Thai parliamentarians have demanded their government provide an explanation for inviting Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing to the BIMSTEC meeting. The government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has invited Min Aung Hlaing to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting scheduled to be held in Bangkok on April 3. According to Thai media outlets, Min Aung Hlaing is expected to arrive in Bangkok in the afternoon of April 3.
Kannavee, a member of parliament from the Fair Party, pointed out that the Myanmar military dictator has been barred from attending international meetings for an extended period, with only Russia and China maintaining diplomatic relations with him. Thailand has now become the third country to receive Min Aung Hlaing. The MP emphasized the need for the Thai government to explain to its citizens why they have invited Min Aung Hlaing, who continues to conduct daily airstrikes against civilian populations.
Despite the occurrence of an earthquake between March 28 and March 31, the military council conducted more than twenty airstrikes, resulting in the deaths of 12 civilians, as reported by MP Kannavee to Thai media. Democratic forces within Myanmar, revolutionary organizations, and international bodies have strongly condemned the Thai government’s decision to engage with Min Aung Hlaing. The military council’s continued aggression against its own people and the international community’s general isolation of the regime make Thailand’s invitation particularly controversial.
