Senior General Than Shwe (; ; born 2 February 1933) is a Burmese politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and Development Association. In 2011, he officially resigned from his position as head of state, in favour of his hand-picked successor, Thein Sein.