Bangkok: Thailand's top general welcomed Myanmar's military chief for talks on Thursday, marking the latter's first foreign trip since assuming office, as Myanmar's armed forces work to shed their pariah status. According to TRTworld.com, Myanmar's military ousted an elected government in a 2021 coup, detaining its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a civil war marked by widespread rights abuses. After being isolated for five years, Myanmar's leadership has embarked on a diplomatic campaign, promoting restricted elections held around early 2026 as a return to normalcy. Following the elections, Min Aung Hlaing, the coup's leader, transitioned to the role of civilian president, appointing loyalist Ye Win Oo as the military leader. On Thursday, Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha met with Ye Win Oo at a hotel in Bangkok. Their discussions are expected to center on the nations' shared 2,400-kilometer border, which has been destabilized by the ongoing conflict. Ye Win Oo, a former spymaster for Myanmar's ru ling junta, has been sanctioned by countries, including the United States, for his involvement in the coup. The civil war is believed to have resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths. The international community remains divided on how to approach Myanmar after the elections. Democracy watchdogs have criticized the vote as a facade to rebrand military rule, sidelining Suu Kyi, her party, and imprisoning dissenters. Meanwhile, Thailand, along with other neighboring nations, has used the elections as an opportunity to reset relations with Myanmar due to unavoidable border issues. Earlier this month, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul extended a red-carpet welcome to Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow defended the decision to host Myanmar's leaders, stating, "It's not about legitimacy, it's about reality." However, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar criticized Thailand's actions, saying that "by embracing a warlord, Thailand has torched its credibility." The counc il further condemned the visit from Ye Win Oo, describing it as "adding to its ignominy." Recently, United Nations investigators reported that the military under Ye Win Oo's leadership is intensifying aerial attacks on civilian targets. The UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar documented patterns of arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence perpetrated by the military. In response, Myanmar's government dismissed the report as "one-sided allegations against Myanmar's security forces based on unverifiable and inaccurate information."
