Min Aung Hlaing meets Anwar in Malaysia amid Myanmar war criticism

Min Aung Hlaing met Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur to deepen Myanmar-Malaysia ties. The visit underscored ASEAN's dilemma as war, legitimacy concerns and forced returns drew criticism.Kualalumpur,Oct 8, 2026 12:30 ISTMyanmar's military-backed President Min Aung Hlaing held talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other officials during a visit aimed at strengthening ties with Malaysia, even as the trip drew criticism over Myanmar's continuing civil war and the recent return of Myanmar nationals from Malaysia.The visit is Min Aung Hlaing's first to Malaysia since he became president in April after a general election that rights groups said was designed to cement the military's hold on power. It also comes as Myanmar seeks to rebuild international ties and widen engagement within ASEAN, even though the bloc has barred the country from top-level meetings since the 2021 military takeover.According to Myanmar's state-run MRTV, Min Aung Hlaing, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, sought to reassure Malaysian investors that Myanmar was moving towards democracy and that his government was working to restore stability. On Thursday, after an official welcome and honour guard, he met Anwar, who said Malaysia wanted to deepen cooperation with Myanmar while continuing to raise concerns over the lack of democratic reforms and the continuing violence."We will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration and ultimately take Myanmar as part of our community of nations without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN," Anwar said. He said bilateral trade had risen by more than 140 per cent year-on-year, while Min Aung Hlaing said Malaysia was Myanmar's fourth-largest trading partner and ninth-largest investor. "I firmly believe that enhancing our bilateral economic cooperation will bring highly practical economic benefits and joint opportunities for the people of both countries," the Myanmar leader said. Min Aung Hlaing had earlier visited Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia in efforts to repair regional ties that worsened after he removed Aung San Suu Kyi's government in February 2021 while serving as army chief. Malaysia has said that inviting him does not amount to diplomatic recognition of Myanmar's government. Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor in international relations at the University of Malaya, said the high-profile welcome could help improve Min Aung Hlaing's international position, but warned that such engagement could weaken ASEAN's leverage. "There's a serious contradiction here," she said. "ASEAN continues to demand progress to end the violence, but their collective pressure is already weakened" by bilateral engagement centred on economic cooperation.Rights groups held a peaceful protest in Kuala Lumpur against the visit. "We do not want to see ASEAN nations help him gain his legitimacy," said Swam Saung of the Myanmar Affairs Alliance. The visit also came days after nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals were sent back from Malaysia. The UN refugee agency and rights groups have criticised the repatriations, saying the security and humanitarian situation in parts of Myanmar remains unstable, and returnees could face persecution and forced military conscription in an active war zone. Anwar has defended the policy, saying Malaysia cannot host undocumented foreign nationals indefinitely and that Myanmar must take responsibility for its citizens. He said 10,493 Myanmar citizens have been returned from Malaysia this year on flights and naval ships, including nearly 1,500 last week, the first of about 5,000 people who have agreed to be repatriated in stages. Min Aung Hlaing said he would speed up the process and send a naval vessel to Malaysia to help with further returns. Malaysia says 11,804 Myanmar nationals remain in detention facilities across the country.It is not clear whether any of those returned included Rohingya, the minority Muslim community that faces persecution in Myanmar and has been denied citizenship. Malaysia is home to about 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UNHCR, including about 126,000 Rohingya. However, Malaysia is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention and treats refugees as undocumented migrants. As Min Aung Hlaing pressed ahead with his diplomatic outreach, the visit highlighted both Myanmar's effort to rebuild regional ties and the continuing criticism over the conflict at home and the handling of repatriations.With PTI Inputs- Ends