Total Energies (France) and Chevron (US) just announced they will withdraw from Myanmar. The oil giants have been active in Myanmar since the 90s, and are part of a joint venture that operates in the Yadana fields in the Andaman sea, together with Thai PTTEP and the military-controlled Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). MOGE is one of the largest sources of revenue for the military regime, and activists have been calling for foreign companies to stop funding it for decades. Both Total and Chevron cite the current situation in Myanmar as the main reason for leaving, although many believe this may be an anticipatory move ahead of a new round of sanctions by the EU (Feb 1st?), that might include MOGE. Experts also point at the fact that the Yadana fields are believed to be near the end of their operational life, prompting Total to pull out from the country.
It’s still early to claim victory though. It’s not clear what will happen next. PTTEP and MOGE could take Total and Chevron shares, increasing the military regime’s revenue. Total and Chevron simply cleared the way for their respective governments to go ahead and sanction the military regime. The pressure is now on the EU and the US to effectively sanction MOGE, blocking all payments in USD (to prevent other companies to fund the junta) and pressuring other companies (including POSCO and Petronas), to follow them.
The military regime is believed to earn $1.4bn USD per year from MOGE,
POLITICS, ECONOMY AND OTHER NEWS
• Activist Ko Jimmy and NLD MP U Phyo Zeya Thawn have been sentenced to death by the military regime
• Myanmar Now interviews Monywa’s anti-coup leader Than Kyaw Oo. “The armed resistance cannot achieve its goals without the support of the people”. https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/we-cant-win-this-fight-with-armed-resistance-alone
• Reuters reports that the military regime would approve Telenor’s sale to a joint venture between Lebanese M1 and Burmese Shwe Byain Phyu, owned by Thein Win Zaw who also owns stakes in Mytel. The military regime reportedly blocked Telenor’s first sale to M1 for 105m USD, because it preferred a local company to be involved in the new ownership. Telenor announced its intention to leave Myanmar, after being ordered by the military regime to install intercept spyware. The Norwegian company also sold its shares of Wave Money (a digital payment app) to Yoma (Singapore).
CHIN STATE
• 5.4 earthquake in Northern Chin State.
• RFA reports that around 3,000 people have been displaced by recent fightings and 400 fled to Mizoram (India)
SAGAING
• Ye-U: 7 regime soldiers killed by Resistance fighters near the Chan Thar Ywa Railway.
• Pekone, Indaw: Resistance fighters attacked two military vehicles killing 2 regime soldiers
• Katha: locals report 3 airstrikes by the military regime. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the area
• Shwebo: regime troops raided Htoo Gyi village, destroying civilian properties. 10 farmers have been reportedly abducted and used as human shields.
• Mitha: regime soldiers burned civilian houses
• Pinlebu: Resistance figthters attacked regime troops, killing several soldiers and capturing 6 of them alive.
SHAN STATE
• The Shan Herald reports that “The Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) abducted nearly 20 people from a village in Monghsu Township after they failed to join the armed group in southern Shan State.”
KARENNI (KAYAH) STATE
• Loikaw: regime soldiers burned several civilian houses in Manlung block. 11 dead bodies of civilians have been recovered in the past week.
MAGWAY
• Myaing: regime soldiers destroyed fuel storage tanks
YANGON
• Thingangyun: regime soldiers shot at 2 youths in front of the Asia Smile hotel
THANINTARYI
• Dawei: around 1,000 civilians displaced by clashes between Resistance fighters and regime troops
COVID DAILY (as reported by the military-controlled Ministry of Health. Real figures are believed to be higher than officially reported)
• 83 new cases and 1 new deaths
AAPP Burma daily update (arrests and killings connected to the attempted military coup only, does not include events related to armed conflict). Since February 1st:
• 1,488 killed (+0)
• 11,665 total arrests (+14)
• 1,966 evading warrant (+0)
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