Almost: Senate president Hun Sen (left), then prime minister, meets with Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of Myanmar's State Administration Council (SAC), in Naypyidaw, Myanmar in January 2022. STPM
Analysts believe the personal ties between Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC), and Senate president Hun Sen present an opportunity to ease the situation in the war-torn Southeast Asian country.
Hlaing and Hun Sen exchanged letters, with the former extending best wishes to the Senate president on his 73rd birthday on August 5.
“Throughout the past six decades of our exceptional friendship and cooperation, Myanmar and Cambodia have consistently nurtured a close bond of friendship, mutual understanding and trust, deeply rooted in our shared culture, religion and traditions.
“I earnestly look forward to further strengthening our friendship and cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” Hlaing wrote.
In response, Hun Sen affirmed the enduring bond between Cambodia and Myanmar founded on their shared heritage, adding that it has indeed grown stronger.
“I share your earnestness to further strengthen our friendship and cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” he replied.
Hun Sen was the first leader to meet with Hlaing in 2022 after Myanmar's military regime overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The two leaders have also met online often to discuss bilateral relations.
The Senate president has spoken of resolving the conflict in Myanmar through his win-win strategy, based on his experience in ending the fighting in Cambodia in the 1990s.
Last week, a Myanmar delegation led by U Ko Ko Hlaing, Min Aung Hlaing’s special envoy, visited Cambodia and met with Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet.
The delegation briefed Cambodian leaders on the situation in Myanmar and said the country is preparing for "free and fair" elections. However, violence between the Myanmar administration and resistance groups continues.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that the correspondence between the two leaders demonstrates a strong relationship not just at the state level, but also at the individual leadership level.
He suggested that based on this good relationship, Cambodia could leverage this opportunity to intervene through a win-win policy, aiming to restore normalcy in Myanmar, similar to the period before the 2021 coup. He said this should lead to inclusive elections with the participation of all parties.
"There should be a solution that reflects the will of the Myanmar people, helping to restore the country to a normal democratic process and rule of law, and giving citizens the opportunity to determine their country's fate," Phea said.
"Cambodia can use the special relationship of its leadership to initiate a solution that can end the crisis in Myanmar. If that is possible, I think Cambodia will play an important role in regional and international affairs and make a positive contribution to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region,” he added.
