The EU should be banning the supply of any equipment to the military. We could be looking at other factors such as banning European companies from doing business and investing in companies and joint ventures in companies owned by the military.

What about those young guys?

Some young people couldn’t go to university because of restrictions on studies. Some young boys could not get permission to marry for two to three years; some young boys’ mothers had been killed by the Burmese military; some had land that had been confiscated by the military. These groups have all been together and that is what they are trying to fight with the military.

Ms Ghani: You mentioned Germany and Austria. Are you aware of any forthcoming visits to European countries that might be taking place?

Tun Khin: We have seen practically a few months ago.

Mark Farmaner: We are not aware of any other. Normally, the first we hear about it is when he puts it on his Facebook page that he is at the airport about to leave.

These previously hidden backers include the World Bank’s private-sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC); leading U.S. asset managers BlackRock and Vanguard; pension funds including the U.S. fund for teachers, TIAA; and Japanese commercial banks. 

Rampal is being built just 14 kilometers from the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage-designated mangrove forest. UNESCO, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, and a number of climate and energy scientists have all called for the plant to be cancelled. An Indian-Bangladeshi consortium is developing the project.