The Tatmadaw Government (), officially the Government of the Union of Myanmar (), was a totalitarian provisional military government that had ruled Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) since the collapse of the constitutional socialist regime in 1988 until the new constitutional government took power in 2011. Direct military rule was established on 18 September 1988 when the military junta, namely the State Law and Order Restoration Council (; abbreviated SLORC or ), came into power. The SLORC was dissolved and the junta was reconstituted as the State Peace and Development Council (; abbreviated SPDC or ) on 15 November 1997. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe, the SPDC Chairman, signed a decree that officially dissolved the SPDC, ending the direct military rule that had lasted for more than two decades.
SLORC succeeded the Pyithu Hluttaw as a legislature and the Council of State as a ruling council, after dissolving the state organs of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma. When SLORC was dissolved and reconstituted as SPDC in 1997, the powerful regional military commanders, who were members of SLORC, were promoted to new positions and transferred to the capital of Yangon. The new regional military commanders were not included in the membership of the SPDC which then consisted of eleven senior military officers of the Tatmadaw, the combined military forces of the country. The members of the junta wielded a great deal more power than the cabinet ministers, who were either more-junior military officers or civilians. The exception was the Defence Ministry portfolio, which was in the hands of junta leader Senior General Than Shwe himself. On 15 September 1993, it established the Union Solidarity and Development Association, which was replaced by Union Solidarity and Development Party on 29 March 2010 in time for the elections.
Although the regime retreated from the totalitarian Burmese Way to Socialism of the Burma Socialist Programme Party when it took power in 1988, the regime was widely accused of human rights abuses. It rejected the 1990 election results and kept Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest until her release on 13 November 2010. The way the junta handled Cyclone Nargis was also internationally criticised. The council was officially dissolved on 30 March 2011, with the inauguration of the newly elected government, led by its former member and Prime Minister, President Thein Sein.
History
The State Law and Order Restoration Council was formed when the Burmese Armed Forces, commanded by General Saw Maung (later self-promoted to Senior General Saw Maung, died July 1997), seized power on 18 September 1988 crushing the 8888 Uprising. On the day it seized power, SLORC issued Order No.1/1988 stating that the Armed Forces had taken over power and announced the formation of the SLORC. With Order No. 2/1988, the SLORC abolished all organs of state power that were formed under the 1974 Burmese constitution. The Pyithu Hluttaw (the legislature under the 1974 Constitution), the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet), the Council of People's Justices (the Judiciary), the Council of People's Attorneys (the Attorney-General Office), the Council of People's Inspectors (the Auditor-General Office), as well as the State/Region, Township, Ward/Village People's Councils were abolished.
The SLORC also stated that the services of the Deputy Ministers in the previous Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) government, which it replaced, were also terminated. (Under the 1974 Burmese Constitution the Council of Ministers acted as a Cabinet but since the Deputy Ministers were not considered to be formally part of the Council of Ministers, the SLORC made sure that the Deputy Ministers, together with the Ministers' services in the previous BSPP government, from whom it had taken over power were also terminated.) The Orders that SLORC issued on the day of its takeover can be seen in the 19 September 1988 issue of The Working People's Daily. The first Chairman of SLORC was General Saw Maung, later Senior General, who was also the Prime Minister. He was removed as both Chairman of SLORC and Prime Minister on 23 April 1992 when General Than Shwe, later Senior General, took over both posts from him.
On 15 November 1997, SLORC was abolished and reconstituted as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Most, but not all, members of the abolished SLORC were in the SPDC military regime.
Economic Policy
Due to the junta's repression of the 8888 Uprising, credit from Japan and West Germany was cut to the country. The government responded by announcing a new set of economic reforms that would open the country up to foreign investment. What followed was 'a crash programme of selling abroad precious natural resources, including fishery rights, gemstones, timber and oil concessions, for desperately needed revenue and foreign exchange.'
Leadership
Chairmen titles: 18 September 1988 – 15 November 1997 : Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council 15 November 1997 – 30 March 2011 : Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council ChairmanTerm of office No. Portrait Name(Born–Died) Took office Left office Duration1 Senior General Saw Maung(1928–1997) 18 September 1988 23 April 1992 2 Senior General Than Shwe(b. 1933) 23 April 1992 30 March 2011
Vice Chairmen titles: 18 September 1988 – 15 November 1997 : Vice Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council 15 November 1997 – 30 March 2011 : Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Vice-chairmanTerm of office No. Portrait Name(Born–Died) Took office Left office Duration1 General Than Shwe(b. 1933) 18 September 1988 23 April 1992 2 Vice-Senior General Maung Aye(b. 1938) 27 April 1994 30 March 2011
Members SLORC First composition By the Order No. 1/1988, the State Law and Order Restoration Council was formed with the following individuals. NamePosition1.General Saw MaungChairman2.Lieutenant General Than Shwe Member3.Major General Maung Maung Khin4.Major General Tin Tun5.Brigadier General Aung Ye Kyaw6.Major General Bhone Myint7.Major General Sein Aung8.Major General Chit Swe9.Brigadier General Kyaw Ba10.Colonel Maung Thint11.Brigadier General Maung Aye12.Brigadier General Nyan Lin13Brigadier General Myint Aung14Brigadier General Mya Thin15Brigadier General Tun Kyi16Brigadier General Aye Thaung17Brigadier General Myo Nyunt18Major General Khin NyuntSecretary (1)19Colonel Tin OoSecretary (2)
SPDC Last composition Ordered by protocol: Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the SPDC, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Vice Senior General Maung Aye, Deputy Chairman of the SPDC, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Thura Shwe Mann, Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Thein Sein, Prime Minister General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo, Secretary-1 of the SPDC, Former Quartermaster General and ex-Vice-president Major-General Ohn Myint, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation – 1 (Kachin State, Mandalay Region, Chin State, Sagaing Region) Lieutenant-General Min Aung Hlaing, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation – 2 (Shan State, Kayah State) Lieutenant-General Ko Ko, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation – 3 (Bago Region, Ayeyarwady Region) Lieutenant-General Tha Aye, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation – 4 (Karen State, Mon State, Tanintharyi Region) Lieutenant-General Myint Swe, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation – 5 (Yangon Region) Lieutenant-General Khin Zaw, Chief of Bureau of Special Operation −6 (Magwe Region, Rakhine State) Major-General Hla Htay Win, Chief of Armed Forces Training Lieutenant-General Tin Aye, Chief of Military Ordnance Lieutenant-General Thura Myint Aung, Adjutant General
Cabinets Soe Win's Cabinet First Cabinet reshuffle (May 2006)
On 15 May 2006 the cabinet was reshuffled. The changes were: Ministry ChangesCulture Major-General Kyi Aung retiredMajor-General Khin Aung Myint appointedSocial Welfare, Relief and Resettlement andImmigration and PopulationMajor-General Sein Htwa retiredMajor-General Maung Maung Swe appointedHotels and Tourism Major-General Soe Naing appointedElectric Power Major-General Tin Htut reassignedDivided into two MinistriesElectric Power-1 Colonel Zaw Min appointedElectric Power-2 Major-General Khin Maung Myint appointedCooperative Colonel Zaw Min reassigned Major-General Tin Htut appointed
Than Shwe's Cabinet Second Cabinet reshuffle (September 2002)
On 14 September 2002 a minor cabinet reshuffle was reported: Ministry ChangesInformation Major-General Kyi Aung reassignedBrigadier-General Kyaw Hsan appointedCulture Minister of Labor Tin Win, concurrently Minister of Culture since November 2001, relievedMajor-General Kyi Aung appointedHotels and Tourism Major-General Saw Lwin dismissedMinister of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Brigadier-General Thein Zaw assigned concurrentlyPrime Minister's Office Major-General Tin Ngwe dismissed
Second Cabinet (October 1999) On 30 October 1999, the State Peace and Development Council issued a proclamation replacing Ohn Gyaw with Win Aung, the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom. Office Minister Ministry of Sports Aung Khin Ministry of Commerce Pyi Son Ministry of Social Welfare Sein Htwa Ministry of Religious Affairs Aye Myint
Second Cabinet (November 1998) On 14 November 1998, the State Peace and Development Council issued a proclamation replacing Ohn Gyaw with Win Aung, the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom. Office Predecessor Successor Deputy Prime Minister Lieutenant General Tin Hla Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ohn Gyaw Win Aung Minister of the Prime Minister's Office Tin Ngwe Minister of Transport Hla Myint Swe Ministry of Industry-2
Second Cabinet (December 1997) On 21 December 1997, the State Peace and Development Council announced a cabinet reshuffle: Office Minister Office of the Chairman of the SPDC David Abel Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development Soe Tha Ministry of Finance Khin Maung Thein Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs Ministry of Finance and Revenue Ministry of Energy
Second Cabinet (November 1997) On 15 November 1997 the State Peace and Development Council issued a proclamation naming the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers in the government. They were: