Justice For Myanmar (JFM) has revealed that Myanmar’s military council, which faces international banking sanctions, is using cash transport planes to make payments for weapons purchases from Belarus. Based on leaked correspondence and agreements between the military council and Belarus, the report highlights how the junta is struggling to make international payments for military equipment and related materials due to banking restrictions.
According to a January 2022 letter, the Belarusian state-owned foreign trade company BSVT requested outstanding payments from Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB). The letter demanded immediate cash payment ‘as per previous payment practice’ directly to the military council’s arms procurement directorate. The request mentioned that the Belarusian government could send an aircraft to Naypyidaw to collect cash payments, indicating this was a previously established practice.
The military council conducts military cooperation with Belarus through two Myanmar arms broker companies: Dynasty Group of Companies and Global Top Link Technologies. Aung Moe Myint, the chairman and CEO of Dynasty Group, serves as Belarus’s Honorary Consul to Myanmar and is BVST’s regional representative in Myanmar. Leaked documents show he plays a crucial role in facilitating ongoing weapons and military equipment sales from Belarus to Myanmar. Since the 2021 coup, Belarus, along with Russia, has consistently supported the Myanmar military regime that deliberately targets civilians, providing Myanmar with a custom-designed air defense system and training for military personnel.
According to UN reports, the military council heavily relies on MFTB bank for foreign weapons purchases, leading Australia, the United States, and Canada to impose sanctions on both MFTB and MICB banks. The leaked documents also reveal the significance of Myanmar arms broker companies Dynasty Group and Global Top Link Technologies in military cooperation between Belarus and the junta. The military council continues to face international condemnation and restrictions while seeking alternative methods to procure weapons and military equipment through these established channels.
