News analysis
Will Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing’s Laos visit pave his way back into the ASEAN family?
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Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing (right) is making state visits to countries like Laos and China to build an impression that his regime is no longer diplomatically isolated.
PHOTO: AFP
- Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Laos signals efforts to break diplomatic isolation and gain legitimacy within ASEAN despite ongoing international sanctions and political restrictions.
- Laos, sharing authoritarian traits, offers a safe platform for Myanmar’s regime to normalise relations without facing criticism on human rights.
- ASEAN remains divided on engagement with Myanmar, risking its credibility if Min Aung Hlaing is invited back to attend summits without progress from the regime on peace and democracy commitments.
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BANGKOK – Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing’s recent state visit to Laos, his third state visit in two months, is part of efforts to give the impression that the country is no longer diplomatically isolated, analysts say.
The visit to Laos, an ASEAN member state, also underlines a shift among some of the grouping’s members towards more engagement with Myanmar, they add.
