Documents reveal inside story of Australia's defence cooperation with Myanmar junta

Documents released under freedom of information laws have revealed new details about Australia's controversial program of defence cooperation with Myanmar's military. Key points: The federal government says its military cooperation with Myanmar is "modest" in scale The documents illuminate some of the challenges and pitfalls of dealing with a military, which has been accused of war crimes The documents also show no evidence of military cooperation slowing during the Rohingya massacre Australia is one of a small number of nations that has maintained cooperation with Myanmar's armed forces — known as the Tatmadaw — in the wake of a brutal 2017 campaign of ethnic cleansing waged against the Rohingya minority. The Australian government has consistently maintained military cooperation with Myanmar is "modest" in scale and is focussed largely on providing officers in the Tatmadaw with training on subjects like disaster management and human rights law. The documents also provide more information about a 2019 meeting between Australia's Ambassador to Myanmar Andrea Faulkner and top general Min Aung Hlaing — who has since assumed power in the military coup. Canberra 'reviewing' aid, military cooperation with Myanmar Last month, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the government was "reviewing" Australia's foreign aid to Myanmar, as well as military cooperation.