A coup d’état in Myanmar commenced on the hours of February 1st, 2021, when democratically elected leaders of the country’s ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were toppled by the Myanmar military, which then took over power in a military junta.
The coup triggered enormous protests, and sent Myanmar into absolute anarchy. A lethal crackdown provoked armed rebellion, with ethnic armed groups that had long opposed the military rule. The armed groups have teamed up with the so-called People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) to combat the generals.
The People’s Defense Force is associated with the National Unity Government, established by the Members of Parliament, ousted in the coup.
According to UN experts, the Myanmar military has acquired in excess of $1 billion in ammunitions since capturing power in February 2021, despite “overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes.”
The majority of the weaponry came from Russia, China, and Singaporean corporations, said Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar. The exports involve weapons, dual-use technology and logistics, used to manufacture weapons, exported from the day of the coup on February 1, 2021, to December 2022.
“These weapons, and the materials to manufacture more of them, have continued to flow uninterrupted to the Myanmar military, despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for atrocity crimes. It discovered over 12,500 distinct transactions or documented shipments straight to the Myanmar military or known Myanmar arms dealers working on behalf of the military. The diversity and volume of goods provided to the Myanmar military since the coup is staggering.”
Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights In Myanmar.
Human Right Abuses
The UN and rights agencies have chastised the military of violating human rights in its efforts to crack down on opposition, indicating that certain cases may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The UN Human Right Council report attest that, there have been a near-daily clashes between the rebel groups and the military in Pazigyi village in the central Sagaing district. A Russian-made Yak-130 fighter plane released two 550 pounds bombs in a crowd as 300 locals, including children, gathered to celebrate the grand opening of a new National Unity Government office.
“The ordinance detonated with deadly impact, ripping the bodies of men, women, and children open, turning their skin to ash, and inflicting critical shrapnel wounds,” the report explained. The onslaught proceeded despite the devastation, with two Mi-35 attack helicopters firing on survivors and others attempting to assist the injured.
About 160 people were mutilated in that attack, and only 59 bodies of the 160 killed were identified. “The attack is yet another example of the Myanmar junta’s probable crimes against humanity and war crimes against the people of Myanmar,” the report claimed.
Research concludes that, Russian firms supplied $406 million worth of arms and associated machinery, Chinese entities supplied $254 million, and Singapore-operating firms supplied $254 million. Weapons has also been supplied by India, to the tune $51 million and Thailand account for $28 million. The report highlighted state-owned enterprises in Russia, China, and India as exporters.
“Over $947 million of arms-related trade identified, went directly to entities controlled by the Myanmar military, thus the Directorate of Procurement, Directorate of Defense Industries, or specific branches of the military like the Myanmar Air Force or Tatmadaw Basic Training School,” the report stated. “This means that the military itself was listed as recipient on trade-related documents, eliminating any doubt of who the end recipient would be,” it added.
In a response against the report, Russia and China, have criticized the rapporteurs of exceeding beyond their given mandates, by “vilifying legitimate arms trade.” India, on the contrary said, it traded with state-owned companies, in accordance with an already signed contract with previous government. The government of Singapore has launched investigations into the findings, released by the United Nations.
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