Fallout from an Interview in Naypyidaw

ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

Fallout from an Interview in Naypyidaw

An unflattering media profile has angered Myanmar’s new “civilian” government.

Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing addresses a joint session of parliament in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, July 31, 2026.

“A mere mention of his name will elicit a . . . crimson jet of betel spit.”

The Office of the President of Myanmar was blindsided by TIME’s profile on Min Aung Hlaing. The newly elected leader granted the news magazine an exclusive interview, his first with a Western media outlet since the February 2021 coup.

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“A mere mention of his name will elicit a . . . crimson jet of betel spit.”

The Office of the President of Myanmar was blindsided by TIME’s profile on Min Aung Hlaing. The newly elected leader........

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