The US government has apparently resumed direct contact with the military rulers in Myanmar. According to information from the news magazine Der Spiegel, a senior representative of the US government met Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw in mid-September. The subject of the talks was the release of the US businessman Adam Castillo. It was the highest-level meeting of government representatives of both states since the military coup in Myanmar five years ago.
Departure from the policy of isolation
The direct talks represent a departure from previous US policy. After the 2021 coup, the USA under then President Joe Biden had tried to isolate the generals, imposed sanctions and froze assets. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions for human rights violations. The government in Washington had classified the mass killings and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims as genocide.
The change of course comes at a time of continuing violence. After the visit of Michael Vance to Myanmar – according to Der Spiegel a senior US representative – the military, according to the United Nations, carried out an air strike on a busy market square in Rakhine State. More than 50 people were killed and numerous others injured.
Sharp criticism from Democrats
The new policy has met with sharp criticism from the opposition Democrats. The leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, said the new policy ran counter to “both our values and our interests”. By negotiating with Min Aung Hlaing, he said, the government was giving the “murderous regime” greater international legitimacy.
After the 2021 coup, the USA had imposed sanctions on the junta and frozen assets. Min Aung Hlaing remains on the US sanctions list. The start of direct talks could serve as a signal to other states to also seek contact with the junta. Whether the talks will lead to the release of Adam Castillo is open. The USA has so far not commented officially on the meeting.
