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The unrivalled leader of the country shows no signs of yielding power. When Burma was rocked by nationwide street demonstrations in 1988, a high-ranking army officer feared the mob might suddenly turn their anger against his family. To protect them, says a close friend of the officer, he locked his family inside their home because "they were scared to death". The head of that household is Sr-Gen Than Shwe, now the leader of Burma’s military government. Today, the streets in Rangoon are safer than in 1988 and his family no longer worries for their security. But Than Shwe is not about to let down his guard. "He is still scared," jokes a former army officer living in Rangoon. "Scared to give up power." His paranoia does not augur well for the people of Burma. Than Shwe, 70, took over the reins of the military government in April 1992, when he replaced Sr-Gen Saw Maung as head of Burma’s ruling body, then known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC. But while Than Shwe sat quietly atop the junta’s hierarchy, domestic and international attention focused squarely on secret police chief Gen Khin Nyunt and army chief Gen Maung Aye. Often ignoring the sullen and slow-moving Than Shwe, observers kept a watchful eye on the rumored rivalry and purported power struggle between the two chiefs, regarded as the most powerful men in Burma. Over the last three years, however, Than Shwe has been gradually and quietly consolidating his power, despite reports that he was ill and would soon retire. It is surprising that the holder of the three most powerful posts in Burma—prime minister, chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), and commander-in-chief of the Tatmadaw, or armed forces—could have been overlooked. But when the regime took strong action against the family of former dictator Ne Win last year, many at home and abroad were convinced that Than Shwe gave the green light; the "secret mover" was sending a signal that his power, for now at least, is unrivalled. Now that observers have recognized that Than Shwe is calling the shots in Burma, he is getting the attention he deserves. Some diplomats and political analysts inside the country have even gone so far as to suggest that he is building his own empire. "We are now ruled by the Than Shwe dynasty," says an analyst in Rangoon. But most Burmese know little about the leader of the government. Than Shwe has ruled Burma for more than ten years, yet he has rarely addressed the nation publicly. He marks national holidays and ceremonies with messages in the state-run newspapers, but seldom talks to the press. "Than Shwe is Burma’s reclusive leader," notes a Burmese writer in Rangoon. "I’ve never noticed him talking." Rise Through the Ranks Born in 1933 in Kyaukse, Mandalay Division, Than Shwe joined the army at age 20. A year later, he attended the Officer Training School and became an army officer before enrolling in the Institute of Central Politics. In 1958, he was attached to the psychological warfare department. But sensing perhaps that his future would be brighter in the armed forces, Than Shwe asked his superiors to post him back to the army. His rapid rise though the the army began with postings in the Karen and Shan states. In 1978 he was promoted to colonel. At age 50, he became one of the youngest commanders in the Burmese army when he was handed the post in the Southwest Region, and by 1987 his rank was elevated to lieutenant-general. His ascent in the armed forces was hastened by his strong commitment to the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP), where he became a central executive committee member in 1988. Upon his transfer to the Irrawaddy delta from Shan State in 1983 a farewell reception was held for Than Shwe and his replacement, Tun Kyi. Addressing the soldiers from the podium, Tun Kyi, who later became trade minister before being sacked in 1997, dropped a bombshell on loyal BSPP members in attendance by attacking the rampant corruption among individuals in the party. As Tun Kyi left the stage, Than Shwe quickly returned to the podium to restore the party’s image by highlighting its accomplishments and good deeds. Tin Maung Than, a writer and political analyst now living in the US, says the event was one of the first public indications of Than Shwe’s aversion to reform. Indeed, saving the party has been good for Than Shwe. In 1985, Than Shwe became deputy commander-in-chief of the army and deputy defense minister. The promotions coincided with the retirement of Kyaw Htin from his position as commander of the armed forces, and while senior officers were looking for new candidates to fill the top posts. The chief concern for the outgoing commander and his boss, Gen Ne Win, was to oversee a smooth transition in the Tatmadaw. To carry the junta’s torch, they called upon a trio of promising officers: Saw Maung, Tun Kyi and Than Shwe.