NUG will review sexual assault, other charges linked to Rebels tea company scandal

After discharging a high-ranking member accused of sexual misconduct this month, a Karenni State-based resistance force said on Monday that it would refer his case and related financial malfeasance investigations to the legal department of the National Unity Government (NUG). Before his removal from service, Min Thu Kyaw, 30—better known as Mauk Kham Wah—oversaw logistics and finances for the Loikaw People’s Defence Forces (Loikaw PDF) based in Karenni (Kayah) State, a part of the NUG’s armed wing. He was also the winner of the 2023 International Photography Competition organised by the Netherlands-based World Press Photo Foundation. The discharged resistance member was also behind the creation of the “Rebels” tea and coffee brand, which launched in June 2024 with investment from the Shwe Pure Company. The contract for the joint venture stipulated that 60 percent of profits would go to the company and 40 percent to the Loikaw PDF. The Loikaw PDF took over full control of the business earlier this year. Claims emerged on May 23 of this year that Mauk Kham Wah had committed sexual assault against a young woman, followed shortly by allegations that he had been involved in mismanagement of the Rebels company’s finances. Representatives of the Shwe Pure Company and the Loikaw PDF convened to perform a collaborative audit of the venture’s financial records on June 16. Loikaw PDF Battalion Commander Moe Hein said the armed resistance group would consider any outcome of the investigation part of the legacy of the Spring Revolution against military rule in Myanmar. The Loikaw PDF would abide by any ruling from the National Unity Government on the investigation’s findings, according to the battalion commander. “Since we are in a revolutionary period, we will submit the proposal to the NUG’s legal department and accept their legal decision,” he said during the meeting. “However, the Loikaw PDF cannot confirm whether any punishment will occur.” “We have obtained all the records and accounts. After a thorough audit and review, the NUG’s justice ministry will rule on his guilt,” he continued, referring to Mauk Kham Wah. “We will accept their decision fully. The handling of contract issues will follow the same process.” The Loikaw PDF announced the termination of Mauk Kham Wah’s service on June 12. At the June 16 meeting, the group confirmed that they had had no contact with him since dismissing him. The collaborative audit subsequently found that Mauk Kham Wah had transferred a total of 270,000 Thai baht (US $8,200)—equivalent to six months’ worth of profits—while representing the Loikaw PDF in the joint venture with Shwe Pure Company, confirming that the total amounts transferred and received were a match. However, Mauk Kham Wah was alleged to have withheld a portion of the Rebels sales revenue for himself while distributing products in Chiang Mai and Mae Sot, Thailand. Because of a lack of transparency in the Rebels sales accounts, it was not possible to confirm whether the funds received by the Loikaw PDF amounted to the 40 percent of profits stipulated in the contract. This uncertainty was what motivated the Loikaw PDF to take full control of Rebels in 2025 by investing an additional 1.2 million baht (US $36,000). The Loikaw PDF also previously claimed Shwe Pure Company did not provide financial statements before transferring the shares, but the company contested this, saying the statements had been posted publicly online. Even so, the available public statements failed to reconcile some accounting discrepancies, making it unclear exactly how much had been misappropriated. A source close to the Loikaw PDF said that the present uncertainty regarding the venture’s finances was due to both parties’ having placed complete trust in Mauk Kham Wah. The Rebels tea and coffee, which is distributed both in Myanmar and abroad, earned most of its revenue from customers wishing to support the resistance against military rule in Myanmar. Mauk Kham Wah acknowledged his wrongdoing and apologized in a June 12 Facebook post. He has yet to respond to the allegations of financial fraud. “I will accept any punishment with courage. I won’t flee, and I will strive to live on and become a better person,” he wrote. After the allegations of his sexual misconduct surfaced, various organisations concerned with gender issues released a June 14 statement calling for him to be held accountable according to the laws of Karenni State’s Interim Executive Council.

NUG will review sexual assault, other charges linked to Rebels tea company scandal

Allegations emerged that a prominent former resistance member had committed sexual assault and misused funds from the popular Rebels brand tea and coffee venture for personal gain

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