bangkok, thailand – Singapore has responded to UN pressure by cracking down on arms sales to Myanmar through its territory, dealing a severe blow to the embattled generals who seized power in a coup more than three years ago.
Thomas Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, told Al Jazeera that a 2023 report found that the Singapore-based organization was the third largest source of arms and supplies to the military and military. He said the Myanmar government “immediately responded” to the book. It was “critically important” for arms procurement.
“My subsequent report to the Human Rights Council found that exports of arms material from Singapore to Myanmar had fallen by 83 per cent,” Mr Andrews said. “This is an important step forward and an example of how the government can make a difference for people at risk in Myanmar.”
Singapore's crackdown is increasing costs at a time when Army Commander Min Aung Hlaing and his troops face an unprecedented battlefield disaster. It has struggled to quell opposition to its rule in the country's heartland and has failed to resist the coalition of ethnic minorities and the majority. Bamar resistance forces have driven the army out of border areas with Thailand, China, and India.
Analysts saw this as a sign of growing desperation among the generals, who imposed sweeping conscription laws to boost their ranks.
Andrews' 2023 report, “The Billion Dollar Trade of Death,” linked more than $1 billion in arms to Myanmar's ruling generals, formally known as the State Administrative Council (SAC). Provided details of the transfer of supplies. The report revealed that 138 Singapore-based companies were involved in the transfer of $254 million in weapons materials to SAC from 2021 to 2022. Unlike the sections on China, Russia and India, company names are not disclosed.
In response, a spokesperson for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Singapore government appreciated Andrews' efforts to “provide information to support Singapore's investigation into whether a crime has been committed under Singapore law.”
It added that the country “takes a principled stand against the Myanmar military's use of lethal force against unarmed civilians and has worked to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar.”
At least 4,882 civilians have been killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which tracks the death toll, and the military has been accused of war crimes in its use of air power and attacks on civilians.
“Singapore is secretly tightening its grip on Myanmar,'' said Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National Military University in Washington, DC. “There is more they can do, but Singapore deserves a lot of credit for quietly putting pressure on the junta last year.
“For decades, Singapore has been Myanmar’s main financial conduit. The current military junta and its cronies have a much more permissive environment, allowing them to route trade through different jurisdictions. We are forced to change. The flow of funds is not stopped, but new costs are imposed.”
power to destroy
In a recent follow-up report to the UN Human Rights Council, Mr Andrews noted there was no evidence that the Singapore government had any knowledge of the deportations taking place.
He also said that following the publication of the 2023 findings, the Singapore government, through diplomatic efforts, would begin investigating the findings, welcome Mr Andrews to the city-state and provide further information to assist the investigation. I also explained that.
After the US imposed sanctions on Myanmar Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank on June 21, 2023, the Monetary Authority of Singapore also authorized UOB and other Singapore banks to stop servicing Myanmar-related accounts. issued.
Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), established by members of Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy party that was overthrown in a coup, said Singapore's intervention had significantly reduced the generals' ability to procure goods. Ta.
“Singapore's actions highlight the power of ASEAN member states to thwart Myanmar's military regime's terrorist acts against its own people by cutting off access to arms, funds and legitimacy,” NUG Minister Sasa said. Ta.
“Every bullet and dollar given to the junta leads to more death, destruction, pain and suffering for the people of Myanmar.”
Mr. Sasa called on the other 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help end Myanmar's “reign of terror,” saying that removing the generals from power would help stabilize not only the region but the world. He emphasized that it will benefit prosperity.
“The devastating crisis caused by Myanmar's military junta is already spilling over borders, affecting ASEAN and neighboring countries. If the junta moves forward with forced conscription, it will only exacerbate the crisis. and will lead to further instability in the region,” the minister told Al Jazeera.
The junta is currently under immense pressure after losing hundreds of military outposts in northern provinces, several major cities along the border with China, and western Rakhine state to anti-coup forces. exposed.
An alliance between Karen ethnic groups and anti-coup fighters also forced the military to withdraw from the strategically important town of Myawaddy on the Thai border.
Since the coup, Russia and China remain the military's main sources of advanced weapons systems, totaling more than $400 million and $260 million, respectively, according to Andrews' 2023 report. On Armed Forces Day last month, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin was once again the guest of honor as many countries chose to boycott the day.
Al Jazeera understands that in a bid to crack down further, Mr Andrews is investigating how SAC accesses the global financial system to repatriate overseas earnings and procure weapons.
Local action needed
The humanitarian crisis caused by the coup – more than 2.5 million people have fled conflict and security situations since February 2021, according to United Nations estimates – is a critical issue for an effective response to the crisis and for Min Aung Hlaing's The country is increasing pressure on Southeast Asian countries for failing to restrain people.
ASEAN, which Myanmar joined in 1997, has been divided into countries such as Singapore, which have tried to take a tougher stance, and countries such as Cambodia, which have sought more involvement.
Thai Prime Minister Sureta Thabisin told Reuters this week that it was a good time to start talks with Myanmar as the SAC was “losing strength”.
The Thai leadership's intervention came after it was revealed that the Thai military had allowed government officials, military personnel and their families who had abandoned Myawaddy to return home via Thailand.
Increasingly challenged and isolated, the SAC began compulsory conscription following reports of battlefield casualties and desertions.
Security analyst Anthony Davis recently wrote that the military has “approximately 70,000 soldiers supported by militarized police and paramilitary forces organized under a unified chain of command. Almost certainly.”
Activist group Justice for Myanmar is calling on Singapore to prosecute Myanmar's military arms brokers to hold them accountable for export control violations and to stop others everywhere from profiting from the trade. I asked him to speed up.
“While we welcome the steps taken by Singapore to disrupt the junta's arms brokers, the government needs to do more to stop the junta's access to funds, arms, equipment and jet fuel. It is unacceptable that Myanmar's notorious cronies are still operating and even residing in Singapore, and in contrast to the sanctions imposed on Russia, Singapore continues to impose no sanctions on the junta and its companies. It is not imposed either. [over Ukraine]'' said the group's spokesperson Yadana Maung.
However, Mr Maung worries that dealers are finding alternative shipping routes despite the strain on the Singapore route.
One such country may be Thailand. Mr Andrews' report pointed out how organizations operating there were already involved in transporting spare parts, raw materials and manufacturing equipment for advanced weapons systems to SAC's weapons factories.
“There are signs that Thailand is becoming an increasingly popular destination for cronies and arms brokers, and without concerted international action against the junta, this situation will undoubtedly continue,” Maung told Al Jazeera. he said.
Al Jazeera has contacted the Singapore embassy in Yangon for comment.
