Tin Oo
Encyclopedia
General
Thura Tin Oo ' onMouseout='HidePop("60664")' href="/topics/Pathein">Pathein
, often referred to as U Tin Oo) is a retired general, former commander in chief of the armed forces of Union of Myanmar, highly decorated soldier, pro-democracy
activist and deputy leader of the National League for Democracy
(NLD) in Myanmar
.
in Burma Rifle Battalion
. He reached the ranks of Lieutenant
on January 7, 1947, Captain on September 27, 1948 and served as executive officer at Armed Forces Training Headquarters. On June 22, 1949, he was transferred to No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion as Company Commander
. He was promoted to the rank of Major
on January 25, 1950 and became Deputy Battalion Commander (2IC) of No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion and took over the position of acting Battalion Commander on November 27, 1951.
Tin Oo was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
on January 21, 1954 and became Commander of 4th Infantry
Brigade
on May 30, 1957. He was then transferred to Army Officer Training School as Commandant
on September 13, 1957. Throughout 1958 and 1961, Lieutenant Colonel
Tin Oo served as Battalion Commander for No.14 Infantry
Battalion
(from November 18, 1958), No.2 Burma Rifle Battalion (from February 16, 1961) and after his promotion as Colonel
, he became acting Commander for No.13 Infantry
Brigade
(from February 20, 1961).
He was then given the command of South West Regional Military Command and promoted to the rank of Colonel
on February 14, 1963. On September 19, 1964 he became Commander of Central Regional Military Command. He was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier General
and became Deputy Chief of Staff (Army) on April 20, 1972. On March 8, 1974 he was promoted to the rank of General
and became Commander in Chief of Tatmadaw. During his military career, General
Tin Oo was awarded with Thuya medal, prestigious award for gallantry and bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of Myanmar Armed Forces. He is an exceptional General
and a career soldier, who was highly respected and loved by his men, both officers and enlisted men, and also by the people.
, the forced retirement was due to Dr. Daw Tin Moe Wei, the wife of General Tin Oo, broke the rules and regulations laid down for the spouse of commanding officers of the Tatmadaw by accepting numerous bribes, thus affecting General Tin Oo's position as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and therefore he was forced to step down. However, many observers speculated that the real reason behind the force retirement was Tin Oo's popularity among the rank and files of the armed forces and general public.
After his forced retirement, he was accused of high treasons against the armed forces (Tatmadaw), the party (BSPP) and the state. He was subsequently arrested and tried for the alleged withholding of information concerning a failed coup-d'état against General Ne Win
and the Council of State. On 11 January 1977, Judge U Ohn Maung
, Chairman of Divisional Justice Committee for Yangon
Division sentenced him to 7 years hard labour and imprsionment according to Crime against state and high treasons act 124. Tin Oo's subsequent appeal for this judgement on 20 August 1977 was summarily dismissed by Judge Soe Hlaing, of Council of People Justice, the equivalent of the Supreme Court, and upheld the judgement handed out by Yangon Division Justice Committee. Colonel
Hla Pe,commander of Northeast Regional Command, Colonel
Maung Maung, colonel general staff and Colonel
Myo Aung, commander of Southwest Regional Command were also dismissed and imprisoned along with General
Tin Oo. When Tin Oo was arrested in 1976, students took to the streets shouting "Long Live Tin Oo" in demonstrations against Ne Win and BSPP Government.
(NLD) and on December 20, the Chairman of NLD. From July 20, 1989 he was put under house arrest and from December 22, 1989, he was imprisoned for three years.
On May 30, 2003, Tin Oo, travelling with the caravan of Aung San Suu Kyi
, leader of the NLD, was attacked in the northern village of Depayin
by a government-sponsored mob, murdering and wounding many of his supporters. Tin Oo was taken into detention along with Aung San Suu Kyi and was initially held in prison in Kalay in northwestern Myanmar. In February 2004 he was brought back to his home in Yangon, where he is actually held under house arrest
.
The junta extended his detention by one year in February 2007, 2008, and 2009. The last of these extensions was in violation of the rule of Burmese law, but no explanation was given by the junta. He was released from House Arrest on February 13, 2010.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Thura Tin Oo ' onMouseout='HidePop("60664")' href="/topics/Pathein">Pathein
Pathein
Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River....
, often referred to as U Tin Oo) is a retired general, former commander in chief of the armed forces of Union of Myanmar, highly decorated soldier, pro-democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
activist and deputy leader of the National League for Democracy
National League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
(NLD) in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
Military career
Tin Oo joined the army on February 26, 1946 as a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in Burma Rifle Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. He reached the ranks of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on January 7, 1947, Captain on September 27, 1948 and served as executive officer at Armed Forces Training Headquarters. On June 22, 1949, he was transferred to No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion as Company Commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
. He was promoted to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on January 25, 1950 and became Deputy Battalion Commander (2IC) of No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion and took over the position of acting Battalion Commander on November 27, 1951.
Tin Oo was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on January 21, 1954 and became Commander of 4th Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
on May 30, 1957. He was then transferred to Army Officer Training School as Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
on September 13, 1957. Throughout 1958 and 1961, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Tin Oo served as Battalion Commander for No.14 Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
(from November 18, 1958), No.2 Burma Rifle Battalion (from February 16, 1961) and after his promotion as Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, he became acting Commander for No.13 Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
(from February 20, 1961).
He was then given the command of South West Regional Military Command and promoted to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on February 14, 1963. On September 19, 1964 he became Commander of Central Regional Military Command. He was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and became Deputy Chief of Staff (Army) on April 20, 1972. On March 8, 1974 he was promoted to the rank of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and became Commander in Chief of Tatmadaw. During his military career, General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Tin Oo was awarded with Thuya medal, prestigious award for gallantry and bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of Myanmar Armed Forces. He is an exceptional General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and a career soldier, who was highly respected and loved by his men, both officers and enlisted men, and also by the people.
Forced retirement, accusations and imprisonment
On March 6, 1976, As per Order no. 26/76 issued by the Council of State, Tin Oo was forced to retired from his position as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Burma. According to the official explanations released by the then ruling party, Burma Socialist Programme PartyBurma Socialist Programme Party
Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP...
, the forced retirement was due to Dr. Daw Tin Moe Wei, the wife of General Tin Oo, broke the rules and regulations laid down for the spouse of commanding officers of the Tatmadaw by accepting numerous bribes, thus affecting General Tin Oo's position as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and therefore he was forced to step down. However, many observers speculated that the real reason behind the force retirement was Tin Oo's popularity among the rank and files of the armed forces and general public.
After his forced retirement, he was accused of high treasons against the armed forces (Tatmadaw), the party (BSPP) and the state. He was subsequently arrested and tried for the alleged withholding of information concerning a failed coup-d'état against General Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
and the Council of State. On 11 January 1977, Judge U Ohn Maung
Ohn Maung
Ohn Maung was a Burmese politician who served as the Deputy Minister of Transport in Myanmar's pre-independence government. He, along with seven other cabinet ministers , was assassinated on 19 July 1947 in Yangon. July 19 is commemorated each year as the Martyrs' Day in Myanmar.-References:...
, Chairman of Divisional Justice Committee for Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
Division sentenced him to 7 years hard labour and imprsionment according to Crime against state and high treasons act 124. Tin Oo's subsequent appeal for this judgement on 20 August 1977 was summarily dismissed by Judge Soe Hlaing, of Council of People Justice, the equivalent of the Supreme Court, and upheld the judgement handed out by Yangon Division Justice Committee. Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Hla Pe,commander of Northeast Regional Command, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Maung Maung, colonel general staff and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Myo Aung, commander of Southwest Regional Command were also dismissed and imprisoned along with General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Tin Oo. When Tin Oo was arrested in 1976, students took to the streets shouting "Long Live Tin Oo" in demonstrations against Ne Win and BSPP Government.
Political career
He was released under general amnesty in 1980, after which he studied and received a degree in Law. On September 2, 1988, he became the Vice Chairman of the National League for DemocracyNational League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
(NLD) and on December 20, the Chairman of NLD. From July 20, 1989 he was put under house arrest and from December 22, 1989, he was imprisoned for three years.
On May 30, 2003, Tin Oo, travelling with the caravan of Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
, leader of the NLD, was attacked in the northern village of Depayin
Depayin massacre
The Depayin Massacre occurred on 30 May 2003, when at least 70 people associated with the National League for Democracy were killed by government-sponsored mob in Burma.-Commission observations:...
by a government-sponsored mob, murdering and wounding many of his supporters. Tin Oo was taken into detention along with Aung San Suu Kyi and was initially held in prison in Kalay in northwestern Myanmar. In February 2004 he was brought back to his home in Yangon, where he is actually held under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
.
The junta extended his detention by one year in February 2007, 2008, and 2009. The last of these extensions was in violation of the rule of Burmese law, but no explanation was given by the junta. He was released from House Arrest on February 13, 2010.
See also
- Military of MyanmarMilitary of MyanmarThe Myanmar Armed Forces, officially known as Tatmadaw is the military organization of Burma, also known as Myanmar. The armed forces are administered by the Ministry of Defence and are composed of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force...
- Myanmar Army
- National League for DemocracyNational League for DemocracyThe National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...