"Singapore oil firm under scrutiny over alleged links to Myanmar military", 29 May 2025

A Singapore-based oil company, Interra Resources, is under growing international scrutiny over allegations that its operations in Myanmar may have helped fund the country’s military junta, raising concerns about possible violations of international law.

Interra Resources, which operates in central Myanmar’s Magway Region through a joint venture called Goldpetrol, owns a 60% stake in oil fields located in the state’s Chauk and Yenangyaung townships.

According to Justice For Myanmar (JFM), a rights watchdog group, the company supplied over two million barrels of oil, worth more than US$ 150 million, from these fields to the state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), which is controlled by Myanmar’s military regime.

The claims against Interra were detailed in a report released by JFM …, which accused the company of being “complicit in the junta’s international crimes.” In response, Interra suspended trading on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) … and announced it would seek legal advice to determine if its actions might have violated foreign laws, including international sanctions.

…, Interra stated that its legal advisers had found no breach of US or European Union sanctions, and concluded that any risk of violating these sanctions was minimal…

Interra’s approach to its legal review has drawn criticism from international barrister Dr. Felicity Gerry KC, who says the company has not fully addressed concerns about its international legal and human rights responsibilities.

“Interra appears to have pursued a narrow legal opinion on sanctions compliance rather than engaging with the broader spectrum of international legal obligations relevant to operating in Myanmar,” Dr. Gerry said in an interview with Myanmar Now.

She warned that by continuing oil production in Myanmar, Interra could be indirectly supporting the military regime and contributing to ongoing harm against civilians.

“Companies complicit in or facilitating human rights abuses must be held to account and must be seen to embrace accountability,” she added…