Myanmar

Country Spotlight

Myanmar is not believed to have either nuclear or biological weapons programs, and, despite accusations, there is no conclusive evidence of a chemical weapons program. Myanmar maintains diplomatic relations with North Korea, which is believed to contribute to Myanmar’s limited missile program. Myanmar is a party to most applicable treaties and international regimes.

Region East Asia and the Pacific

200 Employees of the Department of Atomic Energy

2007 Signed agreement with Russia for construction of a nuclear research center

1992 Signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)

Nuclear

Party to both the NPT and Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone since early 1990s
Established the Department of Atomic Energy within the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1997
Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia in 2022 to cooperate on peaceful uses of nuclear energy

Myanmar Overview

Playing Politics: How the Regional Context Impedes Confronting Myanmar’s Alleged Nuclear Program

Report

Playing Politics: How the Regional Context Impedes Confronting Myanmar’s Alleged Nuclear Program

Understanding the New Nuclear Weapons Ban

nuclear symbol with no symbol circle with line through it

Interactive & Visualization

Understanding the New Nuclear Weapons Ban

Biological

Maintains a limited biotechnology sector, including operation of the Biotechnology Development Center at Pathein University, established in 2004
Ratified the Biological Weapons Convention in 2014
No evidence of a biological weapons program

Myanmar Overview

Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation

Teaching Tool

Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation

Myanmar Overview

Fact Sheet

Myanmar Overview

Missile

Possesses small number of surface-to-air missiles (SAM) from Russia and China
Officials visited missile-related facilities in North Korea in 2008
Reports of missile development cooperation with North Korea in 2022

Myanmar Overview

Overview of The CNS Missile and SLV Launch Databases

Database

Overview of The CNS Missile and SLV Launch Databases

Tutorial on Missiles and Other WMD Delivery Systems

Teaching Tool

Tutorial on Missiles and Other WMD Delivery Systems

Chemical

Many allegations of a covert chemical weapons program, but no verifiable evidence
Ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2015
Operates a small chemical industrial sector, but imports all its toxic industrial chemicals

Myanmar Overview

Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation

Teaching Tool

Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation

NTI Tutorials

Interactive & Visualization

NTI Tutorials

Treaties and Regimes Memberships

See all Treaties & Regimes

Bangkok Treaty

The SEANWFZ Treaty (Bangkok Treaty) preserves Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free from weapons of mass destruction.

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Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

The BTWC mandates the elimination of existing biological weapons and prohibits developing, stockpiling, or using biological and toxin weapons.

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Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires countries to destroy all chemical weapons and prohibits developing, stockpiling, or using chemical weapons.

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NPT

The NPT is a treaty aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons through the three pillars of non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

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Facilities

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List

Angela Kane and Jaime Yassif on Discerning “Where the Next Pandemic Will Come From”

In an op-ed for The Hill, NTI Senior Advisor Angela Kane and Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs Jaime Yassif acknowledge the importance of the ongoing investigation into the source of the COVID-19 pandemic.