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WORLD NEWS Friday 19 May 2023

U.N. expert: Myanmar military imported $1B in weapons

By EDITH M. LEDERER lion from China, $254 million
Associated Press from Singapore, $51 million
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — from India and $28 million
Myanmar’s military has im- from Thailand.
ported at least $1 billion Since the coup, the report
worth of weapons and re- said, 28 Russian private and
lated material from Russia, state-owned companies
China and other countries have transferred fighter jets
since its February 2021 and their spare parts, ad-
coup, some of which it has vanced missile systems, re-
used to carry out atrocities connaissance and attack
against civilians, according drones, attack helicopters
to a U.N. report released and other systems to the
Wednesday. junta.
The weapons continue to The report identified 41
flow to the military despite private and state-owned
overwhelming evidence companies registered in
of its responsibility for the China and Hong Kong that
atrocities, including some supplied the Myanmar mili-
that amount to war crimes tary with an extensive array
and crimes against human- of arms, equipment and
ity, said Tom Andrews, the raw materials between Oc-
U.N. independent investi- Myanmar military officers leave the venue during a parade to commemorate Myanmar’s 78th tober 2021 and December
Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, March 27, 2023.
gator on human rights in Associated Press 2022, including advanced
Myanmar. trainer jets, light attack air-
As an example of what he said. The report documents over ed communications equip- craft, tank upgrades and
called the junta’s brutality, Myanmar is mired in strife 12,500 purchases that were ment, radar complexes repairs for Chinese fighter
Andrews pointed to its April because of a political cri- shipped directly to the and components for naval jets, which make up the
11 airstrike using a Russian sis unleashed when the Myanmar military or known ships. Myanmar Air Force fleet,
Yak-130 fighter jet on a cer- military took power. Its Myanmar arms dealers Andrews, a former Demo- the report said.
emony attended by some takeover prompted wide- working for the military cratic congressman from They also supplied alumi-
300 opponents of army spread peaceful protests from Feb. 1, 2021, when the Maine , said he had re- num, copper, steel, rub-
rule, which was quickly fol- that security forces sup- military ousted the elected ceived “highly credible ber and lubricants for use
lowed by an attack by Rus- pressed with deadly force, government of Aung San and detailed information in Myanmar’s domestic
sian Mi-35 helicopters on triggering armed resistance Suu Kyi, until December from confidential sources” weapons manufacturing, it
those who came to help. throughout the country 2022, Andrews said at a identifying the major net- said.
He said at least 160 people that the army has been news conference. works and companies in- Unlike with Russia and
were killed, including many unable to quell. Andrews He said the volume and volved in the arms trade China, and to a lesser ex-
children. said at least 22,000 political diversity of equipment with Myanmar. tent India, Andrews said
In addition, the machine prisoners have been de- the military received was The report to the Geneva- he received no informa-
guns and bombs used in tained since the coup, at “staggering,” ranging from based Human Rights Coun- tion indicating that the
the attacks included parts least 3.500 civilians have fighter jets and attack he- cil identifies $406 million in governments of Singapore
and materials from compa- been killed and 1.5 million licopters and drones to weapons and material that or Thailand approved or
nies located in Singapore, people have been forcibly advanced missile systems, went to the Myanmar mili- transferred arms to the
China and Thailand, he displaced. tank upgrades, sophisticat- tary from Russia, $267 mil- Myanmar military.q

Russia extends detention of U.S.

consular worker by 3 months

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian was suspected of cooper- Moscow, the department
court on Thursday extend- ating with. said. Shonov is being held
ed by three months the de- The U.S. State Department in Moscow’s notorious Le-
tention of a former employ- says Shonov is a Russian na- fortovo pretrial detention
ee of the U.S. Consulate in tional who worked at the center. Also held in Leforto-
Vladivostok on charges of consulate in Vladivostok vo is Evan Gershkovich, an
cooperating with a foreign for more than 25 years. The American reporter for The In this handout photo taken from video released by Lefortovo
state. consulate closed in 2020 Wall Street Journal. Gersh- District Court, Robert Shonov walks escorted by officers to the
The U.S. State Department because of the COVID-19 kovich has been in custody court room at the Lefortovo District Court in Moscow, Russia,
has condemned the arrest pandemic and never re- since his March 29 arrest by Thursday, May 18, 2023. Associated Press
of Robert Shonov, which opened. Russia’s security service on
was reported this week. He In 2021, Russia ordered the espionage charges that Ukraine, particularly those trial for discrediting the mili-
was detained in Vladivo- dismissal of all local em- he, his employer and the regarded as discrediting tary, a charge that could
stok on the Pacific coast ployees from U.S. diplo- U.S. government have de- the armed forces. bring a prison sentence. But
and brought to Moscow. matic outposts in the coun- nied. Yevgeny Roizman, the for- the prosecutor on Thursday
The specifics of the charges try. From then on, Shonov The arrests occurred amid mer mayor of Yekaterin- called for him to be fined
haven’t been reported, in- worked at a company a sharp rise in pressure on burg and one of Russia’s 260,000 rubles ($3250), sug-
cluding Shonov’s alleged which held a U.S. contract critics within Russia since most visible and charismat- gesting he could avoid pris-
actions or what country he to support the embassy in the start of the conflict in ic opposition figures, is on on time.q