Mark Farmaner interviewed by BBC Burmese
In a programme on how practical it is to get the Rohingya back home from Bangladesh, BBC Burmese interviews Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.
“The Rohingya refugees have no good options at all”, says Mark Farmaner. “The government of Bangladesh should be engaging with the NUG (National Unity Government), and also engaging more with the Rohingya themselves.”
Watch BBC Burmese report (Mark Farmaner interviewed 8.00 – 14.30, dubbed into Burmese)
Chinese energy companies lobby junta to import Russian gas – Frontier Myanmar
A leaked document reveals that three Chinese energy companies appealed to the Burmese junta for help importing liquified natural gas from the Russian government, reports Frontier Myanmar, as the regime’s economic policies wreak havoc on the energy sector.
“The desperate and convoluted steps these companies are taking to try to keep operating is another example of the disastrous economic impact of the attempted coup which began last year,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. He said it’s “appalling” that international investors would “facilitate deals between the military and the Russian regime for the sake of their own business interests”.
These companies are on BCUK’s Dirty List for cooperating with military-owned companies, including a project in Yangon on a port owned by military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited.
Karin Valtersson writes in Labour Hub
Karin Valtersson, Burma Campaign UK’s Campaigns Officer, writes in Labour Hub calling for the new Foreign Secretary to sanction aviation fuel, to increase resources for the sanctions process and to increase humanitarian aid to Burma.
She writes “The new Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly MP, should make it one of his priorities in office to put in place aviation fuel sanctions on Burma. That way, one of his first acts in office would be saving the lives of many innocent civilians, including children. Surely nothing could be more important for a Foreign Secretary than saving lives?”
Military Regime is in a fight for survival – Byline Times
Vicky Bowman, the British Ambassador to Myanmar from 2002-2006, and her husband, artist Htein Lin, were arrested by local authorities on 24 August, reports the Byline Times.
According to Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, since the 2021 coup “the military has been in a fight for its domestic survival” and “will do anything to hold onto power, regardless of the international consequences”.
But Vicky Bowman’s arrest is not typical. “The Centre for Responsible Business doesn’t publish human rights reports, and Vicky disagrees in principle with international sanctions,” Farmaner told Byline Times, “she isn’t an obvious target, which means she’s clearly done something they saw as a threat and they arrested her for it.”
Burma Campaign UK at Vale Earth Fair
Burma Campaign UK’s Karin Valtersson was at Vale Earth Fair in Guernsey this Bank Holiday weekend. A great event and supporting the work of Burma Campaign UK for more than 20 years. Thank you to everyone involved!
Karin Valtersson speaking at Vale Earth Fair
Former British ambassador arrested in Myanmar – New York Times
VIcky Bowman is among several foreigners who have been arrested in Burma, reports the New York Times.
Mark Farmaner, Burma Campaign UK, called Ms. Bowman’s detention “shocking and surprising news … Vicky is no friend of the Burmese military, but she has been careful not to make public comments attacking the military. She has opposed some of the sanctions on the military in the past. It’s unclear why the military is targeting Vicky now. If this is hostage diplomacy, the British government must not allow it to succeed. These arrests are an example of why more pressure is needed, not less.”
Arrest of ex-UK ambassador is ‘hostage diplomacy’ – Washington Post
The Myanmar military’s recent arrest of a former British ambassador is an example of “hostage diplomacy,” activists and opposition politicians say. The detention of the ex-diplomat came as Britain moved to further isolate the Southeast Asian regime, reports the Washington Post.
Military leaders are “in a fight for their survival,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. “They’re not playing the same international diplomatic games they used to play when they were in charge before.”
UK’s former ambassador arrested in Yangon – the Guardian
Myanmar’s military junta has detained Britain’s former ambassador to the country, as well as her husband, a prominent artist, reports the Guardian.
The arrests of Bowman and Htein Lin were likely planned by the military for some time, said Mark Farmaner, the director of Burma Campaign UK. “The military feel themselves to be kind of under threat in a way that they’ve never felt before, and they are lashing out and arresting and killing anyone that they think is a danger to them,” said Farmaner, who has known Bowman for nearly 20 years.
Former UK Burmese ambassador faces five years in jail – the Express
Britain’s former ambassador to Burma could be jailed for five years after she was arrested by the country’s ruthless junta, reports the Express.
Mark Farmaner, the director of Burma Campaign UK, called Ms. Bowman’s detention “shocking and surprising news.”
Hours after Ms Bowman’s arrest, Britain announced that it was imposing new economic sanctions against companies linked to the Burmese military. Britain also announced that it would seek to intervene in a case brought by the Gambia at the International Court of Justice accusing Myanmar of violating the United Nations’ Genocide Convention for atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims in 2017.
Anna Roberts interviewed by Sky News
Former British Ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman and her Burmese artist husband have been arrested for violations of the country’s immigration act, according to a statement from Myanmar’s Ministry of Information. Burma Campaign UK’s Executive Director, Anna Roberts, was interviewed by Sky News about the arrest.
It comes as the UK Government announced new sanctions while hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees mark the fifth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar to Bangladesh. Anna Roberts called on the UK government to increase the pressure on the Burmese military’s illegal regime.
Watch Sky News report (Anna Roberts interviewed 0.55 – 1.20)