Thailand considers action to stop Myanmar acquiring weapons

Thailand’s commercial banks, regulators and the anti-money laundering office are considering measures to stop Myanmar acquiring weapons via Thailand’s banking system, a Thai lawmaker said at a meeting with a U.N. special rapporteur.

Tom Andrews, special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said in a report last month that Thailand had become Myanmar’s main supplier of military equipment through the international banking system, and he called on financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons.

Andrews, in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security this week, called for action to cut off supplies of weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that sets out an end to violence as a first step towards peace.

“I urge this committee and the government of Thailand to take a clear and strong position opposing the transfer of weapons and dual use technologies into Myanmar,” Andrews told a committee hearing.

Andrews, in his report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade”, noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar. As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost US$120 million in FY2022 to just over US$10 million in FY2023.

But Thailand, with no explicit public policy position opposing weapons transfer to Myanmar, saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double over the same period, from just over US$60 million to nearly US$130 million, he said. He called on Thailand to conduct as thorough an investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

“Singapore has unambiguously taken this position ... that reflects the U.N. General Assembly resolution in July 2021 that called on all U.N. member states to prevent the flow of weapons into Myanmar,” he said.

 Rangsiman Rome, head of the lower house security committee, said legislators agreed with the report and would consider action.

“We have no argument against the report. Next, we will have to have measures, an action plan,” Rome said, adding that the relevant organizations would report back to the committee in 30 days.

RELATED STORIES

UN rights envoy urges action to stop Myanmar’s access to weapons, funds

Myanmar rebels rack up more gains as Operation 1027 enters new phase

Junta military preparations point to brutal next phase of Myanmar conflict

Myanmar still getting jet fuel despite call to cut supply: rights group

Looking to Singapore

Andrews said five Thai banks and Thailand-based companies were facilitating the acquisition by Myanmar’s junta of weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling its armed forces to conduct atrocities against the people. 

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved in or aware of the transactions or that Thai banks were aware of the nature of the specific transactions they facilitated.

“While Thai banks may well have been unaware of the nature of these transactions, they are now, and the issue now is what can be done and what will be done,” he said.

Representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were present at the three-hour session at parliament in Bangkok.

The Bank of Thailand said it was working with banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced due diligence was properly practiced.  

“We will take a look at what Singapore used for how we can strengthen our criteria, measures and procedures,” a central bank representative said.

The Thai Bankers Association said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

“If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions,” Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, representative of the Thai Bankers Association, said. 

“We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar or any military government to violate human rights.”

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar's military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

Edited by Mike Firn.