MYANMAR Junta Chief’s Family Cash In as Fuel Restrictions Spark EV Frenzy

Posted by Asia Views | Mar 11, 2026 | 0 |

Irrawaddy-Mar 9

Nationwide fuel shortages and a junta-imposed odd-even ban on petrol and diesel vehicles have sent prices of electric vehicle (EVs) in Myanmar soaring—creating a windfall for EV import businesses owned by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing’s children. EVs are exempted from the regime’s new fuel-saving restrictions, triggering a buying frenzy that overwhelmingly benefits companies controlled by his son and daughter. The junta announced on March 3 that private vehicles can only operate on alternate days based on their license plate number, while EVs are exempt. Fuel sales will follow the same odd-even rotation. The regime said the measure aims to conserve fuel amid disruptions to supplies caused by the Iran war.

Dealers said EV prices surged by tens of millions of kyats within days of the junta’s order. Despite the rush, industry sources warn that EVs will not solve the country’s fuel crisis. Charging stations are still few and far between in most areas, while regular blackouts also leave EVs stranded. Myanmar’s EV market is dominated by Chinese brands. When the junta introduced its EV policy in 2023, nine companies were licensed to import EVs. That number has since grown to more than 80, though only around 30 are actively importing, according to industry insiders. Importers enjoy full tax exemptions, and EV owners are exempt from road tolls—policies that have further boosted demand. According to the junta-controlled Road Transport Administration Department, 18,630 EVs were registered nationwide as of March 31, 2025. Under military rule, electric vehicles enjoy a level of privilege unmatched by any other imported product. Battery EVs and their components are exempt from commercial and special goods taxes. And unlike fuel, cooking oil, medicines, or any other imports requiring foreign currency, EVs do not face close scrutiny from the juntacontrolled Foreign Exchange Supervisory Committee. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/myanmar-junta-chiefs-family-cash-in-as-fuel-restrictions-spark-ev-frenzy.html

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

MYANMAR Junta Chief’s Family Cash In as Fuel Restrictions Spark EV Frenzy

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