In a victory for environmental and human rights advocates, whistleblower group Justice For Myanmar (JFM) is applauding the successful prosecution of U.K. luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker International and its U.S. subsidiary for violating sanctions by importing Myanmar teak.
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 to using illegally obtained teak from Myanmar in yachts imported into the United States.
The company has agreed to pay a $200,000 USD fine along with additional penalties, with formal sentencing scheduled for August 20.
The blood timber trade
The prosecution highlights the ongoing struggle to choke off international revenue streams funding the Myanmar military. According to JFM, the country’s forestry sector is completely monopolized by the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE), a state-run entity acting as the sole legal exporter of timber.
Following the military coup on February 1, 2021, the MTE was heavily sanctioned by the U.S., the E.U., and the U.K.
“Despite sanctions and laws in place to prevent the import of illegal timber, trade in Myanmar teak continues,” Justice For Myanmar stated in a press release on May 19.
“These laws have not stopped the flow of teak to the U.S., and therefore have not stopped the flow of funds from the timber trade to the illegal military junta.”
