State Administration Council
The State Administration Council (SAC) was the military-led provisional government of Myanmar, formed on 2 February 2021 immediately after the armed forces seized control from the elected National League for Democracy administration on 1 February 2021.[1][2] Chaired by Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, with Vice Senior General Soe Win as deputy, the SAC exercised sovereign executive, legislative, and judicial powers under a declared one-year state of emergency, later extended multiple times, on grounds of purported systemic irregularities and fraud in the November 2020 parliamentary elections that returned a supermajority for the incumbent party.[3][4][5] Primarily composed of active-duty Tatmadaw officers, the council centralized authority to purportedly safeguard national stability, combat corruption, and facilitate a transition to elections after rectifying electoral discrepancies, though it has contended with widespread civil disobedience, formation of parallel opposition structures like the National Unity Government, and escalating armed insurgencies by ethnic militias and People's Defense Forces that have eroded its territorial control to under half the country by late 2024.[6][7][8] In July 2025, as preparations advanced for nationwide polls, the SAC underwent restructuring into the National Security and Peace Commission, effectively concluding its four-year tenure as the paramount governing body while retaining core military leadership.[9][10]Background and Establishment
Electoral Disputes Leading to the Coup
The 2020 Myanmar general election occurred on 8 November 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with approximately 27.5 million voters participating despite restrictions.[11] The incumbent National League for Democracy (NLD), led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, achieved a supermajority, securing 346 seats across the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house), Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house), and state/region assemblies, exceeding the 322 seats needed to form the government.[12] The military-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won only a fraction of contested seats, prompting immediate complaints from USDP leaders who demanded a nationwide re-run, citing procedural flaws and voter disenfranchisement in military strongholds.[12] Post-election disputes intensified as the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw), under Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, alleged massive fraud orchestrated by the Union Election Commission (UEC). Specific claims included irregularities in voter lists affecting up to 10.5 million cases, such as duplicate national registration card (NRC) numbers (sometimes with different names attached) and nearly 5 million entries lacking verifiable registration cards, potentially enabling repeat voting or ballot stuffing.[13] The military presented aggregated data from voter rolls showing these discrepancies but provided no independently audited raw lists, as final voter records were reportedly removed after the vote. Min Aung Hlaing publicly described "terrible fraud in the voter lists," arguing it invalidated the results and justified military intervention to prevent constitutional deadlock.[13][11] The USDP filed over 1,000 complaints with the UEC regarding vote cancellations in 40 townships and other administrative errors, though these were concentrated in areas where USDP support was historically higher.[13] The UEC, appointed under NLD influence, dismissed the fraud allegations as unsubstantiated, emphasizing safeguards like indelible ink on voters' fingers and COVID-19 mobility curbs that limited repeat voting opportunities.[13] Independent international observers offered mixed but generally skeptical assessments: the Carter Center noted voter list preparation challenges and opaque decision-making by the UEC but observed no widespread irregularities during voting itself.[13] The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) concluded there was no credible evidence of fraud on a scale to alter outcomes, deeming results "by and large representative of the will of the people" despite issues like arbitrary vote cancellations in conflict zones and discriminatory laws excluding groups such as the Rohingya from participation.[11] These observers highlighted pre-existing voter roll inaccuracies—estimated in the millions from prior audits—but attributed them to outdated census data rather than deliberate manipulation sufficient to overturn the NLD's landslide.[13] Tensions escalated through December 2020 and January 2021, with the military issuing ultimatums for UEC-led recounts and investigations, while blocking the new NLD-dominated parliament from convening on 1 February 2021 as scheduled.[13] The Tatmadaw invoked Article 417 of the 2008 Constitution, which permits declaring a state of emergency for electoral disputes, but critics argued this required judicial or legislative validation absent in the process. The unresolved standoff, framed by the military as a defense against democratic erosion, directly precipitated the 1 February 2021 coup, during which NLD leaders were detained and power transferred to the State Administration Council.[13] Subsequent junta-appointed probes reaffirmed the fraud narrative but relied on post-coup data collection, raising questions about impartiality given the military's structural incentives to challenge NLD dominance over constitutional reforms curbing its influence.[13]Formation of the SAC in February 2021
On 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, initiated a coup d'état by detaining State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and numerous National League for Democracy (NLD) officials, while blocking the convening of the newly elected parliament.[14] Acting President Myint Swe, a retired general aligned with the military, declared a one-year state of emergency and transferred executive, legislative, and judicial powers to Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, citing alleged widespread electoral fraud in the November 2020 elections as justification.[15] The following day, on 2 February 2021, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief announced the formation of the State Administration Council (SAC) as the interim executive body to govern during the emergency period, with Min Aung Hlaing serving as its chairman and eight other senior military officers as members, alongside three civilian appointees, totaling 11 initial members.[16][17] The SAC was positioned to oversee administrative functions, implement the military's directives, and prepare for new elections after addressing purported voting irregularities, though independent verifications of the fraud claims were limited and contested by election monitors.[1] This structure effectively centralized authority under military control, dissolving key civilian institutions and prompting immediate international condemnation from entities like the United Nations, which viewed the SAC's establishment as a consolidation of junta power rather than a temporary measure.[18] The formation marked the formal replacement of the ousted NLD-led government with a military-dominated council, setting the stage for ongoing governance amid rising domestic protests.[17]Initial Objectives and Legal Justifications
The State Administration Council (SAC) invoked Article 417 of Myanmar's 2008 Constitution as the legal foundation for its assumption of power, asserting that the provision empowered the declaration of a state of emergency in response to internal disturbances threatening national stability. This article permits the President to proclaim an emergency upon the Commander-in-Chief's recommendation if the executive branch proves unable to govern amid natural disasters, external threats, or domestic upheaval endangering lives or sovereignty. On February 1, 2021, following the detention of President U Win Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders, Vice President Myint Swe—widely regarded as a military-aligned figure—formally declared the emergency via Order No. 1/2021, transferring executive, legislative, and judicial authority to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC), of which the SAC became the executive arm.[19][20] The SAC's rationale centered on alleged widespread electoral fraud during the November 8, 2020, general elections, which it claimed invalidated the NLD's supermajority victory and risked precipitating unrest capable of eroding state cohesion. Military spokespersons, including Zaw Min Tun, cited discrepancies in voter lists, duplicate votes, and procedural violations across thousands of polling stations, arguing these irregularities exceeded the Union Election Commission's (UEC) capacity for resolution and justified interim military administration to safeguard democratic processes. The one-year emergency period, extendable by the NDSC, was framed as a temporary measure to rectify these issues without permanently altering the constitutional framework, though critics, including constitutional scholars, contended that electoral disputes did not meet Article 417's threshold for "internal upheaval," as no widespread violence or governance collapse had occurred prior to the takeover.[21][19] Among the SAC's proclaimed initial objectives were to conduct thorough probes into the purported fraud, revise electoral laws for transparency, update voter registries, and convene fresh multi-party elections under supervised conditions, with power handover pledged to the victors upon completion. Min Aung Hlaing emphasized in early addresses that these steps aimed to "discipline the country" and restore a functional democracy free from manipulation, while also prioritizing economic continuity and public order amid nascent protests. The SAC positioned itself as a caretaker body, not a permanent regime, with the February 2, 2021, formation decree outlining 11 initial members tasked with interim governance until electoral rectification, though subsequent extensions of the emergency—renewed annually through 2025—have prolonged its rule.[21][9]Leadership and Organizational Structure
Key Members and Roles
The State Administration Council (SAC) was led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as Chairman, who concurrently held the positions of Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services and provisional (pro tem) president, granting him overarching authority over military and executive functions following the February 1, 2021, coup.[22] Vice Senior General Soe Win served as Vice-Chairman and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services (Army), responsible for operational military command and acting as second-in-command.[22] Key supporting roles within the SAC included military and civilian appointees overseeing defense, security, and administration. The council's structure integrated high-ranking Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) officers with select union ministers, ensuring military dominance in governance.[22]| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| U Nyo Saw | Prime Minister and Union Minister for National Planning and Economy, handling economic policy coordination.[22] |
| U Aung Lin Dwe | Chief Executive of the Office of the National Defense and Security Council, managing strategic advisory functions.[22] |
| General Maung Maung Aye | Union Minister for Defense, overseeing military procurement and defense infrastructure.[22] |
| Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung | Union Minister for Home Affairs, responsible for internal security and policing.[22] |
| U Than Swe | Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, directing diplomatic relations amid international isolation.[22] |
| Lt-Gen Yar Pyae | Union Minister for Border Affairs, focusing on ethnic armed group negotiations and frontier security.[22] |
| General Kyaw Swar Lin | Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy, Air Force), coordinating tri-service operations.[22] |
| General Ye Win Oo | Joint Chief Executive of the Office of the National Defense and Security Council and SAC Secretary, handling administrative and secretarial duties.[22] |