Thein Sein Biography

Thein Stein is the current President of Myanmar; he is in the office since March 2011. He is the first civilian president of Burma since it became a military dictatorship and is known for his efforts to instill democracy into Burma. A center-right, reformist leader, he implemented a series of political reforms including some deregulations of the country’s hitherto censored media upon assuming power. He also gained much popularity for his action of releasing more than 6,300 political prisoners who were sentenced by the military dictatorship. An important political figure in Burma long before he became the president, Sein had also served as the Prime Minister for one term. Born into a poor peasant family, he did not have an easy childhood. However, he imbibed the qualities of determination and hard work from his parents who also ensured that the young Thein received a good education. After completing his studies he embarked on a military career and rose steadily through the ranks in his career, which spanned four decades. Later on, he entered politics and was made the acting Prime Minister when the incumbent Prime Minister Soe Win fell ill, and eventually succeeded him after his death. He then formed his own political party and ran successfully for presidency, and proceeded to form the country’s first civilian government in nearly 50 years.