The man installed by army leaders as Myanmar’s president after a military coup is best known abroad for his role in the crackdown on 2007 pro-democracy protests and for his ties to still powerful military leaders.
Myint Swe was the army-appointed vice president when he was named on Monday to take over after the military arrested civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her party.
Immediately after he was named president, Myint Swe handed power to the country’s top military commander, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Under Myanmar’s 2008 constitution, in cases of national emergency the president can hand power to the military commander in chief.