For most world leaders, tariff letters from US President Donald Trump mean a big headache. But one Southeast Asian general is spinning the communique he was sent as welcome recognition of the embattled, isolated and reviled junta he leads.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military that seized power in Myanmar in 2021 after ousting a democratically elected government, said it was he who had the “honor” of receiving Trump’s letter sent on Monday announcing new tariffs, state media Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday.
The letter, which stated the United States would be imposing a new tariff rate of 40 percent on Myanmar’s exports to the US starting August 1, was received with “sincere appreciation,” the newspaper said.
The United States and most Western countries have not recognized the junta as the legitimate government of Myanmar, also known as Burma.
The military’s power grab sparked a catastrophic civil war now in its fifth year, with pro-democracy fighters and ethnic rebel groups battling the military across swaths of the country. The United Nations and other rights groups have accused the military of war crimes as it battles to cling to power.
The US, the United Kingdom and the European Union have all sanctioned the military and sought to limit contact with its representatives on the world stage. Washington and most Western capitals no longer station fully accredited ambassadors in Myanmar, a diplomatic snub the ruling generals have long chafed at.
But this week’s letter was spun as an “encouraging invitation to continue participating in the extraordinary Economy of the United States,” Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying, adding a high-level negotiation team could be sent “as quickly as possible to the US to discuss with the relevant authorities,” if needed.
CNN has reached out to the US embassy in Myanmar for details on how the letter was delivered and for comment on whether it signals a change in Washington’s stance on the junta.
Min Aung Hlaing also asked that Washington consider lifting and easing economic sanctions on Myanmar, “as they hinder the shared interests and prosperity of both countries and their peoples,” he was quoted as saying.
The general – who led Myanmar’s military in 2017, when the United States said it committed genocide against the Rohingya minority – also took the chance to heap praise on Trump.
He hailed his “strong leadership in guiding his country towards national prosperity with the spirit of a true patriot, as well as continued efforts to promote peace on the global stage,” the Global New Light said.
Min Aung Hlaing also thanked Trump for “regulating broadcasting agencies and funds, which have sometimes exacerbated the existing conflicts” – an apparent reference to the Trump administration’s funding cuts to US outlets such as Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.
Both outlets have long been popular across Myanmar for their independent reporting, and have become even more vital following the junta’s crackdown on the free press.
Min Aung Hlaing sought to appeal to a longstanding Trump grievance – his long-debunked claims of massive election fraud in the 2020 election won by former President Joe Biden.
“Similar to the challenges the President encountered during the 2020 election of the United States, Myanmar also experienced major electoral fraud and significant irregularities,” he was quoted as saying.
The election he was referring to in Myanmar was won resoundingly by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, which won a second term at the expense of the military’s proxy party.
International observers at the time concluded the election was largely free and fair but the military soon began making unsubstantiated claims of massive fraud. Weeks later, it launched its coup, ending a 10-year experiment with democracy and plunging Myanmar into turmoil.
Suu Kyi has been in military custody since, and is serving a 27-year jail sentence following a closed-door trial that critics say was a sham and designed to remove the popular leader and longtime foe of the military from political life.
Ross Adkin contributed reporting
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