On Aug 7, Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing paid his respects at the memorials of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother and Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati at the Grand Palace. He also paid homage to the Emerald Buddha there.
In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, such reverence demonstrates the religious respect, shared dharma heritage and reconciliation that bind Myanmar and Thailand, which have been through both good and bad times during their centuries of relations.
Complementing their shared Buddhist beliefs, border management, and economic and human security efforts provided a crucial diplomatic backdrop for his two-day visit last week. Nonetheless, criticisms have been heaped on Thailand for welcoming such a controversial leader. Civil society groups raised hell and fire against the host. His trip to Laos last month, which largely shunned scrutiny, was the first invitation from a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) since the coup he oversaw in early 2021.
