Total, Chevron suspend payments to Myanmar junta from gas project (Update)

YANGON (Reuters): French oil and gas group Total and US energy company Chevron have suspended some payments from a gas joint venture that would have reached Myanmar's junta, earning praise from pro-democracy activists for taking an important first step.

International companies doing business in the country have come under pressure from rights groups and Myanmar's parallel civilian government to review their operations to stop payments flowing to a military government that seized power on Feb. 1.