Despite being shunned internationally, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing on Monday co-hosted the 4th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting.
The meeting was held via video conferencing, drawing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Min Aung Hlaing’s co-host Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The Lancang-Mekong cooperation grouping was initiated in 2016 to promote regional peace and prosperity, narrow development gaps, and encourage sustainable development in Mekong countries (Lancang in China). It is a Chinese-led initiative that comprises China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.
Min Aung Hlaing told the meeting that Myanmar had received 106 specially-funded projects worth US$31.6 million from 2017 to 2023 from Beijing, which contributed to Myanmar’s socioeconomic development.
The junta chief thanked China for helping construct the National Infectious Disease Prevention and Training Centre in Naypyitaw, which will be completed in early 2024.
And to please Beijing, which is always the co-host of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting, Min Aung Hlaing called for fostering cooperation among member countries in the rule of law to combat transnational crimes, drug production and trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism, cybercrimes, and online gambling.
These crimes hinder regional security and economic development, he told other leaders in the region.
It is widely believed that China has backed the Brotherhood Alliance – an ethnic military alliance consisting of the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army – in its fight against the regime in northern Shan State as a punishment for the regime’s failure to handle online scam syndicates operated by Chinese citizens near Myanmar’s border with China.
Analysts say the ethnic alliance might not have been able to seize control of dozens of towns and hundreds of outposts in less than two months unless Beijing backed it.
One of the objectives of the Brotherhood Alliance in launching Operation 1027 is to fight online scams, one of Beijing’s goals.
The first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in March 2016 was attended by vice-president Sai Mauk Kham of Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government. The second meeting in 2018 was attended by Myint Swe, the acting president of the current regime who then served as vice-president of the now ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government.
The third meeting in 2020 was attended by NLD government President U Win Myint who took over co-chairmanship from Laos. China is always co-chairman of the meeting and member countries take turns as co-chairs every two years. At the meeting, Min Aung Hlaing handed over co-chairmanship to Thailand.
Despite Min Aung Hlaing having co-hosted the meeting, Beijing has turned down his repeated requests to make an official visit to China. Min Aung Hlaing has also been shunned from summits of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations.
Taking the opportunity during Monday’s meeting, the junta boss urged Mekong-Lancang countries to assist each other under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation procedure, calling for expediting the implementation of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation initiatives corridor and drafting the plan to deepen relationships among member countries.
