Myanmar’s military leadership has stepped up defense engagement with Thailand following high-level talks between junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and the Royal Thai Air Force commander Sakesan Kantha, a visit that has drawn scrutiny from regional observers and rights groups.

According to a report by The Irrawaddy, discussions focused on expanding cooperation between the two air forces, including joint training initiatives and broader defense collaboration. During the meeting, Min Aung Hlaing portrayed the Myanmar military as the enduring guardian of what he described as the country’s democratic transition, reiterating claims that elections held in December and January were “successful.”

The Thai air force chief was received with a guard of honor at Yangon’s Mingaladon Air Base before traveling to Naypyitaw for separate talks with Myanmar’s air force commander Tun Aung. The junta characterized the trip as a “courtesy visit.”

The visit, however, came at a sensitive moment. Just a day earlier, reports emerged of a deadly airstrike in Ponnagyun Township in Rakhine State, an area under the control of the Arakan Army. Local sources said junta warplanes struck a crowded market, killing at least 18 civilians, including women and children.

The timing of the Thai delegation’s visit has prompted criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that continued military engagement risks legitimizing the junta’s conduct amid an intensifying civil war.

Analysts note that Myanmar’s military has increasingly relied on air power to counter resistance forces across multiple fronts. Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly praised the air force’s role in suppressing armed opposition groups. In that context, efforts to maintain and potentially strengthen defense ties with neighboring Thailand are likely to fuel further debate over regional responses to Myanmar’s protracted conflict.

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