Htun Aung | |
|---|---|
ထွန်းအောင် | |
| Minister of Defence | |
| Assumed office 10 April 2026 | |
| President | Min Aung Hlaing |
| Preceded by | Maung Maung Aye |
| Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Air Force | |
| In office 12 January 2022 – 10 April 2026 | |
| Appointed by |
|
| Preceded by | Maung Maung Kyaw |
| Succeeded by | Lt Gen Tun Win |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1967 (age 58–59) Burma (now Myanmar) |
| Defence Services Academy | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Air Force |
| Rank |  General |
| Battles/wars | Internal conflict in Myanmar |
Htun Aung (Burmese: ထွန်းအောင်; pronounced [tʰʊ̀n àʊɴ]; born 1967) is a Burmese military air force officer who has served as the Minister of Defence since April 2026. A member of the Tatmadaw, he previously served as Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Air Force from 2022 to 2026.
Military career
Htun Aung graduated from the 29th batch of the Defence Services Academy.[1] In 2020, he sat on the board of directors of Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, a military-owned conglomerate.[2]
On 12 January 2022, Htun Aung was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Air Force, succeeding Maung Maung Kyaw, who was forced to retire from the military.[3][4] Prior to his promotion, he served as Maung Maung Kyaw's chief of staff.[5]
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the Burmese military has launched airstrikes against anti-regime resistance forces and civilians.[6] On 30 June 2022, under Htun Aung's command, a Burmese fighter jet violated Thai airspace after flying 4–5 kilometres (2.5–3.1 mi) into Phop Phra district in Thailand's Tak province.[7][8] Htun Aung subsequently issued an apology to this Thai counterpart, Napadej Dhupatemiya.[8] The governments of the European Union, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have sanctioned Htun Aung for human rights violations.[9]
Personal life and controversies
Htun Aung has one son reportedly named Chan Nyein. His name has appeared in various reports related to financial assets connected to his father. According to some accounts and Justice For Myanmar, a number of properties and investments were registered under his name, a practice believed to have been used to bypass international sanctions placed on members of the military leadership. Between 2019 and 2022, Chan Nyein made several public appearances with Aung Pyae Sone, the son of Myanmar's President and former Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, Min Aung Hlaing.
In 2022, Chan Nyein was also involved in a widely discussed incident at a restaurant in Nay Pyi Taw. During a gathering with several associates, a dispute occurred between his group and another group of patrons. The confrontation reportedly escalated after a verbal exchange. Following the incident, the other group was detained by security forces on criminal charges. Critics and observers later questioned the circumstances of the arrests and suggested that political connections may have influenced the outcome.
The incident received public attention and was cited in discussions about the influence of military elites and their families within the country’s legal and political systems.
See also
References
- "ဗိုလ်ချုပ်ကြီး မောင်မောင်ကျော် လေတပ်ဦးစီးချုပ်ရာထူးမှ အနားပေးခံရ". Radio Free Asia (in Burmese). 11 January 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Military-Corporate conflicts of interest 'inflame' Myanmar's civil wars, rights group says". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Myanmar Air Force Chief Forced to Retire". The Irrawaddy. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Treasury Sanctions Officials and Military-Affiliated Cronies in Burma Two Years after Military Coup". U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Air force chief among those removed from posts as junta's reliance on planes and helicopters grows". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "War-Crime Committing Myanmar Junta Air Chief Appointed to Lead ASEAN Body". The Irrawaddy. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Myanmar jet violates airspace". Bangkok Post. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "Myanmar Regime Sorry for Junta Jet Intrusion into Thai Airspace". The Irrawaddy. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- "AUNG, Htun". Open Sanctions. Retrieved 19 February 2023.