Myanmar Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing Becomes President, China Promises Support

FILE PHOTO: Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing hands over a flag to newly appointed Commander-in-Chief General Ye Win Oo during a ceremony in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 30, 2026. Myanmar Military True News Information Team/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo
A file photo of Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing handing over a flag to newly appointed Commander-in-Chief General Ye Win Oo during a ceremony in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 30, 2026. Myanmar Military True News Information Team

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was elected president on Friday after breezing through a parliamentary vote, formalising his grip on political power in the war-torn nation five years after he ousted an elected government in a coup.

His carefully choreographed journey from top general to civilian president follows a lopsided election in December and January that was won in a landslide by an army-backed party and derided by critics and Western governments as a sham to perpetuate military rule behind a veneer of democracy.

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by Reuters

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