A U.S. businessman who penned a book documenting his experience during Myanmar’s military takeover has been arrested upon his return to the country Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
Adam Castillo, who formerly served as head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar and currently operates a security company in Yangon, was apprehended at an airport after traveling back to the nation, one source revealed.
The U.S. State Department acknowledged being informed of reports regarding an American citizen’s detention in Myanmar but declined further comment, citing privacy considerations.
When contacted by Reuters, a representative for the military-controlled government stated they had not been briefed on the incident and offered no statement.
According to social media activity, Castillo had been traveling internationally to promote his publication, Finding Our Voice, which details his decision to remain in Myanmar after the 2021 military takeover that plunged the nation into chaos.
The armed forces’ seizure of power brought an end to a short-lived period of democratic governance under Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering ongoing civil conflict between military forces and a united front of pro-democracy resistance groups working alongside established ethnic minority organizations.
In early April, former military leader Min Aung Hlaing assumed the presidency following an extensively criticized, military-orchestrated election that barred major opposition factions, including Suu Kyi’s party, and took place amid active warfare.
The former U.S. Marine visited the White House last year, where he proposed to officials that America take on a mediating role to help secure access to rare earth minerals, as previously reported by Reuters.
His publication documents the military’s violent suppression of democracy advocates while also condemning Washington’s approach, including economic sanctions, as unsuccessful and calling for increased business involvement.
