US Assistant Secretary of State Michael Vance met Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in September in the highest-level US contact with the military government since the 2021 coup
Washington is seeking Myanmar’s cooperation against scam centres targeting Americans while also exploring access to its heavy rare earth deposits
The outreach marks a shift from the Biden-era policy of sanctions and isolation, even as Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions over human rights abuses
The United States has opened direct talks with Myanmar’s military-installed government, with senior US official Michael Vance meeting coup leader and President Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw last month, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The meeting took place on September 15 and 16 and was the highest-level contact between the two countries since Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021. The talks were initially aimed at securing the release of American businessman Adam Castillo but also created an opening for wider US engagement with Myanmar, Reuters said.
Importantly, the official involved was Michael Vance, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, not US Vice President JD Vance. Michael Vance was confirmed to the post in August and has played a leading role in the administration’s Myanmar policy, according to Reuters.
Why Now?
The outreach marks a significant shift from Washington’s earlier policy towards Myanmar’s military rulers. After the 2021 coup, the Biden administration froze Myanmar-related assets and imposed sanctions on senior military officials and businesses linked to the armed forces.
The US Congress also authorised non-lethal support for groups opposing military rule in 2022, including funding for airstrike early-warning systems and incentives for military officers to defect. Reuters reported that most of those programmes were cut during the Trump administration’s foreign-aid overhaul last year.
The State Department defended its new approach, saying it engages with all groups in Myanmar on issues affecting US interests while continuing to call for an end to violence and the release of political prisoners.
“You don't solve problems by ignoring them. You solve problems by addressing them,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, according to Reuters.
Scam Centres
A key immediate US objective is securing Myanmar’s cooperation in shutting down scam centres operating inside the country. Reuters reported that these operations have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars, with researchers saying many are located in areas controlled by armed militias.
The FBI has also established direct contact with Myanmar authorities over the cyber scams, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.
The administration is also interested in Myanmar’s deposits of heavy rare earth minerals, which are used in products including electric vehicles and wind turbines. US officials have discussed access to those resources, although Reuters noted that many deposits are located in territory controlled by ethnic armed groups fighting the military government.
Myanmar Seeks Engagement
Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions over human rights abuses, including the 2016-17 military operations against the Rohingya, which Washington has described as genocide. Reuters reported that Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on a crowded marketplace in Rakhine state less than two weeks after the September meeting, killing more than 50 people, according to UN human rights officials.
The military-installed government is also seeking greater international legitimacy. Reuters reported that Myanmar has hired lobbyists in Washington, while the State Department maintains that engagement with the military government does not replace its relationships with democratic opposition groups and ethnic armed organisations.
Myanmar’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Min Aung Hlaing would make an official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The visit will include bilateral talks and a Myanmar-Malaysia business dialogue, according to the ministry.
The US outreach represents a broader move towards transactional engagement with Myanmar’s generals, even as Washington continues to maintain sanctions against its military leadership and publicly calls for an end to violence.
