Aung Kyaw Zaw
Aung Kyaw Zaw | |
|---|---|
အောင်ကျော်ဇော် | |
| Commander of Bureau of Special Operations No. 3 | |
| In office 2015 – January 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 August 1961 Myanmar (Burma) |
| Profession | Army general |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Myanmar |
| Branch/service |  Myanmar Army |
| Years of service | c. 1980s–2018 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Bureau of Special Operations No. 3; Bureau of Special Operations No. 6 |
| Battles/wars | Internal conflicts, including Rakhine operations |
Aung Kyaw Zaw (Burmese: အောင်ကျော်ဇော်; pronounced [ʔàʊɰ̃ t͡ɕɔ̀ zɔ̀]; born 20 August 1961) is a Burmese army general who held multiple senior posts, including command of the Bureau of Special Operations No. 3 (BSO‑3), which oversaw operations in Rakhine State during the 2017 Rohingya crisis.[1] He was sanctioned by the European Union in 2018 for his alleged role in human rights violations.[2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Aung Kyaw Zaw was born on 20 August 1961 in Myanmar. He graduated from the Defence Services Academy, Myanmar’s principal institution for training military officers, and began his service in the Tatmadaw in the 1980s.[4][5]
Military career
[edit]He served as commander of the Northeastern Regional Command from 2010 to 2012 and later the Southern Regional Command until 2015.[6] In August 2015, he was appointed to lead BSO‑3, one of the highest operational units in the Myanmar Army. During his tenure, BSO‑3 coordinated military activities in Rakhine State.[7][8]
His command coincided with the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya population, during which the United Nations and rights groups accused Myanmar’s military of mass atrocities.[9] In early 2018, he was transferred to lead BSO‑6 and retired from active service later that year.[10][11]
Sanctions
[edit]In June 2018, following documented atrocities in Rakhine State, the European Union imposed sanctions on Aung Kyaw Zaw.[12] The restrictions included travel bans and asset freezes for his role overseeing unlawful killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of Rohingya homes.[13][14]
Public record and criticism
[edit]Despite internal Tatmadaw justifications, independent reports—such as those from Amnesty International—highlight his presence in Rakhine during key operations and assert he made no efforts to prevent subordinates from committing documented abuses.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Myanmar sacks top general involved in Rohingya crackdown". nationthailand. 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Myanmar: Prosecute Dismissed Officers for Atrocities | Human Rights Watch". 2018-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Myanmar army officials accused of Rohingya atrocities". Islamweb. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ McLaughlin, Timothy (2018-06-25). "Myanmar fires general who led campaign against Rohingya". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Nachemson, Andrew (2018-06-25). "European Union imposes sanctions on seven Myanmar security officials". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Zaw, Htet Naing (2020-04-30). "Myanmar Military Condemns EU and UK Moves to Continue Sanctions". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Tom (2023-02-15). "How Myanmar's military covers up past crimes against the Rohingya, and erases them from the country's future". Myanmar Now. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Irrawaddy, The (2018-06-27). "AI Calls Out Myanmar Military Chief, Subordinates for Crimes Against Humanity". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Zaw, Htet Naing (2018-05-26). "Deputy Home Affairs Minister Leaves Post to Return to Top Military Job". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (A/HRC/39/64) (Advance Unedited Version) [EN/MY] - Myanmar | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Reporter, Staff (2018-09-18). "The Myanmar generals accused of 'genocide'". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Thura, Aung (2025-02-03). "3 Ministers Purged in Myanmar Junta's Latest Reshuffle". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Mahmud, Tarek (2018-09-09). "Roll call of horror: Meet Myanmar's military officers who orchestrated ethic cleansing of Rohingya". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Myanmar Military Leaders Should Face Trial For Rohingya Atrocities: Amnesty". Radio Free Asia. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Myanmar fires general involved in Rohingya crackdown". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Tom. "'Trail of bodies': defector says military's top judge came to Rakhine to destroy evidence of Rohingya atrocities". Myanmar Now. Retrieved 2025-06-20.