Myanmar junta leader sworn in as self-appointed president

Myanmar’s junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in as the country’s president at a ceremony held at the parliament building in Naypyitaw on Friday, with representatives from China and several other countries in attendance. Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in a 2021 military coup that ousted the elected civilian government, formally assumed the presidency during the event and took the oath of office alongside members of his cabinet. In his speech to the parliament, he repeated unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 general election, which he has long cited as justification for the military takeover. He also claimed that the current parliament had been formed through what he described as a “clean” vote and claimed that Myanmar had returned to a democratic path. However, he did not outline any plans for ceasefires with armed resistance groups or indicate any intention to release detained civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held since the 2021 coup. Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing arrives to attend a session of parliament in Naypyitaw on April 10, 2026 (AFP). The ceremony marks his latest move to consolidate power under a military-led administration established after the coup. According to a list submitted to parliament, Min Aung Hlaing has appointed a number of officials who played key roles in post-coup crackdowns and alleged human rights abuses to his cabinet. While the process has been widely dismissed by opponents as lacking legitimacy, several regional countries—including China, Russia, Belarus, Cambodia, and Thailand—have sent representatives to the ceremony, a move likely to be interpreted by critics as lending diplomatic weight to the transition. Credit: Parliament Livestream China has also put pressure on ethnic armed groups operating along the China-Myanmar border, pushing some to return captured territory to junta control and limit engagement with the broader resistance movement. Such shifts constrained arms and logistical support routes linked to groups aligned with the National Unity Government, formed by ousted lawmakers after the 2021 coup.

Myanmar junta leader sworn in as self-appointed president

Min Aung Hlaing takes the presidential oath in Naypyitaw, advancing his post-coup power consolidation as regional countries send representatives

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