MYANMAR: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Myanmar on what was described as a “goodwill visit.” For Myanmar, now more isolated than ever under military rule, the arrival of a foreign leader has become a rare sight. Since the 2021 coup, the country has seen its international ties shrink dramatically.
Lukashenko’s trip comes at a tense moment. Myanmar’s military government is gearing up for an election in just a few weeks — one that many both inside and outside the country say has no chance of being free or fair. To critics, the Belarusian president’s visit looks uncomfortably like an endorsement, lending the junta a sense of legitimacy as it prepares for a vote that much of the world has already condemned.
Belarus has quietly become one of the junta’s closest partners since the takeover, joining China and Russia as key allies. Min Aung Hlaing, the general who leads Myanmar’s military government, has even visited Belarus twice in the past year — a rare diplomatic journey for a leader whose regime has been largely shunned. Both states, observers note, are run by governments widely seen as authoritarian.
Since ousting Aung San Suu Kyi and her elected government in February 2021, Myanmar’s generals have faced a wall of sanctions, rising international isolation, and a fierce grassroots resistance movement. With tensions at home and few friends abroad, diplomatic visits have been almost nonexistent. Before Lukashenko, the only head of government to set foot in Myanmar after the coup was Cambodia’s Hun Sen, who visited in early 2022.
State media in Myanmar described a warm welcome for Lukashenko at Naypyidaw’s military airport, complete with traditional performers and a reception led by Prime Minister Nyo Saw and other senior officials.
During his stay, Lukashenko is expected to meet Min Aung Hlaing to talk about expanding cooperation across various sectors. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed — a sign of how eager both governments are to strengthen their ties. When Min Aung Hlaing visited Minsk in March, Lukashenko publicly promised to support Myanmar’s planned election and said he would send observers.
But for many in Myanmar, the upcoming vote is little more than a performance meant to cement military control. Some opposition groups — including armed resistance forces — have vowed to disrupt the process entirely.
Adding to concerns, the rights group Justice For Myanmar says Belarus has helped bolster the junta’s military capabilities by supplying weapons, equipment, and technical training. The group points to transfers such as an Air Defence Operational Command system, radar technologies, and ground-based missile systems.
With the election looming, Lukashenko’s arrival underscores how few allies the military government has left — and how deeply it is relying on the ones that remain.
