T Khun Myat Explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency
Thiri Pyanchi
T Khun Myat
Native Name Lang:my
Office:4th Speaker of the Assembly of the Union
Term Start:1 August 2018
Deputy:Tun Tun Hein
Predecessor:Mahn Win Khine Than
Office1:3rd Speaker of the House of Representatives
Term Start1:22 March 2018
Deputy1:Tun Tun Hein
Predecessor1:Win Myint
Office2:2nd Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
Term Start2:1 February 2016
Term End2:22 March 2018
Predecessor2:Nanda Kyaw Swa
Successor2:Tun Tun Hein
Order3:Member of the House of Representatives
Constituency3:Kutkai Township
Term Start3:31 January 2011
Term End3:31 January 2021
Predecessor3:Constituency established
Order4:Leader of People’s Militia Forces in Kutkai Township
Term Start4:1990
Term End4:2010
Order5:Director of Office of the Attorney General
Term Start5:1990
Term End5:2010
Party:Independent (2016–present), Union Solidarity and Development Party (2010–2016)
Birth Date:1949 10, df=yes
Residence:Kutkai Township
Nationality:Myanmar
Occupation:Lawyer, civil servant, militia leader, politician
Parents:T Khun Gaung, Phaw Jan Htu
Spouse:Yin May

Tang Bao Khun Myat, known as T Khun Myat (Burmese: တီခွန်မြတ် in Burmese pronounced as /tiː kʰʊ̀ɴ mjaʔ/; born 30 October 1949) is a Burmese politician, lawyer and civil servant of an ethic Kachin. He is the Speaker of the Assembly of Union; the bicameral joint parliament of Myanmar since 1 August 2018 and Speaker of the House of Representatives; the lower house of the Assembly of the Union since 22 March 2018. In both 2010 election and 2015 election, he contested and won the Kutkai Township constituency for a seat in the country's lower house.

After the February 2021 coup by the military, according to Article (424) of the Constitution and Article (17) of the Pyithu Hluttaw Law, T Khun Myat continues to serve as the Speaker of Assembly of the Union and Speaker of the House of Representatives.[1]

Background

T Khun Myat is an ethnic Kachin and a descendant of a prominent Kachin traditional ruling Duwa family, the "T" at the beginning of his name comes from his family clan name Tangbau.[2] He is a Christian.

Career

T Khun Myat served as the legal director at the Office of the Attorney General as well as the leader of People's Militia Forces in Kutkai Township under the control of Burmese Army between 1990 and 2010. He was involved in the commission drafting the constitution in 2007 and the commission of 2008 Myanmar constitutional referendum. He also served as the executive member of Union Solidarity and Development Party for northern Shan State.[3] [4]

He was elected as a member of the Pyithu Hluttaw in the 2010 general elections for the Shan State constituency of Kutkai.

He was also chair of the Committee on Bills in the Lower House (2011–16), a body tasked with drafting new legislation and amending or repealing laws considered out of date.[5] [2]

Along with the other allies of Shwe Mann, T Khun Myatt was sacked from the Union Solidarity and Development Party.[6]

Following the resignation of Win Myint as speaker of the House of Representatives, T Khun Myatt was elected by the Pyithu Hluttaw as the next speaker. He was sworn in on 22 March 2018.[7] Although many state- and union-level politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint, were placed under house arrest during the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état on 1 February, T Khun Myat remained in his office under the Constitution of Myanmar. He attended the meeting of National Defence and Security Council which was hold on 31 January 2022.That meeting extended the State of Emergency to next (6) months.[8] [9]

In January 2023, T Khun Myat was awarded the civilian title of Thiri Pyanchi by the military junta.[10]

Drug controversy

T Khun Myat was the former leader of a militia in Kutkai Township and accused of involvement in illicit drug trade and money laundering.[11] He had been a shareholder in the now-defunct Myanmar May Flower Bank, which was abolished due to money laundering in the illicit drugs industry. He has denied any accusation of his involvement in the drug trade.[2] [12] [3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pyiyhu Hluttaw Law (2012). my.
  2. Web site: USDP Incumbents Bring Guns, Alleged Drug Ties to 2015 Race. The Irrawaddy.
  3. Web site: NLD confirms parliament speakers; Nominee for deputy parliament speaker T Khun Myat unclear from opium.
  4. Web site: The drug war in Myanmar’s mountains. IRIN.
  5. Web site: People's Assembly – Committees – Parliament Watch – ALTSEAN Burma.
  6. News: T Khun Myat: Who is the new Pyithu speaker?. Frontier. Frontier Myanmar. 31 August 2018. en.
  7. News: T Khun Myat: Who is the new Pyithu speaker?. Frontier. Frontier Myanmar. 22 March 2018. en.
  8. News: National Defence and Security Council (1/2022).
  9. News: Republic of the Union of Myanmar National Defence and Security Council Announcement No 1/2022.
  10. Web site: Wirathu, preacher of hate, receives top honour from Myanmar junta chief . 2023-02-11 . Myanmar NOW . en.
  11. Web site: Myanmar Military Seizes US$64M of Drugs in Shan State. 2020-03-04. The Irrawaddy. en-US. 2020-05-29.
  12. Web site: NLD claims to have monitored everyone from Shan state including T Khun Myat since 2014.