Thailand considers action to stop Myanmar’s efforts to acquire weapons

Thailand’s commercial banks, regulators and anti-money laundering office are considering measures to stop Myanmar acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system, a Thai lawmaker said during a meeting with a U.N. special rapporteur.

Tom Andrews, special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said in a report last month that Thailand had become Myanmar’s main supplier of military equipment through the international banking system. He called on financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons.

Andrews, in Bangkok this week to address a parliamentary committee on security, called for action to cut off efforts to supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

“I urge this committee and the government of Thailand to take a clear and strong position opposing the transfer of weapons and dual use technologies into Myanmar,” Andrews told a committee hearing on Thursday.

In his report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar. As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

But Thailand, with no explicit public policy position opposing weapons transfer to Myanmar, saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double over the same period, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million, he said. He called on Thailand to conduct as thorough an investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

“Singapore has unambiguously taken this position ... that reflects the U.N. General Assembly resolution in July 2021 that called on all U.N. member states to prevent the flow of weapons into Myanmar,” he said.

Rangsiman Rome, head of the lower house security committee, said legislators agreed with the report and would consider action.

“We have no argument against the report. Next, we will have to have measures, an action plan,” Rangsiman said, adding that the relevant organizations would report back to the committee in 30 days.

Looking to Singapore

Andrews said five Thai banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling its armed forces to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved in or aware of the transactions or that Thai banks had knowledge.

“While Thai banks may well have been unaware of the nature of these transactions, they are now and the issue now is what can be done and what will be done,” he said.

Representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were present at the three-hour session at parliament in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced due diligence was properly practiced. 

“We will take a look at what Singapore used for how we can strengthen our criteria, measures and procedures,” a central bank representative said.

The Thai Bankers Association said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

“If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions,” said Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, an association representative.  “We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar or any military government to violate human rights.”

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar's military rulers and opposition forces, but no progress has been made.