An international rights group has called on governments worldwide to adopt a common position to impose sanctions on all the Myanmar junta’s natural gas revenues to curb its rights abuses.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Myanmar’s military will continue to collect massive revenues from natural gas and other extractive sectors unless new targeted sanctions block foreign currency payments supporting the abusive regime.
The call follows TotalEnergies and Chevron announcing on Jan. 21 that they will exit Myanmar due to the deteriorating human rights situation.
The rights group, however, said natural gas revenue to the junta will continue because other companies will take over their operations following the exit of the two energy giants.
“After nearly a year in power, Myanmar’s junta is continuing to commit horrific abuses without facing significant costs from the international community,” John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at HRW, said in a press statement on Jan. 25.
“Junta leaders are not going to turn away from their brutality and oppression unless governments impose more significant financial pressure on them.”
Energy company departures from Myanmar will be only gestures so long as the junta keeps making money
Natural gas projects in Myanmar generate over US$1 billion in foreign revenue for the junta annually, its single largest source of foreign currency revenue.
The money is transmitted in US dollars to Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and other military-controlled bank accounts in foreign countries in the form of fees, taxes, royalties and dividends from the export of natural gas, most of which travels by pipeline to Thailand and China, according to HRW.
It said that since the coup last February, the US, Canada, the UK and EU member states have imposed targeted economic sanctions on junta leaders and seven conglomerates and companies owned or controlled by the Myanmar military, but not on MOGE or payments it receives.
The rights group said the US and EU in particular are in key positions to impose sanctions since payments in the gas sector — even those handled by non-US and non-EU companies — are typically made in US dollars and involve US and EU banks.
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When TotalEnergies and Chevron depart Myanmar, the flow of funds to the junta will not be disrupted. TotalEnergies reported that it will continue operating the Yadana field and pipeline for six months according to existing agreements which also stipulate that in the event of withdrawal, TotalEnergies’ interests will be shared between current partners, unless they object to such allocation, and that the role of operator will be taken over by one of the partners.
The largest gas revenues paid to junta-controlled accounts are made via Thailand’s state-owned oil and gas company PTT, which buys about 80 percent of Myanmar’s exported natural gas from Yadana as well as the Zawtika gas field, which it operates itself, according to HRW.
“Energy company departures from Myanmar will be only gestures so long as the junta keeps making money,” Sifton said. “The US and EU urgently need to impose measures that will have real economic impact on the junta, if there is to be any progress on human rights.”
Myanmar’s military has cracked down on anti-coup protesters, activists, journalists and political opponents since the coup that toppled the elected civilian government. Its continued reign of terror has claimed more than 1,400 lives and rights groups have said such atrocities amount to crimes against humanity.
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