Key facts
- Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing is on an official visit to Thailand.
- The visit aims to secure political legitimacy for Myanmar's military-backed government.
- Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from ASEAN meetings.
- Thailand is pursuing 'calibrated re-engagement' with Myanmar's regime.
- Activist groups condemn the visit for granting false legitimacy to the Myanmar junta.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross visited Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has arrived in Thailand for an official visit, marking his first trip abroad since seizing power in a 2021 coup. The visit is seen as an effort to gain political legitimacy for his internationally isolated government. Thailand, sharing a long border with Myanmar, is pursuing a policy of 'calibrated re-engagement,' emphasizing the need for dialogue on issues such as transnational crime and regional stability. Min Aung Hlaing is expected to meet with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and attend a business forum. This diplomatic move by Thailand follows similar recognitions of the new government by China and India. However, the visit has drawn criticism from activist groups like Justice for Myanmar, who argue it grants 'false legitimacy' to a regime accused of human rights abuses and responsible for an ongoing civil war. Min Aung Hlaing has been barred from ASEAN meetings for failing to implement a peace consensus. In a rare development, the International Committee of the Red Cross was permitted to visit the detained former civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.