Myanmar seeks talks between junta chief and Yunus during BIMSTEC summit

Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will join a regional leaders' summit in Thailand next week where he is seeking high-level bilateral meetings, three sources with direct knowledge told Reuters, in a rare visit to a Southeast Asian country since seizing power in coup that led to a civil war.

Min Aung Hlaing is the subject of widespread western sanctions and is barred from attending summits of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN due to the Myanmar military's failure to implement an agreed peace plan with the bloc.

He will join the 3-4 April summit in Bangkok of the BIMSTEC grouping of mostly South Asian countries, where the Myanmar delegation is seeking bilateral meetings with leaders and top officials, according to the sources, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to media.

The meetings being sought include ones with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammed Yunus, the sources said.

"They have been reaching out asking for meetings," one of the sources said, referring to Myanmar officials.

An Indian government source said Myanmar officials had made "overtures" to New Delhi seeking a bilateral meeting between the junta chief and Modi, but added that India had not taken a decision so far.

India's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Myanmar's military government could not immediately be reached for comment.

Asked by Reuters if the Myanmar general was attending, Thailand's foreign ministry said all leaders of BIMSTEC member countries have confirmed their attendance.