Myanmar junta chief joins Bangkok regional summit as earthquake toll tops 3 100

BANGKOK – Myanmar’s ostracised junta chief met the leaders of India and Thailand during a regional summit in Bangkok on April 4, as the UN said that his military was limiting humanitarian aid following the earthquake that killed more than 3,100 people amid civil war.

The rare foreign trip by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, shunned by most world leaders since leading a 2021 coup that overthrew an elected government and ignited nationwide conflict, exploits a window that has been opened by the earthquake to ramp up diplomacy.

On the sidelines of the Bimstec summit, Gen Min Aung Hlaing had two-way meetings with Thai Premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with recovery from the quake a common topic.

The Bimstec – or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation – grouping also includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

With a protracted civil war ravaging Myanmar since the coup, Mr Modi called for a post-earthquake ceasefire in the country of 55 million people to be made permanent, an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“Political resolution to the conflict is the only way forward, starting with inclusive and credible elections,” spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

Myanmar’s junta announced a temporary ceasefire from April 2 to 22 in operations against armed opponents, mirroring moves by a rebel alliance and a shadow government that includes parts of the previous administration.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the junta was restricting aid supplies to quake-hit areas where local communities did not back its rule.

It also said it was investigating 53 reported attacks by the junta, including air strikes, against opponents, 16 of which came after a ceasefire on April 2.

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls from