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Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing inspects Pyin Oo Lwin Railway Station in April 2022. / GLNM
By Hein Htoo Zan 30 Might 2023
The Japanese authorities and companies are bankrolling Myanmar’s junta by means of railway tasks, in line with Justice For Myanmar (JFM).
The activist group’s assertion on Tuesday mentioned rail enchancment tasks proceed underneath navy rule, based mostly on public sources and leaked paperwork, together with from the whistleblower Distributed Denial of Secrets and techniques (DDS) web site.
JFM mentioned rail tasks applied by multinational companies from Japan and the European Union assist the junta because it makes use of trains to maneuver its troops, arms and different provides.
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), a Spanish company, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Company are supplying trains to the junta.
The Fujita Company, a subsidiary of Daiwa Home, the Sumitomo Company and Nippon Sign Co Ltd present monitor and station upgrades, bridgework, indicators and different communication gear.
In line with leaked tax filings from DDS, Fujita acquired 29.7 billion kyats (US$15 million) from the junta-controlled Myanma Railways for work on the Yangon to Bago hyperlink final 12 months.
Round 90 % of Myanma Railways’ 30,000 workers joined the civil disobedience motion after the 2021 coup and refused to work underneath navy rule.
The Tekken Company and Rinkai Nissan Development are engaged on the Bago to Nyaunglebin part whereas Tokyu Development is concerned on the Nyaunglebin to Taungoo hyperlink. The Toenec Company is engaged on signaling and communications upgrades, in line with JFM.
The group mentioned these companies have acquired thousands and thousands of {dollars} from Myanma Railways underneath tasks financed by Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company (JICA) loans that predate the 2021 coup.
JICA informed JFM that underneath the bilateral pre-coup settlement, the tasks shall not be used for navy functions.
“Nevertheless, the Japanese authorities and the firms concerned are unable to forestall misuse by the junta,” JFM mentioned.
It cited a current incident the place the junta used boats donated by Japan particularly for civilian use to maneuver troops in Rakhine State.
Japan complained to the junta in April however no additional assertion has been made on the problem.
JFM referred to as on the Japanese authorities and companies concerned in railway enchancment tasks to droop work till a federal democracy is established in Myanmar.
“Japan ought to stand with the folks of Myanmar and fulfill its worldwide obligations by imposing sanctions on the junta and its enterprise pursuits and suspending all official growth help tasks in Myanmar,” the group mentioned.
JFM’s spokeswoman Ma Yadanar Maung mentioned Japan is legitimizing the junta and offering sources that assist its marketing campaign of terror towards civilians.
“Japan must get heading in the right direction for the folks of Myanmar, droop all official growth help tasks and impose sanctions on the junta and its companies,” she mentioned.
She mentioned Myanma Railway is a part of the regime’s cartel and the companies ought to reduce ties with it, abiding by worldwide human rights obligations.
JFM referred to as on the Spanish authorities to research CAF’s hyperlinks with the junta and act if EU sanctions have been breached.
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