Bangkok-
Myanmar’s junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Bangkok on the afternoon of April 3, 2025, to attend the 6th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit, held on April 3-4.
This visit has sparked lots of controversy due to his rare international travel, the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, the recent earthquake that has killed over 3000 Myanmar citizens, and his regime’s widely criticized human rights record. The decision to allow his attendance has drawn sharp backlash from hundreds of human rights groups, who view it as legitimizing a leader accused of severe atrocities.
Min Aung Hlaing’s trip comes less than a week after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, killing at least 3,000 people and injuring thousands more, with rescue and recovery efforts still underway. The quake, centered in Sagaing, caused widespread destruction, including in Mandalay and Naypyidaw, making worse an already dire humanitarian crisis in a country ravaged by four years of civil war following the military coup he led in February 2021.
Despite the disaster, Min Aung Hlaing proceeded with the trip, reportedly to discuss the quake response and seek international cooperation, though critics argue it’s a bid to gain diplomatic legitimacy amid his regime’s isolation.
The BIMSTEC Summit, hosted by Thailand, includes leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Thailand confirmed all member leaders would attend, with Min Aung Hlaing’s participation seen as a diplomatic breakthrough for the junta, which has been largely shunned by the international community. Since the 2021 coup, he has been barred from ASEAN summits due to the military’s failure to implement a peace plan, making this his first visit to a Southeast Asian nation since April 2021. His previous trips were limited to allies like Russia and China.
The controversy stems from Min Aung Hlaing’s record. He faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant request, issued in November 2024, for crimes against humanity related to the 2017 persecution of the Rohingya, which displaced over a million people. His regime’s brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests post-coup, ongoing airstrikes against civilians, and recent rejection of ceasefire calls after the earthquake have fueled outrage. Human rights groups, alongside Myanmar resistance voices, have protested his inclusion, arguing it endorses a leader responsible for mass displacement (3.5 million since 2021) and widespread atrocities.
Thailand’s decision to host him has drawn criticism for prioritizing border stability—given the influx of Myanmar refugees—over human rights concerns. The summit offers Min Aung Hlaing a platform to engage with leaders like India’s Narendra Modi who also arrived today as we reported here.
