Myanmar's Junta Has Begun Burning Down Villages To Make Way For The Construction Of The Industrial Facilities Promised By Putin

Hundreds of soldiers are conducting an operation to "clear" the areas.

There was a time when Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of the "G7" countries, and Russian companies were opening plants and offices in Europe and the United States. Now Putin is forging friendly ties with the head of Myanmar’s junta Min Aung Hlaing, who was accused of genocide against the Rohingya people while he commanded the country’s armed forces, and who, five years ago, led a military coup as head of the junta. For the Russian enterprises that Putin promised to build in Myanmar during Hlaing’s visit to Moscow, the local military has already begun “clearing the territory.”

Hundreds of soldiers are carrying out an operation to forcibly clear areas designated for a Russian-backed special economic zone (SEZ) in the south of the country. They are burning villages and blocking off adjacent plots of land, according to Reuters resistance fighters and a local activist with firsthand knowledge of the situation.

The SEZ near the city of Dawei is expected to include a deep-water port and a power plant. Hlain discussed the development of the SEZ with Putin in Moscow this week. Russian investors are ready to participate in energy projects, Putin said: “On the agenda is the joint construction of a power plant and an oil refinery in southern Myanmar. Russian companies are also ready to get involved in geological exploration and hydrocarbon production, including offshore.”

The offshore gas field is located approximately 45 km from the proposed port.

According to two Reuters sources, the military launched a military operation near Dawei as early as July. The junta partially lost access to the area during the civil war that erupted after the coup, which resulted in the deaths of about 100,000 people and forced 3.5 million to flee their homes. “The military is advancing in columns and clearing the area. Some villages and homes have been burned down,” Saw Da Ko of the Tanintharyi Region People’s Defense Forces told Reuters.

“They are entering the region and, after receiving reinforcements from the navy, are advancing on villages located in the area where the deep-water seaport project is being implemented,” said Min Lwin Oo of the Committee for Democracy Movement.

Russia and Myanmar are “bound by truly strong ties of friendship,” which creates a solid foundation for the development of economic ties, Putin said during a meeting with Min Aung Hlaing.

The SEZ project could provide Russia with broader access to Southeast Asian markets and a presence in ports in the Indian Ocean region, a person familiar with Moscow’s position explained to Reuters. However, the risks in Myanmar, according to the source, “remain very high.”

Following the talks, the presidents of the two countries signed 12 agreements, including a declaration on joint opposition to sanctions aimed at “mitigating and compensating for the negative consequences of unilateral coercive measures”. The parties agreed to cooperate in space, digital technologies, and culture.

According to Putin, an “agreement was also reached to decide on the construction of a Russian Orthodox church in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.”

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