Celebrity：Min Aung Hlaing The military leader who seized power in Myanmar
【明報專訊】You might not be familiar with him, but he is certainly the man of the month in Myanmar (緬甸) or even in the field of international relations. Min Aung Hlaing (敏昂萊)is the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in Myanmar. On the morning of 1 February 2021, the military detained State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi(昂山素姬) and other political figures in response to ''election fraud''. It imposed a state of emergency for up to one year as well.
SOON after the incident, the Norwegian Nobel Committee issued a statement demanding the release of those political figures, while different organisations have also expressed their concerns over the events. The political situation in Myanmar could deteriorate at an unprecedentedly fast pace.
Born in 1956 in Southern Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing studied law at Yangon University in the 1970s. His classmate said he kept a low profile in school. He has been Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in Myanmar since 2011. Trying to look more statesman-like, he has embraced Facebook and made donations to Buddhist temples.
Blamed for the genocide
IN 2018, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations identified Min Aung Hlaing as one of the commanders who are responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It issued a report setting out the details of the use of extreme violence against the Rohingya (羅興亞人) in Rakhine State since 2017.
■Glossary
detain (v) 拘留
deteriorate (v) 惡化
statesman-like (adj) 像政治家般
genocide (n) 種族滅絕
[Smarties' Power English 第304期]
