Myanmar’s military leader has praised Donald Trump and asked him to lift sanctions, as the junta sought to capitalise on a tariff letter from the US president believed to be Washington’s first public recognition of its rule.
Min Aung Hlaing, who has been in power since a 2021 coup, expressed his “sincere appreciation” for Trump’s letter, which threatened a tariff of 40% on its goods, and commended the US president for his “strong leadership” and for guiding the US “toward national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot”.
US diplomats do not officially engage with Min Aung Hlaing or the ruling junta, which seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. It was among a tranche of almost identical letters sent by Trump to world leaders on Monday.
“This is the first public formal recognition that I’ve seen,” said Richard Horsey, a senior Myanmar adviser for the International Crisis Group, describing it as “a gift to the regime”.
Letters might previously have been sent privately, he added, but it was highly unlikely these would have been from Trump. He said the military regime was seeking to use it as a diplomatic opportunity to get “some sort of renormalisation with the US through the back door”.
In his response to Trump, Min Aung Hlaing drew a parallel between the Myanmar election of November 2020 – won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy – and the US presidential election of the same month, won by Joe Biden, reiterating baseless claims of election fraud in relation to both votes.
The military leader wrote: “Similar to the challenges you encountered during the 2020 election of the United States, we also experienced major electoral fraud and significant irregularities.”
The junta leader thanked the president for “regulating broadcasting agencies and funds”. Trump has cut funding to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which have provided independent coverage of the conflict in Myanmar and relentless human rights atrocities committed by the military.
Min Aung Hlaing faces sanctions from the US for his role in both the deadly crackdown against the Rohingya minority, which is now the subject of a genocide case in the international court of justice, and the 2021 coup, which plunged Myanmar into civil war.
Min Aung Hlaing asked Trump to “reconsider easing and lifting the economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar”, and sought a tariff of 10%-20%, offering rates of 0%-10% on US exports to Myanmar in exchange.
Whether Trump will be persuaded by Min Aung Hlaing’s response remains to be seen. Horsey noted the letter was a “pedestrian effort” compared with those of other countries – including Pakistan and Israel, which have nominated Trump for a Nobel peace prize.
It is understood that the US continues to call for Myanmar’s military regime to cease its violence, release political prisoners, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and begin genuine dialogue with opposition groups. The US says its tariff policy will level the playing field for American farmers and manufacturers.
