Former Myanmar dictator's family will no longer be able to rent a home in the EU

According to diplomatic sources in Myanmar, the European Union (EU) has discontinued renting its official ambassador's residence from the family of late Myanmar dictator General Ne Win after eight years.

Following the formation of a diplomatic mission in Myanmar, the EU began renting the residence of Roland Kobia, the EU's first ambassador to Myanmar.

The house lies on 19 May Kha Road, formerly known as Ady Road, in Yangon's Mayangone Township, an affluent enclave where Ne Win, his relatives, trusted ministers, and aides used to live.
Ne Win's relatives own the palatial houses [numbers 19 to 30] that line Yangon's famous Inya Lake.

Ne Win received state visits, hosted several parties, and commanded the Myanmar military to crush the 1988 pro-democracy rebellion from the mansion next to the EU Ambassador's residence.

Despite the EU's commitment to Myanmar's aid and development, the rental of the elite property garnered criticism from international and local agencies for paying millions of dollars in rent to the relatives of Myanmar's first military dictator, Ne Win.

The EU diplomatic mission in Yangon confirmed to The Irrawaddy on November 30 that it had stopped renting the Ady Road property and that the ambassador had moved out.
Because the ambassador is now on leave, the official told The Irrawaddy to contact them in a month for additional information.

The official stated, "He is relocating out of that residence."

The Belgian Roland Kobia was the inaugural resident of the house, with the purpose of advancing Myanmar-EU relations and establishing a long-term connection between the EU and Myanmar, which had been a pariah nation until democratic changes began in 2011.

Mr. Kobia was succeeded as EU ambassador to Myanmar by Kristian Schmidt of Denmark.
Ranieri Sabatucci, the current ambassador, is Italian.

The new EU ambassador's house will be on University Avenue Road in Bahan Township, near the South Korean Embassy, according to a source.
It took the EU diplomatic mission more than a year to find a residence that was not owned by generals or their cronies, according to reports.

Following the coup and the military's deadly assault on peaceful anti-coup protestors, the EU slapped sanctions on 11 people, including coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in March, including travel bans and asset freezes.

Former Lieutenant General Myint Swe, Vice Senior General Soe Win, the junta-appointed chairman of the Union Election Commission U Thein Soe, General Mya Tun Oo, Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe, Lieutenant General Gen Ye Win Oo, General Maung Maung Kyaw, Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun, and Lieutenant General Than Hlaing are among those sanctioned.

The Irrawaddy has learned that the EU has no intentions to leave its Hledan Center headquarters, which is owned by Asia World, a company formed with drug money by Lo Hsing Han, an ethnic Kokang Chinese warlord who previously oversaw one of Southeast Asia's greatest heroin trafficking networks.

International institutions and western nations hurried to open offices and diplomatic missions in Myanmar after it became open in 2010.
Most ended up renting buildings held by family members of prominent military commanders and business tycoons, including associates of previous military regimes, while looking for suitable offices and housing.