Justice for Myanmar

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Justice For Myanmar
FormationWebsite launched on April 28, 2020; 3 years ago (2020-04-28)
FocusAnti-corruption; government accountability
Websitewww.justiceformyanmar.org

Justice For Myanmar (abbreviated JFM) is a covert group of activists campaigning for justice and accountability for the people of Myanmar.[1] Justice for Myanmar's public website launched on 28 April 2020.[1] Since its launch, the group has published a number of high-profile exposés related to the business dealings of high-ranking military and government officials in the country, in a campaign to publicly pressure the dismantling of the Burmese military's business practices and systemic corruption.[2]

In August 2020, the Burmese government blocked the group's website, under Section 77 of Myanmar's telecommunications law, which has been used by the government as a censorship tool to stifle dissent and public scrutiny.[3][4][5] On 29 August 2020, Telenor Myanmar issued a statement confirming that it had complied with the government directive, but noted its position on freedom of expression and the right of access to information.[6] On 3 September 2020, the group launched a mirror site to circumvent the censorship.[7] The censorship was condemned by a joint statement by Reporters Without Borders, Sherpa, and Info Birmanie.[7] The censorship of JFM was cited as an example in the escalation of technical censorship in Myanmar's 2020 Freedom on the Net report, published by Freedom House.[8]

Significant exposes[edit]

In May 2020, JFM exposed a lucrative lease agreement between the military and a Japanese-led development consortium that is building the $330 million Y Complex on the former site of Jubilee Hall in Yangon.[9][10]

In September 2020, Justice for Myanmar, in collaboration with Amnesty International, published an expose demonstrating how revenue from the military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, including in joint ventures with international firms like Kirin Brewery, are used to fund military operations, and reward and punish soldiers with shareholder dividends.[11][12] JFM also exposed dividend payments received by key shareholders, including Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief, who received a dividend payment of $250,000 during the 2010-11 fiscal year.[13]

In October 2020, JFM published an investigation into the military's proxy political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party for acquiring and earning revenue from state assets and stoking racism, in potential contravention of Myanmar's Political Parties Registration Law.[14][15]

In December 2020, JFM published leaked documents highlighting controversial arms purchases by the Burmese military that could run afoul of European Union sanctions and arms embargoes.[16] Later that month, it released a major investigation detailing a “web of cronyism and corruption” surrounding the national telecommunications carrier Mytel, a joint venture between the Burmese military Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence (which owns Viettel).[17][18] The report also noted the Burmese military's ability to harvest personal data from Mytel users for surveillance purposes.[19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Justice For Myanmar responds to Myanmar government censorship". Burma Campaign UK. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  2. ^ "About The Campaign". Justice For Myanmar. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  3. ^ "Government blocks access to website of group exposing military's business ties". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  4. ^ "Myanmar faces backlash over media clampdown during pandemic". The Myanmar Times. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  5. ^ "Myanmar blocks website of rights group critical of Tatmadaw". The Myanmar Times. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  6. ^ "Directive to block website and 3 IP addresses". Telenor Myanmar. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  7. ^ a b "Activists launch mirror site to bypass Myanmar censorship". The Myanmar Times. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  8. ^ "Myanmar". Freedom House. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  9. ^ "Japan-backed luxury hotel and office complex will enrich military, says rights group". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  10. ^ "Military to Profit on Lucrative Land Deal". Justice For Myanmar. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  11. ^ "Activists expose shareholders of MEHL, the military's secretive conglomerate". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  12. ^ "Amnesty Report: Businesses supporting Myanmar abuses". AP NEWS. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  13. ^ "Leaked documents reveal global business links to Myanmar military crimes". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  14. ^ "USDP ပါတီကို စုံစမ်းစစ်ဆေးဖို့ Justice For Myanmar အဖွဲ့ တောင်းဆို". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  15. ^ "Union Solidarity and Development Party: The Cartel's Party". Justice For Myanmar. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  16. ^ Strangio, Sebastian. "Report Details Controversial Purchases of Myanmar's Military". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  17. ^ "'Destroy your SIM card' - activists call for boycott of Mytel for 'aiding and abetting' the military". Myanmar NOW. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  18. ^ "Myanmar and Vietnam militaries launch MyTel mobile carrier". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  19. ^ "We are calling for the Myanmar public to boycott Mytel, says Myanmar activist group". KrASIA. 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2021-01-11.

External links[edit]

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