Phyo Min Thein
| Phyo Min Thein | |
|---|---|
| ဖြိုးမင်းသိန်း | |
 | |
| 2nd Chief Minister of Yangon Region | |
|
Assumed office 30 March 2016 | |
| President | Htin Kyaw |
| Preceded by | Myint Swe |
| Member of the Yangon Region Hluttaw | |
|
Assumed office 8 February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Hlegu Township Constituency № 2 |
| Member of the Pyithu Hluttaw | |
|
In office 2 May 2012 – 29 January 2016 | |
| Succeeded by | Thein Tan |
| Constituency | Hlegu Township |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
13 April 1969 Burma |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse(s) | Khin Mi Mi Kywe (m. 2009) |
| Parents | Khin Tun, Khin Khin Aye |
| Alma mater | Yangon University (no degree) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Phyo Min Thein (Burmese: ဖြိုးမင်းသိန်း; born 13 April 1969) is a Burmese politician and an ex-political prisoner, currently serving as Chief Minister of Yangon Region and Yangon Region Parliament MP for Hlegu Township Constituency No. 2. He was a former chairman of Union Democratic Party and also a founder of People Democracy Party which was later merged with Union Democratic Party.[1][2][3] He studied at Yangon University and he did not graduate.
Early life
Phyo Min Thein was born on 13 April 1969 in Yangon. He was the youngest of four children born to Khin Tun and Khin Khin Aye.[4]
Background and role in 1988 protests
In 1988, Phyo Min Thein was a second year physics major student at Botahtaung campus of Yangon University when the 8888 Uprising began, and became the secretary of the Thanlyin Township All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABSFU). During the uprising, he was one of the leaders of Botahtaung campus and Thanlyin Township anti-government protests. He helped founded the Democratic Party for a New Society in 1988.[4]
Political imprisonment
Phyo Min Thein was arrested on 20 January 1991 for his involvement in 8888 Uprising and sentenced to seven years imprisonment in May 1991. In 1995, during his time in prison, the military government added another seven years to his sentence. In 2001, the government extended another seven years to his sentence. He was eventually released on 6 July 2005.[4]
Political career
Early political career
Phyo Min Thein was a chairman of Union Democratic Party and also a founder of People Democracy Party which was later merged with Union Democratic Party.[1][2][3] He was elected for a parliamentary seat in the lower house (Pyithu Hluttaw)'s Hlegu constituency in the 2012 by-elections, representing the National League for Democracy.[1]
Chief Minister
In 2015 general election, he was elected for a parliamentary seat in Yangon Region Parliament. He was appointed as Chief Minister of Yangon Region on 30 March 2016.
His decision to restrict 2016 Burmese New Year Water Festival pandals in Yangon soon after he took Chief Minister Office was challenged by several people.[5][6] In May 2016, he ordered a controversial decision to crack down nightlife in Yangon, which resulted a public backlash.[7][8]
In May 2016, he made hard line decisions to suspend around 70 high-rise construction projects and tightening regulations against drinking establishments.[9] The decision was criticized by real estate developers and some lawmakers.[10]
In January 2017, he launched Yangon Bus Service (YBS) to overhaul the bus network of Yangon. However, YBS amid criticism of being ill-equipped to serve commuters, shortage of buses, misconduct of bus staff and constant violation of traffic rules. On 7 April 2017, lawmakers from Yangon Region Parliament called for a transparent review of the YBS.[11] On 24 and 27 April 2017, he was conspicuously absent from the debate session on YBS review proposal, so some lawmakers accused him of disrespecting Parliament. On 27 April, 117 lawmakers approved the review proposal after a heated debate by 26 legislators.[12][13]
Personal life
Phyo Min Thein married to Khin Mi Mi Kywe in 2009. He is a brother-in-law of Htay Kywe, a pro-democracy activist and one of the leaders of 8888 Uprisings.[14]
References
- 1 2 3 "From prison to parliament".
- 1 2 Aye Thidar Kyaw. "Central Bank official responds to NLD’s call for greater autonomy".
- 1 2 "Asia-pacific - A new Burmese MP's cautious optimism". France 24.
- 1 2 3 "ကိုယ်ရေးအကျဉ်း" (Press release). Yangon: National League for Democracy. August 2015.
- ↑ Myat Nyein Aye, Ye Mon (1 April 2016). "NLD massively scales back water festival stages". Myanmar Times. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ↑ Myat Nyein Aye. "Thingyan scaled back in Yangon". http://www.mmtimes.com/. Myanmar Times. Retrieved 26 April 2016. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Toe Wai Aung and Ashok Manandhar. "Yangon police crackdown widens".
- ↑ "Yangon Police Take the ‘Night’ out of ‘Nightlife’". The Irrawaddy.
- ↑ "New Chief Minister sets out to modernise Yangon".
- ↑ "Lawmaker and Real Estate Developer Condemns Suspended High-Rise Construction". 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Lawmakers Call For Review of Yangon’s New Bus System". 6 April 2017.
- ↑ "YBS Review Proposal Approved, Following Heated Parliamentary Debate". 27 April 2017.
- ↑ "Chief Minister Absent as Yangon Parliament Discusses YBS Shortcomings". 25 April 2017.
- ↑ "Myanmar opposition frustrated by prisoner amnesty".
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Myint Swe |
Chief Minister of Yangon Region 2016–present |
Incumbent |