Prime Minister of Myanmar
Encyclopedia
The Prime Minister of Burma was the head of government
of Burma, also called Myanmar, from 1948 to 2011.
. Since then, eleven people have held the office (with two of them doing so on multiple occasions). Due to the country's long period of military rule, it has not been uncommon for the Prime Minister to be a serving (or recently retired) military officer
.
The actual power of the Prime Minister has considerably varied over time, differing based on who holds the office. In 2004, a power struggle between the then head of state
, Senior General Than Shwe
, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
, and his Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt
resulted in the Prime Minister being dismissed and arrested.
The position was abolished on 30 March 2011, according to the current Constitution
(adopted in 2008). It provided that the President
is both the head of state and head of government.
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
of Burma, also called Myanmar, from 1948 to 2011.
History of the office
The position of Prime Minister was created in 1948, when Burma gained independence from the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Since then, eleven people have held the office (with two of them doing so on multiple occasions). Due to the country's long period of military rule, it has not been uncommon for the Prime Minister to be a serving (or recently retired) military officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
.
The actual power of the Prime Minister has considerably varied over time, differing based on who holds the office. In 2004, a power struggle between the then head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, Senior General Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
, and his Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt
Khin Nyunt
General Khin Nyunt is an officer and politician in Myanmar. Khin Nyunt is of Burmese Chinese descent. He held the office of Chief of Intelligence and was Prime Minister from 25 August 2003 until 18 October 2004. He is married to Khin Win Shwe, a medical doctor, and father to a daughter, Thin Le Le...
resulted in the Prime Minister being dismissed and arrested.
The position was abolished on 30 March 2011, according to the current Constitution
Constitution of Burma
The Constitution of Burma ) has changed several times since the country became independent from the United Kingdom. Burma's third and current constitution was published in September 2008 after a referendum.-1947 Constitution:...
(adopted in 2008). It provided that the President
President of Burma
The President of Burma is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and leads the executive branch of the Burmese government, and heads the Cabinet of Burma. The president is elected by members of parliament, not by the general population. The Presidential...
is both the head of state and head of government.
List of Prime Ministers of Burma/Myanmar (1948–2011)
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)| # | Name (Birth–Death) (Term) |
Picture | Term start | Term end | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union of Burma Post-independence Burma, 1948–1962 The first years of Burmese independence were marked by successive insurgencies by the Red Flag Communists led by Thakin Soe, the White Flag Communists led by Thakin Than Tun, the Yèbaw Hpyu led by Bo La Yaung, a member of the Thirty Comrades, army rebels calling themselves the Revolutionary Burma... |
|||||
| 1 | U Nu U Nu For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century... |
 |
4 January 1948 | 12 June 1956 | Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese acronym, was the main political party in Burma from 1945 until 1962... |
| 2 | Ba Swe |
 |
12 June 1956 | 1 March 1957 | Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese acronym, was the main political party in Burma from 1945 until 1962... |
| (1) | U Nu U Nu For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century... |
|
1 March 1957 | 29 October 1958 | Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese acronym, was the main political party in Burma from 1945 until 1962... |
| 3 | Ne Win Ne Win Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981... |
29 October 1958 | 4 April 1960 | Military | |
| (1) | U Nu U Nu For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century... |
|
4 April 1960 | 2 March 1962 | Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese acronym, was the main political party in Burma from 1945 until 1962... |
| (3) | Ne Win Ne Win Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981... |
2 March 1962 | 4 March 1974 | Military (1962–1972) ↓ Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP... (1972–1974) |
|
| Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma Burmese Way to Socialism The Burmese Way to Socialism refers to the ideology of the Socialist regime in Burma, from 1962 to 1988, when the 1962 coup d'état was led by Ne Win and the military to remove U Nu from power... |
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| 4 | Sein Win Sein Win (Brigadier General) Brigadier General Sein Win was a Burmese military officer who held various positions in government after the Ne Win coup of 1962. He served as the 7th Prime Minister from 4 March 1974 to 29 March 1977.-Biography:... |
 |
4 March 1974 | 29 March 1977 | Military/Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP... |
| 5 | Maung Maung Kha Maung Maung Kha Maung Maung Kha was the 8th Prime Minister of Myanmar between 1977 and 1988.Maung Maung Kha was born to Khin Tint and Chit Pe in Yangon. He enrolled in University of Rangoon in 1937 to study engineering but left school in the final year of studies to join the Burma Independence Army in 1941... |
|
29 March 1977 | 26 July 1988 | Military/Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP... |
| 6 | Tun Tin Tun Tin Tun Tin was the 9th Prime Minister of Burma for a few months in 1988.He was born in Myitkyina on 2 October 1920. He was graduated with a bachelor's degree from Mandalay College in 1941... |
|
26 July 1988 | 18 September 1988 | Military/Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP... |
| 7 | Saw Maung Saw Maung Senior General Saw Maung was the founder of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar. He served as their Chairman from 1988 to 1992.-Early life and career:... |
 |
21 September 1988 | 23 September 1988 | Military |
| Union of Burma | |||||
| (7) | Saw Maung Saw Maung Senior General Saw Maung was the founder of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar. He served as their Chairman from 1988 to 1992.-Early life and career:... |
|
23 September 1988 | 18 June 1989 | Military |
| Union of Myanmar | |||||
| (7) | Saw Maung Saw Maung Senior General Saw Maung was the founder of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar. He served as their Chairman from 1988 to 1992.-Early life and career:... |
|
18 June 1989 | 23 April 1992 | Military |
| 8 | Than Shwe Than Shwe Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and... |
23 April 1992 | 25 August 2003 | Military | |
| 9 | Khin Nyunt Khin Nyunt General Khin Nyunt is an officer and politician in Myanmar. Khin Nyunt is of Burmese Chinese descent. He held the office of Chief of Intelligence and was Prime Minister from 25 August 2003 until 18 October 2004. He is married to Khin Win Shwe, a medical doctor, and father to a daughter, Thin Le Le... |
 |
25 August 2003 | 18 October 2004 | Military |
| 10 | Soe Win Soe Win General Soe Win was the Prime Minister of Burma and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council from 2004 to 2007. He was known by Burmese dissident groups as "the butcher of Depayin" for his role as mastermind of the 2003 Depayin Massacre, in which 70 National League for Democracy... |
 |
19 October 2004 | 12 October 2007 |
Military |
| 11 | Thein Sein Thein Sein Thein Sein is a Burmese politician and military figure who has been president of Myanmar since March 2011. Previously, he was Prime Minister from 2007 until 2011... |
12 October 2007 | 21 October 2010 | Military (2007–2010) ↓ Union Solidarity and Development Party Union Solidarity and Development Party The Union Solidarity and Development Party , which was registered on 2 June 2010 by the Union Election Commission as a political party, is the successor to the Burmese government's mass organization, the Union Solidarity and Development Association. It is headed by Burmese President Thein Sein and... (2010) |
|
| Republic of the Union of Myanmar | |||||
| (11) | Thein Sein Thein Sein Thein Sein is a Burmese politician and military figure who has been president of Myanmar since March 2011. Previously, he was Prime Minister from 2007 until 2011... |
21 October 2010 | 30 March 2011 | Union Solidarity and Development Party Union Solidarity and Development Party The Union Solidarity and Development Party , which was registered on 2 June 2010 by the Union Election Commission as a political party, is the successor to the Burmese government's mass organization, the Union Solidarity and Development Association. It is headed by Burmese President Thein Sein and... |
|
| Post Abolished (30 March 2011–Present) | |||||
See also
- Burma
- Politics of Burma
- List of colonial heads of Burma
- President of BurmaPresident of BurmaThe President of Burma is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and leads the executive branch of the Burmese government, and heads the Cabinet of Burma. The president is elected by members of parliament, not by the general population. The Presidential...
- List of Presidents of Burma
- Vice President of BurmaVice President of BurmaThe Vice President of Burma also known as Vice President of Myanmar, is the second highest-ranking post in the government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The office was established by the 2008 Burmese constitution and ranks directly after the President...
- Lists of Incumbents