Myanmar Junta signs $3m lobbying deal to rebuild U.S. ties
Myanmar’s military-led government has signed a $3 million-per-year lobbying contract with Washington-based firm DCI Group to help improve its relationship with the United States, according to filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The agreement, signed on July 31 with Myanmar’s Ministry of Information, coincided with the junta’s announcement of a symbolic power transfer to a civilian-led interim government ahead of upcoming elections. In reality, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing remains in control as both acting president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
According to the FARA filing, DCI Group will promote cooperation on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian aid. The contract was signed by DCI managing partners Justin Peterson and Brian McCabe, both of whom served in the Trump administration, on August 1.
This deal follows a failed lobbying attempt in 2021 that collapsed under U.S. sanctions. It remains unclear whether current sanctions will block payments under the new arrangement; the U.S. Treasury, State Department, and DCI have not commented.
The agreement comes as Min Aung Hlaing seeks closer ties with President Donald Trump’s administration, praising Trump’s “strong leadership” after the president threatened new tariffs on Myanmar exports. The general has urged a reduction in tariffs, the lifting of sanctions, and offered to send negotiators to Washington.
DCI Group has previously come under FBI scrutiny over alleged links to a hack-and-leak operation—accusations the firm denies. The company also faced criticism for earlier work with a previous Myanmar junta in the 2000s.
Partnering with Myanmar’s current military rulers would represent a significant break from existing U.S. policy, which includes sanctions and a formal designation of the military’s campaign against the Rohingya as genocide. While the Trump administration has lifted sanctions on some junta-linked individuals, U.S. officials say there has been no broader policy shift.
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