ALBAWABA - Following reports of Myanmar's junta detaining the army chief, the military denied on Wednesday that top generals had imprisoned the junta commander in what is suspected to be a "fresh coup".
Junta commander Min Aung Hlaing has been under fire from military supporters in recent weeks as government soldiers lose territory to ethnic minority armed groups and other opponents attempting to overthrow the government's 2021 coup.
On Tuesday, multiple social media posts reported that top generals imprisoned Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw in an attempt to alter the junta's leadership.
The assertions were "propaganda... with the aim of disrupting the country's peace and stability," the junta claimed in a statement, blaming those who spread the word, calling them "traitors".
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar on Wednesday for discussions with Min Aung Hlaing. The visit is "aimed at deepening bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields," an anonymous Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman stated on Tuesday.
In recent weeks, an alliance of ethnic armed groups has taken over territory from the junta in northern Shan state, which borders China's Yunnan province.
The military's northeastern command in the Shan state town of Lashio, which has a population of over 150,000 people, has been seized.
