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Deputy Minister for Protection of the Russian Federation Colonel Basic Alexander Fomin (far left) welcomes Myanmar coup chief Min Aung Hlaing (second from left) and his spouse Kyu Kyu Hla at Sheremetyevo Worldwide Airport in Moscow on Sunday. / Cincds
By The Irrawaddy 13 July 2022
The world right this moment has greater than 190 nations however it appears there is just one nation keen to open its doorways to Myanmar navy junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who has been ostracized internationally for his illegitimate coup and his brutal response to protesters. And that’s Russia.
The coup chief and his household have been there since Sunday. It’s the second time Min Aung Hlaing has been to the nation because the coup final yr. In reality, it’s simply the second time he’s been anyplace, as Russia is the one nation on the planet he has visited, greater than 15 months after the takeover. (Admittedly, he flew to Indonesia final yr. However it will be beneficiant to name it a “go to”; he was kind of summoned by the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, which offered him with a peace plan for Myanmar in a failed effort to finish his bloody crackdowns on protesters.)
However whereas it appears that evidently it’s “vacation spot Moscow” in the intervening time for Min Aung Hlaing, it will be unfair to say that he’s fully with out different mates.
Other than Russia, the regime chief, who has killed greater than 2,000 civilians up to now for rejecting his rule, additionally enjoys assist from China. Each nations have refused to denounce the regime and have even protected it on the UN Safety Council. Moreover, Min Aung Hlaing has heat relations with Myanmar’s southern neighbor, Thailand. Plus, early this yr, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen grew to become the primary worldwide dignitary to satisfy the bloody dictator after flying in to Naypyitaw.
Some could surprise why Min Aung Hlaing has confined himself to shuttling between Moscow and Naypyitaw whereas there are different “pleasant nations.” The reason being that his coup in opposition to a democratically elected authorities makes it arduous for them to acknowledge him as Myanmar’s authentic chief. Take China. For all Beijing’s affirmations of assist for the regime—which merely replicate China’s strategic and financial pursuits in Myanmar—Min Aung Hlaing hasn’t set foot on Chinese language soil because the coup; he hasn’t a lot as crossed the border, not to mention traveled to Beijing. And when Chinese language Overseas Minister Wang Yi was in Myanmar early this month for a regional assembly, he didn’t even pay a courtesy name to Min Aung Hlaing. The Chinese language authorities’s mouthpiece International Occasions stated the journey was for the only goal of attending a regional assembly, and did “not trace at China ‘recognizing’ the present administration”.
These “mates” are nicely conscious that Min Aung Hlaing has been shunned internationally because the coup for his bloody response to protesters in opposition to his regime. He has even been barred from attending summits by the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member state.
Internationally, his regime has acquired little or no recognition and plenty of nations have stored their distance from it. They concern conferences with the coup chief could possibly be used as PR instruments by the regime, which craves legitimacy. So, even a private go to from Min Aung Hlaing could be a nightmare for these pleasant nations.
However Russia doesn’t appear to share these qualms about partaking with Min Aung Hlaing, primarily as a result of his regime is a money cow for it; Moscow is a significant arms provider to Naypyitaw and Myanmar has been its arms business’s greatest patron. In line with the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI), Russia bought US$247 million value of arms to Myanmar between 2015 and 2021. In the identical interval, it bought $105 million value to Laos, and $47 million value to Thailand, in line with SIPRI knowledge.
Regardless of his constant patronage of Russia, Min Aung Hlaing isn’t handled as a state chief there. Throughout his journey final yr upon the invitation of the Russian Protection Ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t meet him. Probably the most senior Russian official he met was the secretary of the Safety Council of the Russian Federation. Russian media simply described him as both “Myanmar’s navy chief” or “Myanmar’s commander-in-chief”, however not as the pinnacle of state.
This lack of recognition should be painful for Min Aung Hlaing, who craves worldwide legitimacy for his regime. Nonetheless, he can’t afford to complain, as Russia has stood steadfastly behind him, as China has carried out, at each UN assembly.
‘Personal’ go to?
For individuals who are questioning if Min Aung Hlaing will get the prospect to satisfy with Putin this time, the reply is that it’s impossible; Russia’s Protection Ministry stated on Tuesday that Min Aung Hlaing was on a “personal go to”. Interval!
In describing the journey as “personal”, Moscow is highlighting the truth that one in all Min Aung Hlaing’s plans for the go to is to consecrate a pagoda on the Ethnomir cultural heart in Kaluga close to Moscow. It’s not clear why the Protection Ministry took pains to launch a press release offering particulars of a non-state, “private” go to.
The regime’s media appeared to see the go to in another way, nevertheless.
On Wednesday, the entrance pages of the junta’s mouthpieces had been emblazoned with headlines like “SAC Chairman Prime Minister Senior Basic Min Aung Hlaing and delegation maintain talks about cooperation in varied sectors with Russia Federation”—which feels like fairly critical enterprise for an individual on a personal, and extra just like the agenda of an official go to.
Opposite to the “personal go to” described by Russia, the papers reported that Min Aung Hlaing held a working assembly with “dignitaries” of the Russian Protection Ministry. It ought to be famous that the dignitaries he met didn’t embody Russian Protection Minister Military Basic Sergey Shoigu.
Moreover, he met with the chairman of the Russia-Myanmar Friendship Affiliation to debate enhancing financial cooperation between the 2 nations, in addition to cooperation on educating navy and civilian trainees, amongst different issues.
He additionally met, through the personal go to, with the chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Financial Council to debate boosting exports of agrobased merchandise, enhancement of producing electrical energy and the bilateral export and import sectors. His journey additionally included a gathering with the Director Basic of State House Company Roscosmos “to trade views on growth of science and technological sectors and enchancment of human assets.”
Extra importantly, at Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom State Company, Min Aung Hlaing met Director Basic Alexey Likhachev to speak about cooperation on the peaceable use of nuclear vitality.
On the assembly, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the regime’s Ministry of Science and Know-how and Rosatom State Company. The content material of the MoU was unknown.
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