JFM urges France to investigate Thales over alleged EU embargo breach

Mizzima

Justice for Myanmar on 20 May called on French authorities to investigate the defence technology company Thales after a joint report by Disclose and Info Birmanie found that the partially French state-owned firm may have violated EU restrictive measures on Myanmar.

The text of the statement is as follows.

A new report by Disclose and Info Birmanie that used evidence from Justice For Myanmar found that the partially French state-owned multinational corporation Thales supplied the Myanmar military with six Coast Watch 100 radars between 2017 and 2020.

The radars can be used for internal repression and therefore may breach EU restrictive measures on Myanmar, the report finds.

Thales sold the radars for 16 million euros, making a profit of 30-40% in the aftermath of the military’s campaign of genocide against the Rohingya. With their advanced maritime surveillance capabilities, the radars can be used to restrict Rohingya movement in coastal areas, supporting the navy’s interception of boats and the arbitrary arrest of Rohingya civilians.

The Thales deal was brokered by Ky-Tha Trading, owned by the Kyaw Thaung family who operate two conglomerates with deep links to the Myanmar military: KT Group and Ky-Tha Group.

The groups’ businesses have land leases with the Myanmar military and its conglomerates and broker the sale of arms and related materiel for the Myanmar military, making them complicit in the Myanmar military’s atrocities.

Justice For Myanmar continues to call for targeted sanctions against KT Group and Ky-Tha Group and its directors and shareholders, in order to prevent the flow of revenue and arms to the illegal junta.

The US government sanctioned KT Group Chairperson Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung and the company KT Services & Logistics in 2022 but delisted them three years later. Given the newly published report by Disclose and KT Group’s continued business with the murderous junta, sanctions need to be reimposed by the USA and widened. The EU, UK, Canada, USA and Australia need to impose coordinated and targeted sanctions against the whole KT/Ky-Tha network.

French authorities have a heightened responsibility to act as Thales is domiciled in France and because the French state is the biggest shareholder of Thales. We call on French authorities to investigate the company for the suspected breach of EU restrictive measures on Myanmar over the export of Coast Watcher 100 radar and ensure there is full accountability according to the law.