In June 2021, Justice For Myanmar published an investigation into BEL; Thales is implicated once again: via BEL and “Thales has also transferred radar equipment to Myanmar, according to information received by Justice For Myanmar”.4 Info Birmanie, Justice For Myanmar, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Sherpa5 have called on Thales to account for this indirect support for the junta. Taking advantage of the lack of clarity surrounding exports via its Indian partner, the company claims that: “Thales is not involved, either directly or indirectly, in any exports of controlled technologies or military equipment to Myanmar in the context of its dealings with the Indian companies concerned, and does not breach any applicable regulations in this regard.” In December 2021, The New York Times and Justice for Myanmar published an investigation67 into the Burmese-Irish “crony”8 family of Kyaw Taung, reporting on a meeting organised by one of their companies – Ky Tha – with Burmese navy officials and representatives from Thales to “discuss the implementation of the contract” and “continue to move forward with the contract” for the Coast Watcher 100 in September 2017 – in the midst of a wave of violence against the Rohingya minority. At that time, Ky-Tha’s staff included a French employee with an extensive network: Thierry Poignant. A former civil servant at the French Embassy in Yangon, he served as Managing Director at Ky-Tha from September 2016 to November 2017, before joining Thales, where he is now Director of Strategic and International Planning. Moreover, in June 2016, while still a civil servant for the French government – according to his LinkedIn profile9 – he was already accompanying a delegation from the Myanmar junta and Ky Tha to the Eurosatory defence exhibition near Paris. 4 Bharat Electronics Limited supplying technology to Myanmar since attempted military coup | Justice For Myanmar (2021, 14 June) Civil society calls on Thales to put an end to suspected indirect support to the Myanmar junta | Info Birmanie, Justice For Myanmar, Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Sherpa (2021, 30 November) 6 The Kyaw Thaung family’s business with the Myanmar military | Justice For Myanmar (2021, 25 December) 7 Worldly, Charming, and Quietly Equipping a Brutal Military | The New York Times (2021, 24 December) 8 The ‘cronies’, or ‘crowned heads’, refer to a small number of Myanmar families who own business conglomerates and have grown rich alongside the Myanmar military. This economic elite is essential to the survival of the military junta, providing it with financial, economic and material resources. 9 Linkedin profile of Thierry Poignant | Disclose ( archived in 2021) 5