Roger Stone, a longtime ally and former adviser to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, 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 the junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup.
Details of the Lobbying Contract
Stone, who is listed as a consultant for the firm DCI Group, is described as providing "public affairs services" to Myanmar's ministry of information. These services aim at "rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief," according to the filings. The 73-year-old political strategist and Trump confidante was convicted in 2019 of obstructing a congressional investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. He received a 40-month sentence but never served jail time, as Trump granted him clemency in 2020.
International Isolation and Allegations of Atrocities
Myanmar's military leaders have been internationally isolated since the coup, which ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has repeatedly been accused of committing atrocities that may amount to war crimes, including against the Rohingya Muslim minority—a case currently before the International Court of Justice. Activists and civil society groups, such as Justice for Myanmar, have condemned Stone and DCI Group for profiting "from a heavily sanctioned junta that is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity with total impunity."
Sanctions and Ongoing Conflict
The US has imposed various sanctions on individuals and businesses linked to Myanmar's military in response to the alleged genocide against the Rohingya and the 2021 coup. The coup has plunged the country into economic turmoil and a spiralling civil war, with the military accused by UN experts and rights groups of repeated atrocities against civilians. 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 post-coup. The military has defended its operations as targeting terrorists intent on destabilising the country.
Recent Developments
Myanmar's military rulers held staggered elections earlier this year, touting them as a return to normalcy, but the vote was widely condemned as a one-sided sham. General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup, was appointed president last month. Conflict continues to rage across Myanmar, with March recording over 450 deaths from air and drone strikes—the highest monthly death toll since the resistance began, according to Acled, a conflict monitor. DCI Group and Roger Stone were both contacted for comment but have not yet responded.
