Myanmar’s deadly earthquake brings diplomatic payoff for regime in Naypyidaw

Myanmar’s deadliest natural disaster in years has strengthened the position of ruling general Min Aung Hlaing, by opening diplomatic channels closed for four years after his military ousted an elected government to unleash a brutal civil war.

Just before Friday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake that killed almost 2,900 people, Min Aung Hlaing was readying for a rare foreign visit to a regional summit in Thailand, as aides worked the phones to arrange meetings with other leaders.

Min Aung Hlaing is expected to attend the BIMSTEC grouping’s summit in Bangkok on Friday, Thai officials said on Wednesday. The visit, timed just after an outpouring of sympathy following the quake, is a step towards potentially ending his isolation by most world leaders over a war that displaced 3.5 million people and decimated the economy.