Roger Stone, a polarizing Republican operative and longtime Donald Trump ally, is quietly taking in $50,000 per month to lobby on behalf of Myanmar’s military junta. The contract, obtained by The Guardian, tasks Stone with improving the junta’s image in Washington as it seeks to re-enter the international fold. Stone, who was convicted in 2019 on charges of obstruction and witness tampering before Trump pardoned him, did not respond to requests for comment. Roger Stone has built a career on controversial clients, from tobacco companies to foreign governments, but this engagement is drawing particular scrutiny due to the junta’s human rights record and its refusal to acknowledge the results of Myanmar’s 2020 election, which it overthrew in February 2021. The coup triggered mass protests, a brutal crackdown, and a civil war that has displaced millions. The United Nations has accused the military of crimes against humanity, including torture, executions, and sexual violence against civilians. The junta’s recent ‘elections’ were widely dismissed as a sham, with voting restricted in opposition strongholds and critics jailed or exiled. The generals now face their most isolated moment since seizing power, with Western nations imposing sanctions and cutting military ties. But the junta is trying to break that isolation, hiring lobbyists like Stone to push its narrative in Washington and other capitals. Stone’s role appears to center on softening the junta’s image, framing its actions as necessary for stability rather than repression. His firm, Stone Unfiltered LLC, registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, is not required to disclose its contract details publicly. The arrangement is legal but ethically fraught, given the junta’s documented atrocities. Activists and Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), have condemned the lobbying effort. Zaw Htay, a spokesman for the NUG, called it a ‘direct betrayal’ of the people who have suffered under military rule. ‘The junta is desperate for legitimacy,’ he said. ‘Paying lobbyists won’t erase the blood on their hands.’ The NUG, formed by elected lawmakers and civil society leaders, represents the democratic movement that the junta crushed. It has gained recognition from some Western governments as the legitimate representative of Myanmar’s people. The lobbying work is part of a broader push by the junta to regain international acceptance. It has hosted delegations from countries like Russia and China, which have provided diplomatic cover and arms despite the junta’s isolation. The U.S. and its allies, meanwhile, have maintained sanctions on the regime’s leaders and its vast business empire. ## Stone’s controversial career Stone’s work for the Myanmar junta is the latest in a long line of high-profile, high-risk lobbying gigs. He first gained notoriety as a young operative in Richard Nixon’s 1968 campaign, later becoming a key figure in the Reagan and Trump administrations. His reputation as a political street fighter grew in the 1980s and 1990s, working for clients like Enron and the tobacco industry. Stone’s legal troubles culminated in his 2019 conviction for lying to Congress and obstructing the Russia investigation. Trump commuted his sentence in 2020 and later pardoned him. Critics say Stone’s work for the Myanmar junta is another example of his willingness to represent regimes accused of serious human rights abuses. His firm lists clients ranging from corporate interests to foreign governments, often with little public scrutiny. The Myanmar contract follows a pattern: lobbyists paid to polish the image of regimes facing international condemnation. The junta’s ‘elections’ in October were widely condemned as neither free nor fair. The military barred opposition parties, jailed thousands of activists, and used violence to suppress dissent. The U.S. State Department called the vote a ‘sham process without genuine competition.’ The junta claimed a landslide victory, but independent monitors dismissed the results. ## What happens next The lobbying effort is unlikely to change the Biden administration’s stance on Myanmar. The U.S. continues to recognize the NUG as the country’s legitimate government and maintains sanctions on the junta’s top brass. But the generals are betting that pressure from other countries—particularly in Southeast Asia—will eventually ease international isolation. China and Russia have shielded Myanmar at the United Nations, and some ASEAN nations have explored engagement despite the junta’s abuses. For activists in Myanmar, the lobbying work is a reminder of how power and money can distort global perceptions. ‘This is what happens when dictatorships buy access to decision-makers,’ said Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a Myanmar human rights activist. ‘Stone’s contract is a stain on Washington’s conscience.’ The NUG has called for a global boycott of the junta’s lobbying firms, urging governments to blacklist Stone and his associates. Whether that effort gains traction remains unclear. The Myanmar crisis shows no signs of ending, with the junta fighting armed resistance groups across the country. Thousands have been killed, and over 2 million people have been displaced since the coup. The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary examination into possible war crimes, but prosecutions remain distant. Stone’s work won’t stop the violence or bring justice to the victims. It might, however, help the junta buy time—and that’s exactly what its leaders want.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: The Guardian
  • Published: May 08, 2026 at 00:57 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #guardian · #world-news · #international · #war · #conflict · #trump

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 08, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O ex-estrategista político norte-americano Roger Stone, conhecido por sua ligação com Donald Trump, foi flagrado em um esquema de lobby milionário para a junta militar de Mianmar, recebendo US$ 50 mil por mês para “melhorar a imagem” do regime em Washington. A revelação, feita pelo The Washington Post, expõe mais um capítulo na rede de contatos de Stone com regimes autoritários, enquanto o país asiático enfrenta sanções internacionais por crimes contra a humanidade, incluindo a perseguição à minoria rohingya.

O caso desperta atenção no Brasil não só pela proximidade de Stone com figuras influentes da política global, mas porque o país tem sido um ponto de equilíbrio nas relações com Mianmar, mantendo laços diplomáticos mesmo após o golpe de 2021. Enquanto nações ocidentais endurecem críticas e cortam ajuda humanitária, o Brasil ainda não se posicionou publicamente sobre o financiamento milionário do lobby pró-junta, o que poderia ser interpretado como indiferença ou até conivência com a repressão no sudeste asiático. A atuação de Stone reforça ainda a tática de regimes autoritários de contratar lobistas estrangeiros para contornar isolamento internacional, um fenômeno que já atingiu outros países sob sanções.

Agora, a Justiça dos EUA investiga se o pagamento viola leis que proíbem lobby não registrado de interesses estrangeiros, enquanto a sociedade civil internacional pressiona por mais transparência — um teste que pode redefinir como potências como o Brasil lidam com ditaduras em busca de legitimidade.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El lobbyista estadounidense Roger Stone, figura cercana al expresidente Donald Trump, ha sido contratado por la junta militar de Myanmar para pulir su imagen en Washington con un jugoso contrato de 50.000 dólares mensuales. La maniobra llega en un momento en que el régimen birmano acumula condenas internacionales por violaciones masivas de derechos humanos.

La contratación de Stone —conocido por su historial de cabildeo opaco— refleja la estrategia del ejército de Myanmar para contrarrestar su creciente aislamiento diplomático. Mientras la comunidad internacional endurece sanciones y presiona por la liberación de presos políticos como la líder Aung San Suu Kyi, este movimiento subraya la desesperación del régimen por legitimarse. Para los hispanohablantes, la noticia evoca ecos de controversias similares en la región, donde figuras como Stone han servido a intereses controvertidos, recordando la necesidad de vigilar los vínculos entre poder político y lobby opaco.