Energy companies got rid of their stakes in a Myanmar gas field accused of funding war crimes. So why did a Canadian-owned firm buy in?

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StarInvestigation: When Chevron announced in January 2022 its plan to exit a large natural gas project in Myanmar, the petrochemical giant cited the ongoing violence and human rights abuses in the country. So why did a Canadian-owned firm buy in?

to curtail the transaction of arms, military equipment and aviation fuel to the country. The sanctions also prohibit Canadians from providing any financial services or activity involving property owned by certain individuals or companies.

Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for the advocacy group Justice for Myanmar, says Canadians should be concerned that their nation’s sanctions are too weak to stop a Canadian-owned company from investing in a project that “bankrolls” the Myanmar junta. The Canadian government said it is aware of MTI Energy’s purchase through a subsidiary, and that it is “continually assessing its measures and actions, in co-ordination with partners, in order to respond to the evolving situations in Myanmar.”

A Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said the government follows a “rigorous due diligence process to ensure minimal adverse civilian and humanitarian impacts” from sanctions.in 2016, said this particular issue is being “analyzed closely” in Ottawa. He said Canadian companies need to evaluate their operations to determine if Canadian sanctions would apply to their activities.Discovered in 1980, the Yadana field sits in the Andaman Sea some 60 kilometres from Myanmar’s coast.

 

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