CNN
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For most world leaders, a tariff letter from US President Donald Trump means a big headache. However, one Southeast Asian general is turning a communicaion sent as a welcome recognition of the welcome, isolated and nullified Junta of the military regime he leads.
General Min Ang Fröning, the military head who seized power in Myanmar in 2021 after ousting a democratically elected government, said he was the one who had the “honor” to send Trump’s letter on Monday announcing a new tariff in the global light of national media reported on Friday.
The letter, stating that the US has been imposing a new 40% tariff rate on Myanmar’s exports to the United States from August 1, was received with a “honest thanks.”
The US and most Western countries do not recognize Junta as a legitimate government in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
The military power sparked a catastrophic civil war in its fifth year, with democratic fighters and ethnic rebels fighting the army across the country’s belt. The United Nations and other rights groups have condemned the military for crimes in order to fight to hold back the regime.
The US, UK and the European Union all sought to approve the military and limit contact with representatives on the world stage. Washington and most western capitals are diplomatic snubs that have long worn out by the dominant generals without stationing Myanmar’s fully-certified ambassadors.
However, this week’s letter was spun as “an encouraged invitation to continue participating in the US’s extraordinary economy.” Min Aung Frening said that if necessary, “it could be sent to the United States as quickly as possible to discuss with relevant authorities.”
CNN contacted the US Embassy in Myanmar to comment on how the letter was delivered and whether it would show a change in Washington’s attitude towards Junta.
Min Aung Hlaing also called for Washington to consider lifting and easing sanctions in Myanmar.
The general who led Myanmar’s army in 2017 had the opportunity to praise Trump when he said the US had committed genocide against a Rohingya minority.
He welcomed “strong leadership that guides the nation towards the prosperity of the nation with the spirit of true patriots and the continued efforts to promote peace on the global stage.”
Min Aung Hlaing also thanked the “regulation of broadcasting agencies and funds that have sometimes exacerbated existing conflicts.”
Both outlets have long been popular in Myanmar with independent reports, and are even more important following the junta crackdown on the free press.
Min Aung Frening tried to appeal to Trump’s longtime complaints. This is his long-lived claim of the massive election fraud in the 2020 election won by former President Joe Biden.
“Like the challenges the president encountered in the 2020 US election, Myanmar also experienced major election fraud and serious irregularities,” he was quoted as saying.
The election he was referring to in Myanmar was overwhelmingly won by Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy Party.
International observers of the time had concluded that elections were mostly free and fair, but the military soon began making unfounded claims of massive fraud. A few weeks later, it began a coup, ending a decade-long experiment with democracy, plunging Myanmar into chaos.
Suu Kyi has since built military custody, with critics serving a 27-year prison sentence following the trial of the closed door, and critics are designed to remove public leaders and long-time enemies from political life.
