The Myanmar military imported at least $1bn worth of weapons, mostly from Russia and China, since its February 2021 coup that unseated a democratically elected government, the United Nations (UN) said in a new report.
The South Asian country has been gripped by a bloody civil war since the junta led by General Min Aung Hlaing wrested power by overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and arresting democratic leaders.
According to the report, $406m in weapons and materials that went to the Myanmar military were from Russia, while $267m were from China, $254m from Singapore, $51m from India and $28m from Thailand.
The military has been increasingly using airstrikes and heavy weapons to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule.
The weapons have been flowing to the junta despite overwhelming evidence of its responsibility for the atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, said Tom Andrews, the UN independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar.
