Yet Another Top-Level Trip to Russia; ex-UK Envoy Becomes a ‘Hostage’; and More

By The Irrawaddy 3 September 2022

Soe Win visits Russia amid deepening ties

Because the regime grapples with escalating army tensions in Rakhine State in western Myanmar, lively combating on a number of fronts elsewhere and a deepening financial disaster, deputy junta chief Soe Win visited Moscow from Aug. 26-28 on his second go to to Russia.

Throughout his go to to attend the closing ceremony of the Worldwide Military Video games-2022 held in Moscow, Soe Win additionally met with Russian Deputy Protection Minister Colonel Basic Alexander Fomin. The 2 sides mentioned plans for future cooperation and enhanced army ties, in keeping with junta newspapers.

Little doubt, the acquisition of arms, potential Russian funding in Myanmar—in addition to the Russian gas that Min Aung Hlaing not too long ago mentioned is on its method—had been probably on the agenda. In response to a rising gas disaster and value hikes, the regime in August shaped a committee to import gas from Russia, and Min Aung Hlaing has informed the Myanmar folks to not fear about shortages, assuring them a big cargo will arrive from Russia this month.

US senators have referred to as on Washington to provide you with a response to the rising Myanmar-Russia ties, and to impose financial sanctions towards state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gasoline Enterprise, the army regime’s largest supply of international income.

Soe Win final traveled to Moscow in September final yr to attend the closing ceremony of the Worldwide Military Video games-2021.

Junta powerless to sort out rising gold, falling kyat  

To convey down rising gold costs within the home market, the regime introduced Thursday that it will begin promoting gold cash to the general public the next day. In Yangon on Friday, nevertheless, some 400 folks queued in useless at a gem buying and selling heart solely to be informed that distributors had not but acquired permission from officers in Naypyitaw to promote the cash.

The regime introduced its plan to promote gold cash of 1 tical and 0.5 tical on the official reference fee, which is round 2.2 million kyats per tical, on Thursday night after gold costs hit 3.7 million kyats per tical for 24K gold on Wednesday. Gold costs declined to 2.9 million kyats per tical early Friday on information of the deliberate sale, however had bounced again to three.1 million kyats by the night.

The worth of gold has been rising because the army coup in February final yr. In January 2021 the value was simply barely over 1.3 million kyats.

The tactic of promoting cash was additionally used when gold costs soared below earlier army regimes. The costs declined for some time after a most of two gold cash had been bought to every purchaser, however costs went up once more later. So, it’s apparent that it gained’t work.

On the identical time, the change fee declined barely on Thursday from greater than 4,000 kyats per greenback after the regime mentioned it will inject US$200 million into the international foreign money market. Earlier than the coup, the change fee was barely over 1,300 kyats per greenback.

The regime has already bought over $500 million because the coup, however that has failed to forestall Myanmar’s foreign money from falling steeply to over 4,000 kyats per greenback. Folks have subsequently criticized the junta’s newest transfer as a mere short-term resolution.

Various propaganda channels sought

The junta-controlled Ministry of Info on Friday introduced a plan to create a homegrown substitute for YouTube—a video sharing and livestreaming platform it calls Mtube.

The data minister, former Main Basic Maung Maung Ohn, mentioned his ministry has created Mtube as a result of the regime “is being bullied by these with technological superiority.” In accordance with him, Mtube was invented by Myanmar technicians and can be obtainable quickly.

Just about banned from the web, the junta is outwardly determined for various social media platforms to unfold its propaganda.

Final month, junta spokesman Main Basic Zaw Min Tun revealed the regime’s plan to ban Fb, which is synonymous with the web in Myanmar, and change it with a homegrown social media platform. Fb barred Min Aung Hlaing in 2018; because the coup it has additionally taken down the official web page of the Myanmar army, together with the accounts of senior army leaders in addition to their mouthpiece media.

The regime is amending the Cybersecurity Regulation to incorporate a punishment of three years in jail for utilizing a digital personal community (VPN) to entry the web, specifically Fb.

In Might, the regime launched an app named after state propaganda broadcaster Myanmar Radio and Tv (MRTV), aiming to livestream the regime’s broadcast content material through worldwide satellites and to distribute articles from its state-run media. However the app didn’t survive lengthy, and was faraway from Apple’s App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer the next day. So, will probably be attention-grabbing to see how lengthy Mtube survives.

Ex-UK ambassador, husband develop into pawns in junta’s recreation

The junta sentenced former British ambassador Vicky Bowman and her artist husband Ko Htein Lin to 1 yr in jail on Friday for breaching the Immigration Act in what’s nothing greater than an act of diplomatic hostage-taking in response to the worldwide strain towards it. The previous diplomat was convicted of not dwelling on the handle she had registered with the authorities, whereas her husband was jailed for failing to report that she was staying some other place.

Bowman’s sudden arrest on the immigration cost after having lived in Myanmar for almost 10 years was suspicious. The couple’s arrests additionally got here at a time when diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Britain are at an all-time low following the regime’s expulsion of the pinnacle of the UK Embassy in July after he declined to current his credentials to the regime. Additionally they coincided with Britain’s latest imposition of sanctions towards an organization run by the junta chief’s son. Much more embarrassing for the junta, the sanction was aimed at impacting a case presently earlier than the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice to find out whether or not the Myanmar army dedicated genocide towards the Rohingya ethnic minority.

Previous to the arrests, in feedback in all probability aimed on the UK, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing responded to the UN particular envoy’s request that detained Australian economist Sean Turnell be launched by saying that if the Australian authorities had acted extra positively, Turnell’s case wouldn’t have develop into so critical. The regime was aggravated by Canberra’s substitute of its ambassador to Myanmar with a lower-ranked consultant in a downgrading of diplomatic ties meant to keep away from legitimizing the army regime.

The junta arrested the economist after the coup and charged him with possessing state secrets and techniques. The regime boss mentioned “extreme penalties may very well be imposed” in his case.