Maung Aye is believed to have long been at loggerheads with Khin Nyunt. In the new regime lineup he is number two and would take over the leadership if Than Shwe left the scene.
The general brings to politics a military background stretching back some 40 years.
After graduating in 1959 from the
He served in Infantry Battalion 68 as a lieutenant colonel, and was promoted to colonel in 1979. In 1988 he became commander of the Eastern Region with the rank of brigadier-general.
Two years later he was promoted to major-general. He was then made Army Chief in 1992. A year later, he became lieutenant-general and the Deputy Commander in Chief of Defense Services. A year after that, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC, a position which he retains in the State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC.
Generally, Maung Aye has been hostile towards ethnic groups, particularly the Kachin and Karen. During the televised surrender ceremony of a battalion of Karen insurgents, he walked on the Karen flag, outraging many Karen.
As a commander in Shan State, he forged close ties with influential businessmen such as Aung Ko Win, a.k.a.
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