Burma Campaign UK dismisses rumours on sanctions

Burma Campaign UK told DVB that the British government hasn’t revealed any sanctions against the Arakan Army (AA) over its alleged mass killings and human rights violations against the Rohingya, as well as other ethnic minorities, in its territory. The rumors about possible sanctions against the AA emerged three months after Burma Campaign UK called on London to take action against the ethnic armed group on Feb. 25.

“There’s no indication that the U.K. government is considering sanctions against the AA,” Anna Roberts, the executive director of Burma Campaign UK, told DVB in an interview on May 18. She added that while the U.K. government could freeze AA assets and ban its members from traveling to the U.K., such measures would be “largely symbolic” like those which have been imposed against the regime in Naypyidaw following the 2021 coup.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the AA of massacring nearly 600 Rohingya and burning down their homes in Buthidaung Township’s Hoyyar Siri (also known as Htan Shauk Khan) village on May 2, 2024. The AA dismissed the HRW report as a “fabrication.” It has seized control of 14 of 17 townships in Arakan State, as well as Paletwa Township in southern Chin State, since it launched its statewide offensive on Nov. 13, 2023.

To learn more about UK sanctions against the military, check out our Myanmar Sanctions Monitor

Yacht firm prosecuted in US for Myanmar teak imports

In a victory for environmental and human rights advocates, whistleblower group Justice For Myanmar (JFM) is applauding the successful prosecution of British luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker International and its American subsidiary for violating sanctions by importing “illegal” teak from Burma.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced earlier this month that Sunseeker International Limited and Sunseeker USA Sales Co. Inc. pleaded guilty under the U.S. Lacey Act of illegally using teak in yachts imported into the U.S. The company has agreed to pay a $200,000 USD fine along with additional penalties, with formal sentencing scheduled for Aug. 20.

This U.S. prosecution highlights the ongoing struggle to choke off international revenue streams funding the regime since the 2021 coup. According to JFM, Burma’s forestry sector is completely monopolized by the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE), a regime-run entity acting as the sole legal exporter of timber. Read more

Police officers rally in support of the Civil Disobedience Movement in Amarapura Township, Mandalay Region, following the 2021 military coup on Feb. 19, 2021. (Credit: CJ)

Former CDM members remain on regime’s ‘blacklist’

Civil servants who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and recently attempted to rejoin the workforce in Naypyidaw report being subjected to intense surveillance, stringent travel restrictions, and arbitrary arrests, despite promises of amnesty from the regime.

Following a Jan. 31 announcement by the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC), former civil servants were offered the chance to return to their positions at ministries in the capital. The regime stated that individuals would have their names removed from a “blacklist” and could resume work provided they had “committed no crime”—though they did not specify what actions would disqualify an applicant.

“I’ve been put under surveillance for over three months since I returned home. I haven’t been permitted to return to my former position,” one former CDM member told DVB on the condition of anonymity. According to sources, returnees are forced to undergo a five- to six-month “probation period” before their names are officially cleared from the blacklist. Read more

News by Region

MANDALAY—Residents living in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bagan, located in Nyaung-U Township, told DVB that there is growing concern over declining tourism due to crime caused by armed groups. Nyaung-U is located 111 miles (178 km) west of the region’s capital Mandalay.

A Bagan resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that they rely on the tourism industry and are concerned that increased reports of crime is keeping tourists away from visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The People’s Defence Force (PDF) blamed “political and regional instability.” Read more

SAGAING—Residents of Shwebo Township told DVB that four people aged 60-90 died during a heatwave that reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit (39C) May 15-19. Residents said one of the four died from exhaustion while fleeing to hide from regime artillery shelling and airstrikes during fighting in the town.

Shwebo residents added that five others were killed by regime air and artillery attacks with over 70 bombs dropped in the township by the Burma Air Force. Shwebo, located 57 miles (91 km) northeast of the region’s capital Monywa, is contested between the PDF and regime forces.

SHAN—Residents of Namhkam Township told DVB that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) reinforced its positions following the regime order to surrender Namhkam, Namtu, Monglon and Mongngawt towns at a meeting on May 12. The towns are located 42-133 miles (67-214 km) north and west of the regional capital Lashio.

A Namhkam resident added that the TNLA increased security in the town on May 15, after its leaders returned from the meeting in China. Many believe the TNLA will hand over the towns as they’ve done following the ceasefire that was signed with the regime on Oct. 29. A DVB request for comment from the TNLA went unanswered.

(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,210 MMK) 

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