Myint Swe, the retired general who briefly served as Myanmar’s president during the 2021 military coup, has died at the age of 74, state broadcaster MRTV announced on Thursday. He passed away in hospital earlier that morning, roughly a year after taking medical leave.
A central figure in the military’s seizure of power, Myint Swe assumed the presidency on February 1, 2021, following the arrests of then-President Win Myint and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. His appointment, though largely ceremonial, provided a legal framework for transferring full authority to the military commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
At the time, Myint Swe was serving as vice president under the quasi-civilian government led by the National League for Democracy. His swift elevation and handover of power helped the junta consolidate control, sparking widespread unrest and drawing international condemnation.
Myanmar has since spiraled into civil conflict, with resistance groups mounting armed opposition in several regions. The military regime has faced numerous allegations of human rights abuses and war crimes, which it continues to deny.
Myint Swe went on medical leave in July 2024, after which Min Aung Hlaing officially took over his presidential duties. Just last week, the junta announced the formation of a nominally civilian interim government ahead of proposed elections—though Min Aung Hlaing remains the country’s de facto leader.
His death comes amid continued political and military turmoil, with Myanmar still under firm military control more than four years after the coup.
