Roger Stone, a former adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and a longtime ally of the former president, has faced widespread condemnation for providing lobbying services to Myanmar's military-backed government. According to documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, Stone is receiving $50,000 per month to 'rebuild' relations between Washington and Myanmar's junta.
Services for Myanmar's Ministry of Information
The filings describe Stone's role as offering 'public affairs services' to Myanmar's ministry of information, with the goal of 'rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief.' Stone is listed as a consultant for the DCI Group, a lobbying firm.
International Isolation and Alleged Atrocities
Myanmar's military leaders have been internationally isolated since seizing power in a 2021 coup. They have repeatedly been accused of committing atrocities that may amount to war crimes, including against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The military recently held widely condemned elections, which activists labeled as a sham, and is now attempting to reassert itself abroad.
Justice for Myanmar, a civil society group, accused DCI Group and Stone of profiting 'from a heavily sanctioned junta that is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity with total impunity.' Both DCI Group and Roger Stone were contacted for comment but did not respond.
US Sanctions and Legal Context
The United States has imposed various sanctions against individuals and businesses linked to Myanmar's military in response to alleged genocide against the Rohingya, now before the International Court of Justice, and the 2021 coup. The coup ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, plunging the country into economic turmoil and a spiraling civil war. UN experts and rights groups have accused the military of repeated atrocities against civilians as it suppresses opposition movements.
War Crimes Evidence
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, a UN entity, warned in 2024 of 'substantial evidence' that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed by the Myanmar military after the coup. The military has previously defended its operations as targeting terrorists intent on destabilizing the country.
Myanmar's military rulers held staggered elections earlier this year, touting them as a return to normalcy, but the vote was widely condemned as one-sided. Min Aung Hlaing, the general who led the 2021 coup, was appointed president last month. Conflict has continued to rage, with more than 450 people killed in March alone from air and drone strikes, the highest monthly death toll since the resistance began, according to Acled, a conflict monitor.
Stone's Background
Stone, 73, is a longtime political strategist and Trump confidante. In 2019, he was convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. He was sentenced to 40 months but never went to jail, receiving clemency from Trump in 2020.
