Hla Myint Swe

Major General Hla Myint Swe (Burmese: လှမြင့်ဆွေ [l̥a̰ mjɪ̰ɴ sʰwè]) was Minister of Transport in Myanmar.

Early career

Hla Myint Swe fought against the Burma Communist Party in the 1970s.^[1] In 1991, as Brigadier-General, Hla Myint Swe was Commander of the LID-88 in Magwe.^[2] In July 1997 he was Chairman of Sagaing Division Law and Order Restoration Council and Commander of North West Command.^[3] In November 1997, the government named him as Ministry of Industry No.(2), with U Aung Thaung as Ministry of Industry No. (1).^[4] In this role, in June 1998 he inspected Mandalay Industrial Zone No.2 and gave instructions.^[5]

Minister of Transport

In March 1999, as Minister of Transport, Hla Myint Swe donated medical equipment worth K 350,000 and cash for the 500 No.2 Military Hospital beds on the occasion of the 54th Anniversary of Armed Forces Day. He presented the equipment to the Director of Medical Services, Brigadier General Mya Thein Han.^[6] In June 1999 Hla Myint Swe met the staff of Myanmar Airways International, urging them to work hard, seek ways to earn more foreign exchange, be loyal to the State, take innovative measures, uphold national prestige and integrity and make all-out efforts for development of the State.^[7] In April 2000 he led the Myanmar delegation at a meeting in Tachilek, Shan State, where China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand signed an agreement on Commercial Navigation on the Lancang River - Mekong River.^[8]

In May 2000, he was included on the list of persons to whom the EU visa ban applied, and whose funds held in the EU would be frozen.^[9] In 2003 Hla Myint Swe's spouse Daw San San Myint was included in the EU ban.^[10] These restrictions were confirmed in April 2004.^[11]

In September 2002 Hla Myint Swe represented Myanmar at a meeting of transportation ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where the attendees said they would liberalize the movement of people and goods within the region.^[12] He attended the ninth ASEAN Transport Ministers meeting on 23–24 October 2003, where the ministers had a candid exchange of views on broadening and deepening of policy and program directions for ASEAN transport cooperation.^[13] In April 2004, he attended a meeting to coordinate the hoisting of the diamond bud atop Thabinnyu Pagoda for public obeisance. The same month, he and the Bangladeshi Minister for Communications Nazmul Huda opened the stone pillar to mark completion of the 36 kilometres long Ramu-Gundun road section of the 133 kilometres long Bangladesh-Myanmar Friendship Road.^[14]

On 28 July 2004 Myanma Airways, an agency of the Ministry of Transport signed an agreement with partners to launch Air Myanmar, a new international airline. Major General Hla Myint Swe made a speech at the announcement.^[15] Air Myanmar service was a failed project, starting in 2004 and ending in 2005.^[16]

Later career

On 18 September 2004 a cabinet reshuffle was announced, in which Hla Myint Swe was replaced as Minister of Transport by Major General Thein Swe.^[17] Reports from state-controlled media said he was "permitted to retire", but did not give any reason.^[18] In December 2006 he was in command of the Light Infantry Division 44, with HQ at Thaton, Mon State, which was in the Sittang river valley in support of operations against Karen rebels.^[19]

References

1. "Search: Hla Myint Swe". Myanmar Book Center. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
2. "BURMA'S RULERS - II The Next Generation". BURMA ALERT. Associates to Develop Democratic Burma Inc, Canada, in cooperation with the Euro-Burma Office, Brussels. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
3. "Over 35,000 USDA membership applications submitted" (PDF). THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR. 14 July 1997. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
4. "The State Peace and Development Council Proclamation". United Nations. 15 November 1997. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
5. "Ministers tour Mandalay Industrial Zone No.2". THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR. 1 June 1998. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
6. "Donations made to hail 54th Anniversary Armed Forces Day". Myanmar News : The New Light of Myanmar. 10 Narch 1999. Retrieved 2010-11-12. Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. "Minister for Transport meets staff of MAT". THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR. 18 June 1999. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
8. "China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand sign Agreement on Commercial Navigation on Lancang- Mekong River". THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR. 21 April 2000. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
9. "List of Persons to whom EU visa ban applies, and whose funds held in the EU will be frozen". Online Burma/Myanmar Library. EU. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
10. "COUNCIL DECISION 2003/461/CFSP of 20 June 2003 implementing Common Position 2003/297/CFSP on Burma/Myanmar". Official Journal of the European Union. 2003-06-21. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
11. "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2004/423/CFSP of 26 April 2004 renewing restrictive measures against Burma/Myanmar". THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
12. "ASEAN States Go Ahead with Liberalization Plan". The Jakarta Post. 2002-09-21. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
13. "JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT NINTH ASEAN TRANSPORT MINISTERS MEETING 23–24 October 2003, Yangon, Myanmar". ASEAN. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
14. "Hoisting of diamond bud atop Thabinnyu Pagoda coordinated". Permanent Mision of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
15. "New Air Line to be launched". The New Light of Myanmar. July 30, 2004. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
16. "Airlines in Burma". Airline Update. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
17. "Weekly Digest 113". Shan Herald. 2005-06-05. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
18. "News in Brief (October Issue) Shuffles Cabinet". Irrawaddy Publishing Group. October 15, 2004. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
19. "Burma Army Attacks Against the Karen People in Northern Karen State, Eastern Burma". Free Burma Ranger’s. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 2010-11-12.