The regime in Naypyidaw hosted the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Navy Chief’s Meeting on Thursday. Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing met with the navy chiefs of ASEAN members – which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines – ahead of the meeting.
“ASEAN navies should exchange expertise in rescue, relief, and rehabilitation for natural disaster response, enhancing cooperation and mutual support to address loss and damage during crises,” said Min Aung Hlaing.
He added that ASEAN navies should cooperate during natural disasters, as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam continue to be affected by floods and landslides caused by record rains since Typhoon Yagi made landfall in the region last month.
Min Aung Hlaing claimed that his regime seeks to maintain “friendly relations” with all members of ASEAN and will follow the regional bloc’s charter. Singapore was the only ASEAN member that did not send a delegation to Naypyidaw.
Regime officials and ASEAN representatives later met at a hotel in Naypyidaw for the Navy Chief’s Meeting. The Myanmar military’s Chief of General Staff Maung Maung Aye said that ASEAN must ensure “non-interference from external factors” in order to achieve “peace, stability, security and prosperity.”
The military regime has increasingly accused foreign governments of backing anti-military coup resistance groups since the Brotherhood Alliance – which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Arakan Army (AA) – launched “Operation 1027” in northern Shan State on Oct. 27, 2023.
The gathering in Naypyidaw comes as foreign ministers and delegates from ASEAN gathered in Vientiane, Laos this week to discuss Myanmar’s crisis, as well as other regional issues. The regime sent its Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Aung Kyaw Moe to the summit. The 17th ASEAN Navy Chief’s Meeting was held in Manila, Philippines in May 2023. A regime official attended online.
