The Trump administration has begun direct talks with Myanmar's military-installed government, a sharp reversal of Washington's policy of isolating the junta since the 2021 coup, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing US officials and others familiar with the outreach.
Highest-level contact since the coup
US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance led the outreach, a role in Myanmar policy that had not previously been reported. Vance joined talks with coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyitaw on September 15–16 — the highest-level US contact since the coup.
The meeting aimed at securing the release of American businessman Adam Castillo, detained at Yangon airport on June 11. Back-channel talks involved White House, National Security Council and State Department officials.
Scams, rare earths on the agenda
Focus areas for Washington include shutting down scam centers targeting Americans — the FBI has had direct contact with Myanmar authorities on cyber scams, and researchers say many of the fraud compounds run from militia-controlled areas, with some proceeds flowing to the military. Also on the table are Myanmar's heavy rare-earth deposits used in EVs and wind turbines, mostly in territory held by ethnic armies, for which China is currently the main importer.
Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016–2017 mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims that Washington declared a genocide. Less than two weeks after Vance's visit, Myanmar's military conducted an airstrike on a crowded marketplace in Rakhine state, killing over 50 and injuring scores, according to UN human rights officials.
Divided reactions
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the engagement: "You don't solve problems by ignoring them. You solve problems by addressing them." Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the shift "contrary to both our values and our interests," accusing Secretary Rubio of ceding leadership and giving "this murderous regime greater international legitimacy."
For context, the Biden administration froze Myanmar assets and sanctioned officers and military-linked businesses after the coup, and in 2022 Congress authorized non-lethal support for the opposition — most of which was cut during the Trump administration's foreign-aid overhaul.
Sources:
Reuters: US opens direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation
Highest-level contact since the coup
US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance led the outreach, a role in Myanmar policy that had not previously been reported. Vance joined talks with coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyitaw on September 15–16 — the highest-level US contact since the coup.
The meeting aimed at securing the release of American businessman Adam Castillo, detained at Yangon airport on June 11. Back-channel talks involved White House, National Security Council and State Department officials.
Scams, rare earths on the agenda
Focus areas for Washington include shutting down scam centers targeting Americans — the FBI has had direct contact with Myanmar authorities on cyber scams, and researchers say many of the fraud compounds run from militia-controlled areas, with some proceeds flowing to the military. Also on the table are Myanmar's heavy rare-earth deposits used in EVs and wind turbines, mostly in territory held by ethnic armies, for which China is currently the main importer.
Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016–2017 mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims that Washington declared a genocide. Less than two weeks after Vance's visit, Myanmar's military conducted an airstrike on a crowded marketplace in Rakhine state, killing over 50 and injuring scores, according to UN human rights officials.
Divided reactions
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the engagement: "You don't solve problems by ignoring them. You solve problems by addressing them." Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the shift "contrary to both our values and our interests," accusing Secretary Rubio of ceding leadership and giving "this murderous regime greater international legitimacy."
For context, the Biden administration froze Myanmar assets and sanctioned officers and military-linked businesses after the coup, and in 2022 Congress authorized non-lethal support for the opposition — most of which was cut during the Trump administration's foreign-aid overhaul.
Sources:
Reuters: US opens direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation
