TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A military junta Myanmar has denied reports that its president Min Aung Hlaing was held by a top general in an internal coup. The news was called “propaganda” spread by “spies” with the aim of disrupting the peace and stability of the country, the junta said in a statement on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
“These false rumors are spread through fake social media accounts and media that undermine the country to prevent law and order,” read the Junta’s military statement, as quoted by Myanmar Now.
The junta’s top general, Min Aung Hlaing, has faced public criticism from supporters of the military in recent weeks when government forces lost territory to ethnic minority armed groups that attempted to overthrow the junta.
The military junta has struggled to combat the rebel groups, three years after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February 2021.
Several pro-junta social media accounts appeared to respond to rumors of Min Aung Hlaing’s detention by suggesting that he had voluntarily resigned due to health problems, rather than being taken gone in a coup, according to the Yangon-based Myanmar Now survey.
These rumors are circulating ahead of the official visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is due to arrive in Myanmar on Wednesday 14 August 2024, to hold talks with Min Aung Hlaing. The visit aims to “deepen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various fields”, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday.
Chinese is a key ally and arms supplier for the Myanmar junta. Recently, amid the junta’s conflict with ethnic minority groups, China has urged all parties to stop hostilities and ensure that Chinese businesses and citizens are not harmed.
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In recent weeks, an alliance of ethnic armed groups has seized land from the junta in northern Shan state, which borders China’s Yunnan province. Among the captured areas is the northeastern military command of Lashio city, Shan state, home to about 150,000 people.
It was the first seizure of regional control by junta opponents since the military coup, prompting public criticism from supporters of the top generals. Min Aung Hlaing later said the alliance had received weapons, including drones and short-range missiles, from “foreign” sources he did not name.
The last major Chinese official to visit the remote junta was former foreign minister Qin Gang, with whom he spoke Min Aung Hlaing mp3 free download in May 2023.
ARAB NEWS | MYANMAR NOW
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2024-08-14 12:30:00
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