Myanmar Timber Exports Continue, Despite Western Sanctions: Report
Myanmar’s military junta exported more than $37 million worth of timber to nations with active sanctions on the country’s state-run timber monopoly, according to the environmental advocacy group Forest Trends. In a report released yesterday, the U.S.-based organization examined the impact of sanctions imposed since the military’s seizure of power in February 2021, arguing that much more needs to be done to choke off the junta’s ability to profit from sales of timber and other natural resources.
Since the coup, Western powers including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada, have imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on the junta’s leading members. They have also targeted military-controlled enterprises that allow the regime to collect revenue from sectors such as mining, forestry, and oil and gas – all of which have become more vital for the regime as it has become isolated from the West.
Sebastian Strangio
