The Junta's Big Stage: Min Aung Hlaing Heads to Bangkok for BIMSTEC Summit

Myanmar's junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, will be attending the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on April 3-4, his first visit to any ASEAN member state after the 2021 coup. According to sources privy to the information, Min Aung Hlaing is himself going all out for bilaterals on the margins of the summit with a view to strengthening the junta's global legitimacy. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit, being organized by Thailand, will host leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. The move comes despite the ban by ASEAN on top-level junta participation in its gatherings. Human rights organizations have criticized the invitation, saying it may be interpreted as endorsing the actions of the junta and discrediting the region's efforts to tackle Myanmar's crisis.

Source: Thai PBS, The Irrawaddy