More Companies Must Follow Kirin In Ending Military Relationships

Burma Campaign UK today welcomed an announcement from Kirin that they will end their business relationship with the Burmese military. Kirin are in two joint ventures with the Burmese military, Myanmar Brewery and Mandalay Brewery.

Until now Kirin had resisted calls to end its joint venture with the military, despite its business partner being accused of genocide by United Nations investigators. Kirin has faced campaigns in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan.

Burma Campaign UK will now end its boycott campaign against Kirin.

“Kirin are the first major company since the coup to announce they will stop doing business with the military and deserve credit for that,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK. “All international companies doing business with the military must now end those business relationships.”

Companies on Burma Campaign UK’s ‘Dirty List’ for their business ties to the military include Tata, for supplying troop carriers and SUVs to the military, Facebook for allowing the military to recruit members using military Facebook pages, Adani, Posco, and TPG Capital.

Military companies in Burma are also facing a growing boycott campaign by people in the country.

Burma Campaign UK publishes a ‘Dirty List’ of international companies doing business with the military. More than 100 are listed. The ‘Dirty List’ is available here.

The Kirin statement is available here.

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