Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – met with the National Unity Government (NUG) Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann via a teleconference call on Friday, the day after meeting with regime leader Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Neither side raised objections to our engagement with the other,” Anwar Ibrahim shared on social media.“Trust‑building remains essential, and it is vital that this continues to be an ASEAN‑led effort. We will continue to engage all parties in support of peace, reconciliation and the well‑being of the people of Myanmar,”
The NUG was optimistic about the official meeting with Malaysia’s democratically-elected leader, who said Myanmar would be one of his focal points during the 2025 ASEAN chair.
In a statement on April 18, the NUG said that its Prime Minister Mahn Winn Khaing Thann “discussed enhancing relations with the ASEAN chair and member states, and the effective delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar.”
Anwar Ibrahim was also in Bangkok April 17-18 to meet with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Her father, former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, is Anwar’s “informal” advisor on Myanmar.
The pair met with Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing on April 17 at the Rosewood Bangkok hotel. Anwar called Min Aung Hlaing’s release of 4,893 prisoners in a Myanmar New Year Day amnesty on April 17 “a meaningful signal.”
Regime media reported that the two discussed ASEAN support for Myanmar in the six regions hardest hit by the earthquake on March 28.
On April 4, Min Aung Hlaing attended the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit in Bangkok, marking his first trip to Thailand since the 2021 coup.
He met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, and Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus.
