10A » Sunday, March 20,2016 » KITSAPSUN world Myanmar’s newpresidentanunlikelyleader ■ He’s trusted thethroes of ademocracy campaignagainst amili- proxyofruling tary junta. At thetime, hisfather- party’sleader in-law,ULwin, wassick andHtinKyawused to By EstherHtusan drivehim to theparty Associated Press office.Inthe processhe startedhelping SuuKyi NAYPYITAW, Myanmar—For with issues relating to for- yearshewalkedalongside eign policy,and became NobellaureateAungSan thekey adviseronthe SuuKyi, aquiet confidant party’soutreachtoforeign in hercampaignfor de- governments andembas- mocracyinMyanmar.On sies,evenasthe junta Tuesday, with herbless- continuedtothrottlethe ing, Htin Kyaw became the democracymovement. country’spresident. Awatershed in hislife Asoft-spoken manwith came in 2000 when NLD apenchantfor literature workers, includingZaw andwriting,HtinKyaw Min,wantedtogotoMan- gave up acareerinthe dalayonacampaigntrip. foreignministrydecades They went to theYangon agotohelpSuu Kyi, his trainstation to meet up childhoodfriend, with her with SuuKyi, whohad politicalparty as it worked beendriventhere by Htin to free Myanmarfrommil- Kyaw.But officials refused itary rule.Along theway, to sell them tickets, andthe he endedupinthe junta’s situation became tense. prison alongwithother In theend everyone pro-democracyactivists. wasdetained, including Butuntil last week, Htin Kyaw.Suu Kyiwas Htin Kyaw washardlya AssociAted Press file returned to housearrest, household name,and most Myanmar’spro-democracy leader Aungsan suu Kyi(right) standswithaideHtinKyaw, as she addressesher supporters from andthe othernineactiv- people in Myanmar —or her frontgateafter herreleasefromhouse arrest in Yangon,Myanmar.HtinKyawofthe Nationalleaguefor democracyparty ists spentthe next 4½ outside—could have never andalongtime confidant of Aungsan suu Kyi, wasconfirmedfriday, March11, in aparliamentaryvoteasone of thethree final months in thenotorious imagined that he wouldbe- candidates to be Myanmar’snextpresident,albeitasaproxyfor theNobel laureate. In Sein prison. come thepresident of the Up to that point, and country’sfirstdemocrati- thepresident is electedby positively on thepeople even afterhis release, callyelected government lawmakersofbothhouses of thiscountry.” Htin Kyaw “didn’treally in more than ahalf-cen- He talkssteadily of parliament. They chose Htin Kyaw is oneofthe do muchactivepoliticsas tury. from threecandidates, one firstgraduates of Ran- farasIknow,”saidZaw SuuKyi ledher Nation- andsoftly. He is such representing thelower goon University,now the Min. “It’snot like he was al League forDemocracy akindperson; very honest, house,one theupper house University of Yangon.He taking abig position in the partytoalandslidevic- andone representing the earned abachelor’sdegree politicalparty,but over the tory in theNov.8general quiet, andpassionate,and military bloc,which has 25 in economicsin1967and yearsheendeduphelping elections, butisprevented livessimply.” percentofseats reserved amaster’sdegreeineco- SuuKyi alot in partyaf- from becoming president forthem. Thecandidate nomics in 1968,whilealso fairs.” by aconstitutional clause ZawMin Kya, who has known Htin Kyaw formorethan 20 years. with thehighest number workingasalecturerthere. Htin Kyaw is nowase- designed by theformer of votesbecomes president He movedtothe computer nior executiveofthe Daw military rulers —who andthe othertwo become science department in 1970, Khin KyiFoundation, a have been graduallylet- has been at SuuKyi’s side “HtinKyawisavery vice presidents. andlater studiedcomputer charitynamed forSuu ting go of powersince 2011 almost constantlysince quietman wholoves litera- As thepersonalnominee science at theUniversity Kyi’smother. He is also —tothwarther. 1992. ture,” said ZawMin Kyaw, of SuuKyi, Htin Kyaw’s of London fortwo years atrusted member of the So shechose atrusted Buthekeptsuchalow whohas knownHtinKyaw victorywas allbut guar- before returninghometo party’sinner circle,and friend andadviser after profilethatjournalists formore than 20 years. anteed.Hewon 360 votes work as aprogrammer and he andSuu Kyiwenttothe making it clearinpublic were left scrambling to ZawMin published a from among652 ballots analystuntil 1975. same elementary school in remarksthatshe expects findout anythingabout bookcompilingaseriesof cast in an election Tuesday Five yearslater,Zyaw Yangon. thepresident to be her Htin Kyaw when hisnom- articles Htin Kyaw wrote by legislatorsinMyanmar’s Min said,HtinKyaw Htin Kyaw is remem- proxy. inationwas announced abouthis father,titled“My bicameral parliament. He joined thegovernment’s beredbyhis acquaintanc- Htin Kyaw,70, is theson last week.After all, he was Father’s Life,” in 2009. will take office on April1. foreigneconomicrela- es as asmart studentwho of anational poet andthe only thenamelessface of- “Hetalks steadily and SuuKyi nominatedhim tionsdepartment, where lovedsports. At university, son-in-law of afounding tenappearing behindSuu softly.Heissuchakind “obviously to show that he worked as deputy direc- he played water polo. memberofthe country’s Kyiinpicturestaken dur- person;veryhonest, quiet, he is themosttrusted tor. He resigned in 1992 — “After he retired(from pro-democracymove- ingher infrequent public andpassionate, andlives person forher,” said Zaw apparently becauseofhis hisgovernmentjob), he ment. He has knownSuu appearancesbefore she simply,” he told TheAsso- Min,48, aformerNLD family connectionstothe became very quiet. He Kyi, 71,since gradeschool. wasfinallyfreed in 2010 ciated Press. member.“If thiskindof opposition party—and startedspendingalot of Theirfathers were family afterlongperiods of house UnderMyanmar’s com- person leadsthe coun- took greaterinterestinthe time readingand writing friends, andHtinKyaw arrests. plicated electoralsystem, try... it will also affect work of NLD, whichwas in articles,” said ZawMin. Strongtoverystrong B ay Moderate to strong Pouloulsbo THEDANGERBELOW US sources: esri, Here,ddelelorme, U.s. Geological survey, intermap, increment Pcorp., NrcAN BaB ngor Join Us Trident BasB e in Celebrating Po rt OrcharOr d 4mmiiles al l Bay Can odd CCa Those Committed H ooo Siillverdere dadaale Bainbridge SeaSeeabbeck Island to Healing and ‘OUR 303 Dyes Helping in Our Inlet Community! Manchests er Port BIG Orchard l a 3 16 V ONBelfairaiE’ Is AcA onversattioi nabob utt ththeSSeattttlel FaF ulltat ndd NOMINATE YOUR earthquake preparednessinKitsapCounty HEALTH CARE Tuesday, March29,6-7:30p.m. HERO TODAY AdmiralTheatre 515PacificAve., Bremerton We need YOUtohelp us recognize those whomakeour community Cost:Free abetter and healthier place. Join us in celebrating organizations and professionals whoenhance the value and quality of health care in the Panelists Learnhow your community is MikeGordon, region. Honorees of the Kitsap Peninsula will be recognized at aspecial Kitsap CountyDepartment of EmergencyManagement preparing forpotentialearthquakes Health Care Heroes event June 9, and in aspecial publication in the GalaGulacsik, Kitsap Sun June 10. from afault line that courses our FederalEmergencyManagement Agency region andhearwhatyou candoto KellyStone, Award categories include: be informedand ready in case of a Risk Analyst, FEMA disaster.Anopen Q&A session will ScottJames, •Emergency •Physician •Military neighborhood preparednessorganizer follow formal commentsofferedby Medical Services •Dentist Medical Personnel ChiefSteveWright, •Lifetime Achievement •Non-Physician •Volunteer expertpanelists. SouthKitsapFireand Rescue •HealthyTomorrow •Administrative •Veterinarian TimothyJ.WalshandJoeSmillie, Washington State Dept.ofNatural Resources To nominateadeserving health careprofessional, visit ToRSVPforthislimitedcapacityevent orviewrecentearthquakenewsand With kitsapsun.com/healthcareheroes. KitsapSunEditorDavidNelson Nominations must be received by April 28, 2016. preparednesstips,visit kitsapsun.com/earthquakes. Hostedby.