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.
See Myanmar's preformance in
Region East Asia and the Pacific
200 Employees of the Department of Atomic Energy
5 Areas for potential uranium mining according to Ministry of Energy
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
- Expressed plans in 2014 to develop a nuclear research reactor, but currently lacks the resources to do so
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 and Toxin Weapons Convention in 2014
- No evidence of a biological weapons program
Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation
Myanmar Overview
Missile
- Possesses small number of surface-to-air (SAM) missiles from Russia and China
- Officials visited missile-related facilities in North Korea in 2008
- U.S. confronted two North Korean ships claiming to be headed for Myanmar carrying missiles and various missile equipment
Overview of The CNS Missile and SLV Launch Databases
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
Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation
NTI Tutorials
Treaties and Regimes Memberships
- NTI
- CNS
Diverse Voices in International Security: Richard Johnson on the Importance of Inclusivity and Mentorship
Richard Johnson on the importance of diversity in the national security space and his advice for young people interested in the field.
NTI Seminar: Gregory Koblentz on the Danger of Disinformation
Amnesia Atómica NYC: Times Square art installation draws attention to nuclear risks
Education Center