A construction site of a large-scale complex called Y Complex by Japanese firms is seen in the land that once housed the military museum in central Yangon, Myanmar March 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
TOKYO (Reuters) - A consortium of private Japanese firms and a Japanese state entity paid rent on a multi-million dollar hotel and office development that ultimately went to Myanmar’s defence ministry, six company and government officials told Reuters.
It is the first time Japan has acknowledged the project benefits Myanmar’s defence ministry, which is controlled by the military under the country’s constitution. The payments, starting in 2017, are not illegal but are potentially embarrassing for Japan given United Nations investigators have alleged human rights abuses by Myanmar’s military. Reuters could not determine how much rent was actually paid to the defence ministry.
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