Soe Htut

Soe Htut was born to an army general, Brigadier General Lun Maung, and his wife Shwe Thet, in Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar).[2] He graduated from the 64th intake of the Officer Training School, and received a bachelor's degree in physics, and a master's degree in defence studies.[3][2]

Soe Htut was nominated by Myanmar's commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and appointed in March 2020, replacing Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe.[3] According to analysts, Kyaw Swe's close relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi may have prompted the ministerial replacement.[3] Prior to this appointment, Soe Htut had been appointed as the head of Office of Military Security Affairs in 2016.[4]

In July 2020, Justice for Myanmar published an exposé revealing Soe Htut's conflicts of interest in several government contracts awarded in Pa’O Self-Administered Zone to H Double H, a construction and engineering firm owned by his three sons.[5] Soe Htut has also courted controversy for being part of a committee to investigate the 2020 Hpakant jade mine disaster, despite also being one of the largest individual shareholders of Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, a military corporation with significant jade mining interests.[6]

Soe Htut is married to Nila Sein, and has three sons, Min Than Htut, Soe Min Htut, and Sithu Htut.[2]