Moe Aung

{{Short description|Burmese naval admiral}} {{Family name hatnote|Moe Aung|lang=Burmese}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = His Excellency<br>Zayya Kyawhtin<br>Sithu <br>Admiral | name = Moe Aung | native_name = {{nobold|မိုးအောင်}} | native_name_lang = my | image = Commodore Moe Aung (cropped).jpg | image_upright = | alt = Moe Aung visiting a Russian navy ship in 2016 | caption = Moe Aung visiting a Russian navy ship in 2016 | order = | office = Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Navy | status =  | term_start = 3 February 2021 | term_end = 8 January 2024 | predecessor = General Tin Aung San | successor = Lieutenant General Zwe Win Myint | leader = Min Aung Hlaing | office3 = National Security Advisor to the State Administration Council | term_start3 = 8 January 2024 | term_end3 = 31 July 2025 | predecessor3 = Yar Pyae | successor3 = Tin Aung San | deputy3 = | pronunciation = | birth_place = Burma (now Myanmar) | death_date =  | death_place = | citizenship = | party = | height =  | spouse = Aye Khine Nyunt | relations = | children = | mother = | father = Aung Thaung | relatives = | alma_mater = Defence Services Academy | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | salary = | net_worth =  | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | awards =  | signature = | signature_alt = | website =  | nickname = | allegiance = {{flag|Myanmar}} | branch = {{navy|Myanmar}} | service_years = 1988–present | rank = 15px Admiral | unit = | commands = | battles = | mawards =  | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|4|4|df=y}} | order1 = Minister of State Administration Council Chairman's Office (1) Union Minister | term_start1 = 5 May 2024 | term_end1 = 31 July 2025 | predecessor1 = Ko Ko Hlaing | successor1 = Position abolished | order2 = Minister of State Administration Council Chairman's Office (4) Union Minister | term_start2 = 8 January 2024 | term_end2 = 5 May 2024 | predecessor2 = Position established | successor2 = Aung Kyaw Hoe | office4 = Chief of General Staff (Navy) | term_start4 = 2015 | term_end4 = 2021 | predecessor4 = General Tin Aung San | successor4 = Lieutenant General Zwe Win Myint }}

'''Moe Aung''' ({{langx|my|မိုးအောင်}}; {{IPA|my|mò áuɴ|pron}}; born 1966) is a Burmese naval admiral who currently serves as the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Navy.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2024 |title=NSA Doval Holds Productive Meeting with Russian Counterpart, Discusses Enhanced Bilateral Collaboration |url=https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/2906416-nsa-doval-holds-productive-meeting-with-russian-counterpart-discusses-enhanced-bilateral-collaboration |work=Devdiscourse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 July 2019 |title=Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services of Myanmar visits Eastern Naval Command |url=https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/national/611362-commander-in-chief-of-defence-services-of-myanmar-visits-eastern-naval-command |work=Devdiscourse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2023 |title=Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane Visits Myanmar To Discuss Matters Relating To India's Security With Country's Senior Leadership |url=https://www.newsonair.gov.in/defence-secretary-giridhar-aramane-visits-myanmar-to-discuss-matters-relating-to-indias-security-with-countrys-senior-leadership/ |work=News on Air}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 July 2021 |title=Min Aung Hlaing and His Generals: Data on the Military Members of Myanmar's State Administration Council Junta |url=https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2021-97-min-aung-hlaing-and-his-generals-data-on-the-military-members-of-myanmars-state-administration-council-junta-by-htet-myet-min-tun-moe-thuzar-and-michael-montesano/ |website=ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute}}</ref> He was appointed to this position following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat, succeeding Admiral Tin Aung San, who transitioned to a role of the State Administration Council (SAC), the military junta.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UKyaw |date=2021-02-04 |title=ဒုတိယ ဗိုလ်ချုပ်ကြီး မောင်မောင်အေး ကြည်း၊ ရေ၊ လေ ညှိနှိုင်းကွပ်ကဲရေးမှူး ဖြစ်လာ |url=https://burma.irrawaddy.com/news/2021/02/04/237628.html |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=ဧရာဝတီ |language=my}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=31 March 2021 |title=Meeting With The Deputy Minister Of Defense Of Russia, This Is What The Leader Of The Myanmar Military Regime Discussed |url=https://voi.id/en/news/41805 |work=VOI.ID}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Htet Myet Min Tun |date=26 January 2022 |title=Myanmar's State Administration Council: A Shell Entity |url=https://fulcrum.sg/myanmars-state-administration-council-a-shell-entity/ |website=Fulcrum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 April 2024 |title=NSA Ajit Doval meets Myanmar counterpart, discusses India-funded development projects amid continuing civil war |url=https://www.indianewsnetwork.com/en/20240425/nsa-ajit-doval-meets-myanmar-counterpart-discusses-india-funded-development-projects-amid-continuing-civil-war |work=India News Network}}</ref> A graduate of the Defence Services Academy (28th intake), Moe Aung is the son of Aung Thaung, a former minister and influential political figure under the military-backed government of Senior General Than Shwe. As Commander-in-Chief, Moe Aung has overseen significant modernization efforts within the Myanmar Navy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ei Naing |date=26 December 2022 |title=Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung receives Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Russian Navy |url=https://www.mtnewstoday.com/en/?p=1172 |work=Myanmar Transparency News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 December 2022 |title=Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung Receives a Delegation Led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Russian Navy Vice Admiral Igor Mukhametshin |url=https://infosheet.org/node/3905 |work=infosheet.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2024 |title=Regional Meeting: Myanmar delegation leaves for Russia |url=https://www.myanmaritv.com/news/regional-meeting-myanmar-delegation-leaves-russia |work=Myanmar International TV}}</ref> His leadership has facilitated the acquisition of advanced naval assets, including new submarines, which have been crucial in enhancing Myanmar’s maritime defense capabilities.<ref>{{Cite news |title=SAC Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing inspects progress of Myanma Tharkaung War Veterans Housing (Laydauntkan) |url=https://www.myawady.net.mm/node/26020 |work=Myawady Webportal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 July 2017 |title=C-in-C of Myanmar Armed forces on 3-day visit to ENC |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/130717/c-in-c-of-myanmar-armed-forces-on-3-day-visit-to-enc.html |work=Deccan Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kyaw Kyaw |date=11 January 2024 |title=Commander in Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung was retired and replaced by Chief of Staff (Navy) Vice Admiral Zwai Win Myint. Changes were also made to some of the positions of regional commanders and division commanders |url=https://thadinn.com/en_US/%E1%80%80%E1%80%AC%E1%80%80%E1%80%BD%E1%80%9A%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8%E1%80%A6%E1%80%B8%E1%80%85%E1%80%AE%E1%80%B8%E1%80%81%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AF%E1%80%95%E1%80%BA%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1/ |work=Tha Dinn}}</ref> His tenure has focused on upgrading the navy's operational and strategic infrastructure to improve its effectiveness.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Agga Aung |date=31 May 2022 |title=How Myanmar's Junta Chief Grabbed His 'Other' Inya Lake Home |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/how-myanmars-junta-chief-grabbed-his-other-inya-lake-home.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2023 |title=India supplies weapons parts to Myanmar junta, undermines sanctions |url=https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/india-supplies-weapons-parts-to-myanmar-junta-undermines-sanctions/ |work=Myanmar Now}}</ref> Moe Aung has also contributed to expanding the navy’s officer training programs, aimed at developing the skills and expertise of naval personnel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 May 2023 |title=Commander-in Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung inspects naval bases in Sittway |url=https://www.moi.gov.mm/moi:eng/news/10539 |website=Ministry of Information (Myanmar)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=Myanmar junta removes navy chief, eastern command head |url=https://www.narinjara.com/news/detail/659e679fdcc45f5fb4ea2d70 |work=Narinjara News}}</ref> He has also been crucial in establishing strategic international partnerships with countries such as India and Russia.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 April 2024 |title=As Losses Mount, Myanmar's Junta Tightens Its Embrace of Russia |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/as-losses-mount-myanmars-junta-tightens-its-embrace-of-russia.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 July 2023 |title=Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Meets Military Personnel and Families from Sittwe and Kanni Stations |url=https://myanmar.gov.mm/news-media/news/latest-news/-/asset_publisher/idasset354/content/chairman-of-state-administration-council-commander-in- |website=Ministry of Information (Myanmar)}}</ref>

In January 2024, Moe Aung was appointed National Security Advisor on the State Administration Council, while his chief of staff, Zwe Win Myint, replaced him as chief of the Myanmar Navy.<ref name="nsa">{{cite news |title=Myanmar Navy Chief Transferred to National Security Advisor |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-navy-chief-transferred-to-national-security-advisor.html |date=9 January 2024 |work=The Irrawaddy |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=21 June 2021 |title=Myanmar Junta Chief Visits Moscow for Security Conference |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-chief-visits-moscow-for-security-conference.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=5 November 2023 |title=Myanmar, Russia discuss enhancement of friendly relations and cooperation between two navies |url=https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/myanmar-russia-discuss-enhancement-of-friendly-relations-and-cooperation-between-two-navies |work=Eleven Media Group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Aung Thit |date=11 October 2023 |title=A Corrupt Business Empire Thrives Under the Junta |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/junta-crony/a-corrupt-business-empire-thrives-under-the-junta.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref> In his role as National Security Advisor, Moe Aung oversees the formulation and implementation of Myanmar’s national security policies and coordinates defense strategies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 December 2023 |title=Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla console injured Tatmadaw members, police members|url=https://www.mdn.gov.mm/en/senior-general-min-aung-hlaing-his-wife-daw-kyu-kyu-hla-console-injured-tatmadaw-members-police |work=Myanmar Digital News}}</ref> His role is pivotal in shaping Myanmar’s security framework and addressing key defense issues. His leadership has been central to the modernization and strategic realignment of Myanmar’s naval and defense sectors, marking a significant period of transformation in the country’s military capabilities.

In July 2025, following a government reshuffle, Moe Aung was reportedly removed from all posts. His absence from official farewell ceremonies and exclusion from new commission appointments raised questions about the status of the business holdings linked to his family, particularly United Amara Bank (UAB) and IGE Company. According to reporting by Khit Thit Media, these developments may signal the decline of the Aung Thaung family’s influence in Myanmar’s military and economic sectors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yangon Khit Thit News Agency |first= |date=2025-08-04 |title=ဗိုလ်ချုပ်ကြီး မိုးအောင် ရာထူးမှ ဖြုတ်ပယ် အနားပေးခံရမှုနှင့်အတူ UAB ဘဏ်နှင့် IGE ကုမ္ပဏီ ရှေ့ဆက်ရပ်တည်ရေး မသေချာ မရေရာ ဖြစ်လာပြီး အောင်သောင်း စီးပွားရေးအင်ပါယာ ကျဆုံးခန်းဖြစ်လာနိုင်ဟုဆို (With the removal of General Moe Aung from his post and his retirement, the future of UAB Bank and IGE Company is uncertain, and Aung Thaung's business empire could be on the verge of collapse.) |url=https://yktnews.com/2025/08/223534/ |access-date=2025-08-04 |website=Khit Thit Media |language=}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Moe Aung was born on 4 April 1966 in Myanmar (formerly Burma). He graduated from the 28th intake of the Defence Services Academy, a premier military academy in Myanmar that trains future leaders of the armed forces.

Moe Aung's father, Aung Thaung, was a prominent figure in Myanmar's military and political landscape, holding a high-ranking position within the Burmese military. Aung Thaung's influence extended beyond the military, contributing significantly to the family's business interests in Myanmar.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 December 2023 |title=Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends commissioning of aircraft in commemoration of 76th Anniversary of the establishment of Tatmadaw (Air) |url=https://cincds.gov.mm/node/24550?d=1 |website=CINCDS Myanmar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=4 November 2023 |title=Myanmar/Russia: Commander-in-Chief (Navy) welcomes his counterpart |url=https://www.myanmaritv.com/news/myanmar-russia-commander-chief-navy-welcomes-his-counterpart |work=Myanmar International TV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2 March 2023 |title=Moe Aung|url=https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-AJKu2vCNpP75JkgPBa3K8V/ |website=OpenSanctions}}</ref>

The Aung Thaung family has substantial business interests in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 May 2023 |title=Burma Navy included in ASEAN meeting |url=https://english.dvb.no/burma-navy-included-in-asean-meeting/ |work=DVB Burmese}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 2024 |title=Meeting on security issues: Myanmar delegation attended the meeting |url=https://www.myanmarinternationaltv.com/news/meeting-security-issues-myanmar-delegation-attended-meeting |work=Myanmar International TV}}</ref> Notably, they have holdings in United Amara Bank (UAB), a significant financial institution in Myanmar.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 June 2023 |title=Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Inspects Tatmadaw TV Broadcasting Unit (Hmawbi) |url=https://myanmar.gov.mm/news-media/news/-/asset_publisher/9ZewUq5mfR5F/content/chairman-of-state-administration-council-commander-in-chi |website=Ministry of Information (Myanmar)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 November 2023 |title=Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing welcomed with guard of honor of Russian Pacific Fleet by a delegation led by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief, arrived in Myanmar to hold the 1st MYANMAR-RUSSIA MARITIME SECURITY EXERCISE (MARUMEX) |url=https://cincds.gov.mm/node/24048 |website=CINCDS Myanmar}}</ref> This involvement reflects the family's broad impact on both the economic and political spheres of the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Min Zaw Oo |date=24 October 2023 |title=Myanmar's Precipice: The Stalemate and Internal Strife Compelling the Military toward an Election |url=https://www.csis.org/analysis/myanmars-precipice-stalemate-and-internal-strife-compelling-military-toward-election |website=Center for Strategic and International Studies}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=4 November 2011 |title=Myanmar military telecom CFO shot dead in Yangon |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/shot-11042021144512.html |work=Radio Free Asia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 June 2020 |title=Systemic Conflict of Interest in Myanmar Military Allows for Serious Corruption |url=https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/press-releases/systemic-conflict-of-interest-in-myanmar-military-allows-for-serious-corruption |website=Justice for Myanmar}}</ref>

Moe Aung also holds positions on the boards of directors for Myanma Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC).<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 January 2024 |title=Order No. 4/2024: Appointment of new National Security Adviser |url=https://www.myanmaritv.com/news/order-no-42024-appointment-new-national-security-adviser?__cf_chl_tk=zuimTZH7jVGMwfL38e5ggyu0kJ |work=Myanmar International TV}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2024 |title=National Security Adviser receives delegation led by Ambassador of India to Myanmar |url=https://www.gnlm.com.mm/national-security-adviser-receives-delegation-led-by-ambassador-of-india-to-myanmar/ |website=Global New Light of Myanmar}}</ref> Both of these entities are military-owned conglomerates with substantial influence over Myanmar's economic sectors.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 January 2024 |title=Admiral Moe Aung Appointed Union Minister and Advisor; Vice-Admiral Zwe Win Myint Promoted to Navy Chief in Myanmar's Military Reshuffle |url=https://yangonmediagroup.com/index.php/eng-section/16179-admiral-moe-aung-appointed-union-minister-and-advisor-vice-admiral-zwe- |work=Yangon Media Group}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 January 2024 |title=Commander in Chief of the Defense Services (Navy) and some commanders transferred |url=https://cnimyanmar.com/index.php/english-edition/19673-commander-in-chief-of-the-defense-services-navy-and-some-commanders-transferred |work=cnimyanmar.com}}</ref> In February 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions on MEHL and MEC due to their involvement in human rights violations and atrocities, reflecting ongoing concerns about the role of military-affiliated businesses in Myanmar's broader socio-political context.<ref name="nsa" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 October 2022 |title=SAC Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends choice of arms for 25th Intake of DSTA |url=https://www.moi.gov.mm/moi:eng/news/8433 |website=Ministry of Information (Myanmar)}}</ref>

[[File:Myanmar Navy , Commodore Moe Aung has visited to Russian Navy Destroyer Admiral Vinogravdov during ship visit .jpg|thumb|Moe Aung during a ship visit to Russian Navy Destroyer Admiral Vinogravdov on 20 May 2016]]

== Military career == [[File:Senior General Min Aung Hlaing C-in-C Myanmar Armed Forces and fifteen member high level delegation visiting INS Satpura.jpg|thumb|Admiral Moe Aung (right) with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (center) and a high-level delegation visiting INS Satpura in February 2014]]

Moe Aung graduated from the 28th intake of the Defence Services Academy, a premier military academy in Myanmar that trains future leaders of the armed forces.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2021 |title=Russian delegation made secret visit to Myanmar ahead of Min Aung Hlaing's Moscow trip |url=https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/russian-delegation-made-secret-visit-to-myanmar-ahead-of-min-aung-hlaings-moscow-trip/ |work=Myanmar Now}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=27 August 2023 |title=Clearing false statements on uab bank |url=https://www.uab.com.mm/media-2023/clearing-false-statements-on-uab-bank/ |work=UAB (company)}}</ref> His education and training there provided him with a solid foundation in military strategy and leadership, which he would later apply in his various roles within the Myanmar Navy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Min Aung Hlaing makes himself military supremo for life |url=https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/min-aung-hlaing-makes-himself-military-supremo-for-life |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=Myanmar Now |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 September 2022 |title=Ex-Myanmar Military Officers in Fear After Former General's Assassination |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/ex-myanmar-military-officers-in-fear-after-former-generals-assassination.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 September 2023 |title=Myanmar Junta's 'Kickback King' in Spotlight of Corruption Crackdown |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-juntas-kickback-king-in-spotlight-of-corruption-crackdown.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref> On 20 February 2023, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on Moe Aung in response to allegations of human rights violations and actions undermining democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 July 2023 |title=Amid crisis in Manipur, Defence Secretary visits Myanmar |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/amid-crisis-in-manipur-defence-secretary-visits-myanmar/article67031774.ece |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 July 2023 |title=Defence Secretary visits Myanmar; Discusses matters relating to India's security with the country's senior leadership |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1936668 |website=Press Information Bureau}}</ref> These sanctions were part of a broader set of measures aimed at individuals and entities associated with the military junta in Myanmar, reflecting concerns over the impact of the military's actions on civilian populations and governance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Myanmar/Burma: EU imposes sixth round of sanctions against 9 individuals and 7 entities |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/02/20/myanmar-burma-eu-imposes-sixth-round-of-sanctions-against-9-individuals-and-7-entities/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.consilium.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{CELEX|id=32023D0380|text=Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/380 of 20 February 2023 amending Decision 2013/184/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 December 2021 |title=Myanmar Companies Linked to Regime Leaders Bid to Acquire Telenor |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-companies-linked-to-regime-leaders-bid-to-acquire-telenor.html |work=The Irrawaddy}}</ref>

On 8 January 2024, Moe Aung was appointed as National Security Advisor to the State Administration Council (SAC), succeeding Lieutenant General Yar Pyae.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chairman of State Administration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing meets with officers, other ranks and families of Yangon Station |url=https://www.myawady.net.mm/content/chairman-state-administration-council-commander-chief-defence-services-senior-general-min- |website=Myawady Webportal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Manatū Aorere |date=1 February 2024 |title=Implementation of further travel bans on individuals in Myanmar with responsibility for Myanmar crisis |url=https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/implementation-of-further-travel-bans-on-individuals-in-myanmar-with-responsi |website=New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade}}</ref> This appointment marked a significant elevation in his career, positioning him as a key figure in shaping Myanmar’s national security policies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 April 2024 |title=National Security Adviser SAC Chairman Office 4 Union Minister receives Chinese Ambassador |url=https://www.gnlm.com.mm/national-security-adviser-sac-chairman-office-4-union-minister-receives-chinese-ambassador/ |website=Global New Light of Myanmar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=7 November 2023 |title=Departure of delegation: Russian delegation led by C-In-C of Russian Navy left Yangon |url=https://www.myanmarinternationaltv.com/news/departure-delegation-russian-delegation-led-c-c-russian-navy-left-yangon |work=Myanmar International TV}}</ref> His selection was reportedly influenced by his success in procuring advanced naval equipment, such as submarines, and his role in arranging officer training exercises in international locations like India and Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 January 2024 |title=Union Minister Admiral Moe Aung Receives a Delegation led by H.E. Mr. Vinay Kumar, Ambassador of India to Myanmar |url=https://infosheet.org/node/5670 |website=infosheet.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Myanmar Navy Chief Transferred to National Security Advisor |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-navy-chief-transferred-to-national-security-advisor.html |language=en}}</ref> These accomplishments were seen as critical in enhancing the operational readiness and strategic capabilities of the Myanmar Navy. The Fourth Meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs was held in Myanmar on 26 July 2024, focusing on enhancing regional security challenges, including terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, maritime security, and cybersecurity, as well as strengthening regional cooperation in addressing them. Admiral Moe Aung, the National Security Advisor of Myanmar, played a pivotal role in ensuring the meeting was successfully hosted and seamlessly organized while providing a platform for discussing strategies to bolster collective security and resulted in agreements on several collaborative initiatives in Bay of Bengal Region.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 July 2024 |title=Fourth Meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs |url=https://bimstec.org/event/205/fourth-meeting-of-the-bimstec-national-security-chiefs |work=BIMSTEC}}</ref>

In January 2024, Moe Aung's chief of staff, Zwe Win Myint, assumed the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Navy, following Moe Aung's appointment as National Security Advisor.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 2023 |title=Myanmar Navy Chief joins 17th ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting online |url=https://myanmar.gov.mm/news-media/news/-/asset_publisher/9ZewUq5mfR5F/content/myanmar-navy-chief-joins-17th-asean-navy-chiefs-meeting-online?_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_9ZewUq5mfR5F_redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fmyanmar.gov.mm%2Fnews-media%2Fnews%3Fp_p_id%3Dcom_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_9ZewUq5mfR5F%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_9ZewUq5mfR5F_cur%3D0%26p_r_p_resetCur%3Dfalse%26_com_liferay_asset_publisher_web_portlet_AssetPublisherPortlet_INSTANCE_9ZewUq5mfR5F_assetEntryId%3D182814243 |work=Myanmar National Portal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 January 2022 |title=Myanmar military replaces air force chief amid bombing campaign |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/13/myanmar-junta-replaces-air-force-chief-amid-bombing-campaign-sources |work=Al Jazeera News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ei Naing |date=9 January 2024 |title=Vice-Admiral Zwe Win Myint Promoted to Navy Chief in Myanmar's Military Reshuffle |url=https://www.mtnewstoday.com/en/?p=3014 |work=Myanmar Transparency News}}</ref> This transition marked a shift in the leadership structure of the Navy, with Moe Aung continuing to focus on national security issues while Zwe Win Myint took over the responsibilities of leading the naval forces.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Htet Myet Min Tun, Moe Thuzar, Michael J. Montesano |date=4 August 2021 |title=Min Aung Hlaing and His Generals: Some Biographical Notes |url=https://fulcrum.sg/min-aung-hlaing-and-his-generals-some-biographical-notes/ |work=Fulcrum Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nirupama Subramanian |date=11 August 2023 |title=Sanctioned Myanmar Minister Visited India to Study Aadhaar |url=https://m.thewire.in/article/diplomacy/sanctioned-myanmar-ministers-visited-india-to-study-aadhaar |work=The Wire (India)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 January 2024 |title=National Security Adviser Admiral Moe Aung Engages in High-Level Talks with Indian Ambassador Mr. Vinay Kumar |url=https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/national-security-adviser-admiral-moe-aung-engages-in-high-level-talks-with-indian-ambassador |work=Eleven Media Group}}</ref>

[[File:Senior General Min Aung Hlaing C-in-C Myanmar Armed Forces and fifteen member high level delegation onboard INS Satpura.jpg|thumb|Moe Aung (third from the right) during a visit to Visakhapatnam with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and delegation in July 2017 ]]

=== Government roles and leadership === In July 2025, Admiral Moe Aung was no longer included in the newly reconstituted government and military commissions formed following the State Administration Council (SAC) meeting on 31 July 2025. He was notably absent from the official farewell ceremony of the previous government held on 30 July 2025, an event attended by other outgoing officials. Reports suggest that Moe Aung has been removed from his roles as Minister for the Office of the Chairman of the SAC (No. 1 and No. 4), as well as from his position as National Security Advisor, which he assumed in January 2024. His absence from public view and omission from recent official appointments has led to speculation about his retirement or dismissal, potentially linked to shifting economic dynamics and competition within Myanmar’s military-aligned business sector.<ref name="Agency">{{Cite web |last=Agency |first=Yangon Khit Thit News |date=2025-08-04 |title=ဗိုလ်ချုပ်ကြီး မိုးအောင် ရာထူးမှ ဖြုတ်ပယ် အနားပေးခံရမှုနှင့်အတူ UAB ဘဏ်နှင့် IGE ကုမ္ပဏီ ရှေ့ဆက်ရပ်တည်ရေး မသေချာ မရေရာ ဖြစ်လာပြီး အောင်သောင်း စီးပွားရေးအင်ပါယာ ကျဆုံးခန်းဖြစ်လာနိုင်ဟုဆို |url=https://yktnews.com/2025/08/223534/ |access-date=2025-08-04 |website=Khit Thit Media |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="yktnews.com">{{Cite web |last=Agency |first=Yangon Khit Thit News |date=2025-08-02 |title=မင်းအောင်လှိုင်က အောင်သောင်း၏သား ဗိုလ်ချုပ်ကြီး မိုးအောင်ကို အစိုးရ အဖွဲ့နှင့် စစ်ကော်မရှင်အသစ်တွင် မထည့်သွင်းတော့ဘဲ အငြိမ်းစားပေး ချောင်ထိုး၊ စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ နောက်ဆုံးနှုတ်ဆက်ဂုဏ်ပြုပွဲပင် မိုးအောင် မတက်တော့ |url=https://yktnews.com/2025/08/223425/ |access-date=2025-08-04 |website=Khit Thit Media |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Removal from office and business implications === In July 2025, Moe Aung was not present at the official farewell ceremony held by the State Administration Council (SAC) on 30 July, nor was he included in the subsequent reorganization of the government and military commission announced on 31 July. His absence from these events, along with a lack of public appearances, led to speculation regarding his status within the military leadership. On 4 August 2025, the independent outlet Khit Thit Media reported that Moe Aung had been removed from his government and military roles and had since not been seen in Nay Pyi Taw.<ref name="Agency"/>

According to the report, Moe Aung’s removal coincided with growing uncertainty surrounding the future of businesses affiliated with his family, particularly United Amara Bank (UAB) and the IGE Group of Companies. These companies, founded and operated by Moe Aung’s relatives, including his brothers Nay Aung and Pyi Aung, had held significant investments in Myanmar’s banking, energy, and infrastructure sectors. The article indicated that several IGE-linked energy contracts had come under review or were reassigned to other entities following Moe Aung’s removal, including a previously announced pilot nuclear power project developed in cooperation with Russia.<ref name="yktnews.com"/>

IGE Company executives had participated in high-level international delegations, including the 2022 Russian Energy Week and a nuclear energy feasibility agreement signed with Rosatom in November 2022. However, by early 2024, key roles in these ventures were reportedly transferred to companies associated with other military-linked business figures, such as Maung Maung Naing, who is identified in reports as a close associate of the current military leadership.<ref name="Agency"/>

In July 2024, UAB was among seven private banks fined by the Central Bank of Myanmar for exceeding permitted thresholds on housing loans. UAB was also reportedly named in official warnings regarding alleged irregularities in foreign exchange trading. These developments have contributed to speculation that Moe Aung’s political standing and his family's business influence may have declined.<ref name="yktnews.com"/>

As of August 2025, no official statement had been issued by the State Administration Council regarding Moe Aung’s removal or status, and his name was no longer listed in public announcements relating to senior military leadership.<ref name="yktnews.com"/>

== Personal life == Moe Aung is married to Aye Khine Nyunt. The couple maintains a relatively private life outside of his military and governmental roles.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-12-25 |title=COMMEMORATION CEREMONY: CEREMONY HELD TO HONOR 74TH ANNIVERSARY OF TATMATAW (NAVY) |work=MITV |url=https://www.myanmarinternationaltv.com/news/commemoration-ceremony-ceremony-held-honor-74th-anniversary-tatmataw-navy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moe |first=Wai |last2=Ramzy |first2=Austin |date=2015-07-23 |title=U Aung Thaung, Burmese Politician Accused of Abuses, Dies at 74 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/world/asia/u-aung-thaung-burmese-politician-accused-of-abuses-dies-at-74.html |access-date=2023-02-19 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 2024 |title=Admiral Moe Aung appointed as National Security Advisor |url=https://elevenmyanmar.com/news/admiral-moe-aung-appointed-as-national-security-advisor |work=Eleven Media Group}}</ref>

== See also ==

* Myanmar civil war (2021–present)

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category|Moe Aung}} * *[http://www.mod.gov.mm Ministry of Defence - The Republic of the Union of Myanmar] * [https://myanmar.gov.mm/ministry-of-defense Myanmar National Portal]

Category:Living people Category:Burmese generals Category:Defence Services Academy alumni Category:Individuals related to Myanmar sanctions Category:1966 births