Myanmar Military Regime Purchases Remote Controlled Air Defense Weapons From India

Illustration of Myanmar's weapons system. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.RU)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's military regime is buying a remote-controlled air defense system from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), according to Justice for Myanmar (JFM), an activist group that monitors military businesses.

The shipments were made through Myanmar-based Mega Hill General Trading Co., JFM said, citing Panjiva, a New York-based global trade data firm, as reported by The Irrawaddy on October 8th.

According to Panjiva, the shipment included weapons mounts and optical devices. BEL has made several deliveries to Myanmar's military for coastal surveillance systems since the February 1 coup.

The listed value for air defense shipments is over US$600,000 (approximately 1.2 billion kyats) and may be purchased as a test run, potentially leading to larger purchases in the future.

"Deliveries are made with full knowledge, the items can assist and support ongoing military atrocities," JFM reported.

In June, India abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ban on arms sales to Myanmar.

BEL's majority shareholder is the government of India, which holds a stake of more than 51 percent. Its largest international shareholders include the Indian subsidiary of Nippon Life Insurance Company with a stake of US$250 million and Goldman Sachs Asset Management with US$235 million, according to the company list.

JFM said BEL had not responded to questions about ongoing arms sales with the Myanmar military regime.

The July shipment of BEL was sent to Mega Hill which has a history of procuring technology and providing services to the military's Procurement Directorate, according to JFM.

To note, according to leaked documents and the company's website, Mega Hill has made procurement or procurement efforts for the Myanmar navy.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news covering the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.