Japanese International Broadcasting Corporation (JIB), a subsidiary of the world-renowned NHK, along with Cool Japan Fund and Japan’s ICT Fund, have announced their decision to withdraw investments from Dream Vision Co., Ltd, a joint venture with Myanmar’s crony company Shwe Than Lwin. The company had been providing broadcasting equipment and infrastructure support to Myanmar National TV (MNTV). Shwe Than Lwin Media is identified as a major crony corporation with close ties to the military regime and has been implicated in supporting human rights violations.
Shwe Than Lwin Media, a subsidiary of the Shwe Than Lwin Group, was among the companies that financially supported the military’s ‘clearance operations’ against the Rohingya in 2017. Furthermore, Shwe Than Lwin’s owner Kyaw Win maintains close relations with coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and has been permitted to accompany him on international trips. Myanmar International Television (MITV), a joint venture between Shwe Than Lwin Media and military-controlled MRTV, has played a crucial role in the military regime’s propaganda efforts since the 2021 coup.
Civil society organizations have called for transparency regarding the investment withdrawal process. They specifically demand clarification on whether the three Japanese companies’ shares have been transferred to Dream Vision, how the equipment provided to MNTV will be managed, and whether human rights standards are being respected in the withdrawal process. The fact that the majority of Cool Japan Fund and JICT investments come from Japanese government funds has led to increased demands for transparency. Civil society groups emphasize that public funds should not support enterprises that benefit the military regime’s cronies or contribute to their propaganda network.
