Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he met the chief of Myanmar’s military junta on Thursday to discuss humanitarian needs following the recent earthquake amid "the importance of returning the country to normalcy."
The meeting, which comes three weeks after Myanmar was struck by a devastating temblor, marked a rare outreach by a leader from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which has largely shunned Myanmar’s junta and its leader Min Aung Hlaing since their violent seizure of power in 2021.
"We held a frank and constructive discussion," including about the deployment of a field hospital, Anwar said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, welcoming the recent amnesty granted to thousands of prisoners by Myanmar’s government. "Such gestures are a meaningful signal."
The talks with Anwar, whose country is chair of Asean this year, don’t signal political recognition of the junta but are a way to get aid to those in need, Tan Hong Pin, a member of Malaysia’s parliament, said in a statement on Thursday, Malaysia's Bernama reported.
"Political considerations must not impede life-saving aid efforts," Tan said.
More than 17 million people in Myanmar were affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country and its neighbours on March 28, according to the United Nations (UN) and the ruling State Administration Council.
The meeting, which comes three weeks after Myanmar was struck by a devastating temblor, marked a rare outreach by a leader from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which has largely shunned Myanmar’s junta and its leader Min Aung Hlaing since their violent seizure of power in 2021.
"We held a frank and constructive discussion," including about the deployment of a field hospital, Anwar said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, welcoming the recent amnesty granted to thousands of prisoners by Myanmar’s government. "Such gestures are a meaningful signal."
The talks with Anwar, whose country is chair of Asean this year, don’t signal political recognition of the junta but are a way to get aid to those in need, Tan Hong Pin, a member of Malaysia’s parliament, said in a statement on Thursday, Malaysia's Bernama reported.
"Political considerations must not impede life-saving aid efforts," Tan said.
More than 17 million people in Myanmar were affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country and its neighbours on March 28, according to the United Nations (UN) and the ruling State Administration Council.
