Arms dealer linked to Myanmar Junta acquitted in Thai money laundering case
A wealthy Myanmar arms broker with close ties to the leader of Myanmar's brutal military regime was acquitted by a Bangkok court on Tuesday on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. This raises fears that he will be free to resume his activities in support of the junta.
U Tun Min Latt, who was that? placed under sanctions by the United States last year for supplying weapons to the Myanmar regime, had spent 16 months in a Thai prison awaiting trial. The case is the first known example of a close associate of Myanmar's military commander, Sergeant General Min Aung Hlaing, being arrested and tried abroad since the military seized power in a coup three years ago.
Thai authorities had accused Mr Tun Min Latt and three associates of taking part in a scheme to launder drug money by using it to buy electricity in Thailand and sending it across the border into Myanmar. But Thailand's criminal court ruled that the bank transaction summary presented by prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges.
With the verdict, about two dozen family members and supporters of the suspects in the courtroom burst into applause. Some cried tears of joy.
But Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy director in Asia, expressed disappointment.
“It is hard to believe that a Burmese tycoon, whom many call junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, has run away,” he said. “The only people happy with this outcome are the junta generals who are becoming increasingly desperate for resources, and it is clear that Tun Min Latt has proven very helpful in that regard in the past.”
In recent months, an armed resistance made up of pro-democracy forces and ethnic rebel groups has reported gaining ground against the military. It says it has captured hundreds of military outposts and dozens of towns in Myanmar's border areas.
Thursday will mark the third anniversary of the coup led by General Min Aung Hlaing that seized power from Myanmar's quasi-democratic government. Under his command, the junta has carried out a brutal crackdown, killing more than 4,400 civilians and jailing 20,000 political prisoners, including deposed civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The United States has said that Mr Tun Min Latt has supplied drones and aircraft parts to the regime in Myanmar. In 2019, he was photographed with General Min Aung Hlaing as they visited an arms fair in Bangkok together.
Upon his arrest in September 2022, Thai police found two passbooks in the name of the general's daughter and the deed to a luxury apartment in Bangkok in the name of the general's son. The police said yes at the time nearly $9 million seized in assets including luxury cars, watches, handbags and cash.
Mr Tun Min Latt also has close ties to a Thai senator, Upakit Pachariyangkun, who was indicted for the same offenses in December. Mr Upakit remains at large pending an upcoming court hearing.
The two men were partners in the Myanmar Allure Group, a company that owns an energy company and a casino in Myanmar, across the border from Thailand. Mr Upakit transferred his stake in the company to a family member in 2019 after being appointed to the Senate.
Ruangsak Suksaensri, a lawyer in the case who also represents Mr Upakit, said Tuesday's verdict would help him argue that the senator – who remains in office – did not break the law as the charges in both cases are on the same facts based. But he said he did not expect prosecutors to drop charges against Mr. Upakit.
“This case is a big case,” Mr Ruangsak said.