A Thai student protester was arrested on Friday in Bangkok for publicly calling Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing a “murderer” and denouncing the Thai government for its perceived endorsement of him. The student voiced these accusations during the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit, attended by Hlaing, at the Shangri-La Hotel. The protester criticized the Thai prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, specifically for engaging in diplomacy with Hlaing, whom international bodies and domestic opposition in Myanmar largely denounce.
The arrest signifies ongoing tensions over Myanmar’s political turmoil, exacerbated by Hlaing’s controversial grip on power since a military coup in 2021. The regime change has brought significant instability within Myanmar, notably after a recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake resulted in extensive casualties, with nearly three thousand confirmed deaths.
Global human rights organizations, notably Justice for Myanmar, have condemned BIMSTEC’s invitation to Hlaing, asserting that such diplomatic engagements implicitly legitimize his leadership. Similarly, Myanmar’s National Unity Government dissented, asserting in a statement that Hlaing has no legitimacy as a representative of Myanmar.
Hlaing’s regime has faced numerous accusations of crimes against humanity and the ongoing legal proceedings against him include an application for an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over the persecution of the Rohingya minority. The Thai protester, however, has reportedly been released from custody since the incident.
For further details, see the full article on Jurist.