Kyaw Swar Lin
Burmese army general (born 1971)
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Kyaw Swar Lin (also spelt as Kyaw Swa Lin[1], Burmese: ကျော်စွာလင်း) is a Burmese military general who is currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services and Commander-in-Chief (Army). Previous to this, he was appointed as Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air).
Kyaw Swa Linn | |
|---|---|
| ကျော်စွာလင်း | |
| |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services | |
| Assumed office 30 March 2026 | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Ye Win Oo |
| Preceded by | Soe Win |
| Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Army | |
| Assumed office 30 March 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Ye Win Oo |
| Preceded by | Ye Win Oo |
| Chief of the General Staff of Army, Navy, Air | |
| In office 18 December 2024 – 30 March 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Preceded by | Maung Maung Aye |
| Succeeded by | Ko Ko Oo |
| Member of the State Security and Peace Commission | |
| In office 31 July 2025 – 10 April 2026 | |
| Chairman | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) |
| Spouse | Nan Ku Ku |
| Alma mater | Defence Services Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Rank |  General |
He was a member of the State Security and Peace Commission.
Early life and education
Born in 1971, Kyaw Swar Lin graduated from the 35th intake of the Defense Services Academy.[2]
Career
Kyaw Swar Lin served as a junior officer to Lieutenant-General Moe Myint Tun, commander of the Bureau of Special Operations. They served together on operations in Rakhine State prior to 2018.[3] However, Kyaw Swar Lin came to prominence when he was appointed head of Tatmadaw's Mandalay-based Central Command, ranked as a Major General in 2018.[4] In May 1971, he was the youngest person ever to be promoted to Lieutenant General within the Tatmadaw. He was also appointed quartermaster general, succeeding Lieutenant General Nyo Saw, who retired.[5][6]
Kyaw Swar Lin runs the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), and sits on Myanma Economic Holdings Limited’s patron group under Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing.[7] He also manages the military budget, which has accounted for 13%-15% of the overall national budget every year since 2012.[8]
Post-coup involvement
As the commander of the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw)’s Central Command, he is accused of ordering soldiers to open fire on anti-regime protesters in Mandalay in February and March 2021.[9][10] He was appointed to the State Security and Peace Commission upon its formation in 2025.[11]
Personal life
Kyaw Swar Lin is married to Nan Ku Ku, a medical doctor, and has a daughter, Nan Lin Lae Oo, who is in her final year studying international studies at Toyo University.[9][12][13]