Donald Trump's quest for rare earths reopens US talks with once-isolated Myanmar regime

Detailed summary

A former US Marine, Castillo was reportedly lobbying Washington to lift sanctions against Myanmar in exchange for negotiating American access to the country's vast rare earth…

As US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Asian leaders in the Philippines next week for the 49th ASEAN Summit, his administration is holding secretive talks with Myanmar's military-backed government, the same regime the US has accused of genocide.

Five years ago, Washington imposed sanctions on Myanmar's military leadership and downgraded diplomatic ties following a 2021 coup that ousted an elected government.

This year, however, senior Trump administration officials have travelled to Tokyo and Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, for talks with coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing.

The goals of the diplomacy include countering China's influence in the region and potentially gaining access to Myanmar's "bountiful rare earth resources", according to a US State Department document.

But the outreach has raised concerns among human rights advocates that Washington's pursuit of strategic interests could help rehabilitate a military leadership accused of widespread atrocities.

"It's pretty shocking and almost illogical that the US would engage in secret talks with a sham president elected by a sham election," said Debbie Stothard, chair of the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

"The military junta views engagement at this level as something that's encouraging and positive for them.

"They see this process as legitimising them, and that is very bad news indeed for civilians on the ground and for regional security."

The diplomatic opening followed the detention of an American businessman at Yangon airport on June 11 by Myanmar authorities.

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