Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in India on Saturday for his first foreign visit since assuming the presidency in April, with discussions on security, trade, and regional cooperation expected during the five-day trip.
Visit Highlights
Mr Hlaing landed in Bihar state in the morning before traveling to Bodh Gaya, one of Buddhism's holiest sites, where he offered prayers at the Mahabodhi temple. India's foreign ministry confirmed that the visiting leader is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 and meet President Droupadi Murmu. The ministry described the visit as reflecting the strong spiritual, historical, and people-to-people ties between the two neighbors.
This is Mr Hlaing's first trip to India since 2019, when he visited as Myanmar's military chief. He shed his uniform and became president after a general election critics say was designed to keep the military in power. He has led the country since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.
Context of Conflict
The coup sparked mass protests that escalated into a civil war involving the military, pro-democracy forces, and ethnic armed groups. The conflict has displaced 3.6 million people, according to the UN. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was barred from the election, and voting was canceled in several conflict-hit regions. Suu Kyi, 80, remains in detention; the government said in April her sentence was reduced under a wider amnesty and she was moved to house arrest, but her location is undisclosed. Her son, Kim Aris, recently called for proof of life from authorities.
Diplomatic Engagement
The visit comes as Myanmar's leadership seeks to rebuild diplomatic engagement after years of isolation. ASEAN barred Myanmar's military leaders from summits after the coup due to failure to implement a peace plan. Richard Horsey of Crisis Group told Reuters that Mr Hlaing is looking to boost diplomatic engagement across the region and expects more normal ties with ASEAN, with support from Thailand and other members. He is also likely to visit Beijing soon to meet Xi Jinping.
India maintained ties with Myanmar's junta despite Western sanctions. The two countries share a 1,643 km border and cooperate on security and intelligence against insurgent groups. Gautam Mukhopadhaya, former Indian ambassador to Myanmar, noted that Myanmar has long balanced ties between China and India, and India's interests include raw materials, rare earths, and business propositions.
Myanmar's military has intensified offensives in Kachin, Chin, and Karen states to regain territory lost to resistance forces, with clashes near rare-earth mining areas and trade routes. India seeks access to Myanmar's rare earth reserves, though China dominates the supply chain.
Yadanar Maung of Justice For Myanmar condemned India's decision to host Mr Hlaing, calling him a war criminal waging a campaign of terror and urging India to stop legitimizing the junta and instead support the Myanmar people's struggle for federal democracy.
