How German technology propelled the navy capabilities of a murderous regime
From the depths of the jungle, he empties his heart. Without the propulsion system, there would be no Myanmar LPD war vessel today. A months-long investigation started went when a defector started to share leaked evidence. We verified how MAN Energy Solutions & at least 7 other German companies helped supply parts & intellectual property to build it. At its heart, it's an #OSINT investigation, which the Germany's public prosecution office looks at.
It’s early Nov 2019. The UMS Moattama, an amphibious assault ship of 125m, leaves with powerful oomph and the roar of modern German ship engine technology the port in South Korea. Also on board: A skeptical navy soldier.
A few weeks later, after a maiden voyage visit to military ally Russia (of which the regime received weapons, see illustration) and Vietnam, Myanmar’s Military takes charge of the vessel. The ship appears on Goodle satellite images in Dec2019.
On board, is still the skeptical navy engineer. He has jittery feet. After a bloody Coup crackdown, he has enough. He leaves the navy with mountains of documents, PDFs of building plans and product instructions of components that were built into the modern war vessel. As a defector, he became now key witness of a dirty secret.
Some time before German firms engaged in an immoral export deal, some human rights bodies alerted the world of serious violations by the Myanmar military regime. Including an alleged genocide against Rohingya refugees. The United Nations took notice. EU regulatory bodies took notice. International News reporting took notice. But those German firms didn’t. Or they didn’t care.
In 2017, a year and a half before the product documents show dates of the product plans, the UN called Myanmar's actions “devastating cruelty”. The UN Special Rapporteur tells me in a call he heard of the case of the UMS Moattama and is concerned. Although, he stresses that the exports from Korea to Myanmar wasn’t sanctioned back then at least, his organizations reports write that the vessel “can be used to infiltrate and exfiltrate specialized forces by sea” and “transport 35 troop-carrying tactical vehicles, 2 Mi-17”.
Signs that the Germane engine manufacturer and its licensee knew about the nature of the client gets apparent in a meeting held in 2019. The nay defected was also present. A representative of the German engineering company, a superintendent Engineer, travelled to South Korea. He met with Myanmar Navy officials and trained the soldiers how to use the technology.
By using social media open-source intelligence techniques, we could identify the Engineer and his position in the German company.
Together with the Engineer, the defector says they went through the navy-gray painted vessel. Checked every nook & cranny. If this person from Europe didn't understand what the ship was used for, then he didn't want to know.
Another smoking hint ist that the German engine company and its licensee partner in Korea uses in their product plans the reference “LPD series”. This shows the analysis of the leaked documents. It is possible that this stands for “landing platform dock” or LPD —a type of warship, the UMS Moattama turned into after it was delivered to Myanmar navy. LDP vessels of the Makassar class are used by a number of other south-east Asian navy forces (some also use it for humanitarian Missions, next to their normal defence purpose).
To spot MAN Energy Solutions parts, one does not have to analyze tonnes of leaked footage. Even photos publicly shared show german equipment on board of the UMS Moattama. The German branding as like a seal of quality. They appear in images taken by the Myanmar Junta regime on a day of military celebration. They are obviously really proud of their war vessel and the modern technology.
Where the UMS Moattam navigated matters for this case too. Because the vessel's missions and contribution to the war against its own population may matter in this case.
AIS tracking data by vesseltracking firm FleetMon reveals it was active in the region, where the Junta regime fights a merciless campaign against the resistance.
In February of 2021, UMS Moattama “collected” over a 1000 Myanmar nationals, who fled the regime — only to bring them back to their captors. The junta insists it didn't contain Rohingya people. Human rights groups, however, expressed severe concerns about what might happen to the group that included children, who tried to flee the country.
Other AIS @fleetmon data shows a peculiar trip to Coco Island, where the Chinese government, a close ally of Myanmar (who also delivered guns installed on the UMS Moattama) recently established a “spy base”.
No doubt. Myanmar navy doesn’t seem to make a suitable export partner to German export companies, especially not when engines are used later in a war ship.
Supplying to the navy should be, at least morally, be a red flag. The Navy, according to one report, allegedly shot Rohingya “with boat-mounted guns or intentionally rammed overcrowded ferries to drown those on board as they sought to flee into“.
German state legislator is now investigating. It will test and evaluate whether German firms broken any rules. The German engine manufacture, that is owned by VW insists it acted legally & according to all national and EU laws.
Whether the firms acted according to their moral duty is another question. There they are at fault. Also, should state investigators find a breach of sanctions controls, it could turn into a historic legal case for dual use export law. At least this is what one human rights lawyer thinks, who alerted the authorities on behalf of Greenpeace Germany. The lawyer is well know in the world of dual use sanction law. The award-winning human right lawyer took weapons manufacturers Heckler & Koch & Sig Sauer to court.
Full reporting by the Süddeutsche Zeitung here. Press release by activist Group Justice for Myanmar here.
