Burmese military strongman Snr-Gen Than Shwe traveled to Pyin Oo Lwin on Friday to attend the graduation of the 52nd Intake of the Defense Services Academy (DSA). As with previous graduations, he took along an entourage of family members, including his favorite grandson, Nay Shwe Thway Aung.

The following day, a photograph of Than Shwe’s extended family appeared in The New Light of Myanmar, the country's only state-run newspaper in English. In the photo, Nay Shwe Thway Aung sits on a sofa alongside Than Shwe's wife wearing sunglasses and a white Western suit. 

Nay Shwe Thway Aung (white suit and sunglasses) sits alongside Than Shwe's wife Kyaing Kyaing at the DSA graduation on Dec. 11, 2009. (Photo: MNA)

Described quietly by ordinary people as “The Royal Family,” Than Shwe and his kin regularly dominate the pictorial sections of state-run newspapers with the following pages covering senior ranking generals in order of favor or importance.  

The New Light of Myanmar featured separate photos of Shwe Mann and Tin Aung Myint Oo––who reportedly dislike each other––at the event. Whether intentionally or not, Tin Aung Myint Oo, the No 4 general in the military hierarchy and quartermaster-general of the armed forces, appeared ahead of Shwe Mann’s photo in the newspaper. Such details are frequently said to portray underlying messages, observers say.

The day before the military academy event, Than Shwe visited Yadanabon Cyber City, the country's largest IT center, which is also in Pyin Oo Lwin. Again, he was accompanied by his grandson who has developed a reputation for gangster activities in recent years.

Pictures of Nay Shwe Thway Aung appeared again in the state-run mouthpieces along with Than Shwe and other top generals. One photo showed Than Shwe's grandson apparently telling a joke to military representatives while touring the IT center.

The media reported that Than Shwe was met at Yadanabon Cyber City by Ne Aung, a son of Industry-1 Minister ex- Lt Col Aung Thaung. One of the richest businessmen in Burma and a close crony of the military elite, Ne Aung is managing director of IGE Co Ltd, which has an outlet at the IT center.

Ne Aung's brother, Pyi Aung, is the son-in-law of junta No 2 Deputy Snr-Gen Maung Aye, and is also an executive of the IGE company, which is registered in Singapore.

Snr-Gen Than Shwe (center) tours Yadanabon Cyber City on Dec. 10 with his grandson, Nay Shwe Thway Aung (left), and Gen Shwe Mann (right) just behind him. (Photo: MNA)

One of Burma's most successful new companies, IGE was permitted by government authorities to expand into agriculture, steel, chemicals, electronics, and the oil and gas industries, including a stake in the offshore natural gas project in Arakan State.

Another well-known business crony who met up with Than Shwe on his visit to Yadanabon Cyber City was family friend Tay Za, whose vast range of business interests include an airline, Air Bagan, logging, jade mining, import/ export, and a retail outlet in the IT sector. Burma watchers have speculated that Than Shwe's family has shares in many of Tay Za's companies.

Both Tay Za and Ne Aung are on the blacklist of sanctioned Burmese business cronies issued by the US, the EU and Australia. 

“Burma is a patronized system,” said Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese political analyst based in Thailand. “Therefore the way Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan directs the setting of photographs within the state media reflects the ranking of officials from Than Shwe down.”

Apart from the political manipulations, he said, “as Burma is a military dictatorship, family members of the ruling generals and their cronies get business licenses before anyone else.”