US opens direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation

Washington, Oct 8: The Trump administration has begun direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government, marking a sharp reversal of Washington’s efforts to isolate the country’s generals after the 2021 coup, according to US officials and others familiar with the outreach.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance has played a leading role in the engagement, which initially focused on shutting down scam centers targeting Americans but could expand to broader cooperation, including access to Myanmar’s rare-earth mineral deposits.

Vance met coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on September 15-16. The meeting, the highest-level US contact with Myanmar’s military government since the coup, was partly aimed at securing the release of American businessman Adam Castillo, who had been detained in June.

Malaysia to work towards Myanmar's full reintegration into ASEAN: PM 

The talks reflect a broader shift in the Trump administration’s foreign policy away from democracy promotion and toward transactional engagement. The State Department said it engages with all groups in Myanmar on issues affecting US interests while continuing to call for an end to violence and the release of political prisoners.

The engagement comes despite continued US sanctions on Min Aung Hlaing over human rights abuses, including the mass killings and expulsion of Rohingya Muslims that Washington has described as genocide. 

Less than two weeks after Vance’s visit, Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on a crowded marketplace in Rakhine state that killed more than 50 people, according to UN officials.

US officials have also discussed Myanmar’s heavy rare-earth deposits, which are important for electric vehicles and wind turbines. 

Washington is seeking to diversify supply chains away from China, but much of the mineral-rich territory is controlled by ethnic armed groups fighting the military government.

The Biden administration froze Myanmar’s assets and imposed sanctions after the coup, while Congress authorized support for the opposition. Most of those programs were later cut under Trump’s foreign-aid overhaul.

Meanwhile, Malaysia hosted Myanmar's junta chief-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday, saying it aimed to reintegrate the country with Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, but made clear the visit did not amount to recognition for the military-backed government.

"Malaysia will do whatever is possible to make sure that we ... ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN," Anwar told media after meeting Min Aung Hlaing.�" REUTERS