Since 2002, Myanmar has been accused of manufacturing many prohibited weapons. In the same year, they took the initiative to develop prohibited and deadliest weapons like chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
Myanmar's military regime has confirmed plans to build a nuclear research reactor for "peaceful purposes" in January 2002. Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy, Minatom, has agreed to help Myanmar build a nuclear research facility consisting of a 10 MW nuclear reactor and two laboratories in the Magwe Division of central Myanmar.
The deal includes the construction of a nuclear waste disposal facility and Russian training for Myanmar technicians. Russia and Myanmar signed an agreement in Moscow on the construction of the proposed nuclear research center in Myanmar.
Russia’s federal atomic energy agency Rosatom announces it will help Myanmar build the proposed nuclear facility. The agency says the 10-megawatt nuclear reactor, fueled by less than 20 percent uranium-235, will contribute to Myanmar’s “research in nuclear physics, biotechnology, material science as well as…produce a large variety of medicines.” The first round of talks on project details begin in 2007.
In 2012, while serving as Speaker of the Lower House under U Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government, Shwe Mann claims the delegation to North Korea observed the air defense system and signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the two armies, while nuclear weapons were not on the agenda.
Major Sai Thein Win, an engineer in the Myanmar military’s Science and Technology Workshop (known locally as the “nuclear unit”) with a doctorate in atomic energy from Russia, publicly reveals information, including photos, showing that the military regime is studying the possession of nuclear weapons with technological help from North Korea.
In January 2014 Unity Weekly, a Burmese magazine reported that Burma was making chemical weapons. The magazine claimed that the military had seized hundreds of hectares of land to build a chemical weapons factory in Burma's Magway Region and quoted workers at the factory who said it produced chemical weapons. The magazine also claimed Chinese technicians were often seen around the factory. In response, the Burmese government sentenced the head of Unity Weekly, along with four Unity Weekly journalists, to ten years in prison and hard labor under colonial-era espionage laws.
In 2016, Myanmar signs the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty under the democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi hands over the ratification instrument to United Nations Under-Secretary-General Miguel de Serpa Soares. Myanmar’s bicameral parliament approves President U Win Myint’s proposal for Myanmar to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin signed the treaty during the UN General Assembly in September 2018 but the Myanmar junta and Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom signed a roadmap for further atomic energy cooperation, including the possible implementation of a modular reactor project in Myanmar in 2022.
Dr. Arpita Hazarika says in her article,
It has been reported that Myanmar is working on nuclear weapons with assistance from Russia. We all know that Myanmar is known to us as a regional peace destabilizer and we can't simply be silent about those developments. It has many implications. Firstly, regional countries' relationship with Myanmar as neighbor is not satisfactory, there is frequent dissatisfaction. Secondly, we have regional disputes such as the Rohingya refugee crisis, smuggling, the Myanmar military’s continuous arrogance in the region, defying international law, and customs, etc. Moreover, Myanmar military dictatorship has been ruling this country for a significant period of time exhibiting less chance for a democratic govt. in the near future. We already have lot many neighboring countries in this part of the globe having nuclear power like India, China, and Pakistan. Now, Myanmar is going to join this club too! Will the world be able to deal with this other North Korea? Myanmar is going to Southeast Asian North Korea. What will be the next courses of action for us? Is there any discussion or a strategic or diplomatic policy that has been taken by our regional government highlighting this matter? I think it is time to think again, we can't ignore the things around us.
WHAT IF MYANMAR BUILDS NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
According to international law, if Myanmar reneges on its commitment to stop its nuclear program, it will face a coalition attack on its territory.
Some Bangladeshi scientists and intelligence sources,
Whether Myanmar can develop nuclear weapons is a critical question. Developing nuclear weapons requires a lot of money, experienced scientists, and nuclear minerals. Besides, It needs a critical industrial base. Currently, Myanmar does not even have 80% of it but it has 5 uranium mines. Burma has increased uranium mining over the past few years, which is currently a matter of concern. The quality of uranium in Burma is not as good as needed, so it is not possible to make a proper nuclear bomb but they can make nuclear dirty bombs that are close to nuclear bombs.