 1939 (age 85) Kyauktan Township, British Burma (present-day Myanmar)
Citizenship	Burmese
Spouse	Khin Win Shwe
Children	Lt.-Col. Zaw Naing Oo, Dr. Ye Naing Win
Alma mater	Officers Training School, Bahtoo
Military service
Allegiance	Myanmar
Branch/service	Myanmar Army
Years of service	1960–2004
Rank	General

Khin Nyunt (Burmese: ခင်ညွန့်; MLCTS: hkang nywan; pronounced [kʰɪ̀ɰ̃ ɲʊ̰ɰ̃]; born 23 October 1939)^[1][2][3] is a retired Burmese army general widely recognized for his influential role in shaping Myanmar's political dynamics.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} Serving as the Chief of Intelligence and Prime Minister of Myanmar from 25 August 2003 to 18 October 2004, he played a crucial part in the nation's history.^[11][12][13] During his tenure, Khin Nyunt oversaw significant developments in Myanmar's intelligence and apparatus and government policies.^{[14][15][16][17]} He was instrumental in implementing reforms aimed at modernizing intelligence operations and promoting national security interests.^{[18][19][20][21]} However his leadership faced challenges, and he was eventually removed from power in 2004 amid political reshuffles within the ruling military junta.^[22][23][24] Despite his removal from office, Khin Nyunt's legacy continued to be debated, with some viewing him as a reformist figure and others critiquing his approach to governance.^[25][26][27]

Born on 23 October 1939 in Kyauktan Township, near Rangoon (now Yangon), His early life was marked by a unique cultural heritage.^{[28][29][30][31]} Hailing from a family of Burmese Chinese descent, his parents were Hakkas from Meixian, Meizhou, Guangdong, China.^{[32][33][34][35]} Khin Nyunt played a significant role in Myanmar's political landscape.^[36][37][38] Khin Nyunt graduated from the 25th batch of the Officers Training School, Bahtoo, in 1960, after he dropped out of Yankin College in the 1950s, forging a path that would intertwine with intelligence operations and key political roles.^[39][40][41] His military career led him to the position of Chief of Intelligence, where he played a crucial role in the country's internal security.^[42][43][44] His political journey reached its pinnacle when he assumed the office of Prime Minister of Myanmar on 25 August 2003, succeeding Senior General Than Shwe.^{[45][46][47][48]} However, his tenure was short-lived, lasting until 18 October 2004.^[49][50][51] As Prime Minister, Khin Nyunt faced challenges and controversies, including the proposal of a seven-point roadmap to democracy, criticized for its perceived lack of clarity and military involvement.^{[52][53][54][55]} His leadership oversaw the recalling of the suspended National Convention, influencing Myanmar's political trajectory.^{[56][57][58][59]} Dismissed from power on 18 October 2004 amid internal military struggles, Khin Nyunt faced corruption charges and received a 44-year prison sentence.^{[60][61][62][63][64]} Released from house arrest on 13 January 2012, he entered a new phase, establishing a presence in Yangon with a coffee shop, art gallery, and souvenir shop.^{[65][66][67][68][69][70]} In an interview in April 2012, Khin Nyunt claimed that he personally intervened to save Aung San Suu Kyi's life during the Depayin massacre, by ordering his men to take her to a safe location.

Early life and education

Khin Nyunt as a Lieutenant in 1962.

Khin Nyunt was born on 23 October 1939, in Kyauktan Township, near Rangoon (now Yangon).^[71][72][73] He is of Burmese Chinese descent, with parents who were Hakkas from Meixian, Meizhou, Guangdong, China.^[74][75][76]

Khin Nyunt graduated from the 25th batch of the Officers Training School, Bahtoo in 1960, after dropping out of Yankin College in the late 1950s.^{[77][78][79][80]}

Political career

After his military career, he was ordered back to Rangoon in 1984 after an attack on a visiting South Korean delegation.^[81][82][83] Twenty-one people, including three South Korean cabinet ministers, died during the attack, which occurred on 9 October 1983 and was perpetrated by terrorists sent from North Korea.^[84][85][86] Khin Nyunt was then appointed Chief of Intelligence.^[87][88][89] From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s Khin Nyunt was considered to be a protégé of General Ne Win, who supposedly retired from politics in 23 July 1988 but who is thought to have continued to be an influential figure behind the scenes until about the late 1990s.^[90][91][92]

The 1988 uprising that occurred from March to September 1988 was quelled by the military when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was formed on 18 September 1988.^[93][94][95] The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was renamed as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 15 November 1997, and Khin Nyunt was appointed as its first secretary (Secretary −1), a post which he held until his appointment as prime minister in 25 August 2003.^[96][97][98]

Shortly after Khin Nyunt was appointed as prime minister, he announced a seven-point roadmap to democracy on 30 August 2003; this roadmap was heavily criticized by the Burmese opposition as well as by many foreign governments especially Western ones as it envisaged a permanent military participation in the government.^{[99][100][101]} The so-called 'systematic and step-by-step implementation of the road-map to democracy' also contained no time-line.^[102]

The first 'step' of the road map was the recalling of the suspended National Convention which first met in January 1993. The National Convention (NC) was supposed to 'lay down' the basic principles for a new Constitution.^[103][104] The NC met sporadically until the approval of a new constitution in 2008 by what many observers considered the rigged 2008 constitutional referendum.^{[105][106][107]}

Prime minister

After Khin Nyunt's appointment as Prime Minister of Myanmar, his role in the government gave rise to some hope and speculation that there might be some 'liberalization', as Khin Nyunt was considered a moderate pragmatist who saw the need of a dialogue with the democratic opposition.^[108] The SPDC Chairman Senior General Than Shwe and his deputy, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, were seen as hardliners who opposed any relaxation of the military's iron grip of the country.^{[109][110][111]}

Controversy

From 1988 until his purge in 2004, Khin Nyunt oversaw the arrest of around 10,000 people. Many were subjected to torture and farcical trials that resulted in decades-long prison sentences.^{[112][113][114]} Dozens of his military intelligence units harassed, intimidated and detained opposition activists.^[115] His military intelligence units infiltrated almost every organization in the country and maintained networks of spies in almost every neighbourhood.^[116] Their agents were placed in customs, immigration and police departments, and officers military intelligence even monitored other senior military officials, including top generals.^[117]

Khin Nyunt was instrumental in closing the universities, then reopening them after they had been relocated to remote, ill-equipped campuses where students could no longer organise protests or get a meaningful education.^[118]

Arrest and release

On 18 October 2004, in a one-sentence announcement signed by SPDC Chairman Than Shwe, Khin Nyunt was "permitted to retire on health grounds". However, he was immediately arrested and placed under protective custody.^[119]

Allegations of Khin Nyunt's corruption were officially made several days later. His dismissal and arrest were the result of a power struggle in which the junta's strongman, Than Shwe, successfully managed to clip the power of the "intelligence faction" of the Myanmar Armed Forces which Khin Nyunt led. Most of the Generals and military officers in the SPDC, like Senior General Than Shwe, did not want to negotiate with Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD).

On 5 July 2005, Khin Nyunt was tried by a Special Tribunal inside Insein Prison near Rangoon on various corruption charges.^[120] On 21 July 2005, he was sentenced to 44 years in prison, though it is believed that he is ostensibly serving his sentence under house arrest instead of in prison. His sons were also sentenced to 51 and 68 years respectively. It is unclear whether his wife was also indicted.^[121]

In July 2009, a video of Khin Nyunt at the home of former Burmese minister Brigadier-General Tint Swe, taken on 7 July 2009, was leaked to the public and there have been reports that Khin Nyunt and his wife have been able to travel outside their home on occasion, since March 2008.^[122] In December 2010, another 16-minute video of Khin Nyunt meeting with the Chief of Police Khin Yi and other senior police officers was circulated on YouTube.^[123]

Khin Nyunt's brother-in-law was Than Nyein, a long-term political prisoner under military regime and founder of National Democratic Force Party, who died of lung cancer in Yangon on 21 May 2014.^[124] Khin Nyunt was released from house arrest on 13 January 2012 by the order of President Thein Sein.^[125]

Later life

After his release from house arrest, Khin Nyunt resettled in a villa in Yangon. There, he established a coffee shop, art gallery, and a souvenir shop featuring items like wood carvings for tourists.^[126] On 2 March 2015, Khin Nyunt published a 657-page autobiography, providing insights into various aspects of his life. On 5 December 2021, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the current Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw, visited Khin Nyunt's home. It has been reported that the former general is facing health challenges, specifically from Alzheimer's disease.^[127]

Personal life

Khin Nyunt is married to Khin Win Shwe, a medical doctor, and has two sons, Lieutenant Colonel Zaw Naing Oo and Dr. Ye Naing Wynn, a doctor and entrepreneur who owns Aroma Gourmet Concepts Ltd, a pioneer of coffee culture in Myanmar since 1998 and Bagan Cybertech, one of the earliest internet service providers in Myanmar, as well as various café, apparel and sportswear chains.^[128] He reportedly has seven grandchildren.

• 
  General Khin Nyunt inspecting a Vietnamese honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 9 August 2004.
• 
  Prime Minister Soe Win (left) and former prime minister Khin Nyunt (right) on 21 October 2004.
• 
  Khin Nyunt shortly after release from house arrest on 13 January 2012.

References

1. Hmaw Win Thar U Khin Nyunt (April 2015). ကြုံတွေ့ခဲ့ရ ကျွန်တော့ဘဝအထွေထွေ [My life, my experiences (third edition)] (in Burmese). Yangon: 100 kinds of flowers publishing house (ပန်းမျိုးတစ်ရာစာပေ). p. 36. "...ဦးဘညွန့်(ရှေ့နေ)၊ မိခင် ဒေါ်သိန်းရှင်တို့က ၁၃၀၁ ခုနှစ် သီတင်းကျွတ်လဆန်း ၁၁ ရက်နေ့မှာ မွေးဖွားခဲ့တာပါ။..."
2. Than Win Hlaing (November 2014). ဦးခင်ညွန့် (သို့မဟုတ်) ရက်စက်မှုအပေါင်းသရဖူဆောင်းခဲ့သူ [U Khin Nyunt (or) the one crowned with extreme cruelty (first edition)] (in Burmese). Yangon: U Lwin Oo (Lwin Oo publishing house). p. 23. ...Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, erroneously described his birthdate as 11 October 1939
3. Shah Paung (25 May 2006). "Karen National Union leader Gen Bo Mya and a 20-member delegation brokered an informal ceasefire agreement with then prime minister Khin Nyunt in January 2004". The Irrawaddy.
4. Andrew Selth (2019). "Secrets and Power in Myanmar: Intelligence and the Fall of General Khin Nyunt". ISEAS Publishing.
5. "Late in 2000 the SPDC initiated secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi (during another period of house arrest), and in 2001 it released approximately 200 political prisoners, evidently as a result of its negotiations with her. The potential for further democratic advancement emerged when General Khin Nyunt was named prime minister in 2003. He promised to usher the country toward a new constitution and free elections, but his rule was cut short by allegations of corruption. In late 2004 he too was placed under house arrest and was replaced by General Soe Win". Britannica.
6. "Nyunt, Khin| Sciences Po Violence de masse et Résistance". SciencesPo. 19 October 2009.
7. "'We Restored Order' In a rare interview, Myanmar's General Khin Nyunt goes on the defensive". BBC News. 17 December 1999.
8. Andrew Selth. "The Fall of General Khin Nyunt". De Gruyter. doi:10.1355/9789814843799-006.
9. "The military government in Rangoon has been quick to blame ethnic armed groups the Karen National Union, Karenni National Progressive Party, Shan State Army-South and the exiled National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma. Each of the groups has denied responsibility and in turn blamed the ruling junta. So far no one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, though some observers in Rangoon believe former Military Intelligence members, unhappy with last October's sacking of Military Chief General Khin Nyunt, may be behind the attacks. Meanwhile, some residents believe that the blasts illustrate a lack of effective security systems following the disbanding of MI". The Irrawaddy. 8 May 2005.
10. "Sources said that Reed met with General Maung Aye in 1995 at the UN General Assembly and, in 2002, he attended an event marking United Nations Day in Rangoon as the guest of then Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt". The Irrawaddy. 29 September 2009.
11. Andrew Selth (May 2019). "Myanmar's intelligence apparatus and the fall of General Khin Nyunt". ResearchGate.
12. Aung Zaw (January 2008). "At the same time, Aung San's daughter, Suu Kyi, who had returned from London to nurse her ailing mother, also gave an unforgettable speech, saying: "This national crisis could, in fact, be called the second struggle for national independence." Although Ne Win's "Burmese Way to Socialism" program was thrown out, his dynasty and the military dictatorship went on. Senior General Saw Maung, General Khin Nyunt and Senior General Than Shwe, all emerged, not as saviors of Burma, but as ghosts of Prendergast who had stolen the nation's independence". The Irrawaddy.
13. Wai Moe (9 January 2009). "Tens of thousands of Burmese pilgrims crossed into Thailand this week to attend celebrations marking the 46th birthday of a monk who was once a close spiritual adviser of Burma's ousted prime minister and military intelligence chief, General Khin Nyunt". The Irrawaddy.
14. "The Day Myanmar's Military Intelligence Chief was Sacked". The Irrawaddy. 19 October 2020.
15. Aung Zaw (4 February 2011). "Burma's Puppet Show". The Irrawaddy.
16. "Three Burmese state-run newspapers on Sunday published the full speech made by Defense Services Chief of Staff General Thura Shwe Mann to a meeting of Burmese businessmen on October 24. The address explained the government's justification for the October 18 palace coup that ousted Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt, who concurrently headed the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence, or OCMI". The Irrawaddy. 8 November 2004.
17. "Senior General Than Shwe, head of the junta, has alerted all the country's military command headquarters that his deputy, Vice Senior General Maung Aye, will be unable to visit, according to the BBC. The BBC said that its sources suspect Maung Aye is under house arrest. The sources also speculate that Maung Aye may soon be purged because former Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt was also sacked on grounds of "poor health" last October, although later announcements claimed he was ousted due to corruption". The Irrawaddy. 2 February 2005.
18. "When Burma's former head of military intelligence and prime minister Khin Nyunt was purged from the ruling regime in 2004, his successor, then General Thura Shwe Mann, famously said that in Burma, as in other civilized countries, "no one is above the law."". The Irrawaddy. 28 January 2011.
19. Wai Moe (5 November 2009). "A Victim of the Junta's Dog-Eat-Dog World". The Irrawaddy.
20. Aung Zaw (21 October 2004). "The sacking of Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt this week came as no great surprise. What did come as a surprise, however, was that the state-run press simply said that he was "permitted… to retire on health grounds", and that no further news has been reported. As Burma's spymaster for 20 years, the energetic Khin Nyunt showed no signs of slowing down, recently traveling the country and carrying out his daily duties as normal. Rather, the dismissal was the result of a power struggle between Khin Nyunt and Deputy Senior General Maung Aye, who is the vice-chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, and the army chief. Legions of officers associated with the ousted PM have been detained. This is not a matter of health, this is a purge". The Irrawaddy.
21. Aung Zaw (8 May 2006). "Burma's Breakthrough Hijacked". The Irrawaddy.
22. Andrew Selth (28 March 2019). "Myanmar's intelligence apparatus since the fall of General Khin Nyunt in 2004". Griffith University.
23. Wai Moe (August 2010). "Explosive Uncertainty". The Irrawaddy.
24. Clive Parker (October 2005). "One year ago the Myanmar Times might have been forgiven for feeling optimistic. The paper was about to relocate to bigger premises in downtown Rangoon to accommodate a swelling team of reporters, while a printing press was making its way from New Zealand that would allow Editor-in-Chief Ross Dunkley and his team to publish in-house for the first time. That was, however, before Monday, October 18, 2004—the day former prime minister and head of Military Intelligence General Khin Nyunt was arrested for corruption". The Irrawaddy.
25. Tianlei Huang (5 November 2019). "Secrets and Power in Myanmar: Intelligence and the Fall of General Khin Nyunt". New Mandala.
26. Andrew Selth, May 2019. "Myanmar's intelligence apparatus and the fall of General Khin Nyunt". ResearchGate.
27. "Burmese PM 'removed from office'". The Guardian. 19 October 2004.
28. Myint Shwe (8 April 2012). "In his own words: the rise and fall of Khin Nyunt". Bangkok Post.
29. Donald M. Seekins (2002). "MYANMAR: Secret Talks and Political Paralysis". Southeast Asian Affairs: 199–212. JSTOR 27913209.
30. "Khin Nyunt: Free, but Still Deeply Unpopular". The Irrawaddy. 13 January 2012.
31. "Heroes and Villains – When asked by a foreign journalist if the NLD would require putting the military on trial for past crimes, Kyi Maung said: "Here in Burma, we do not need any Nuremberg-style tribunal." Then Military Intelligence Chief Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt took exception to the remark. Kyi Maung was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in prison. After his early release in 1995, Kyi Maung characterized his approach to politics in this way: "Look, it's a game, and we're players in the game. So, let's play it without so much ego and without nonsense." He retired from the NLD two years later, but remained active in politics and conducted research on the Burmese military for the rest of his life. He died at his home on August 19, 2004, at age 85". The Irrawaddy. March 2007.
32. Barbara Victor (21 November 1996). "Q & A / General Khin Nyunt : Burma:An Inside View Of the Military's Control". The New York Times.
33. Hannah Beech (30 May 2013). "Burma's Feared Ex-Spy Chief Finds a New Life as a Gallery Owner". TIME.
34. Aung Zaw (March 2010). "The Simple Soldier – In the early 1980s, a bitter power struggle between the intelligence wing and the army forced Ne Win to make a dramatic reshuffle in the cabinet and armed forces. Some top commanders who were locked into the fight were removed and many mid-level officers, including Than Shwe, were promoted. This was when a number of future leading lights began to move into prominence. Gen Saw Maung, the first chairman of the current military regime before he was succeeded by Than Shwe in 1992, and Col Khin Nyunt, who later became military intelligence chief, were among the beneficiaries of Ne Win's last big shakeup before he fell from power in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising". The Irrawaddy.
35. Wai Moe (19 July 2011). "Military Intelligence's Ethnic Affairs Experts Released". The Irrawaddy.
36. "As number three in the hierarchy of a regime known best for its brutality, General Khin Nyunt, Myanmar's prime minister and head of military intelligence, was no cuddly liberal. But his ousting on October 19th, to be replaced by General Soe Win, a martinet identified with the army's hardliners, leaves a sense of deep foreboding about the country's future". The Economist. 21 October 2004.
37. "Ex PM Khin Nyunt sentenced to a 44 years suspended prison term". AsiaNews. 25 July 2005.
38. Andy Wong (19 October 2004). "Myanmar prime minister ousted, Thais report". NBC News.
39. "Burma Intelligence Chief Visits Thailand - 2001-09-03". VOA News. 31 October 2009.
40. Zaw Oo (23 October 2004). "Power struggle : Is history repeating itself in Myanmar". The New York Times.
41. Ko Htwe (10 August 2010). "Former Military Intelligence chief and Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt built an enclosure for the elephants on Min Dhamma hill in Rangoon's Insein Township. A male elephant is now 18 years old, and two females are 32 and 15. The elephants brought Khin Nyunt no good fortune, however. He was ousted in 2004 and is now under house arrest". The Irrawaddy.
42. William Barnes (19 October 2004). "Burma's prime minister replaced by hardliner". Financial Times.
43. Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew (21 October 2004). "Malaysia should obtain a direct explanation from Burma military government over the arrest of its Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt". DAP Malaysia.
44. Shawn L. Nance (February 2005). "Tough at the Top – Prime Minister Soe Win may follow predecessor Khin Nyunt into the wilderness. While reported differences between the Burmese regime's top two leaders, Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Dep Snr-Gen Maung Aye, remain the focus of speculation in Rangoon, the fate of Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win is also intriguing. Rumors also abound about what exactly is happening to his disgraced predecessor, Gen Khin Nyunt". The Irrawaddy.
45. "Burma Announces Dismissal of Prime Minister". VOA News. 29 October 2009.
46. "Myanmar's new PM to tackle Suu Kyi". Al Jazeera News. 27 August 2003.
47. "Full Support for Ex-Spy Chief's Social Work: MP". The Irrawaddy. 29 February 2012.
48. "Former MI chief spurns politics, calls for national intelligence agency". Burma News International. 29 November 2013.
49. Andrew Selth (11 August 2023). "Are Western intelligence agencies "fuelling an armed rebellion" in Myanmar". Griffith University.
50. "Burma's prime minister 'arrested' Conservative elements in Burma's military junta have ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and put him under house arrest, Thai officials say". BBC News. 19 October 2004.
51. Harn Yawnghwe (15 November 2004). "Corruption—'That's Where The Problem Arose'. In October, Burma's junta removed prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt. Analysts predict that the country's future is bleak with even more hard-line army leaders now in control. Looking at the recent purge and political events, The Irrawaddy spoke to Harn Yawnghwe, director of the Brussels-based Euro-Burma office". The Irrawaddy.
52. William Barnes (24 March 1999). "Intelligence chief eyes power. As Burma's army chiefs prepare to replace fading junta leader General Than Shwe - possibly by as soon as Thursday - the country's intelligence hard man is emerging as a foil to his less flexible colleagues". South China Morning Post.
53. "MFA Press Statement: Working Visit of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt of The Union of Myanmar to Singapore, 13 September 2004". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. 13 September 2004.
54. "Changing tack in Myanmar: The exit of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt perhaps confirms the status of Myanmar's road map to democracy as a document with no clear destination". Frontline Magazine. 19 November 2004.
55. "According to Gen Thura Shwe Mann's October 24 speech, while PM Gen Khin Nyunt was in Singapore in September, the Northeastern Region commander based in Lashio, Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing, was informed by a letter from "a dutiful citizen" that the Muse detachment of Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence, or OCMI, was involved in large scale corruption. A team that included the Inspector-General of the Ministry of Defense and the state Auditor-General was dispatched to the town on the Chinese border". The Irrawaddy. November 2004.
56. "Coup Rumors, General Khin Nyunt and Purges in the Myanmar Regime in the 2000s". Facts and Details. May 2004.
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58. Sunil Sethi (31 January 1994). "SLORC: At best a kind of military secret society, at worst a closely-knit soldiers' club". India Today.
59. Aung Zaw (24 September 2019). "The Power Behind the Robe". The Irrawaddy.
60. R.H. Taylor (1995). "MYANMAR: New, but Different?". Southeast Asian Affairs. 1995: 241–256. doi:10.1355/SEAA95N. JSTOR 27912129.
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62. "Khin Nyunt is a Burmese general who was a prominent member of Myanmar military rule from 1988 to 2004. Khin Nyunt, who was considered the country's strong man especially abroad, was appointed in 1984 as head of the powerful intelligence service of the then ruler, General Ne Win, to which he had had close connections. He was number three in the junta, which took power in 1988 and held the title of First Secretary. Khin Nyunt was considered the most internationally oriented in the junta and over the years consolidated his position, among other things. following peace agreements with several ethnic rebel movements and layoffs of generals and ministers. He was deposed in 2004". Den Store Danske. 15 May 2023.
63. Amara Thiha (8 February 2023). "It's Time to Re-evaluate the Myanmar Military's Intelligence Capabilities". The Diplomat.
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67. Larry Jagan (21 February 2005). "Deposed PM's allies face sentencing". South China Morning Post.
68. Nyunt Shwe (28 October 2005). "Bleak outlook for Myanmar democracy". The Japan Times.
69. "Burma accuses former PM of corruption". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 November 2004.
70. Thiha (11 November 2017). "Chief General Khin Nyunt - Yangon". Consult-Myanmar.
71. "Myanmar generals look to the stars". The Nation (Thailand). 13 October 2014.
72. "SAC chairman visits NLD patron and former General Tin Oo, former General Khin Nyunt, Sithu Bogalay Tint Aung". Eleven Media Group. 6 December 2021.
73. "There have been rumours of a split within the military government, which was dismissed last month by Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of the SPDC and the country's powerful intelligence chief, in an interview with the Myanmar Times". BBC News. 19 February 2001.
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78. Aung Zaw (9 November 2004). "The Talk of the Town – Three weeks after Gen Khin Nyunt was suddenly sacked as Burma's prime minister, the surprising leadership shuffle is still the talk of the town. In Rangoon, discussions of how the once-untouchable Khin Nyunt and his feared intelligence network were eliminated without bloodshed and without a single shot being fired are, however, marked more by rumor and confusion than by solid information". The Irrawaddy.
79. Kyaw Phyo Tha (18 September 2013). "Military Coup, 25 Years Ago, Heralded Brutal Reign of SLORC". The Irrawaddy.
80. Ba Kaung (27 November 2010). "Video of Ex-Spy Chief Baffles Burma Watchers". The Irrawaddy.
81. Wai Moe (21 July 2011). "Former Spy Chief Hits Hard Times". The Irrawaddy.
82. Kyaw Zwa Moe (21 October 2011). "The Assassin Who Couldn't Kill – One morning in April 1990, a 24-year-old university student using the pseudonym Wunna woke up early and solemnly worshiped in front of a small Buddha statue he kept in his room, acutely aware that he was probably doing so for the last time. When finished praying he stood up, loaded his 38 mm pistol and wedged it under his left arm pit. Then he donned a jacket to cover the weapon and walked out into the streets of Rangoon. The young student's intention that day was to assassinate Khin Nyunt, who was then the head of Burma's military intelligence service (MI) and the third-ranked general in the military junta, which had taken power in a 1988 coup and simultaneously crushed a nationwide pro-democracy uprising. Khin Nyunt was regarded as the most powerful general in the regime—the one who really called the shots—despite the fact that Snr-Gen Saw Maung and his deputy, then Gen Than Shwe, were officially ranked above him. The spy chief's intelligence apparatus was notorious for cracking down on pro-democracy activists, who it routinely arrested, tortured and threw into prison, so Wunna believed that killing Khin Nyunt would advance the cause of democracy in Burma and be of great benefit to the country's oppressed people". The Irrawaddy.
83. "The confiscated diary and secret files of former prime minister and intelligence chief Gen Khin Nyunt have been lapped up by his boss, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, according to a well-informed source in Rangoon. The junta supremo seems to have liked what he read—after putting the diary down and closing the files, he instructed a special military tribunal to spare Khin Nyunt with a suspended jail sentence". The Irrawaddy. December 2005.
84. Min Lwin (30 June 2009). "Burmese Internet Users Share Video, Documents about North Korea". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
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86. Philip Shenon (20 February 1994). "DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI, the world's most famous political prisoner, has met her jailer only once. It was in January 1989, and the setting was the airy colonial-era villa at 56 University Avenue in northern Yangon, the family home of the Burmese opposition leader. Her mother had died, and Lieut. General Khin Nyunt, the powerful head of military intelligence, had come to pay his respects on the eve of the Buddhist funeral procession, a event scented with jasmine and joss sticks that would see thousands of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi's followers line the streets to mourn her famous mother, the widow of Myanmar's independence hero, Aung San. By all accounts, the meeting was cordial". The New York Times.
87. "The Secretary-General is concerned about the events that have unfolded in Yangon overnight, including the report that Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt has been dismissed and put under house arrest". United Nations. 20 October 2004.
88. "Mr. Razali had discussions with government officials, including Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and Foreign Minister Win Aung. He also met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as representatives of various ethnic nationality groups". United Nations. 5 March 2004.
89. Saw Yan Naing (10 April 2012). "I Saved Suu Kyi at Depayin Massacre: Ex-Spy Chief". The Irrawaddy.
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92. Tin Maung Than (15 December 2004). "Reconciliation —'Don't Let's Lose Hope'". The Irrawaddy.
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94. "Troubling signs in Myanmar: A shakeup in Yangon has refocused international attention on the reclusive regime in Myanmar. The ousting of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt bodes ill for hopes of democratic reform in the country and will increase tension between Myanmar and ASEAN, and between ASEAN and the West. Concerned governments need to send a message -- and then act to reinforce it -- there can be no backtracking on pledges to move toward democracy". The Japan Times. 26 October 2004.
95. "'They Must Apologize to the People'. In December 2013, Kyaw Zwa Moe, editor of the English edition of The Irrawaddy Magazine, held a discussion with the late Win Tin, patron of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and Hnin Hnin Hmway of Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS) about the arrest, torture and imprisonment of dissidents and political activists when former Chief of Military Intelligence Unit General Khin Nyunt was in power". The Irrawaddy. 23 April 2014.
96. Glenys Kinnock (18 July 1994). "Dear General Khin Nyunt: We have not forgotten that you've had a Nobel Peace Prize winner locked up for the past five years, the campaigning MEP tells the leader of Burma's military junta". The Independent.
97. Shibani Mahtani (8 November 2013). "In New Myanmar Army's 'Evil Prince' Wants to Offer His Help". WSJ.
98. Aung Zaw (15 November 2004). "Burma without Khin Nyunt". The Irrawaddy.
99. Lim Kit Siang (31 May 2004). "Khin Nyunt should be told in no uncertain terms when he visits Kuala Lumpur tomorrow that Malaysia and ASEAN regard the Myanmese National Constitutional Convention as a failure because of the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD boycott". DAP Malaysia.
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103. "Burma Confirms Ouster of Prime Minister". Radio Free Asia. 19 October 2004.
104. "Former Burmese Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt and his family members have been allowed some limited freedom outside of their home where they have been held under house arrest since 2004, according to Rangoon sources. The family members of Khin Nyunt and the former spy master himself have been allowed to visit religious sites, including Shwedagon Pagoda, and other locations, according to well-informed sources". The Irrawaddy. 3 March 2008.
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106. Aung Zaw (9 May 2013). "With Ne Win now gone and Secretary-2 Tin Oo having been killed in a 2001 helicopter crash, Khin Nyunt was the only regime leader remaining who could claim a stature even approaching Than Shwe's". The Irrawaddy.
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108. "In 2003, Than Shwe's main challenger as paramount leader, the Prime Minister and military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt, was purged, again under the guise of retirement on health grounds". Reuters. 3 October 2007.
109. Dominic Faulder (22 March 2024). "Myanmar's failed auction of Suu Kyi's home creates conundrum". Nikkei Asia.
110. Aung Zaw (19 April 2013). "Saw Maung initially became the chairman of SLORC, the newly established ruling council, Than Shwe the vice-chairman, and Khin Nyunt—the powerful intelligence chief who had been well positioned ahead of the coup and helped create anarchy during the 1988 uprising that paved the way for the army to take over—was rewarded by being named Secretary-1". The Irrawaddy.
111. "Military still marching to its own tune". Frontier Myanmar. 10 September 2015.
112. Andrew Selth (16 August 2023). "Memories of Burma's art scene in the 1970s". New Mandela.
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114. Shawn L Nance (March 2005). "Burma's ruling generals like to present themselves as enlightened modernizers. Though they use outmoded methods to stifle information flows, they pay plenty of lip service to e-projects and IT initiatives of all sorts. Burma's main Internet service and satellite feed provider, Bagan Cybertech, is one example. Last October's coup has placed a large question mark over its future—and consequently over the fate of Burma's entire IT sector. For whatever happens to Bagan Cybertech could determine what the future holds for other enterprises that flourished when Gen Khin Nyunt was prime minister and military intelligence, or MI, chief". The Irrawaddy.
115. Charles Higham (21 July 2021). "Tea with the Myanmar army". The Past.
116. Mratt Kyaw Thu (4 January 2018). "Once feted by Myanmar's junta, Bronze Age cemetery site returns to the spotlight. By early 1998, a government dig was underway at the burial site, which would become known as Nyaung-gan. When bronze artifacts were discovered, Nyaung-gan was deemed to be of both archaeological and political importance. Military Intelligence, led by General Khin Nyunt, the third most powerful person in the junta, soon took charge of excavations". Frontier Myanmar.
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External links

• We Restored Order – Asiaweek interview with Khin Nyunt from 1999
• McGeown, Kate (19 October 2004). "Khin Nyunt's fall from grace". BBC News. Retrieved 30 June 2006.

Political offices
Preceded by Than Shwe	Prime Minister of Myanmar 2003–2004	Succeeded by Soe Win