Burmese Junta Funded By Chevron, Total, And PTTEP

Burmese Junta Funded By Chevron, Total, And PTTEP

Terry Evans

6 July 2010

The Burmese junta are using massive gas revenues from Chevron (US), Total (France) and PTTEP (Thailand) to fund it's fledgling nuclear weapons programme, according to a report published this week by the Paris-based human rights watchdog EarthRights International (ERI).

The report relies on recent photographic evidence and other top-secret material smuggled out of Burma by defecting army Major Sai Thein Win, a former deputy commander of a top-secret military facility, based deep inside Burma.

It seems that Burma’s nuclear program is at an early stage, with scientists experimenting with laser isotope separation and gas centrifuge technology for uranium enrichment. Despite the fact that the program is still years away from achieving weapons capability, the growing threat of this rogue state is now coming to the attention of the international community.

ERI stated that billions of dollars of revenue from gas sales to the Burmese junta never enters Burma, instead remaining in off-shore accounts in Singapore, Dubai and possibly elsewhere. These foreign exchange reserves provide the military junta with much needed US dollars allowing them to purchase nuclear technology, along with conventional weapons, including new MiG-29 fighter planes from Russia and large scale offensive weapons from China.

To date Chevron, Total, and PTTEP have refused to disclose details of their payments to the Burmese junta.

ENDS

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