Myanmar military head visits Vietnam to normalize relations

Myanmar's former coup leader and current civilian president, Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Vietnam on Friday for a three-day diplomatic visit aimed at improving political and business ties with the one-party state, according to Myanmar government images. The visit comes after Min Aung Hlaing lifted his post-coup pariah status and entered Hanoi to a red carpet welcome.

During his stay, Min Aung Hlaing plans to meet with Vietnam's President To Lam, participate in a business forum, and visit digital and electronic technology industries. The Myanmar presidency explained that Vietnam has continued to support the country's investments despite the coup, with Mytel, a major Myanmar telecoms operator, being jointly owned by a firm backed by Vietnam's defence ministry and a Myanmar military conglomerate.

However, activist organization Justice for Myanmar has accused Vietnam of corporate complicity with the junta, citing the military's ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity supported by revenue, technology, and surveillance from Vietnam through Mytel. Min Aung Hlaing, under international scrutiny for his role in the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya minority, is now considered an architect of a military crackdown that has been weighed by the International Court of Justice for potential genocide.

His pariah status deepened following the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and ignited a civil war in Myanmar. Despite this, regional neighbors such as China, Thailand, India, and Laos have welcomed Min Aung Hlaing since he assumed the position of civilian president. In Bangkok last month, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow defended the decision to host the Myanmar leader, stating that it is not about legitimacy, but about reality.