It seems that he is a more intelligent person than people give him credit for. I think he is very skilled at dividing people, dividing his rivals within his army and dividing his opponents. He is also skilled in tactics; you know, he is trained in psychological warfare and I think he uses that to some extent. It is also clear that he is quite a boring person.

– Benedict Rogers quoted in “Searching for Than Shwe”, The Irrawaddy, 26 November 2009.

Previous New Mandala coverage of related issues is available here, among other places. Benedict Rogers’ long awaited biography of Senior General Than Shwe is now with the publisher. As I have said before, it promises to be a very interesting read.