The Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) and Justice For Myanmar (JFM) submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Defence to seek information about the extent of Australia’s defence cooperation with the Myanmar military. The documents revealed new details about Australia’s program of defence cooperation with the Myanmar military which has been heavily criticised by human rights groups for several years, particularly following the military’s grave violations of international humanitarian law against ethnic and religious communities in Arakan (Rakhine) Shan and Kachin States and the commission of acts of crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya since 2017. The ACIJ and JFM call on the Australian Government to suspend all defence cooperation and training with the Myanmar military and implement targeted sanctions against the Myanmar military’s generals and businesses entities.
20 January 2021 Read the ACIJ and JFM’s Freedom of Information request.
4 March 2021 Read the Statement of Reasons released by the Department of Defence.
4 March 2021 Access the FOI documents released.
4 March 2021 Read the media coverage here.
7 March 2021 The Australian Government announced it has ended the defence cooperation.
