On working for a dictator:
In Rangoon, he was part of the powerful Section 6 of the intelligence
services: the administration department. This was the section that looked after the top brass and their families. The children of the generals often got into trouble, and any scandal had to be handled sensitively. There were also more mundane tasks. One day, Aung Min and his immediate superior were told to bring dinner for the then dictator Ne Win, who wanted Chinese takeout. They went to Chinatown, then to Ne Win’s residence on Ady Road, where they presented him with what the other officer said was Mandalay kung pao chicken. Ne Win seemed annoyed and brusquely asked, “Why do you have to say Mandalay kung pao chicken, why not just kung pao chicken?” The dictator’s anger froze the other officer. Aung Min stepped forward and said, “Mandalay kung pao chicken is the preferred type of kung pao chicken, eaten by rich Chinese. Rangoon kung pao chicken is an inferior dish, with mainly gristle.” From then on, Aung Min was in charge of all catering.