Kyu Kyu Hla gained influence within the military community and led the wives of high-ranking military officers when her husband Min Aung Hlaing later became the
Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Army. She is nicknamed "
Amay Kyu" (Mother Kyu) by military circles, in a similar style to how
Aung San Suu Kyi is referred to as "Mother Su" by the public. High-ranking military defectors claim that she holds personal animosity toward and is envious of Aung San Suu Kyi’s reputation and popularity. She regularly accompanies her husband as a member of military delegations to foreign countries. In February 2020, Kyu Kyu Hla and her husband Min Aung Hlaing together placed the "
Hti" umbrella on top
Bagan's most powerful ancient
Htilominlo Temple. The meaning of the temple name is "need the royal umbrella, need the King". Many people believed that the ceremony was a
yadaya and seeking
divine blessings for her husband's glory. Kyu Kyu Hla became a major target of a domestic
boycott and social punishment by people who oppose the
military regime when her husband Min Aung Hlaing seized power from a democratically elected government, the
National League for Democracy (NLD), and whose the military regime has killed nearly 2,000
anti-coup protesters. On 22 February 2021, detained government economic policy advisor
Sean Turnell's wife, Ha Vu, an Australian-Vietnamese academic, wrote a letter to Kyu Kyu Hla, appealing "wife to wife" for her husband’s release. Kyu Kyu Hla was widely criticized on 29 November 2021 when junta-controlled media reported that Kyu Kyu Hla led families from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services to chant
Paṭṭhāna, the seventh text of the
Theravāda Buddhism philosophy, to pray for peace and for Myanmar to overcome catastrophes. At that event, she was seated in a cushioned chair in the centre of the hall while the wives of military personnel sat on the floor. A chair is commonly used as a metaphor for power in
Myanmar politics, prompting many comments on social media such as, "Not only the husband, but also Kyu Kyu Hla craves a chair." Kyu Kyu Hla has been writing pro-military articles and poems in anniversary editions of military magazines under the pen name of
Thiri Pyae Sone May (Myanmarsar). She wrote a poem commemorating the 75th anniversary of the
Myanmar Air Force, "To Diamond Jubilee Air Force", that was featured in the state-controlled newspapers. The poem praised the Myanmar Air Force, which has carried out numerous lethal air raids on civilians and non-military targets in
Hpakant, also known as the
Hpakant massacre. During the military council meeting on 13 February 2022, Min Aung Hlaing praised to his wife Kyu Kyu Hla as "a teacher who had made significant sacrifices". On 2 March 2023, the military government awarded her the title of '''', one of the country’s highest
religious honours, for significantly contributing to the flowering and propagation of
Buddhism. Kyu Kyu Hla delivered a video speech to the Fourth Eurasian Women's Forum, held from September 18 to 20, 2024, in
Saint Petersburg, Russia. In her speech, she emphasized the importance of recognizing and celebrating not only the everyday contributions of women but also their courage, confidence, perseverance, leadership, resilience, and creativity in tackling global challenges. Allegedly defaming Kyu Kyu Hla and the Myanmar military via online posts, Thamee Soe, a Myanmar-born American internet influencer, was arrested on 12 October 2025 at Yangon International Airport. She has been charged under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. ==Sanctions==