12/16/25, 10:44 AM Beyond Ballots: The Junta Chief’s Elite Management Strategy Ahead of Myanmar’s Elections | ISP-Myanmar ​In the lead-up to the polls, the junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has been deploying calculated elite management tactics to mitigate grievances among senior officers and preempt potential power struggles within the military. The interplay between leaders and their circle of inner elites is one of the foundations of regime stability (https://www.jstor.org/stable/26867765) in a dictatorship. How those at the top manage the composition, responsibilities, and hierarchy of elites often determines whether the regime will survive or collapse. The junta chief appears ​to be ​aware of this dynamic. Instead of relying solely on repression or coercion, he has pursued a more calculated approach, one rooted in elite management. Elite management does not exclude repression or coercion. ​It is not only about persuasion and incentives; it may also involve various methods such as coercion, divide and rule, persuasion, and more to manage elite politics.​​ The Elite Management Toolkit​​ Historically, elite management has been a central feature of Myanmar’s military rule. Under General Ne Win, elite circulation was tightly managed through frequent purges and reshuffles accompanied by political incentives, ensuring that no single officer accumulated excessive power. He rewarded loyal members of his inner circle with ​lucrative ministerial posts, reserving (https://www.bbc.com/burmese/in-depth-47403399) top government positions for military officers while limiting civilian technocrats to deputy minister roles. Senior General Saw Maung, who led the military after the 1988 coup, however, struggled to consolidate power amid internal divisions. His failure to maintain control over key figures such as Major General Khin Nyunt, the influential head of Military Intelligence, and Major General Than Shwe, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, along with several powerful regional commanders, ultimately undermined his authority and paved the way for his removal. ​ enior General Than Shwe later had more success with this model by consolidating authority S and curbing the influence of regional commanders who could challenge his leadership. To weaken their control and dismantle their personal networks, he reassigned powerful regional commanders, including Major General Tun Kyi (Northwestern Command), Major General Myint Aung (Southwestern Command), and Major General Kyaw Ba (Northern Command), to well-paid ministerial positions in 1992. This move distanced them from their loyal subordinates and stripped them of direct command power, allowing him to further centralize authority within his inner circle.​​ A more calculated approach rooted in elite management is a mix of carrots and sticks. The carrots come in the form of economic incentives and prestigious appointments designed to secure loyalty among top officers. Senior generals are given stakes in military-linked conglomerates such as the Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) and the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), tying their financial interests to the regime’s survival. The ​j​ https://ispmyanmar.com/beyond-ballots-the-junta-chiefs-elite-management-strategy-ahead-of-myanmars-elections/ 3/9