Hsan Sint
{{Short description|Burmese politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Hsan Sint
| honorific-suffix =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|my|ဆန်းဆင့်}}}}
| native_name_lang = my
| pronunciation =
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| order = Minister of Religious Affairs
| term_start = 31 January 2013
| term_end = 19 June 2014
| predecessor = Myint Maung
| successor = Soe Win
| order2 = Speaker of the Ayeyarwady Region Hluttaw
| term_start2 = 31 January 2011
| term_end2 = 31 January 2013
| predecessor2 = None
| successor2 = Tin Soe
| order3 = Member of the Ayeyarwady Region Hluttaw
| term_start3 = 31 January 2011
| term_end3 = 31 January 2013
| majority3 =
| constituency3 = Yegyi Township
| predecessor3 = Constituency established
| successor3 =
| party = Union Solidarity and Development Party
| birth_date = {{b-da|1951}}
| birth_place = Burma
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Burmese
| ethnicity =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation =
| spouse = Khin Ma Lay
| children = Okkar San Sint
| alma_mater = Defence Services Academy
| allegiance = Myanmar
| branch = Myanmar Army
| serviceyears = -2010
| rank = Major-General
| unit =
| commands =
| battles =
| awards =
}}
Hsan Sint ({{langx|my|ဆန်းဆင့်}}, also spelt San Sint) is a Burmese politician and former government minister and army general. He was appointed as Minister of Religious Affairs by President Thein Sein in January 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/3984-hluttaw-makes-reluctant-u-san-sint-a-minister.html|title=Hluttaw makes reluctant U San Sint a minister|last=Win Ko Ko Latt|date=4 February 2013|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}} At the time, he was the speaker for the Ayeyarwady Region Hluttaw who concurrently serves as one of two Hluttaw members representing Yegyi Township.{{cite book|title=Hobson’s Choice : Burma’s 2010 Elections|date=2011|pages=99|isbn=9789744966728|url=http://www.networkmyanmar.org/images/stories/PDF6/bni-elections.pdf}}
Before retiring to contest the 2010 Burmese general election, Hsan Sint served in the Myanmar Army. He previously held posts as a Military Appointment General and deputy commander of the Yangon Command.{{cite news|url=http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19337&page=2|title=More Detail on Military Reshuffle Emerges|date=30 August 2010|work=The Irrawaddy|accessdate=7 July 2015|archive-date=7 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707103726/http://www2.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19337&page=2|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www2.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=3370|title=Soldiers Seize Impounded Cars|last=Maung Maung Oo|date=9 May 2001|work=The Irrawaddy|accessdate=7 July 2015|archive-date=7 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707074407/http://www2.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=3370|url-status=dead}}
Corruption scandal
Hsan Sint was dismissed as Minister of Religious Affairs on 19 June 2014, for his alleged poor handling of the Mahasantisukha Monastery raid in Yangon, and disagreements with other members of the government.{{cite web|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/13980-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-u-san-sint-appeal.html|title=Supreme Court agrees to hear U San Sint appeal|author=The Myanmar Times|work=mmtimes.com}}{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10753-religion-minister-was-expecting-to-get-axed.html|title= Religious affairs minister was expecting to get axed|last=Cherry Thein |author2=Hsu Hlaing Htun|date=20 June 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Minister-sacked-because-he-refused-to-follow-order-30236987.html|title=Minister sacked because he 'refused to follow orders'|date=25 June 2014|work=The Nation|accessdate=7 July 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193329/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/Minister-sacked-because-he-refused-to-follow-order-30236987.html|url-status=dead}} That same day, he was charged with corruption, for allegedly mishandling {{US$|10,000}} in state funds to be used toward the construction of a pagoda in Lewe Township.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/11131-u-san-sint-meets-family-charged-with-sedition.html|title=U San Sint slapped with additional sedition charge|last=Pyae Thet Phyo|date=25 July 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10931-u-san-sint-makes-emotional-plea-for-freedom-at-court-hearing.html|title=U San Sint makes emotional plea for freedom at court hearing|last=Hsu Hlaing Htun|date=7 July 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}} On 25 June 2014, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw confirmed a replacement, Soe Win, who was previously deputy minister, to post of Minister of Religious Affairs.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10830-mps-agree-to-president-s-pick-on-u-san-sint-replacement.html|title=MPs agree on religious affairs minister replacement|last=Ei Ei Toe Lwin|date=27 June 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}}
The Dekkhinathiri District Court rejected his plea bail in July 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/nay-pyi-taw/11232-u-san-sint-s-bail-application-rejected.html|title=U San Sint's bail application rejected|last=Pyae That Phyo|date=31 July 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}} On 22 July 2014, Hsan Sint was also charged with sedition. On 17 October 2014, the court sentenced him to 13 years, with a 100,000 kyat fine.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/11987-mps-draft-petition-after-former-minister-jailed.html|title=MPs draft petition after former minister jailed for 13 years|last=Pyae Thet Phyo |author2=Ye Mon|date=17 October 2014|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}} On 6 April 2015, the Supreme Court of Burma announced it would accept his appeal.{{cite news|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/13980-supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-u-san-sint-appeal.html|title=Supreme Court agrees to hear U San Sint appeal|last=Aung Kyaw Min|date=8 April 2015|work=Myanmar Times|accessdate=7 July 2015}}
In 2012, he supported a motion to sack Ayeyarwady Region government and accused Union Solidarity and Development Party vice chairperson Htay Oo of interfering in the dispute. He was warned in 2014 before his corruption scandal for his comments on the need to eliminate corruption among government and parliamentary officials. There are some suggestions that he was a scapegoat for criticism of the government’s role in the Mahasantisukha Buddha Sasana Center raid.{{cite web|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10753-religion-minister-was-expecting-to-get-axed.html|title=Religious affairs minister was expecting to get axed|author=The Myanmar Times|work=mmtimes.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/10822-protests-planned-for-detained-minister.html|title=Protests planned for detained U San Sint|author=The Myanmar Times|work=mmtimes.com}}
Hsan Sint was released on 24 May 2017, as part of a presidential amnesty for political activists.
Personal life
Hsan Sint was born in 1951.{{cite web |url= http://www.eumonitor.nl/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vi7jgt2v9xxx |title=COUNCIL COMMON POSITION renewing restrictive measures against Burma/Myanmar|date=25 April 2006|work=European Union|accessdate=7 July 2015}} He is married to Khin Ma Lay, and has a son, Okkar San Sint, who allegedly owned Thandaw Sint newspaper.{{cite web | url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/11144-unity-appeal-accepted.html | title=Magwe court accepts appeal from reporters | publisher=The Myanmar Times | date=25 July 2014 | accessdate=12 July 2015 | author=Ye Mon}}