Dr. May San Pyint, the only daughter of former Military Intelligence Colonel San Pyint who played a key role in the suppression and killing of political activists and students during the 8888 Uprising, has died in the recent Sagaing earthquake. She died when her house collapsed during the earthquake that struck at 12:52 PM on March 28 in Sagaing city. Notably, she passed away just one day before what would have been her 45th birthday on March 29.
Her father, Colonel San Pyint, was a prominent figure in the military intelligence apparatus during the military regime and served as a trusted lieutenant to Military Intelligence Chief General Khin Nyunt. However, in October 2004, he was arrested under orders from then-head of state Senior General Than Shwe. After serving time in prison, he was released in 2012 and later died of blood cancer in 2021. Colonel San Pyint was actively involved in the military intelligence operations during the 1988 Democracy Movement and is historically remembered as one of the key figures responsible for the arrest, torture, and killing of student leaders and political activists.
The sudden death of his daughter Dr. May San Pyint in a natural disaster comes as an unexpected turn of events. During her father’s time in the military intelligence, the organization was notorious for its brutal suppression of democratic movements and human rights violations. The military intelligence unit under the leadership of General Khin Nyunt, with Colonel San Pyint as one of its key operators, was responsible for numerous crackdowns on pro-democracy activists, students, and civilians who opposed the military regime. The death of Dr. May San Pyint in the Sagaing earthquake, just one day before her birthday, marks a tragic end to the direct lineage of one of the military intelligence’s most prominent former officers.
