Once-Shunned Myanmar Military Leader Min Aung Hlaing Gets Kuala Lumpur Red Carpet as ASEAN Quietly Rebuilds Ties With Junta
Myanmar’s military chief and self-declared president, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 7 October 2026 for a two-day visit hosted by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; a significant diplomatic shift for a leader who has faced Western sanctions and an Argentine international arrest warrant for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people since the 2021 coup. Reuters
The visit was framed around a bilateral agreement for the “voluntary, dignified and safe repatriation” of Myanmar nationals residing illegally in Malaysia. Anwar had previously signalled he would invite Min Aung Hlaing if Myanmar accepted the return of thousands of Rohingya refugees. Malaysia has already deported approximately 10,000 Myanmar nationals since January 2026, defying UN warnings that returnees face torture and forced conscription.
Malaysia becomes the fifth ASEAN member to host the coup leader since December 2025, following Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Human rights groups condemned the visit. APHR Chair Mercy Chriesty Barends warned: “Every red carpet rolled out for him tells the people of Myanmar that the region has made its peace with what is being done to them.”
Read our previous article on Asian geopolitics here.
