May Wong Profile picture
Senior Indochina Correspondent @ChannelNewsAsia (Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) Formerly based in Myanmar. Now Bangkok and around the region

Sep 4, 2022, 8 tweets

🧵In less than 2 months, #Myanmar & #Russia met at least 3 times via high-level physical visits. #Military chief now making 2nd trip to Russia with his last one only in mid-July. Attending Eastern Economic Forum, he'll likely engage Russian defence again #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

#Russia's Vladivostok Eastern Economic Forum's aimed at attracting investments into Russia. Unclear if Russian President Putin will attend. Since #Moscow attacked #Ukraine 5 months ago, nations like #US & #EU have introduced/expanded sanctions on Russia #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

Economic sanctions & #RussiaUkraineWar have certainly impacted #Russia. Same goes for #Myanmar where prolonged #militarycoup for over a year has caused many foreign firms to pull out/stop investments & brought economy to its knees foreignaffairs.com/russian-federa… #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

#Myanmar too is facing the same fate with new/expanded sanctions on #military after it staged Feb 1, 2021 #coup. As global community shun Myanmar & #Russia, these 2 nations have however grown closer, significantly expanding ties & cooperation.
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

#Myanmar #military chief's latest Sept 4-8 visit to #Russia also comes as army lengthens jail term for #AungSanSuuKyi & sentencing ex-#UK ambassador Vicky Bowman & husband to 1 year jail each. This Russian trip also just a week before opening of 77th session #UN General Assembly.

#Myanmar #military chief may also take opportunity to ask #Russia for help at #UN platform as it's trying to replace civilian-appointed rep @KyawTun62907405 with its army-appointed rep instead. Russia has almost always spoken up for Myanmar army #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

But #Myanmar civilians have launched own public campaign, both online & through latest Sunday Sept 4 protests, to insist #UN Credentials Committee retain civilian-appointed @KyawTun62907405 according the the people's will.
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

Supporting #Myanmar people, @MyanmarAProject highlights how "acceptance of the
@NUGMyanmar’s credentials to the (#UN General Assembly) would also resolve the inconsistencies of #Myanmar’s representation
in all UN bodies" the-world-is-watching.org/wp-content/upl… #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar END🧵

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