Japan has denied pushing for Myanmar to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force blacklist, days after reports that Tokyo was among the countries supporting the move. The denial leaves Myanmar on the watchdog's toughest list, with tougher measures possible if it does not make further progress by February 2027.

Japan's Ministry of Finance issued the denial in a statement to Reuters on 5 November. "There is no fact that the Japanese government sought to have Myanmar removed from the FATF blacklist," the ministry said. "Japan hopes that Myanmar will make the necessary improvements to strengthen its measures against money laundering and related illicit activities."

The statement followed a Reuters report on 30 October that Japan was pushing for Myanmar's removal, citing a senior Japanese government official and another person familiar with the matter. One of those people, reached by Reuters days later, stood by their comments, while the other could not immediately be reached for comment.

Myanmar stays on the blacklist

Myanmar was added to the FATF blacklist in October 2022, after the military coup of the previous year plunged the country into turmoil and civil war. Countries on the list, formally known as high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action, face enhanced screening of financial transactions to guard against money laundering and terrorist financing.

Myanmar remained on the list after a closed-door meeting of the 40-member body in Paris on 30 October. Japan's finance ministry said Tokyo did not state at the Paris meeting that it wanted Myanmar removed.

The FATF's October plenary, held in Paris from 28 to 30 October, left the blacklist unchanged. North Korea, Iran and Myanmar remain the only three jurisdictions subject to a call for action. Myanmar remains subject to enhanced due diligence rather than the stronger countermeasures applied to North Korea and Iran, but the FATF said it would consider countermeasures if Myanmar made no further progress by February 2027.

Scam compounds at the centre of concern

The watchdog also repeated its call for Myanmar to address illicit finance risks linked to fraud and cyber scam activity, which it described as extensive. It acknowledged some steps taken by Myanmar, including plans for a national anti-online scams centre and stronger regional and international cooperation. Reports say Myanmar has completed 13 of the 15 actions in its reform programme, with two still unfinished.

A spokesperson for Myanmar's military-backed government told Reuters that various "friendly countries" were supporting its efforts to be removed from the list. "The United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Indonesia recognise Myanmar's efforts," the spokesperson said. "We are grateful to all of them for acknowledging Myanmar's current progress."

South Korea's foreign ministry said it was "encouraging Myanmar to abide by FATF duties, and closely coordinating with FATF member countries on the issue". All the other countries named by the Myanmar spokesperson either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment. Myanmar's military-backed government did not immediately comment on Japan's denial.

The same FATF plenary removed four countries from the grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring: Bulgaria, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Monaco. No jurisdictions were added, leaving 18 on the grey list. The next FATF plenary is expected in February 2027, when Myanmar's progress will be reviewed again.

[Source: Reuters](https://krro.com/2026/11/05/japan-denies-seeking-myanmars-removal-from-fatf-blacklist/) | [Source: ComplyAdvantage](https://complyadvantage.com/insights/fatf-plenary-october-2026-four-grey-list-exits-a-virtual-asset-review-and-a-new-focus-on-scam-compounds/)