Myanmar Junta Chief Hires Personal Photographer in Image Drive

[geovalin]

Pyi Oo Aung

 

Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has appointed a personal photographer to document his and his wife’s activities, breaking with decades of military tradition in what critics are calling a vanity project.

 

The photographer, Major Pyi Oo Aung—a military officer and former underwater photography blogger—was handpicked by the junta chief following the 2021 coup. His exclusive role now includes curating and approving all official images of Min Aung Hlaing that appear in state-run media, effectively shaping the dictator’s public image.

 

In Myanmar’s military history, such a personal appointment is unprecedented. Previous generals, including Than Shwe, relied on official photographers from the Ministry of Information or Myawaddy Media Group. Even during the height of junta rule in the 1990s and 2000s, the public imagery of top brass remained the purview of government agencies, not individuals directly answerable to the generals themselves.

 

That changed after Min Aung Hlaing seized power. His son, Aung Pyae Sone, a photography enthusiast, is said to have helped arrange the appointment, tapping into his network within the Myanmar Photographers Association.

 

Pyi Oo Aung, known in creative circles as “Black Dream” and “Aperture 21,” once enjoyed a reputation for nature and underwater photography. Trained in Russia and serving in a defence technology unit upon his return, he had reportedly tried to resign from the military several times—efforts allegedly blocked due to his specialised training.

 

But the coup opened a new chapter. Promoted and stationed at the War Office in Naypyitaw, Pyi Oo Aung is now the gatekeeper of the junta leader’s image. Only photos he has vetted appear in official channels like Myawaddy TV and state newspapers.

 

In military and media circles, this move has raised eyebrows. Critics say it reflects the junta chief’s deepening obsession with personal image even as the country reels from civil war and economic collapse. The nickname circulating in Naypyitaw—“photographic politician”—speaks volumes about the growing gap between Min Aung Hlaing’s authoritarian governance and the carefully curated persona he projects to the public.

 

-2025-06-05

[Srikcir]

How about a photo with chief behind bars?

[natway09]

No matter what he looks like he remains a very evil person