A/HRC/42/CRP.3 Corporation of China (AVIC).389 Senior General Min Aung Hlaing confirmed Chinese weapon transfers to Myanmar in the past and indicated that the relationship continued in 2019. During a visit to Beijing on 10 April 2019, he was reported in the media as saying that the “Myanmar army is unavoidably relying on the People’s Liberation Army… for weapons procurement,” and thanking China for “its correct stance and standing against the international community over the Rakhine State issue.”390 159. In February 2018, the UN Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009) in relation to sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reported that a Member State had notified the Panel “of evidence of the receipt by Myanmar of ballistic missile systems from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in addition to a range of conventional weapons, including multiple rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles” and that “personnel of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had been dispatched to Directorate for Defence Industries-operated facilities in Myanmar”.391 This appears to have been done through Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID). 392 In the context of reporting that Myanmar maintains a sophisticated global procurement network through its Directorate for Defence Industries, the Panel also noted that a Member State reported that the Directorate’s director, Tun Hlaing, “had reportedly been involved in overseas procurements and was associated with at least two Singapore-based firms, Excellence Metal Casting and STE Global Trading Pte Ltd.” 393 The Panel did not provide specifics on the types of items Myanmar may have procured from these companies. 160. The Mission also found that Ukraine is supporting the Tatmadaw’s military infrastructure and production capabilities. In March 2019, it was reported that Ukraine Stateowned Ukrspetsexport and Ukroboronprom had begun implementing an arms manufacturing deal to build a plant in Myanmar to manufacture armoured personnel carriers and selfpropelled howitzers, notably the BTR-4U wheeled 8×8 armoured personnel carrier and the 2S1U self-propelled howitzer.394 Ukrspetsexport was reported to have confirmed an initial delivery of equipment and machinery for the plant, which is scheduled to begin production by 2020.395 161. India’s State-owned defence manufacturers have also supplied the Tatmadaw. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivered second-hand trainer aircraft in 2018 as aid,396 and Bharat Dynamics Limited provided anti-submarine torpedoes to the Myanmar 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 “Le JF-17 «Thunder» entre en service au Myanmar,” 3 November 2018 (http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2018/11/03/le-jf-17-thunder-entre-en-service-au-myanmar866464.html) Nan Lwin, “Myanmar Military Chief Thanks Beijing for Support on Rakhine Crisis,” The Irrawaddy, 10 April 2019 (https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-military-chief-thanks-beijingsupport-rakhine-crisis.html). S/2018/171, Report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009), para. 101. S/2018/171, Report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009), para. 101. S/2018/171, Report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009), para. 102. The Panel also noted that a Member State had “further indicated that Tun Hlaing may have previously been associated with Myanmar’s Excellence Mineral Manufacturing Co. Ltd, previously designated by a Member State for working with officials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to import materiel for military weapons programmes.” Moe Myint, “Ukrainian Firm will Reportedly Help Tatmadaw Build Plant for Military Equipment,” The Irrawaddy, 7 March 2019 (https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/ukrainian-firm-willreportedly-help-tatmadaw-build-plant-military-equipment.html) “Ukraine to build armoured vehicle assembly plant in Myanmar,” Ukrainian Military Pages, 6 March 2019 (https://en.ukrmilitary.com/2019/03/ukraine-to-build-plant-in-myanmar.html); “Ukraine to build armoured vehicle assembly plant in Myanmar,” Defense Blog, 6 March 2019 (https://defenceblog.com/army/ukraine-to-build-armoured-vehicle-assembly-plant-in-myanmar.html) “To counter Chinese clout, India to gift 6 HAL Kiran jet trainers to Myanmar,” Times Now News, 1 December 2018 (https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/china-hal-kiran-myanmar-indian-airforce-southeast-asia-kaladan-multimodal-project-act-east-policy-narendra-modi-national-socialistcouncil-of/324243); SIPRI Database extract of transfers of major weapons: deals with deliveries or orders made for 2016 to 2018, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 57