On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military successfully brought a coup d'état against the quasi-democratic government of Myanmar. Since then, the situation in the country has deteriorated, with brutal crack-downs being brought by the military against pro-democracy protestors.
In a recent development, two energy giants, Chevron
"Chevron condemns the violence and human rights abuses occurring in Myanmar," the company wrote in a statement. "We stand with the people of Myanmar and the global community in urging for a peaceful resolution that respects the will of the people."
Chevron added that it will be carrying out an "orderly" withdrawal from the country while continuing to prioritize "the safety and well-being of employees, safe operations and the supply of much-needed energy for the people of Myanmar and Thailand."
Since it took power, the Myanmar military regime has steadily increased the intensity of its response against protestors, escalating to burning down homes and firing rocket launchers.
"Following the coup of 1st February 2021 in Myanmar, TotalEnergies has firmly condemned on several occasions the abuses and human rights violations taking place there," the company writes. "Since then, our Company's decisions have been guided by clear principles: to halt all our ongoing projects."
Total Energies added that it has continued to do critical work to supply energy to the Burmese and Thai population, as well as doing all it legally can to "limit the financial flows received by the national oil company MOGE." According to the company, it is impossible for it to work in Myanmar without some amount of profit being paid to MOGE.
"While our Company considers that its presence in a country allows it to promote its values, Total Energies' statement reads. "The situation, in terms of human rights and more generally the rule of law... has led us to reassess the situation and no longer allows TotalEnergies to make a sufficiently positive contribution in the country.
The military first took power in Myanmar in 1962, but it adopted a system of parliamentary elections and reforms in 2011. Now, Myanmar's civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is being held by the military who have found her guilty of a variety of charges, including import restriction violations and the incitement of public unrest. She faces another seven charges, five of which are related to corruption.
The 2021 coup followed an election in which Myanmar's National League for Democracy had won 83% of all available seats. The military claimed that the election results were fraudulent, arguing that the wave of National League wins only represented the popularity of the party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The military subsequently detained Aung San Suu Kyi, along with President U Win Myint, the country's cabinet ministers, and opposition writers and activists.
Soon after, the military suspended all telephone and internet access in major cities, and all commercial banks were closed. The military began to take violent action against protestors, with 1,300 killed and another 10,000 arrested as of November 2021, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Experts expect the country to enter a civil war at any time.
