The association president Anatoly Bulochnikov met junta boss Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on January 30 to reportedly discuss tourism and trade with Myanmar’s largest arms supplier.

When the regime reshuffled its governing body, the State Administration Council, following its six-month extension of emergency rule last week, Min Aung Hlaing’s classmate from the Defense Services Academy, retired Major General Aung Thaw, was appointed as the hotels and tourism minister. He also chairs Myanmar’s branch of the friendship association.

A luxury seafront apartment project in Ngapali, one of the deals signed on Saturday, is expected to get off the ground soon as Aung Myo Min Din, a hotelier with close ties to Min Aung Hlaing’s family, is already running a hotel there. His business, Amazing Hotels and Resorts Group has prospered in Myanmar’s hospitality sector since Min Aung Hlaing became the military chief in 2011.

Among the 12 hotels that Aung Myo Min Din has added to his hotel chain since 2010 is the Amazing Ngapali Resort on controversially acquired land in the popular Rakhine destination.

The land was seized by Myanmar’s military in 2000, supposedly to expand a military base. However, from around 2013 the land was leased for hotel construction to various companies, including Max Myanmar Co., owned by military crony Zaw Zaw.

Aung Myo Min Din bought the hotel, which was still under construction, from Zaw Zaw in 2015, and named it the Amazing Ngapali Resort.

Aung Myo Min Din met Min Aung Hlaing at an Independence Day dinner last month and during the junta chief’s visit to Ngapali on January 20.

Min Aung Hlaing called on Ngapali’s hotel operators to promote the beach among foreigners.

The signing ceremony was attended by Bulochnikov and the directors of the Treasure of Ngapali Development Co Ltd and Shwin Pyaw Pyaw Trading Co Ltd, according to the junta media. Deals were also signed on coffee production.

The Russian delegation reportedly visited Ngapali to discuss the promotion of Russian tourism.

The Russian elite is finding travel and trade increasingly difficult amid sanctions imposed because of last year’s invasion of Ukraine.

THE IRRAWADDY

• THE IRRAWADDY 6 February 2023:
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/russian-business-chiefs-sign-tourist-deals-for-myanmar-beach-resort.html

Myanmar Junta’s Media Lavish Praise on Putin to Mark Anniversary of Ties

Amid international condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar military regime has hailed him as a superman who has rejuvenated and revitalized Russia.

In a servile gesture of flattery toward Moscow for supporting the regime while the rest of the world shuns it for seizing power in a coup in 2021 and cracking down on anti-regime forces, the junta-controlled newspapers have been featuring articles praising Russia to mark the 75^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. An article in the newspapers’ Jan. 30 issues uses almost every affirmative modifier in the book to describe how wise and strong the Russian leader is.

The article praises Putin as a pious man, and the most popular statesman in the world. His appearance and style make him a popular brand not only in Russia but around the world, the article says, buttering him up. “The Russian leader is imbued with a strong mentality and personal power so that he can bravely assume responsibility in risky situations and make prudent decisions,” it gushes.

A screengrab of a story praising Putin published in the regime’s The Mirror Daily on Monday.

The article calls him “far-sighted”, “sagacious”, “pragmatic”, “detail-oriented”, “well-versed in all things”, and more. The fact that he has won 14 Russian civilian awards, eight honors and three religious and peace awards reflects his exceptional ability, argues the article, which describes Putin as a “key player in world peace”.

The article also glorifies Putin for his physical strength, referring to the president’s penchant for publicity stunts showing him engaging in strenuous outdoor activities. “His attributes such as fearlessness and high self-confidence, which are a result of his physical and mental strength, make him an enviable role model for Russian youth,” the author writes. The article also argues that Russia is an enviable world power today despite Putin being criticized as autocratic. His policies and strategies are in fact based on the culture, values, and opinions of the Russian people, it says in his defense.

While groveling before Putin, the article accuses the US and many European countries of trying to spread liberalism disguised as democracy. The Western bloc tends to assess its opponents based on false information, and the Ukrainian people have suffered a lot because of the West’s miscalculation of Russian leaders, argues the article.

The regime has expressed support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has promoted ties in the diplomatic, economic, trade and other sectors with its major arms supplier, following the first meeting between junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and Putin in September.

At the meeting, Min Aung Hlaing praised Putin as a world leader and Putin called Myanmar a reliable long-term friend of Russia.

The two countries have exchanged frequent high-level visits since the coup. Min Aung Hlaing himself has made three visits to Russia during the period. A Russian trade delegation from Fund RC-Investments, an investment platform of the Roscongress Foundation, sent by Putin on a special mission to promote commercial ties with Myanmar, visited Naypyitaw in November. Russian foreign affairs, economic and education delegations have also visited the country.

THE IRRAWADDY

• THE IRRAWADDY 30 January 20233:
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-juntas-media-lavish-praise-on-putin-to-mark-anniversary-of-ties.html