UN report says junta still able to access weapons and money despite sanctions and other measuresA fire burns following an aerial attack by the Myanmar military that killed about 160 people, including 40 children, in Pazigyi village in Sagaing Region of Myanmar in April 2023. The value of weapons and related materials exported from Thailand to Myanmar doubled in the 2023-24 fiscal year to $120 million, according to a new report by a United Nations expert. Myanmar has been plunged into turmoil since the military seized power from an elected government in a 2021 coup, which sparked financial sanctions imposed on the military, banks and other associated businesses by Western countries. Mr Andrews looked at purchases by entities controlled by the Myanmar defence ministry, identifying $630 million in military procurement between 2022 and 2024. Companies registered in Thailand transferred weapons and related materials worth $120 million in the 2023 fiscal year, compared with $60 million the year before, the report said.
