The Japanese government and corporations are bankrolling Myanmar’s junta through railway projects, according to Justice For Myanmar (JFM).
The activist group’s statement on Tuesday said rail improvement projects continue under military rule, based on public sources and leaked documents, including from the whistleblower Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDS) website.
JFM said rail projects implemented by multinational corporations from Japan and the European Union support the junta as it uses trains to move its troops, arms and other supplies.
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), a Spanish corporation, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation are supplying trains to the junta.
The Fujita Corporation, a subsidiary of Daiwa House, the Sumitomo Corporation and Nippon Signal Co Ltd provide track and station upgrades, bridgework, signals and other communication equipment.
According to leaked tax filings from DDS, Fujita received 29.7 billion kyats (US$15 million) from the junta-controlled Myanma Railways for work on the Yangon to Bago link last year.
Around 90 percent of Myanma Railways’ 30,000 staff joined the civil disobedience movement after the 2021 coup and refused to work under military rule.
The Tekken Corporation and Rinkai Nissan Construction are working on the Bago to Nyaunglebin section while Tokyu Construction is involved on the Nyaunglebin to Taungoo link. The Toenec Corporation is working on signaling and communications upgrades, according to JFM.
The group said these corporations have received millions of dollars from Myanma Railways under projects financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loans that predate the 2021 coup.
JICA told JFM that under the bilateral pre-coup agreement, the projects shall not be used for military purposes.
“However, the Japanese government and the corporations involved are unable to prevent misuse by the junta,” JFM said.
It cited a recent incident where the junta used boats donated by Japan specifically for civilian use to move troops in Rakhine State.
Japan complained to the junta in April but no further statement has been made on the issue.
JFM called on the Japanese government and businesses involved in railway improvement projects to suspend work until a federal democracy is established in Myanmar.
“Japan should stand with the people of Myanmar and fulfill its international obligations by imposing sanctions on the junta and its business interests and suspending all official development assistance projects in Myanmar,” the group said.
JFM’s spokeswoman Ma Yadanar Maung said Japan is legitimizing the junta and providing resources that support its campaign of terror against civilians.
“Japan needs to get on the right track for the people of Myanmar, suspend all official development assistance projects and impose sanctions on the junta and its businesses,” she said.
She said Myanma Railway is part of the regime’s cartel and the businesses should cut ties with it, abiding by international human rights obligations.
JFM called on the Spanish government to investigate CAF’s links with the junta and act if EU sanctions have been breached.
