Born in February 1933, Senior-General Than Shwe has been the leader of the Burmese junta since 1992. Joining the Tatmadaw in the early 1950s, he rapidly rose through the ranks under General Ne Win’s regime to become Commander of the South West Region in 1983 and Deputy Minister of Defence in 1985. A key-member of the new SLORC that took power in September 1988, he succeeded his leader, General Saw Maung, in April 1992. Since then, he has been in control of the Burmese Military as the uncontested Chairman of the SPDC and Commander in Chief of the Tatmadaw .