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On July 3, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan provided written replies to parliamentary questions related to a recent report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur, which said that US$254 million (S$340 million) worth of supplies had been shipped to Myanmar's junta via Singapore.

Three questions

Vivian answered questions posed by parliamentarians Vikram Nair of the PAP and Dennis Tan of the Workers' Party.

Vikram Nair asked if the Singapore government had investigated the UN special rapporteur Thomas Andrews' report which said that Singapore-based entities had shipped S$340 million worth of supplies to Myanmar's military, and if there were any updates available or action had been taken.

Tan asked how many Singapore-based companies had been identified by the Special Rapporteur in the sale of dual-use items, raw materials, and spare parts for military related uses in Myanmar, as well as whether action had been taken against such companies, and if so, how many.

Tan also asked how many cases involved Singapore-based banks in the financing of the transactions, including trade financing, and whether action had been taken against such banks.

No general trade embargo

Vivian's reply emphasised that a general trade embargo was not in place against Myanmar, and that the Singapore government did not "want to add to the suffering of Myanmar's civilian population".

Singapore total bilateral trade with Myanmar in 2022 was S$5.8 billion, and the UN Special Rapporteur report was over a two year period. The allegation pertain to supposedly US$254 million (S$343 million) worth of goods over a two-year period.

Vivian said that the Singapore government nonetheless took the Andrews' report "very seriously", requesting he provide "specific and verifiable evidence to aid our efforts".

From this, an initial list of 47 entities were identified, followed by another 91 entities.

Of these, nine entities were no longer registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), and thus could no longer carry on business or operate as legal entities in Singapore.

These included the entities that were allegedly involved in the transfer of components and spare parts for fighter aircraft and Myanmar Navy equipment.

Most of the initial 47 entities no longer had business facilities with Singapore banks, and the banks would review the remaining accounts and take appropriate measures, including enhanced scrutiny to ensure no suspicious transactions, and curtail their ability to continue with any undesirable business.

Myanmar is also on the Financial Action Task Force blacklist, and financial institutes in Singapore have been applying enhanced due diligence measures for Myanmar-linked customers and transactions.

Specific Details

Vivian also said that the government was looking into specific details of the report, including the "arms and related goods" that were allegedly shipping through Singapore-based entities to Myanmar's military.

Vivian noted that Andrews' report had no indications that specific armaments were being transferred to the Myanmar military. "Arms" in the report cited spare parts and equipment "without details of what these constituted".

It also covers "dual use supplies" such as as computers and medical equipment; as well as "manufacturing equipment" like welding machines, and "raw materials" like steel beams and aluminium ingots.

Vivian said that these items did not constitute arms or weaponry "in its ordinary meaning" , and that computers and medical equipment were "non-controlled items".

The government was seeking more details to ascertain how the transactions were connected to weapon manufacture.

No military sales, but no blocking of legitimate trade

He also said:

"Let me make clear that it is not the Singapore government’s policy intention to block legitimate trade with Myanmar.

Doing so would further set back the country’s development and exacerbate the suffering of the civilian population of Myanmar."

He also re-stated that the Singapore government "has not conducted any military sales to the Myanmar military in recent years", including the period between February 2021 and December 2022, which was covered by the report.

Vivian concluded by saying the government:

"Remains committed to implementing our policy to prevent the transfer of arms and dual-use items which have been assessed to have potential military application to Myanmar, where there is serious risk that they may be used to inflict violence against unarmed civilians.

We will not hesitate to take action against any individual or entity which contravenes this."

Special Rapporteur report

Andrews' report, published in May 2023, had indicated that through Singapore-based entities:

"Dual-use items, raw materials, and spare parts for advanced weapons systems have been flowing to the Myanmar military through entities based in Singapore on a regular basis since the coup, enabling its continuing operation of KaPaSa factories and providing critical spare parts to advanced weapons systems. "

KaPaSa refers to a Myanmar military Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI) weapons factory which produced a range of weapons and weapons systems, from small arms to artillery shells, as well as unguided bombs.

But he also indicated that there had been no indication that entities controlled by the government of Singapore "have approved or transferred arms to the Myanmar military. "

Appeal

The situation in Myanmar remains volatile, as fighting continues between the military and various resistance groups ever since a military coup ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.

Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 33 years imprisonment.

According to Reuters, Myanmar's supreme court will hear an appeal by the 78 year-old Suu Kyi this week.

But the military government has thus far failed to comply with any foreign attempt to end the political crisis, ignoring Asean's attempts to mitigate through its Five Point Consensus.

As a result, Myanmar remains frozen out of the bloc's ministerial level meetings.

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Top image via MCI Singapore/YouTube & UN Geneva/Facebook