Thai Opposition Condemns Myanmar Military Leader's State Visit
Thai opposition lawmakers condemned Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing's state visit to Bangkok, urging the government to suspend future invitations and establish stricter conditions on bilateral relations including drug trafficking an
On August 6, 2025, at Parliament, Bangkok MP Anusorn Thamjai of the Pheu Thai Party and Sirachat Treewisalwaedt of the ASEAN Democracy Network working group announced their opposition to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's official state visit as a government guest. Anusorn called on Parliament and the government to issue a statement reaffirming Thailand's commitment to human rights and international law while condemning violence, persecution of dissidents, and human rights abuses in Myanmar.
The lawmakers requested the government reconsider or suspend future state-level invitations to Min Aung Hlaing to avoid legitimizing the Myanmar military junta, which faces criticism for human rights violations, border attacks, and refugee crises. They proposed establishing a joint commission involving Parliament, the Thai government, ethnic armed organizations, civil society, and human rights groups to advance humanitarian assistance and fair negotiations.
Additionally, they urged Thailand to present Myanmar with a timeline of demands addressing drug trafficking, border conflicts, online scams, human trafficking, transboundary pollution, and cross-border haze, while calling for Thai access to border areas for concrete solutions. The lawmakers also proposed creating a special diplomatic task force to engage ethnic armed groups and establish an ASEAN democracy network to promote peace, human rights, environmental protection, and development across the region.
Sirachat argued that the government's embrace of the Myanmar military leader reflects an alignment with authoritarianism and damages Thailand's democratic credentials. According to Justice For Myanmar reports, Thailand serves as a financial and arms conduit for the Myanmar junta while facilitating money laundering through real estate. The lawmakers warned that continued ties with Myanmar's military could harm Thailand's credibility and OECD membership aspirations, which emphasize rule of law, democracy, and human rights.
