Montse Ferrer points to a simple fact. The only way to power a fighter jet – the aircraft creating fear over many parts of Myanmar – is using aviation fuel.

As Amnesty International’s Interim Deputy Regional Director for Research in the Asia and Pacific, Ferrer has been on a mission to discover the secret of how jet fuel is getting into Myanmar, and recently published a report on her findings.

Airstrikes are the primary cause for displacement since the coup. But while the Burmese population can do little to escape an approaching air attack, some activists and researchers outside the country have begun to look into how the military’s use of this weapon of terror can be curtailed.

“The only way you can power a fighter jet is with aviation fuel, it’s as simple as that,” Ferrer explains. “So in order to minimize the ability of the Myanmar military to conduct such airstrikes, many of which are unlawful and have caused terrible impacts on communities, [we need to limit] the ability of these airstrikes to be conducted by the Myanmar military.”

Because Myanmar does not have the technology to refine crude oil into international grade aviation fuel, the military’s fighter jets need outside access to it in order to fly. However, unlike weapons, which can only be used for destructive purposes and are subject to trade restrictions, jet fuel is known as a “dual use” good; commercial and other non-military flights also rely on it. So it can be tricky to tease apart these two supply chains.

Ferrer notes that although fighter jets perform better using a higher grade fuel, they can mostly manage on commercial fuel, which makes the issue more challenging to untangle.

In this interview with Insight Myanmar, Ferrer discusses the challenges.

https://insightmyanmar.org/complete-shows/2023/6/2/episode-169-leaving-on-a-jet-plane