Fortify Rights urges Thai government not to grant political legitimacy to Min Aung Hlaing

The Thai government should not treat the upcoming visit of Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to Thailand next week as an opportunity to grant political legitimacy to his rule, but should instead press for accountability for civilian protection and human rights violations, Fortify Rights said in a statement on July 31. Min Aung Hlaing is expected to visit Thailand in the first week of August at the invitation of the Thai government. The visit is a follow-up to a series of high-level meetings between Thailand and the Myanmar junta since Min Aung Hlaing declared himself "president" after elections held in December 2025 and January 2026. Those elections were rejected as illegitimate by the United Kingdom, the European Union (EU), Canada, and Australia, and were not recognized by ASEAN. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai visited Naypyidaw and met with Min Aung Hlaing, agreeing to cooperate on combating drugs, online scams, and transboundary river pollution caused by mining. Subsequently, Myanmar junta-appointed Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe met with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in Bangkok in July, after which Min Aung Hlaing was invited to Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Srettha has stated that he wants to use the visit to discuss issues of mutual interest, including river pollution, transboundary haze from agricultural burning, and drug problems. However, Fortify Rights pointed out that the Myanmar junta continues to commit aerial attacks on civilians, arbitrary arrests, torture, unlawful killings, and attacks on civilian infrastructure. According to UN data, nearly 3.8 million people are displaced in Myanmar, and over 16 million require humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, Fortify Rights noted that regarding Min Aung Hlaing, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for an arrest warrant in November 2024 in connection with alleged crimes against humanity against the Rohingya, and in February 2025, an Argentine federal court issued an arrest warrant based on universal jurisdiction for genocide and crimes against humanity. Thanida Piamchok, a human rights specialist at Fortify Rights, warned that the visit could amount to granting political legitimacy to Min Aung Hlaing, who is responsible for severe human rights violations, and stated that Thailand and ASEAN should not continue to hide behind the policy of "non-interference."