Myanmar workers in Malaysia call for strike ahead of Min Aung Hlaing visit to Kuala Lumpur

Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing speaks during a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 11, 2026. (Credit: Reuters)

The Myanmar Affairs Alliance, an advocacy coalition representing Myanmar migrant workers across Malaysia, issued an urgent appeal on Monday, calling for a nationwide “Work Stoppage Strike” on Wednesday.

The strike is organized to protest the expected visit of Myanmar regime leader Min Aung Hlaing to Kuala Lumpur for bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Oct. 7.

In a statement issued two days prior to the planned arrival, the alliance warned that official engagement with the regime in Naypyidaw would damage Putrajaya’s international standing without yielding tangible benefits.

“Engaging with Min Aung Hlaing will bring no political or economic benefit to Malaysia, but will only become a source of embarrassment for the country on the international stage,” the coalition declared.

The group urged Malaysian employers to sympathize with workers protesting the leader responsible for the 2021 military coup and the ongoing detention of elected National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

To avoid economic harm or labor disputes, organizers offered an alternative digital protest, inviting supporters to update their social media profile pictures to a “Bloodstained Ghost” graphic.