Myanmar’s army chief received a royal decoration from Thailand on Friday, despite accusations his security forces have carried out ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state. Global condemnation has rained down on Myanmar since August 25 when a military crackdown on Rohingya insurgents prompted an exodus of nearly 700,000 of the stateless minority to Bangladesh. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has borne the brunt of the outcry and been stripped of a welter of honours from her days fighting for democracy under Myanmar’s junta. But Senior General Min Aung Hlaing controls the army and oversaw the “clearance operations” on Rohingya villages, which the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing. The military man was nominated for the award by Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on August 21, 2017 — days before the crackdown — “for support and service to Thailand’s army”, according to palace mouthpiece the Royal Gazette. Min Aung Hlaing posted a photo to his official Facebook page of him smiling alongside his Thai counterpart as he received the “Knight Grand Cross First Class of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant” in Bangkok. Published in Daily Times, February 17th 2018.