Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in India on Saturday for a five-day visit focused on security, trade, and regional cooperation, marking his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency in April.

The trip highlights Myanmar’s efforts to re-engage diplomatically after years of international isolation. Touching down in the eastern Bihar state in the morning, Mr. Hlaing traveled to Bodh Gaya, recognized as one of Buddhism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, to offer prayers at the Mahabodhi temple.

According to India’s foreign ministry, the visiting leader is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 June and is also expected to meet with President Droupadi Murmu. The ministry noted that the visit underscores the “strong spiritual, historical and people-to-people ties” shared by the neighboring nations.

This marks Mr. Hlaing’s first trip to India since 2019, when he visited in his capacity as Myanmar’s military chief. He relinquished his uniform to become president in April, following a general election that critics argue was orchestrated to cement the military’s grip on power. He has controlled the country since orchestrating a 2021 coup that toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

That coup ignited widespread protests that eventually morphed into a full-scale civil war, pitting the military against pro-democracy factions and ethnic armed groups. According to the UN, the ongoing conflict has displaced 3.6 million people. During the recent election that secured Mr. Hlaing’s presidency, voting was canceled in several conflict-hit regions, and Ms. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was banned from participating.

Ms. Suu Kyi, 80, remains detained. In April, the government announced her sentence was reduced as part of a broader amnesty, transferring her from a prison to an undisclosed house arrest location. However, her son, Kim Aris, stated this month that there remains “no credible, independently verified proof” that his mother is alive, urging authorities to “show proof of life”.

Internationally, the 2021 takeover prompted Asean to ban Myanmar’s military leadership from regional summits after the junta failed to implement an agreed-upon peace plan. Richard Horsey, senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, told Reuters that having adopted the civilian title of president, Mr. Hlaing is now “looking to boost diplomatic engagement across the region”.

“He expects more normal ties with Asean,” Mr. Horsey said, “with support from Thailand and some other member states. He is also likely to visit Beijing soon to meet Xi Jinping. India is Myanmar’s other key neighbour.”

Despite Western criticism and sanctions targeting the junta, India has maintained its relationship with Myanmar. The two nations share a 1,643km boundary, collaborating closely on border security and intelligence-sharing to combat insurgent groups operating in the frontier region.

Gautam Mukhopadhaya, a former Indian ambassador to Myanmar, told Reuters that Myanmar has historically sought to balance its relationships between India and China, despite Beijing’s heavy influence. “The bottom line behind this visit from the Indian side is what they can get out of it in terms of raw materials, rare earths and business propositions,” he said.

According to NPR, India is looking to secure access to Myanmar’s rare earth reserves, a regional supply chain largely dominated by China.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s military has intensified its offensives in the Kachin, Chin, and Karen states in a bid to reclaim territory lost to resistance fighters. Several recent clashes have erupted near rare-earth mining operations and crucial trade corridors connecting Myanmar to India, China, and Thailand.

The diplomatic visit has drawn fierce condemnation from human rights advocates. In an email sent to the Associated Press on Friday, Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for the activist organization Justice For Myanmar, stated: “We condemn India’s decision to host Min Aung Hlaing, who is a war criminal waging a campaign of terror against the Myanmar people.”

“India must change course, stop awarding false legitimacy to the junta, stop profiting from the military’s campaign of terror against the people, and instead support the Myanmar people who are struggling and sacrificing daily for federal democracy,” she added.