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Myanmar signss deal with Washington lobbyists for rebuilding US relations

A Washington lobbying company has signed a $3 million-per-year agreement with Myanmar's Ministry of Information in order to help the country, which was ruled by the military for many years, rebuild its relations with the United States.

Documents submitted under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, (FARA), show that the DCI Group and the Ministry signed an agreement on July 31. This was the day Myanmar's army nominally handed over power to a civilian interim government in advance of a planned elections.

The military leadership of Myanmar, led by Min Aung Hlaing, seized power through a coup in 2021. That year a lobbyist who was hired to represent the country in Washington and in other capitals claimed that he stopped working because U.S. Sanctions on Generals prevented him from getting paid.

When asked whether U.S. Sanctions would affect the agreement reached between the Myanmar Ministry and the DCI Group in Washington, the U.S. Treasury Department did not respond immediately to comments. Neither did the DCI Group or the U.S. State Department.

Min Aung Hlaing, acting president and chief of the military, will continue to hold all the major levers in Myanmar.

After years of isolation, he has shown a willingness to engage with Donald Trump's administration.

Trump's threat to impose new tariffs on Myanmar exports bound for the U.S. as part of his trade offensive was made in a letter signed by him and addressed personally Min Aung Hlaing.

The general responded to Trump's "strong leadership" by praising him, while also asking for lower rates and lifting of sanctions. He stated that he would be willing to send a negotiation team to Washington if necessary.

"TRADE, NATURAL RESOURCES"

According to the FARA application, the DCI Group will "provide public affairs services (to) the client in respect of rebuilding relationships between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the United States and trade, natural resources and humanitarian aid."

On August 1, Justin Peterson (DCI's managing partner), who previously served under the Trump administration, as well as Brian McCabe, another managing partner of DCI, signed the filing.

Last year, it was reported that the FBI had been investigating DCI Group for its alleged involvement in a hacking-and-leaking operation that targeted hundreds Exxon Mobil critics.

The DCI Group said that the allegations it had commissioned a hacking operation are false, and that all its employees and consultants must comply with the law.

In 2008, after the DCI Group's work for a former military junta of Myanmar was revealed, two top aides of then Republican presidential candidate John McCain resigned. Jim Murphy, former DCI managing partner and president, was Trump's national campaign director in 2016.

Myanmar's official media reported that Myint Suu Kyi died earlier that day in hospital. He was the president of Myanmar during the coup in 2021 that led to the arrests of Win Myint, the incumbent, and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myint Swe was a former general who had served for 74 years. He was put on medical leave last July and his duties were transferred to Min Aung Hlaing.

Engagement with the junta is a radical departure for the United States. This is because of the sanctions imposed by the United States on military leaders, and the violence perpetrated against the Rohingya minority that Washington has called genocide and crimes committed against humanity.

The Trump administration lifted sanctions on several junta ally countries last month. However, U.S. officials claimed that this was not indicative of a broader change in U.S. policies toward Myanmar, and had nothing to do with the general's email.

The administration heard competing proposals last week on how to divert Myanmar’s huge supplies of rare-earth minerals away from China's strategic rival, but nothing was decided due to major logistical and political obstacles.

In its race with China, who controls nearly 90% of the global processing capacity, the US administration is focused on securing supplies of heavy rare earths used in high-tech weapons. (Reporting and editing by Don Durfee, Stephen Coates and David Brunnstrom)

(source: Reuters)