Than Htay
{{short description|Burmese politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Than Htay
| honorific-suffix =
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|my|သန်းဌေး}}}}
| native_name_lang = my
| image = Than Htay USDP.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Than Htay in 2011
| office = Chairman of the Union Solidarity and Development Party
| term_start = 23 August 2016
| term_end = 12 September 2022
| predecessor = Htay Oo
| successor = Khin Yi
| 1blankname = Vice Chairman
| 1namedata = Myat Hein (2016–2022)
Khin Yi (2019–2022)
| office1 = Leader of the Opposition
| president1 = Htin Kyaw
Win Myint
| term_start1 = 23 August 2016
| term_end1 = 31 January 2021
| predecessor1 = Thein Sein
| successor1 =
| order2 = Minister of Rail Transportation of Myanmar
| term_start2 = 25 July 2013
| term_end2 = 12 August 2015{{cite web | url=http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/politics/top-ministers-resign | title=Top ministers resign | publisher=Eleven | date=13 August 2015 | accessdate=13 August 2015}}
| predecessor2 = Zayar Aung
| successor2 =
| order3 = Minister of Energy of Myanmar
| term_start3 = 30 March 2011
| term_end3 = 25 July 2013
| predecessor3 = Lun Thi
| successor3 = Zayar Aung
| order4 = Member of the Pyithu Hluttaw
| constituency4 = Myanaung Township
| term_start4 = 31 January 2011
| term_end4 = 30 March 2011
| predecessor4 = Constituency established
| successor4 = Kyaw Myint (NLD)
| order5 = Deputy Minister of Energy of Myanmar
| office5 =
| term_start5 = 2010
| term_end5 = 30 March 2011
| predecessor5 =
| successor5 =
| party = Union Solidarity and Development Party
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|11|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Myanaung Township, Burma
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Myanmar
| ethnicity =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation =
| spouse = Soe Wut Yee
| children =
| website =
| alma_mater = Defence Services Academy
| allegiance = Myanmar
| branch = Myanmar Army
| serviceyears = –2010
| rank = Brigadier general
| unit =
| commands =
| battles =
| awards =
}}
Than Htay ({{langx|my|သန်းဌေး}}; born 12 November 1954) is a Burmese politician who served as Chairman of the Union Solidarity and Development Party from August 2016 to September 2022 due to medical treatment.{{cite web|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Myanmar-s-army-backed-party-to-replace-chief-with-general-s-ally|title=Myanmar's army-backed party to replace chief with general's ally|website=Nikkei Asia|date=23 September 2022|access-date=6 October 2022}}{{cite news | url=http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/22121-u-thein-sein-steps-down-as-usdp-chair.html | title=U Thein Sein steps down as USDP chair | work=The Myanmar Times | date=24 August 2016 | accessdate=15 October 2016 | author=Ei Ei Toe Lwin}} He previously served as the Minister for Rail Transportation, and Minister for Energy. He is a retired brigadier general in the Myanmar Army.{{cite journal|last=Kudo|first=Toshihiro|date=26 July 2011|title=New Government in Myanmar: Profiles of Ministers|publisher=Institute of Developing Economies – Japan External Trade Organization|url=http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Research/Region/Asia/20110726.html}}
Early life
Than Htay was born on 12 November 1954 in Ayeyarwady Region. When he was 17, he was accepted into the Defence Services Academy and earned a bachelor of arts and a master’s degree in defense.
Military and political career
Serving in the military until 2010, he peaked as a brigadier general. He left the army at the rank of brigadier general in 2003 to become deputy minister of energy, before being promoted to minister in 2011.
He joined the Union Solidarity and Development Party at its founding in the lead-up to the 2010 election. He won election to the Pyithu Hluttaw, representing Myanaung township, in the 2012 by-election. In 2013, he became minister for energy and for railways. In January 2013, his ministry awarded two new deep-water oil and gas blocks to Thai energy firm PTT Exploration and Production without using a bidding process. The ministry also approved MPRL E&P to extend its contract without a bidding process to operate the Mann oil field in central Myanmar. Due to his controversial decisions over the awarding of exploration licenses and production concessions as a minister, Than Htay was transferred to the Ministry of Rail Transportation on 25 July 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/business/30212511|title=PTTEP didn't pay bribes: Energy Minister|website=The Nation|date=13 August 2013 |access-date=2 February 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/7727-transparency-concerns-led-to-energy-minister-swap.html|title=Transparency concerns led to energy minister swap|website=The Myanmar Times|date=4 August 2013 |accessdate=2 February 2019}} He resigned from the post after Thein Sein picked him as a USDP candidate for the 2015 general election.{{cite news |title=U Thein Sein steps down as USDP chair |url=https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/22121-u-thein-sein-steps-down-as-usdp-chair.html |work=The Myanmar Times |date=24 August 2016}}
He publicly supported the controversial Protection of Race and Religion Laws — a set of four laws to regulate religious conversion and population-control measures that passed under sustained lobbying from ultra-nationalist groups.{{cite web|url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/meet-the-new-leaders-of-the-opposition.html|title=Meet the New Leaders of the Opposition|date=25 August 2016|website=The Irrawaddy|accessdate=2 February 2019}}
In November 2015, he ran for re-election but was defeated. In the 2020 Myanmar general election, he won a House of Representatives seat representing Naypyitaw's Zeyathiri Township.{{cite news |title=USDP leader promises better future if opposition wins |url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/usdp-leader-promises-better-future-if-opposition-wins.html |work=The Myanmar Times |date=11 September 2020}}{{cite news |title=Election 2020 {{!}} NLD Sues Chief of Myanmar Military Proxy Party for Using Inflammatory Rhetoric Ahead of Election |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/elections/nld-sues-chief-myanmar-military-proxy-party-using-inflammatory-rhetoric-ahead-election.html |work=The Irrawaddy |date=28 December 2020}}