The Combat-Dodging General Becomes Myanmar Military’s Deputy Chief

General Kyaw Swar Lin was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services on Monday by Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, who handed his position as military chief to loyalist General Ye Win Oo. In the wake of the shakeup, The Irrawaddy revisits this 2023 profile of Kyaw Swar Lin, who was promoted to the rank of general and appointed Chief of the General Staff in 2024.

Kyaw Swar Lin, the man tipped to become Myanmar’s next military chief, has led a charmed life, earning the trust of junta boss Min Aung Hlaing despite his unremarkable career, military analysts say.

He evaded combat duty to become the country’s youngest lieutenant general at 45, prompting his peers to nickname him “Nay Toe” and “Pyi Ti Oo” after two of Myanmar’s most well-known actors.