Seoul Gazette - Thai, Myanmar military chiefs meet as post-coup thaw progresses

Myanmar's military ousted an elected government in a 2021 putsch, detaining its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sparking a civil war in which it is accused of rampant rights abuses.

The post-coup leadership was isolated for five years but has started a diplomatic offensive, touting deeply restricted polls it staged around the start of 2026 as a return to normality.

After the elections, Min Aung Hlaing -- who led the coup as armed forces chief -- took over as civilian president, handing the office of military leader to staunch loyalist Ye Win Oo.

Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha greeted Ye Win Oo at a hotel in the capital, Bangkok, on Thursday morning, where they posed for the media alongside their respective delegations.

Bangkok said the talks focused on ways to enhance security cooperation on the nations' 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) border, where the war in Myanmar has seeded instability.

The generals discussed joint efforts to tackle the illicit drugs trade and cyberscam networks as well as military cooperation on counterterrorism, training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

They also addressed the issue of cross-border haze, forest fires and river contamination, with the Thai general presenting his counterpart with air quality monitoring devices, according to a statement from the Thai military.

The previous high-level military talks were held in Myanmar in 2023, two years after the coup, when Min Aung Hlaing was head of the military.

- 'Embracing a warlord' -

A former spymaster for Myanmar's ruling junta, Ye Win Oo has been sanctioned by nations including the United States for his role in the coup.

The ensuing civil war is estimated to have claimed 100,000 lives.

The international community is divided over how to deal with Myanmar since the elections.

Democracy watchdogs have derided the vote as a charade to rebrand military rule while excluding the popular Suu Kyi, sidelining her party and punishing dissenters with prison time.

But Thailand is among a band of neighbouring nations, sharing unavoidable border issues with Myanmar, which have used the polls as a cue to reset relations.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul granted Min Aung Hlaing a red-carpet welcome in Bangkok this month.

Defending the decision to host, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told reporters: "It's not about legitimacy, it's about reality."

But campaign group the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar said this week that "by embracing a warlord, Thailand has torched its credibility".

The decision to also allow a visit from Ye Win Oo was "adding to its ignominy", the statement added.

Last week, investigators from the United Nations said the military Ye Win Oo leads is escalating its aerial attacks on civilian targets.

The UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar's annual report also documented a pattern of arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual violence committed by the military.

Myanmar's government called the publication "one-sided allegations against Myanmar's security forces based on unverifiable and inaccurate information".

L.Shin--SG