Mizzima

The Myanmar junta gets the most foreign investment income from the energy sector.

This is the finding of the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar (ISP – Myanmar), an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental think tank, in a report published 31 May.

Since the coup in 2021, Myanmar’s energy sector has received nearly US$4 billion in foreign investment, which is more than 70 percent of the total amount of foreign investment received in the two years since the coup.

According to the report, China made the most investments in Myanmar after the coup, followed by ASEAN countries and Japan.

According to the think tank's report, the amount of over US$5.4 billion in foreign investment has been recorded between February 2021 and March 2023. More than half of this substantial sum originated from China.

The report indicates that China has made significant investments in Myanmar, surpassing US$3 billion. This figure also encompasses Hong Kong's contribution, which exceeds US$200 million. In addition to China, Japan has invested over US$500 million, while the ASEAN countries have collectively invested a substantial amount of over US$1.6 billion.

However, ISP Myanmar notes that the situation for foreign investment has worsened slightly following the coup. A comparison to the pre-coup era reveals that foreign investment had exceeded US$5.5 billion during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Meanwhile, anti-junta activists are actively campaigning and advocating for sanctions to be imposed on Myanmar's oil and natural gas industry, as it serves as the primary source of income for the military junta.