Reuters exclusively reports Myanmar junta minister blames economic woes partly on foreign-backed ‘sabotage’

In a rare interview, Myanmar junta minister Aung Naing Oo told Reuters that the country’s military-appointed authorities are doing their best to revive an economy in turmoil since a February coup and stabilize the kyat currency, blaming the crisis partly on foreign backers of its opponents. The currency lost more than 60% of its value in September after the Southeast Asian nation was roiled by months of protests, strikes and economic paralysis following the coup. The junta’s investment minister said Myanmar was suffering from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic but attributed its economic troubles to sabotage by opponents of the junta, a strategy he said was backed by some foreign elements.