Myanmar Court Frees Australian Executive After 100-Plus Days in Detention

An Australian business executive who served as executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar has been released from detention after more than 100 days, following a ruling by a court in Yangon.

Ye Khaung Kyaw, who is also known as Danny, was freed after the court concluded proceedings in his case on Tuesday, according to a legal official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Acting Police Brig. Gen. Soe Lin Aung, a spokesperson for Myanmar's Home Affairs Ministry, confirmed that the court had finished hearing the case but declined to give further details.

It remains unclear whether Ye Khaung Kyaw was convicted, had the charges dismissed or withdrawn, or was ordered to be deported. Myanmar's military-backed government issued no official statement, and officials at the court and the police station in Yangon's Pabedan township, where he faced trial, did not respond to requests for comment. Authorities in Myanmar, which is in the midst of a civil war, rarely speak to international media.

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 chamber's current board had accused Ye Khaung Kyaw, Castillo and former board member Munimul Islam of breach of trust and misappropriation of association assets over a $300,000 contract with Washington-based lobbying firm Mercury Public Affairs. Islam lives outside Myanmar and has not been detained.

The police complaint did not specify Ye Khaung Kyaw's exact role in the alleged misconduct during his tenure as executive director. The chamber's complaint centred on Castillo's creation of the U.S.-Burma Economic Forum as a lobbying organisation during his presidency from 2023 to 2025 and a contract signed with Mercury in 2024.

In its annual report issued in May, AmCham accused Castillo of illegally collecting funds using the association's name. It said the board had not approved the agreement, received any money or services, or disclosed the matter to auditors. However, chamber documents obtained by the wire service appear to contradict the annual report. A signed board resolution showed the board approved the lobbying initiative, authorised the hiring of Mercury and agreed that Islam's company, Misfit Technologies, would provide sponsorship.

Current AmCham Executive Director Myat Phyu The called the resolution a fabrication, although other records on the chamber's website indicated that the board was aware of the arrangement. A Misfit employee, who spoke anonymously for fear of professional retribution, said fees were paid through Misfit's U.S. office because American sanctions made payments from Myanmar nearly impossible. Mercury disclosed the payments to U.S. authorities under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

Supporters of the three men said the allegations were baseless and contradicted by documentary evidence. Australia's Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had provided consular assistance to an Australian in Myanmar but declined to comment further, citing privacy obligations.