32,000 Detainees: Myanmar Junta Uses Arms Deals to Fund War and Terror
A U.N. rapporteur links the military's expanding weapons purchases to a strategy of intimidation and economic corruption that has shrunk the legal economy.
By Ivan Dvorak ·
More than 32,000 people have been detained in Myanmar since the military seized power in 2021, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. At least 15,000 of those individuals remain behind bars. This detention figure underscores the scale of the military-backed government’s grip on the population, a grip that a U.N. investigator says is maintained through intentional attacks on civilians designed to instill fear.
The conflict began when the army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. That move triggered widespread pro-democracy protests, which were met with brutal force. The suppression of these protests led to armed resistance, spreading a civil war across much of the Southeast Asian nation. The military holds a distinct advantage in manpower and arms, yet it has failed to defeat its opponents despite the heavy use of air power from Chinese and Russian planes.
Kelley Currie, the Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, reported on Thursday that the government is buying weapons from China, Russia, and other nations. She stated that these purchases are fueling the conflict and creating a catastrophic human rights situation. Currie noted that the junta relies on a combination of legal mismanagement and illicit revenue to fund its military operations.
The economic landscape has shifted dramatically since the takeover. Currie said the legal economy has shrunk while the illicit economy has grown. She described the military officers as spectacularly bad at running an economy, noting they are deeply corrupt and rely on patronage networks. These networks extract illegal kickbacks from farmers and demand shares in companies operating within the country. The funds are used to buy military equipment and upgrade surveillance capabilities in the roughly half of the country the government still controls.
Currie expressed concern about regional engagement. She said it is worrying that countries in the region and beyond are engaging with the government without asking for concessions, such as a reduction in violence or the release of political prisoners. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which previously rebuked the military for the 2021 seizure, have recently shown receptiveness to warmer relations with the junta.
The U.N. investigator also raised concerns about the International Court of Justice. The U.N.’s highest tribunal is expected to rule on whether Myanmar’s military engaged in genocide or failed to prevent it during the 2017 crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority. Nick Koumjian, head of the U.N. Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, said judges wanted to rule this year, with October having been mentioned as a potential timeframe. The court is expected to provide notice on when it will deliver the judgments.
Currie warned of potential violence following the ICJ decision. She observed that groups responsible for hate speech against non-Buddhist and non-Bamar minorities are becoming more active online and in political spaces under the regime’s control. She characterized this increased activity as a prelude to potential violence. She called on all countries to closely monitor the situation.
The military government continues to use its control over the territory to police the population. Currie noted that the funds generated from graft and corruption allow the junta to maintain its ability to police the areas it holds. The government engages in schemes ranging from currency arbitrage to demanding kickbacks from the top of the supply chain in food and agriculture. These financial flows support the ongoing war effort and the expansion of state surveillance.
The U.N. reports come as the civil war continues to spread. The military’s failure to overcome opponents despite its heavy use of force has prolonged the conflict. The detention of thousands of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remains a central point of contention for international observers. The U.N. mechanisms continue to track the human rights situation and the economic impact of the military’s rule on the country’s people.
