During a meeting in Moscow on March 4, Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing told Russian President Putin that he was the mouse king prophesied by Buddha, presenting him with a book about this prophecy. The book was written by the junta’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lwin Oo, who writes under the pen name Maung Lwin Myint. Lwin Oo cited a 1938 book by a Pali scholar named U Saw to promote Russian-Myanmar friendship through this religious narrative.
According to Lwin Oo’s writing, Gautama Buddha prophesied that the Thoma Mouse King would be reborn as a Russian in the future, and this Russian ruler would master various weapons and become a great ally to Myanmar’s kings. This interpretation attempts to draw a direct connection between ancient Buddhist prophecies and current Myanmar-Russia relations. The book claims this prophecy from over 2,500 years ago is now being fulfilled through current diplomatic ties.
Lwin Oo is a former military officer who had to resign from his position in 2015 after accidentally firing artillery into Chinese territory during the Laukkaing conflict. However, Min Aung Hlaing later appointed him as Deputy Foreign Minister. He served as Myanmar’s ambassador to Russia from July 2022 to September 2023. His attempts to use Buddhist prophecies in international relations have become a source of amusement within diplomatic circles.
The diplomatic community views this use of Buddhist prophecies and mouse king folklore in international relations as laughable in the current context. Myanmar’s diplomatic affairs have deteriorated significantly since the military coup, with the appointment of former military officers to diplomatic positions damaging Myanmar’s international image. This incident highlights the unconventional and often problematic approach to diplomacy under the military regime, where religious narratives are being used to justify political relationships, particularly with Russia.
