[1] Amidst reports of tensions between Shwe Mann and Thein Sein, the former was removed from his post as head of the USDP in August 2015.

In November 1997, he was promoted to the rank of major general and became a permanent member of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

In line with the SPDC’s developmental rhetoric, he supported a number of initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and food security.

These included supporting seasonal crop rotation, and converting more than 1 million acres of low, dry and wetlands into cultivated land.

After Khin Nyunt’s arrest, Shwe Mann famously said that “Nobody is above the law.” He was seen as the most likely successor to General Maung Aye, who was Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

[9] A leaked U.S. cable stated that “[l]ike most Burmese field commanders, Shwe Mann utilized forced civilian porters, including women and children, on a massive scale during operations against Karen insurgents.”[5] It has also been alleged that Shwe Mann was directly involved in the Depayin massacre, which saw the death of at least 70 people associated to the National League for Democracy (NLD).

According to some sources, Gen Than Shwe ordered lower-ranking officers to carry out the attack on Aung San Suu Kyi’s convoy at Tabayin, March 2003.

In August 2015, amidst reports of tensions between himself and Thein Sein, Shwe Mann was removed from his post as Chairman of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and replaced by Htay Oo.

He lost his seat to Than Nyunt, NLD's candidate,[12] but remained as a prominent figure and closed ally to Aung San Suu Kyi.

He has been critical of Thein Sein’s “sluggish” approach to liberalisation,[5] and has taken a strong stance against corrupt practices in the interest of “good governance.”[9] In regards to the 25 per cent of parliamentary seats allocated to the Tatmadaw, he has expressed hope that the Constitution will change before the elections to accommodate a more representative political outcome.

[4] Shwe Mann has argued that democracy must be seen “as a vehicle for progress.” In an interview, he stated that “the biggest challenge is changing the [old] mind-set and attitude.

In his conference at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he pointed out that the ongoing violence in Rakhine State is not only between religious groups, but also between mobs.

[1] Shwe Mann has made it known that the country’s future development depends on the “economic cooperation [between] the private sector and the international community.”[1] Speaking at The Asian Foundation, he praised the non-profit sector and NGOs, who work “not for an individual country but for the international community.”[1] Shwe Mann has been seen as a key figure in the ongoing diplomatic effort to recalibrating Washington’s foreign policy towards Asia, known as "pivot."

Jim Della-Giacoma, Southeast Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group (ICG), argued that the U.S. had made a common cause with Shwe Mann to "bringing the national parliament to life as a legitimate democratic institution.

In November 2008, Shwe Mann travelled to North Korea and signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation.

In an interview, he said that the Burmese counterpart "studied their air defence system, weapons factories, aircrafts [sic] and ships.

"[5] Shwe Mann, a Burmese Buddhist, was born on 11 July 1947 in Kanyuntkwin, Bago Division, to father Pho Phay, and mother Htay Yi.

He was removed from the U.S. sanction list in September 2012 because, in the words of Under Secretary David S. Cohen, he has "taken concrete steps to promote political reforms and human rights, and to move Burma away from repression and dictatorship toward democracy and freedom".

[citation needed] Aung Thet Mann is the chief executive officer at Ayer Shwe Wah, which became the first private company allowed to export rice to Bangladesh and Singapore in 2005.

In 2004, Toe Naing Mann married Zay Zin Latt, daughter of Khin Shwe, who is the president of Zaygabar Co. Ltd. and a leading Rangoon real estate mogul.