Modi Meets Myanmar Junta Chief for First Time in Four Years

As the remote administration struggles with last week's terrible earthquake, Myanmar's military government leader met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time in four years. In a rare visit to a neighboring Southeast Asian nation since taking power in 2021, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended a regional economic forum in Bangkok on Friday, where the leaders met on the sidelines.

At a time when Western countries are mostly rejecting the regime, the interaction provides it with much-needed legitimacy. Following the bilateral meeting, India's top diplomat, Vikram Misri, told reporters in Bangkok that his country was prepared to provide more material aid to help with earthquake relief work.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar a few days ago killed or injured hundreds of people. To facilitate recovery efforts, the military administration declared a truce on Wednesday against armed opposition groups. However, reports from the local media indicate that the junta also carried out airstrikes on Thursday.