The National Unity Government (NUG) spokesperson U Nay Bun Lat has warned that while the NLD civilian government had successfully halted the nuclear weapons ambitions of successive military leaders including Min Aung Hlaing, the current attempts to realize these dreams with Russian assistance following the military coup are now threatening ASEAN and regional countries.
During the civilian government period, Myanmar signed and ratified several nuclear safety conventions in 2016, including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. The country also signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 2017 and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2018. However, the process of ratifying the TPNW and implementing additional protocols with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was suspended due to the military coup in 2021.
Currently, terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing is accelerating efforts to acquire nuclear technology, continuing the nuclear weapons ambitions of previous military leaders from Than Shwe’s era to the present. Within just 15 months, from July 2022 to October 2023, the military regime has signed memorandums of understanding, established a nuclear technology information center, made 14 cooperation agreements, and completed feasibility studies for constructing nuclear reactors. These rapid developments demonstrate the military’s determination to advance its nuclear capabilities despite international concerns.
The NUG has expressed serious concern about the military regime’s accelerated pursuit of nuclear technology, emphasizing that this poses a threat not only to Myanmar and its people but also to the stability and security of all ASEAN member states and their populations. According to the March 2025 agreement between Russia and Myanmar during Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Russia, plans are in place to construct a 110-megawatt small nuclear reactor in Myanmar, with potential expansion to 330 megawatts. The international community is urged to respond decisively to the military regime’s nuclear energy programs, considering the regime’s ongoing use of military weapons against its own people and the potentially catastrophic implications of nuclear capabilities in the hands of an oppressive military dictatorship.
