Russian ambassador visits Myanmar’s south to discuss Dawei SEZ

Russia’s ambassador to Myanmar travelled to Tanintharyi Region on Tuesday to meet with senior junta officials for talks on the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and other investment opportunities, according to state media reports. During his visit, Ambassador Iskander Azizov met with Myat Ko, the region’s regime-appointed chief minister, and Aung Soe, the chair of the Dawei SEZ Management Committee, the reports said. While details about the talks were not provided, the two sides also reportedly discussed the potential for investment in the region’s tourism sector, including on the islands of the Mergui Archipelago. However, it was likely the Dawei SEZ that the regime was most interested in promoting. The multibillion-dollar project, centred on a deep-sea port north of Tanintharyi’s capital city Dawei, has been on hold for more than a decade due to a lack of financing. Covering an area of nearly 200 square km, the project also includes an industrial zone and its own power generation facilities. Construction costs, initially estimated at US$8.6 billion, have since risen to $10.7 billion. In addition to concerns about its massive price tag, the project is now also beset by security issues, as armed resistance groups have been active in the area since the military seized power nearly four years ago. Dawei Watch, a group that monitors the situation in the region, reported that the residents of villages in the Na Bu Lel area of Yebyu Township, near the project site, were forced to flee ahead of the ambassador’s visit due to an increased military presence. On Tuesday, a local resistance group called the Ba Htoo Army released a statement claiming that it had launched bomb attacks on a junta base located at the site. A spokesperson for the group told Myanmar Now that the regime has expanded the base, even though the project remains stalled. “They’re reinforcing the base with weapons, ammunition, and troops. They’re also conducting clearance operations in surrounding villages,” he said. In May of last year, the chair of the Dawei SEZ Management Committee, Aung Soe, revealed that regime and Russian officials were “at the initial stage” of talks on reviving the project. Aerial view of part of the Dawei SEZ project site, seen in 2018 (Dawei Special Economic Zone Facebook page) “Our country is losing out because the project work has been suspended. That’s why we want to restart the work quickly. We’re at the stage of looking for someone who can actually do the work,” he told Myanmar Now at the time. This came two months after junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS that discussions were underway with Russia to construct a port capable of accommodating ships of 200,000 tons or more in the southern part of the country. Despite the junta’s efforts to drum up interest in the project, observers say they expect little to come of the current talks. “Even in easier times, they couldn’t really get it off the ground. In times like these, I don’t think there’s much possibility that anything will come of it,” said a businessman based in the area. The Dawei SEZ project was initiated in 2008 under an agreement between the then ruling junta and Bangkok-based construction company Italian-Thai Development. However, it was put on hold five years later as financial backing failed to materialise. Italian-Thai continued to carry out scaled -down operations at the project site until January 2021, but pulled out completely when the military seized power in a coup the following month. Since then, there has been a significant increase in fighting in the region, with ethnic armed groups and newly formed resistance forces carrying out regular attacks on junta positions. According to FE5 Tanintharyi, a local research group, there were at least 33 battles in Tanintharyi Region in December of last year, displacing more than 65,800 civilians. A report by the group also claimed that regime troops torched at least 750 civilian homes in Tanintharyi Region in 2024, including 260 in December alone.

Russian ambassador visits Myanmar’s south to discuss Dawei SEZ

The multibillion-dollar project, long stalled by a lack of financial backing, has also faced increased security concerns since the 2021 coup

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