The discovery of bankbooks and the title document of a luxury condominium owned by the adult children of Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing among items confiscated during the arrest of a Myanmar crony arms broker in Bangkok in September spotlights the link between him and the regime chief’s family. At the same time, it reveals that Min Aung Hlaing’s family has used Thailand as a location to squirrel away their assets.

Based on the seizure records, Justice for Myanmar (JFM), a covert activist group tracking the junta’s businesses, said that among the items confiscated from arms broker Tun Min Latt was the title document of a four-bedroom condo worth nearly US$1 million in the Belle Rama 9 complex belonging to Min Aung Hlaing’s son Aung Pyae Sone.

Other items include two Siam Commercial Bank passbooks belonging to Khin Thiri Thet Mon, Min Aung Hlaing’s daughter.

Myanmar national Tun Min Latt, 53, and three of his associates were arrested in dawn raids in Bangkok on Sept. 17 and indicted on Dec. 13 on drug trafficking, money laundering and transnational organized crime charges. Over 200 million baht ($5.4 million) worth of drugs and other items were confiscated from them, the Thai police said.

Dr. Tun Min Latt runs the Star Sapphire Group of companies, which brokered imports of Israeli reconnaissance drones and aircraft parts for the Myanmar Air Force, according to sources.

Star Sapphire Group is partnered with two military-owned business conglomerates — Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd (MEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) — in numerous ventures, sources said.

Min Aung Hlaing grabbed power from the country’s elected National League for Democracy (NLD) in 2021 and his rule has faced nationwide resistance. He has responded by ordering air strikes and the torching of villages while killing more than 2,600 people, mostly anti-regime activists.

Min Aung Hlaing and his two children are sanctioned by the US and Canada. The junta chief has maintained a close personal relationship with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

JFM said that Thai authorities have not seized the assets of Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon, despite evidence linking them to Tun Min Latt’s alleged criminal activities.

The group said that while the junta continues waging its campaign of terror against the people of Myanmar, the families of junta members are hiding their stolen assets offshore, as they benefit from the military’s genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

JFM spokesperson Yadanar Maung urged Thai authorities to “seize the assets of Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon and investigate whether they have benefited from the proceeds of crime, and to block junta members, their families and enablers from accessing Thai banks and purchasing assets in Thailand.”

Source:
courtesy of THE IRRAWADDY

by THE IRRAWADDY

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