MYANMAR – Reuters reported that the Australian government has blocked the entry of Shan United football team, which will compete in the Asian Football Confederation AFC Cup football tournament to be held in Australia.
The Shan United team will compete against Macarthur Bulls, a football club from Australia. The Australian Football Association (FA) has announced that the match will be moved to BG Stadium in Bangkok as a neutral ground.
Last September, when the first round match between Macarthur Bulls and Shan United was held at Yangon’s Thuwanna Stadium, it was criticized by human rights activists.
The Shan United is a football club owned by the Wamin Corporation, which has business ties with the junta council-owned Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC). MEC was banned by the Australian government, and the club’s entry visa to Australia was suspended.
The Justice for Myanmar group also issued a statement saying the Macarthur Bulls team coming to play in Myanmar was against the travel advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Australian government.
According to JFM’s statement, Khun Naung Myint Wai, leader of Wamin Corporation, is an investor in the Yangon Riverview Complex project on land owned by Myanmar Economic Corporation.
There is no statement from the Australian government regarding the suspension of entry visas for the Shan United football team.
Football Australia FA said in a statement that it would like to thank the Asian Football Federation for approving alternative plans for the opportunity to play in Thailand.
Justice for Myanmar, a human rights group, has been urging the Australian government since last September to support democracy in Myanmar by banning the football team linked to the business of the Myanmar Junta.