“The goal of JFM is to eradicate the Myanmar war crime gang completely by disrupting the army’s funding, weapons, equipment, technology, and jet fuel, in cooperation with the people of Myanmar and international partners. This is a must for the establishment of Myanmar’s federal democracy.” Ma Yadana Maung, Spokesperson for Justice for Myanmar

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Photo – JFM

An interview with Ma Yadana Maung, a spokesperson for the Justice for Myanmar (JFM), which monitors and expose individuals and organizations involved in the perpetuation of the military dictatorship.

The Myanmar army has given the backing to certain businesses, individuals and some armed groups in order to prolong the dictatorship and manipulate Myanmar’s political landscape in successive eras. In turn, the Myanmar army is committing mass killings and acts of violence against the Myanmar people.

Justice for Myanmar (JFM) is an organization that mainly focuses on monitoring and exposing the businesses and individuals involved in the military council’s war crimes, including the armed force like the military-backed Border Guard Force (BGF).

Karen Information Centre (KIC) interviewed Ma Yadana Maung, Spokesperson for JFM, about the purpose, challenges, difficulties and future aspirations of JFM which monitors and exposes individuals and organizations that are involved in sustaining the military dictatorship.

Q: Can you tell us about Justice for Myanmar and the purpose of JFM?

A: Based on research studies, visualizations and reports, Justice for Myanmar operates secretly as a group of activists who work together to expose and combat companies and criminals profiting from atrocities, war crimes and widespread suffering. The Myanmar military is a very secretive institution. This secrecy, along with rampant corruption, seeps into military-owned businesses. The military has concealed the deployment of its business arm through a complex network that includes holding companies, private entities, front companies, and crony companies. There is also the concealment of the real owner.

Over time, the military has expanded its network to exert control over sectors of the Myanmar economy and generate substantial profits. In its campaign to dismantle the war crime network, JFM is actively exposing the military’s domestic and international connections to exert pressure on businesses and governments. This effort is crucial to disrupt the flow of financing, military weapons, and dual-use materials to the junta.

Given the military’s history of committing genocide against the Rohingya and ongoing perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity across Myanmar, uncovering the military’s economic ties and arms procurement networks carries significant risks. However, we must proceed with this task.

Q: Can you tell us about the activities JFM has carried out since its formation?

A: Using publicly available information sources and leaked documents, we publish research reports and analyses to expose and dismantle criminal business networks operating in Myanmar and globally. These networks supply weapons and funding to the military. We are also leveraging legal avenues and social networks to spotlight businesses and arms brokers collaborating with the Myanmar military.

We continuously collaborate with partner organizations, including the media, to exert pressure on entities to cut ties with the military. Since the military’s business partners are in different countries, JFM would not have been able to accomplish these tasks, without the consistent efforts of other activists from Myanmar and around the world, numerous journalists and researchers.

These people are the ones who have worked to uncover the key links in the military’s commission of international crimes. Through collective efforts, we have been able to push multinational corporations to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in investments from the businesses partnering with the military. Targeted sanctions have also begun to deter the global war crime network.

JFM has conducted investigative research studies on governments and businesses from Europe, Southeast Asia, the United States, UK, Israel, India Japan, South Korea and Australia, which have been complicit in the Myanmar military’s crimes. Meanwhile, as the military escalates its airstrikes, including in Karen State, JFM continues to gather information about organizations and individuals involved in the supply and sale of jet fuel.

We also collaborated with Amnesty International (AI) in publishing the report titled “Deadly Cargo”. The report revealed that Asia Sun Group/Shoon and the Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE) were involved in the Myanmar military’s war crimes. The collective efforts of Myanmar CSOs like the Blood Money Campaign (BMC) and international organizations such as Burma Campaign UK have amplified Myanmar people’s calls to block the sale of jet fuel to Myanmar by the US, UK, Canada, and EU.

But more needs to be done. Currently, only Canada has imposed a ban on jet fuel sale to Myanmar. Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) remains the largest source of revenue for the regime. To prevent the military from terrorizing the Myanmar people, targeted sanctions against MOGE must be imposed. The UK, Canada and Australia have not yet imposed sanctions on MOGE. When imposing sanctions, it is crucial to coordinate and target the entire network effectively to prevent evasion.

Q: Recently, JFM has successfully exposed the illicit business activities of major organizations like the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF). What were the concerns and challenges in doing so?

A: The Karen BGF/Karen National Army (KNA) is responsible for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in Karen State with impunity. They are also supporting the illegal military group and its terrorist operations. Like the military group, the Karen BGF/KNA is a criminal organization that profits from cyber scams, casino business, online gambling, human trafficking, and forced slavery.

JFM invested time in gathering evidence on the Karen BGF’s business network and its engagement in organized crime. A significant amount of evidence has been uncovered regarding the involvement of the BGF network in criminal activities, yet there remains a substantial amount of hidden evidence. We still need to uncover how they work and who they work with. The more these details are revealed to the public, the harder it becomes for these criminals to continue operating with impunity.

This criminal network poses a threat not only to the people of Myanmar but also to the world. We believe that the Karen BGF/KNA has also undermined the Karen revolution.

The Karen BGF/KNA and their families have become wealthy, but their wealth has caused significant suffering for the local community, workers from Myanmar and around the world who are being forced like slaves and victims of cyber scams from various places.

To establish a federal democracy in Myanmar, it is essential to dismantle the Myanmar military criminal gang and its affiliated militia groups. The perpetrators of international crimes must be held accountable. International governments must impose comprehensive sanctions on the Karen BGF/KNA, including its leaders, businesses, directors, shareholders, and supporters. JFM’s recent report identifies specific individuals and companies involved.

Q: In addition to calls for action against those involved in BGF’s illegal business activities, does JFM have a plan to specifically expose human rights violations it has committed?

A: In JFM’s investigation and research on Karen BGF and the Karen National Army, JFM paid special attention to the group’s leader, San Myint (Saw Chit Thu), his family and Karen BGF/KNA members. Their corporate structure was exposed. Then, we looked at what we could uncover about their local network. Since JFM has not conducted investigative research on human rights violations, it relied on numerous archival studies conducted by the Karen Human Rights Group, which detail the international crimes committed by the Karen BGF. JFM has clearly documented detailed information about the militia’s involvement, including potential partnerships with companies and individuals from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, China, and Hong Kong in illegal businesses.

San Myint (Saw Chit Thu), his family, and a few members of the Karen BGF/KNA have established an extensive criminal business network in collaboration with criminal partners who hold citizenship cards from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Singapore.

This criminal business network has been established with the assistance and protection of the Myanmar military or illegal armed groups, which benefit from transnational crimes. However, the partners and supporters of the Karen BGF/KNA, including Chinese criminal gangs, still need to be identified. JFM used the efforts of KIC and Karen civil society organizations. JFM’s report provides descriptions of their contributions and findings.

For instance, the Karen Peace Support Network documented and studied Shwe Kokko’s “Ra Htike New Town” project while the Karen Information Center (KIC) reported on the BGF’s corruption and brutal business practices.

Q: What is the JFM’s goal through this challenging investigative work?

A: The goal of JFM is to eradicate the Myanmar war crime gang completely by disrupting the army’s funding, weapons, equipment, technology, and jet fuel, in cooperation with the people of Myanmar and international partners. This is a must for the establishment of Myanmar’s federal democracy. During the Spring Revolution, significant progress has been made in exposing these corrupt networks. Indeed, it is a long journey. There is still much work to be done to defeat the military, recover the property they stole from the people of Myanmar and bring justice.

Q: Do you have anything to add or message to the public?

A: The actions of Karen civil society organizations protesting against the military-owned MEC’s cement factory, which harms the social and natural environment, have greatly inspired many other organizations, including JFM, to oppose the war crime syndicate and halt the flow of money that supports violent crimes. After the 2021 coup attempt, the Myanmar people courageously opposed the coup attempt by the Myanmar army and continue to risk their lives and life during the Spring Revolution to abolish the military and create a future free from tyranny. Targeted sanctions have dealt a significant blow to the global network of the war crime gang.

In order to impose further sanctions in unity and protect the life of civilians, the international community is necessary to take steps to permanently cut off the flow of tax revenue, weapons, equipment, technology and jet fuel. Now is the time to listen carefully to the voices of the people of Myanmar who is resisting the military and to show that they are in oneness with the people of Myanmar.

Sent by KIC

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