Myanmar releases detained American businessman... Focus on improving relations with the US

(Hanoi = Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Jin-hyung = With the release of an American businessman detained in Myanmar after three months, attention is being paid to the impact it will have on improving relations with the United States, which the Myanmar regime has been pursuing.

According to Myanmar's Ministry of Information and state-run MRTV broadcast on the 17th (local time), the Myanmar government announced that it had expelled Adam Castillo (40), former director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar (hereinafter referred to as the US Chamber of Commerce), the day before.

Castillo was handed over to local U.S. officials at the capital's Naypyitaw Airport the day before and then moved to Bangkok, Thailand, and is expected to return to the U.S. soon.

“We deported him in accordance with established procedures to maintain friendly relations with the United States,” Myanmar’s Information Ministry said in a statement.

In response to this, 'Global Rich', a non-profit organization that supports American families detained overseas, said in a statement, "We are very happy that Adam has returned safely, and we are grateful to the (Donald) Trump administration for its cooperation and efforts," adding, "Trump administration officials have been quietly working behind the scenes to secure Adam's release."

Castillo's younger sister, Amanda Castillo, also expressed gratitude to Global Rich and President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Castillo, a former U.S. Marine Corps member who ran a security company in Myanmar, was arrested at Yangon Airport on June 11.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued him, saying that while he was president from 2023 to 2025, he unfairly signed a public relations contract worth $300,000 (about 416 million won) with a U.S.-based public relations company without the approval of the board of directors.

In response, Castillo has argued that these charges are groundless.

Castillo, an ardent supporter of President Trump, met with high-ranking members of the Trump administration last year and attracted attention by proposing a plan to ease U.S. sanctions on Myanmar and access Myanmar's rare earth resources.

He also introduced a critical view of Myanmar's military regime in a book published last March and an anecdote about how he helped a famous dissident escape overseas.

Accordingly, there is speculation that Castillo's book may have influenced his arrest.

Meanwhile, the day before, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that he would officially invite Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to his country on the condition that Myanmar accept the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Prime Minister Anwar explained that these measures are aimed at finding a solution to the Rohingya refugee problem, which is causing concern to the Malay people.

He also acknowledged the suffering of the Rohingya people, but said his country cannot permanently accommodate them.

Previously, in July, Prime Minister Anwar announced that he had reached an agreement with Myanmar to repatriate 5,000 Rohingya refugees who had taken refuge in Malaysia.

Afterwards, the two countries announced that about 1,500 Myanmar nationals would voluntarily return to Myanmar in the first round at the end of this month, but it is unclear how many of these will include Rohingya.

In Malaysia, the number of Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who fled oppression by Myanmar government forces, has increased to over 193,800, and there is a growing movement to exclude them due to fake news.

Regarding this, Prime Minister Anwar said in a podcast, "I told him (the Myanmar official) that we can be friends, trade and accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must also accept them (refugees) back."

He also said, "We do not want to have direct relations with Myanmar in line with ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) position (non-recognition of Myanmar)," but asked, "Then who on earth should we negotiate with?"

Malaysia is considered one of the countries in ASEAN that has most strongly criticized the Myanmar military regime.

If this visit goes through, President Min Aung Hlaing, who took off his military uniform and took office as a civilian president last April, will become the fifth person among the 11 ASEAN member states to visit Malaysia, following Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

President Min Aung Hlaing, who took power through a military coup in February 2021, had little exchange with foreign countries while he was the head of the military regime, but since taking office, he has been making efforts to return to the international community by visiting India, China, Laos, Thailand, and Russia in succession.