Myanmar junta still able to access weapons and money overseas, says UN expert

FILE PHOTO: Military personnel stand guard as hundreds of refugees crossed over the river frontier between Myanmar and Thailand on Friday, following the fall of a strategic border town to rebels fighting Myanmar's military junta, in Mae Sot, Tak province, Thailand, April 13, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International efforts to isolate Myanmar's ruling junta appear to have dented its ability to purchase new military equipment from overseas, but the military is still able to access money and weapons for its war against anti-coup forces, a U.N. expert said in a report published on Wednesday.

Myanmar has been plunged in turmoil since the military seized power from an elected government in a 2021 coup, which sparked financial sanctions imposed on the military, banks and other associated businesses by Western countries.