Australian Executive Freed From Myanmar Jail

An Australian business executive who led the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar has been released from jail after being detained for more than 100 days on allegations of financial misappropriation. The executive, Ye Khaung Kyaw, also known as Danny, was freed following a court ruling in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.

Ye Khaung Kyaw was detained in June, around the same time as former chamber president Adam Castillo, a U.S. businessperson who was released last week and deported without explanation. The current board of AmCham had accused Ye Khaung Kyaw, Castillo, and former board member Munimul Islam of breach of trust and misappropriation of association assets. These accusations were linked to a $300,000 contract with Washington-based lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs. Islam, who lives outside Myanmar, was not detained.

AmCham's complaint focused on Castillo's establishment of the U.S.-Burma Economic Forum as a lobbying organization during his presidency and a contract signed with Mercury in 2024. The chamber's annual report in May accused Castillo of illegally collecting funds using the association’s name, stating the board had not approved the agreement, received any money or services, or disclosed the matter to auditors.

However, AmCham documents obtained by The Associated Press appear to contradict the annual report. A signed board resolution indicated that the board approved the lobbying initiative, authorized the hiring of Mercury, and agreed that Islam’s company, Misfit Technologies, would provide sponsorship. The current AmCham Executive Director Myat Phyu The called this resolution a fabrication, though other records on the chamber’s website suggested board awareness of the arrangement.

A Misfit employee, speaking anonymously due to fear of professional repercussions, stated that fees were paid through Misfit’s U.S. office because American sanctions complicated payments from Myanmar. Mercury disclosed these payments to U.S. authorities under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s Home Affairs Ministry confirmed that court proceedings in Ye Khaung Kyaw’s case concluded Tuesday but offered no further details. It remains unclear if he was convicted, had the charges dismissed, or was ordered to be deported.

Australia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it provided consular assistance to an Australian citizen in Myanmar but declined further comment, citing privacy obligations. Officials in Myanmar, currently in the midst of a civil war, rarely engage with international media.