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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 17 January 2023
Report: Myanmar arms industry growing after army takeover

By ELAINE KURTENBACH and when justified initiate
AP Business Writer action against companies
BANGKOK (AP) — Compa- that enable Myanmar’s
nies from at least 13 coun- military to make weapons
tries have helped Myan- used in “indiscriminate at-
mar build up its capacity tacks on civilians.”
to produce weapons that “Foreign companies that
are being used to commit profit from the suffering of
atrocities following a 2021 the Myanmar people must
military takeover, indepen- be held accountable,”
dent international experts said Sidoti, a human rights
have found. lawyer and a member of
The report released Mon- the U.N. Fact Finding Mis-
day by the Special Advi- sion on Myanmar from 2017
sory Council for Myanmar to 2019.
details how the country has A report last year by the
stepped up arms produc- United Nations’ Office of
tion since the army seized the High Commissioner
power on Feb. 1, 2021, ig- for Human Rights outlined
niting a mass public opposi- some of those links, nam-
tion movement. ing companies in Russia,
The army’s takeover from China, Ukraine, Israel, Sin-
elected civilian leaders re- In this photo provided by the Free Burma Rangers, a wounded woman rests in Lay Wah, one of gapore and the Philippines.
versed nearly a decade of the villages in Karen state’s Mutraw district, Myanmar, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. A major factor driving the
progress toward democra- Associated Press buildup in the domestic
cy after 50 years of military higher. sury imposed sanctions Myanmar has no private arms making industry is the
rule. After security forces Companies in the U.S., Eu- against Aung Moe Myint, arms makers, so any such risk that imports of arms,
used lethal force against rope, Asia and the Middle a businessman close to the companies are run by the military aircraft and other
peaceful demonstrators, East are supporting the army who it said facilitates Ministry of Defense and Di- weaponry will be cut off by
opponents of military rule military supply chain, the arms deals on its behalf. His rectorate of Defense Indus- embargoes or sanctions.
took up arms. Some U.N. report says, urging those brother, Hlaing Moe Myint, tries, the report said. The army is now self-reliant
experts have character- businesses to ensure they and the trading company Local factories still can in making small arms and
ized the situation as a civil are not facilitating human they founded, Dynasty In- draw upon licensed tech- light weapons, the report
war. rights abuses. ternational Company Ltd., nology and overseas sup- says.
The Assistance Association The growth of the home- were also targeted. One ply chains, technical sup- Myanmar’s arms-making
for Political Prisoners has grown arms industry comes of its directors, Myo Thitsar, port and other backing, capacity includes a wide
documented more than as some countries have also was designated for sometimes by sending variety of items from assault
2,700 civilian deaths in the enforced arms embargoes sanctions. equipment to Singapore rifles and machine guns to
violence, including 277 or sanctions against indi- In November, the U.S. im- and Taiwan for upgrading mortars, anti-tank and anti-
children, while more than viduals and companies in- posed sanctions on aircraft and maintenance, it said. aircraft weapons, missiles
13,000 people have been volved in trading or manu- suppliers to the military, cit- In a statement, council ex- and missile launchers and
detained. The true num- facturing arms. ing deadly air strikes on ci- pert Chris Sidoti urged that artillery and air defense sys-
ber is believed to be much In October, the U.S. Trea- vilians. governments investigate tems, it said. q

Nigeria presidential hopeful Obi pledges to fight corruption

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ni- of endemic corruption and described his country as “a opponents having high an Islamic extremist insur-
gerian leading presiden- widespread insecurity if he failing state” in need of new name recognition: Tinubu gency linked to the Islamic
tial candidate Peter Obi wins next month’s election. political leadership during is a former governor of La- State group in the north-
pledged Monday to rid Af- Obi, who is one of 18 seek- his speech at the Chatham gos state and Abubakar is east, rebels in the north-
rica’s most populous nation ing Nigeria’s highest office, House international affairs a former vice president. west, and secessionists in
think tank in London. Political analysts have de- the southeast.
“Unless we change the scribed the Feb. 25 vote to On Monday, Obi said he
politics by changing the replace incumbent Presi- would conduct a dialogue
political leadership, we are dent Muhammadu Buhari with secessionists in Nige-
stuck in this terrible state of after eight years in power ria’s southeast. And he
underdevelopment and as a make-or-mar exercise. promised to introduce a
misery,” said Obi, a former Since campaigning began range of security reforms,
governor of southeastern late last year, other top especially in the troubled
Anambra state who is the contenders have made northern region where
candidate of Nigeria’s La- pledges similar to Obi’s: Ti- thousands have been killed
bour Party. nubu has said he is seeking by armed gangs in the last
Recent polls have shown to “renew hope” while Ati- year. Those changes could
Obi leading the crowded ku has said he will “rescue encourage members of
field, ahead of the ruling Nigeria.” Nigeria’s large diaspora
Nigeria’s Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate Peter Obi speaks party’s candidate Bola Ti- But observers warn that the communities abroad to
during a forum “Nigeria’s 2023 election: A vision for policy nubu and the main oppo- exercise is threatened by consider returning home
change and institutional reforms” at Chatham House in London, sition candidate Atiku Abu- the security challenges Ni- and aiding development,
Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. bakar. That’s despite those geria is battling, including he added.q
Associated Press