Myanmar’s new military chief, Gen. Ye Win Oo, met with senior Thai defense officials in Bangkok this week to push for a crackdown on cross-border arms smuggling to anti-regime resistance groups.

During his visit for the ninth Thai-Myanmar High-Level Officials Meeting on August 19, Ye Win Oo held separate talks with Thailand’s defense minister and commander-in-chief. He recently assumed leadership of the armed forces after his predecessor, Min Aung Hlaing, transitioned to the presidency following an election widely condemned by the international community.

The Junta pushed for stronger border stability to crack down on illicit arms smuggling, mirroring a request made earlier this month by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Former student activist leader Min Thway Thit characterized the diplomatic push as part of a broader strategy to cripple resistance groups stationed in southern Myanmar.

"The junta is making every effort to cut off the flow of weapons across the border under the pretext of holding talks with neighboring countries," he said. "Our resistance forces must stay alert, plan alternative routes, and call for stronger international pressure on the regime."

However, the Myanmar military’s demands present a diplomatic challenge for Thailand. The Thai government maintains a complex policy of engaging with various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and resistance groups along the border, making it difficult to fully accommodate the junta’s requests without disrupting its own border security dynamics.

Beyond arms control, Ye Win Oo briefed Thai officials on the recent demolition of buildings in border hubs like Shwe Kokko and Kyaukkhet, areas notorious for housing transnational telecom scam operations.

The two sides also discussed broader bilateral issues, including resuming border trade, expanding military training exchanges, mitigating transboundary haze pollution, and maintaining shared river water quality.