Thai, Myanmar Military chiefs meet
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Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha received Myanmar's military head, Ye Win Oo, for talks at a hotel yesterday. This marked Ye Win Oo's first foreign trip since leading a coup that ousted the elected government in Myanmar. Ye Win Oo, a former spymaster for Myanmar's ruling junta, has been sanctioned by nations like the United States for his role in the coup.
Their discussions are expected to focus on the 2,400km border between the two nations, where the ongoing civil war has caused instability. Myanmar's military, which staged the 2021 coup, has been criticized for rights abuses and is estimated to have caused 100,000 deaths in the ensuing conflict. While international opinion is divided on how to handle Myanmar's post-coup leadership, Thailand is one of several neighboring countries dealing with border issues with Myanmar.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently extended a red-carpet welcome to Ye Win Oo, defending the decision based on practical considerations rather than the legitimacy of the military regime. UN investigators recently reported that the Myanmar military has escalated its aerial attacks on civilians, documenting instances of arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence in their annual report.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
