Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is set to attend a regional summit in Thailand this April. This visit will be his first to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state since Myanmar's military coup in 2021. Min Aung Hlaing is expected to participate in the 6th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit in Bangkok, scheduled for April 3-4.
BIMSTEC is a regional organization that includes India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. The group's goal is to promote economic growth and cooperation among its members. The summit will include several bilateral meetings aimed at enhancing diplomatic and economic relations. If confirmed, this visit would be seen as a diplomatic success for Myanmar’s ruling junta, which has faced international isolation since the military took control in 2021.
Since ASEAN banned junta representatives from high-level meetings in 2021, Min Aung Hlaing has had limited travel abroad. He has visited Russia four times since the coup and met with President Vladimir Putin earlier this month. He also visited China in November 2022. His last visit to an ASEAN country was in April 2021, when he attended an emergency summit in Jakarta.
While ASEAN has prevented Min Aung Hlaing from attending its meetings, individual countries are not explicitly prohibited from inviting him. Thailand’s decision to invite him to the BIMSTEC summit, instead of sending a lower-level representative, marks a shift in the broader ASEAN stance. Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar, has engaged with Myanmar’s military leadership in the past to address border security and transnational crime, including online scams.
However, this decision has sparked controversy. Human rights groups and Myanmar pro-democracy activists have condemned Min Aung Hlaing’s expected attendance, arguing it would legitimize the military junta. In February, Argentina issued arrest warrants for both Min Aung Hlaing and Aung San Suu Kyi for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya minority. Critics warn that Thailand’s invitation could undermine efforts to hold Myanmar’s leaders accountable for their actions.
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