CNI News

March 19, 2026

General Kyaw Swar Lin, Coordinator of Special Operations (Army, Navy, and Air) and member of the State Security and Peace Council, hosted a state luncheon for the visiting delegation led by General Ukris Boontanondha, Chief of Defence Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The reception for the Thai military chief took place on March 18, 2026, at the Jasmine Hotel in Naypyidaw.

General Kyaw Swar Lin currently holds the third-highest position in the Myanmar military’s hierarchy and is widely speculated to be a potential candidate for the future Commander-in-Chief.

Current Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is expected to retire from the military to potentially serve as President in the new government scheduled to be formed in April 2026. Consequently, a new Commander-in-Chief is likely to be appointed.

Analysts suggest that the next leader of the Myanmar Armed Forces could be one of three top figures: Vice-Senior General Soe Win (Deputy Commander-in-Chief), General Ye Win Oo (Chief of Staff, Army), General Kyaw Swar Lin (Coordinator of Special Operations).

Sources close to the Naypyidaw War Office pointed out that this meeting might be viewed as a formal introduction of a successor. They noted that the Thai military chief’s agreement to meet with General Kyaw Swar Lin suggests an understanding of his potential future role; otherwise, such a high-level meeting might not have occurred in this specific format.

Observers compared this to the past, noting that before Senior General Min Aung Hlaing became Commander-in-Chief—while he was still serving as the Coordinator of Special Operations—then-Senior General Than Shwe took him on official trips to China and India to introduce him to international leaders.

Since assuming his current role, General Kyaw Swar Lin has accompanied Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on official visits to China and Russia, and was notably present during meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.