Irrawaddy-Feb 3
In January, Myanmar junta Foreign Minister Than Swe made a landmark four-day official visit to Pakistan. The trip marked the first high-level ministerial engagement between Myanmar and Islamabad in over a decade, reflecting a significant shift in Myanmar’s diplomatic strategy under its military government. The timing of the visit coincided with Myanmar’s delegation traveling to The Hague to defend against allegations of genocide related to the Rohingya crisis. Myanmar’s motivation for engaging with Pakistan seems to stem from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case, initiated by Gambia and strongly backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), concerning Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya. Pakistan, as a key OIC member, plays a critical role in shaping the organization’s stance and responses.
This time around, Myanmar’s military regime likely aimed to temper Pakistan’s criticism within the OIC and gauge the organization’s perspective on Myanmar’s recent political developments—specifically, the military-backed elections held in December and January, in which the junta’s proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, claimed a decisive victory. During the visit, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized “regional reconciliation,” signaling an openness to the Myanmar junta’s efforts to establish a government with a nominally “civilian” face. Both Myanmar and Pakistan confront internal insurgencies and are often influenced by powerful neighboring states—India and China—leading to a pragmatic “middle-power” approach in their foreign relations. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-turns-to-pakistan-amid-rohingya-genocide-case.html
