Than Shwe

"Than Shwe can be very charming and friendly when he wants to be. He speaks English quite well and they try to be hospitable when you are there; but they don't like intrusiveness. They don't like you asking about things that they consider to be their internal affairs."

"In Burma, Than Shwe heads a military dictatorship that has been in power since 1962. His regime stands out from those of other dictatorships for its use of forced labor in support of both infrastructure projects and for military actions that the Burmese government is taking against ethnic minorities. Than Shwe is the commander-in-chief of an army that is different from the armies of most nations in that it exists as a nation within a nation. The Burmese military, known as the Tatmadaw, runs its own health care system, its own educational system, its own businesses and firms, and its own banks. It is no longer possible to rise in Burmese society without being a senior member of the military."