Australia denies visas to Myanmar’s Shan United over junta ties
Australia blocked entry visas for Myanmar’s Shan United FC, citing undisclosed reasons days before their AFC Cup clash. Human rights groups highlighted the club’s ties to Myanmar’s military junta, which seized power in 2021.
Myanmar’s Shan United FC was set to face Sydney’s Macarthur FC on 30 November in the AFC Cup, Asia’s secondary football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation. Days before the match, the club was informed that its players and staff would be barred from entering Australia.
Although neither Australia’s Department of Home Affairs nor Football Australia has provided an official reason for the visa refusal, human rights groups have long pointed to Shan United’s connections with Myanmar’s military, which seized power in a February 1 2021 coup and has since oversaw a prolonged civil war in the country.
Praise from the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M)
The decision was welcomed by the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), a group of former UN human-rights officials. In a statement, SAC-M described club owner Khun Naung Myint as “a close collaborator with deep ties to Myanmar’s military junta.” The council said Australia’s move to bar Shan United from entering was a small but positive step toward holding accountable those who benefit from their association with Myanmar’s criminal army.
SAC-M urged the Australian government to take stronger action by imposing targeted financial sanctions on the junta, its generals, and affiliated entities.
Before the match, over 400 human-rights groups had sent an open letter to Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, calling for severe sanctions against the junta.
Concerns were also raised by rights activists over Macarthur FC’s decision to play the first leg of the tie in Myanmar in September, at the Thuwunna Football Stadium in Yangon.
To avoid a forfeit, Macarthur – the club of former Marseille player Valère Germain – played its “home” match abroad, in Bangkok, Thailand. The match ended in a 4-0 victory for the Australians.
Video: Macarthur FC 4-0 Shan United (Thailand)
A bleak future for Myanmar football on the global stage
The exclusion of Shan United from Australia’s tournament underscores the broader issue of political and human-rights implications in international sport. With Myanmar’s turmoil unresolved and rival factions still locked in conflict, other Burmese teams and events are likely to face similar hurdles when seeking to compete overseas.
