During a press conference in Belarus, military council leader Min Aung Hlaing made confusing statements that incorrectly linked economic sanctions with computer software, according to media sources. At the press conference held on March 7, he claimed that when faced with economic sanctions, computer software would gain more collective strength and increase competition. This statement was described as meaningless and showed a fundamental misunderstanding of both economic sanctions and computer technology, according to U Toe Zaw Latt, Secretary of the Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM).
Min Aung Hlaing’s confused attempt to connect international economic sanctions with computer software technology likely stems from his poor understanding of English language terminology, according to veteran journalists. It was also noted that during his meetings with Russian leader Putin and the Belarus President, he was unable to communicate in English and relied entirely on interpreters while speaking in Burmese. On March 4, during his meeting with Putin, he presented a book that dubiously referred to Putin as the ‘King of Mice’ according to what he claimed was a Buddhist prophecy, despite lacking any historical documentation or evidence to support such claims.
While the military council’s own Myanmar and English language newspapers reported Min Aung Hlaing’s statements, they were unable to present them in any meaningful context. Analysts drew parallels to previous instances of military leaders’ linguistic confusion, such as when former leader Thein Sein incorrectly referred to the 2008 Constitution as a ‘National Convention.’ This latest incident of Min Aung Hlaing conflating unrelated concepts of economic sanctions and computer software demonstrates a concerning lack of basic understanding of international affairs. Senior journalists noted that such fundamental misunderstandings of important international matters by leadership could damage the country’s image in the international community.
