{{short description|Burmese politician}} {{Family name hatnote|Soe Htut|lang=Burmese}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_suffix = | honorific_prefix = | name = Soe Htut | native_name = {{lang|my|စိုးထွဋ်}} | image = Soe Htut Minister.jpg | birth_place = Mandalay, Burma | birth_date = {{birth date and age text|29 March 1961}} | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | death_cause = | spouse = Nilar Sein | children = Min Than Htut, Soe Min Htut, and Sithu Htut | office = Union Minister at the Union Government Office 1 | predecessor = Kyaw Swe | president = Win Myint<br>Myint Swe (acting) | office1 = Deputy Prime Minister of Myanmar | president1 = Myint Swe (acting) | prime_minister1 = Min Aung Hlaing | office2 = Union Minister at the Union Government Office | term_start2 = 2 February 2021 | term_end2 = 11 May 2021 | predecessor2 = Min Thu | successor2 = Yar Pyae | deputy2 = Soe Tint Naing | president2 = | alma_mater = Officers Training School, Bahtoo | cabinet = <!--Military service--> | nickname = | allegiance = | branch = Myanmar Army | service_years = | rank = Lieutenant General | unit = | commands = | battles = | parents = Lun Maung | prime_minister = Min Aung Hlaing | term_end1 = 25 September 2023 | term_start1 = 1 February 2023 | term_start = 2 August 2023 | term_end = 25 September 2023 | office3 = Union Minister for Home Affairs | term_start3 = 10 February 2020 | term_end3 = 3 August 2023 | caption = Soe Htut in 2017 }}
'''Soe Htut''' ({{langx|my|စိုးထွဋ်}}; born 29 March 1961) is a former Burmese military officer and former Minister for Home Affairs of Myanmar. Soe Htut was a career soldier, and held the rank of Lieutenant General.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/myanmar-picks-military-intelligence-veteran-02072020163327.html|title=Myanmar Picks Military Intelligence Veteran as New Home Affairs Minister|website=Radio Free Asia|language=en|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Soe Htut was born to an army general, Brigadier General Lun Maung, and his wife Shwe Thet, in Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://myanmar-now.org/mm/file/soehtutbiojpg|title=စိုးထွဋ်ကိုယ်ရေးအကျဉ်း|website=Myanmar NOW|language=my|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref> He graduated from the 64th intake of the Officers Training School, Bahtoo, and received a bachelor's degree in physics, and a master's degree in defence studies.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=":0" />
== Career == Soe Htut served as the commander of Division 88 in Magwe. He then became a regional commander in July 2010. He had served as the commander of Eastern Central Command. While he became a major general, he was serving as the commander of Central Command in Mandalay, in July 2015. He also served as the commander of the 101st Light Infantry Division in Pakokku.
In 2016, he was appointed Judge Advocate-General and promoted to lieutenant general. Soon after, he became the Chief of Military Security Affairs. He was nominated as minister for Home Affairs by Myanmar's commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and appointed in March 2020, replacing Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmars-new-home-affairs-minister.html|title=Who Is Myanmar's New Home Affairs Minister?|date=2020-02-10|website=The Irrawaddy|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref> According to analysts, Kyaw Swe's close relationship with Aung San Suu Kyi may have prompted the ministerial replacement.<ref name=":1" /> Prior to this appointment, Soe Htut had been appointed as the head of Office of Military Security Affairs in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-spy-chief-named-home-affairs-minister.html|title=Myanmar spy chief named home affairs minister|date=2020-02-06|website=The Myanmar Times|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref>
On 30 March 2021, he was appointed as a member of the State Administration Council, the military junta formed following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-26 |title=Myanmar's State Administration Council: A Shell Entity? |url=https://fulcrum.sg/myanmars-state-administration-council-a-shell-entity/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=FULCRUM |language=en-US}}</ref>
In August 2023, he was replaced by Yar Pyae as the minister for home affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Irrawaddy |first=The |date=2023-08-04 |title=Myanmar Junta Leader Reshuffles Cabinet Days After Extending Emergency Rule |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/politics/myanmar-junta-leader-reshuffles-cabinet-days-after-extending-emergency-rule.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Irrawaddy |language=en-US}}</ref>
Soe Htut was placed on medical leave after corruption allegations against him emerged in September 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-09-21 |title=Myanmar junta chief sacks protégé over 'corruption' |url=https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/myanmar-junta-chief-sacks-protege-over-corruption/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Myanmar Now |language=en-US}}</ref> On 25 September, the military broadcaster Myawaddy TV announced he had returned to military duties, after being sacked from the State Administration Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Two allies of Myanmar junta chief probed for corruption: source |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2023/09/26/two-allies-of-myanmar-junta-chief-probed-for-corruption-source |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Star |language=en}}</ref> On November 10, he was convicted on corruption charges by a military court and imprisoned for five years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Irrawaddy |first=The |date=2023-11-11 |title=Key Myanmar Junta Minister Jailed for Corruption |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/key-myanmar-junta-minister-jailed-for-corruption.html |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=The Irrawaddy |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Controversies== In July 2020, Justice for Myanmar published an exposé revealing Soe Htut's conflicts of interest in several government contracts awarded in Pa’O Self-Administered Zone to H Double H, a construction and engineering firm owned by his three sons.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dirty Secrets #1: Military construction contract awarded to Lt. Gen Soe Htut's family members |url=https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/stories/dirty-secrets-1-military-construction-contract-awarded-to-family-members-of-lt-gen-soe-htut|access-date=2021-01-11|website=Justice for Myanmar}}</ref> Soe Htut has also courted controversy for being part of a committee to investigate the 2020 Hpakant jade mine disaster, despite also being one of the largest individual shareholders of Myanma Economic Holdings Limited, a military corporation with significant jade mining interests.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Military conflict of interest corrupts Myanmar government's investigation of Hpakant jade mining disaster {{!}} Justice For Myanmar|url=https://www.justiceformyanmar.org/press-releases/military-conflict-of-interest-corrupts-myanmar-governments-investigation-of-hpakant-jade-mining-disaster|access-date=2021-01-11|website=Justice For Myanmar}}</ref>
== Personal life == Soe Htut is married to Nila Sein. They have three sons, namely Min Than Htut, Soe Min Htut and Sithu Htut.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-06-09 |title=Restaurant Staff Detained After Myanmar Minister's Son Involved in Brawl |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/restaurant-staff-detained-after-myanmar-ministers-son-involved-in-brawl.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Irrawaddy |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:People from Mandalay Category:1961 births Category:Burmese generals Category:Living people Category:Deputy prime ministers of Myanmar Category:Government ministers of Myanmar Category:Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Category:Officers Training School, Bahtoo alumni Category:Individuals related to Myanmar sanctions