Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed rights experts, work on a voluntary and unpaid basis, are not UN staff, and work independently from any government or organisation.QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -The Philippine National Police through the Directorate for Police Community Relations officially launched the PCR Compendium Policies Monday during the Flag Raising Ceremony held at Camp Crame, Quezon City. “Member States have not adequately targeted key sources of foreign currency that the junta relies on to purchase arms, including most significantly Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise,” Mr. The report also focuses on the main sources of foreign currency that have enabled the Myanmar junta to purchase over $1 billion in arms since the coup. “By expanding and retooling sanctions and eliminating loopholes, governments can disrupt junta-linked weapons dealers,” Mr. The expert said the ad hoc, uncoordinated nature of current sanctions were allowing payments to be made in other currencies and jurisdictions. That’s because sanctions are not being adequately enforced and because arms dealers linked to the junta have been able to create shell companies to avoid them.” “The Myanmar military and its arms dealers have figured out how to game the system. The report examines why international sanctions on arms dealing networks have failed to stop or slow the flow of weapons to the Myanmar military. The report also documents $28 million in arms transfers from Thai-based entities to the Myanmar military since the coup. India-based entities have supplied $51 million worth of arms and related materials to the military since February 2021. “I implore leaders of Singapore to seize the information within this report and enforce its policies to the maximum extent possible,” the Special Rapporteur said. Andrews recalled that the Government of Singapore has stated that its policy is to, “prohibit the transfer of arms to Myanmar” and that it has decided “not to authorise the transfer of dual-use items which have been assessed to have potential military application to Myanmar.” Singaporean banks have been used extensively by arms dealers. The report reveals that $254 million of supplies have been shipped from dozens of entities in Singapore to the Myanmar military from February 2021 to December 2022. “However, arms dealers operating out of Singapore are critical to the continued operation of the Myanmar military’s deadly weapons factories (commonly referred to as KaPaSa).” “Russia and China continue to be the main suppliers of advanced weapons systems to the Myanmar military, accounting for over $400 million and $260 million respectively since the coup, with much of the trade originating from state-owned entities”, Mr. The Billion Dollar Death Trade: The International Arms Networks That Enable Human Rights Violations in Myanmar. The UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert’s paper, The Billion Dollar Death Trade: International Arms Networks that Enable Human Rights Violations in Myanmaris the most detailed study on post-coup arms transfers to the military to date, said OHCHR.Īccompanied by a detailed infographic, it identifies the major networks and companies involved in these transactions, known values of the transfers, and jurisdictions in which the networks operate, namely Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand, and India. Andrews pleaded for governments to enforce existing bans while coordinating sanctions on arms dealers and foreign currency sources. While calling for a complete ban on the sale or transfer of weapons to the Myanmar military, Mr. Member States now need to step up and stop the flow of these arms,” the expert said. “The good news is that we now know who is supplying these arms and the jurisdictions in which they operate. “Those providing these weapons are able to avoid sanctions by using front companies and creating new ones while counting on lax enforcement. “ Despite overwhelming evidence of the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes against the people of Myanmar, the generals continue to have access to advanced weapons systems, spare parts for fighter jets, raw materials and manufacturing equipment for domestic weapons production,” said UN Special Rapporteur, Tom Andrews.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |