The title deed of a luxury Bangkok condo and two Siam Commercial Bank passbooks belonging to the children of junta head Min Aung Hlaing were seized by Thai police when they arrested Myanmar crony arms dealer Tun Min Latt in Bangkok in September.
Tun Min Latt and three of his associates were arrested in dawn raids in Bangkok on September 17 and were indicted on December 13 on drug trafficking, money laundering and transnational organised crime charges.
In an 11 January report, campaign group Justice for Myanmar revealed that among the documents seized in the raid were the title documents for a number of properties belonging to Tun Min Latt and associates in his network.
They included the title deed to a four-bedroom condo in Belle Rama 9 belonging to Min Aung Hlaing’s son, Aung Pyae Sone.
Comparable condos in Belle Rama 9 are being advertised for close to $1 million USD.
The police also seized two Siam Commercial Bank passbooks belonging to Min Aung Hlaing’s daughter, Khin Thiri Thet Mon.
Aung Pyae Sone’s title deeds and Khin Thiri Thet Mon’s bank passbooks were found in Tun Min Latt’s possession when he was arrested.
The Thai police seized assets worth 1.8 billion baht (approximately $53.8 million USD) from Tun Min Latt when they arrested him.
Despite evidence linking both Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon to Tun Min Latt’s alleged criminal activities the Thai authorities have not seized any assets from either of them, according to Justice for Myanmar’s research.
Justice for Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung said: “The fact that Min Aung Hlaing’s children’s assets were in the possession of an international criminal should be a wake-up call to the Thai government and international community.
“Justice For Myanmar urges Thai authorities to seize Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon’s assets and investigate whether they have benefited from the proceeds of Tun Min Latt’s alleged money laundering and drug trafficking and to hold them accountable for any violations of Thai law.”
Both Aung Pyae Sone and Khin Thiri Thet Mon have been sanctioned by the governments of the USA and Canada, as has their father.
Reuters has confirmed that Khin Thiri Thet Mon’s bank account has since been closed, but was unable to determine who closed it or when. Reuters also contacted SCB and the Belle Grand Rama 9 condominium for comment but received no reply.
Justice for Myanmar’s revelations come whilst Min Aung Hlaing has maintained a close personal relationship with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who became Prime Minister after leading a military coup in 2014.
Thailand provides substantial support to the illegal junta through the purchase of natural gas.
Justice For Myanmar urges 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.
Justice for Myanmar calls on Thai banks to close accounts held by junta members, cronies and their families sanctioned in other jurisdictions.
Justice for Myanmar further calls on governments to urgently sanction financial enablers of the junta to cut its access to funds and block opportunities for generals and their families to profit from the illegal coup attempt and steal public assets from the people of Myanmar.
Justice for Myanmar’s Yadanar Maung said: “The Myanmar military junta is both a terrorist organisation and a transnational criminal enterprise, working in partnership with criminal enablers like Tun Min Latt, who co-own a military-owned casino and has brokered arms while committing his alleged criminal activities.
“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.
“Thailand and other governments must urgently block the transfer of stolen assets from Myanmar and close access to the international financial system for junta members and their families, or risk complicity in the junta’s international crimes and corruption.”
