Open letter to the governments of France, Germany and Spain, shareholders of Airbus SE, calling for Airbus to use its leverage to stop AVIC’s continued transfers of aircraft and associated equipment to the criminal Myanmar military junta, or divest

To:

Antoine Armand, Minister of the Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France
Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France
Christian Lindner, Federal Minister of Finance of Germany
Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany
Annalena Baerbock, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany
María Jesús Montero, First Vice President and Minister of Finance of Spain
José Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain

January 21, 2025

Re: Airbus’ business relationship with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)

Almost four years after the February 2021 attempted coup in Myanmar, the military junta continues to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross human rights abuses against the people of Myanmar with total impunity. This campaign of terror is only possible through the junta’s continued access to arms, including combat aircraft, and related technical maintenance, repair and overhaul assistance.

A key supplier of military aircraft and maintenance to the junta is the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

As you will surely be aware, Airbus is a key investor and partner of AVIC. With ongoing credible documentation and reporting at the United Nations of the human rights crisis in Myanmar and the role of AVIC in supplying arms to the junta, Airbus must know that its collaboration with AVIC is highly problematic. Yet Airbus has maintained its collaboration with AVIC, as well as its investments in multiple AVIC subsidiaries through the Hong Kong publicly listed company, AviChina Industry & Technology Company Limited (AviChina).

Airbus is the biggest international shareholder of AviChina. As such, Airbus has significant influence over AviChina’s strategic business decisions.

AviChina’s most recent annual report for fiscal years 2022-2023 states that the company “principally operates through its subsidiaries” and that AviChina group is “mainly engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and upgrade of civil aviation products and defense products such as provision of helicopters, trainer aircraft, general-purpose aircraft and regional jets for domestic and overseas customers; and the co-development and manufacture of aviation products with foreign aviation products manufacturers.” The group’s principal products include the K-8 trainer aircraft and the Y-12 multipurpose aircraft, according to the same annual report. Both aircraft have been commissioned by the Myanmar military since its coup attempt and continue to be frequently documented in use for airstrikes on civilians.

We welcome your Governments’ repeated condemnation of the Myanmar military’s ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, we are of the view that these condemnations are seriously undermined, if not even contradicted, by Airbus’ significant financial and technical collaboration with AVIC. As shareholders in Airbus, you have an independent responsibility to ensure that Airbus’ financial and strategic links do not enable atrocity crimes in Myanmar.

Moreover, Airbus is taking a risk by providing financial support to a junta arms dealer, as Myanmar has been subject to a European arms embargo. This restriction, renewed in 2018 by the Member States, specifies that it is forbidden for a European entity to:​

“Provide financing or financial assistance related to military activities, including in particular grants, loans and export credit insurance for any sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel, as well as equipment which might be used for internal repression, or for the provision of related technical assistance, brokering and other services directly or indirectly to any person, entity or body in, or for use in Myanmar/Burma”.

In other words, by owning shares in AviChina, Airbus could be in violation of the arms embargo, which your governments are responsible for implementing.

We, the undersigned organizations, urge you, as shareholders in Airbus, to take meaningful and concrete action to block the Myanmar military junta’s access to military aircraft, spare parts and related maintenance, repair and overhaul services which continue to be provided to the junta by AVIC subsidiaries and partners.

We specifically ask you to:

1. Ensure that Airbus acts in accordance with its human rights responsibilities by using its leverage to stop AVIC’s business with the Myanmar military.
2. Ensure that Airbus takes steps to divest from AviChina and end its business relationship with AVIC if transfers of AVIC aircraft, associated equipment and support to Myanmar continue.

Sincerely,

343 international and local revolutionary groups, and civil society organizations

For more information, please contact:

Blood Money Campaign, [email protected]

A total of 343 organizations, including 73 groups that can’t be named because of security reasons, have signed this letter.

1. 5/ of Zaya State Strike
2. Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
3. Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
4. Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)                                              ​
5. Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar
6. All Arakan Youth Organizations Network (AAYON)
7. All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force                    ​                    ​
8. All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)                                               ​
9. All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) – Australia Branch
10. All Young Burmese League (AYBL)
11. Alliance for Democracy for Myanmar
12. Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)        ​                    ​
13. ALTSEAN-Burma
14. Anti Dictatorship in Burma DMVPA Area
15. Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon-AJAY                                       ​        ​
16. Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee (AFCC -Mandalay)
17. Anyar Taw Eain
18. Arakan CSO Network
19. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist organization
20. Aung San Suu Kyi Park Norway
21. Australian Coalition for Democratic Burma (ACDB)
22. Australian Karen Organisation (AKO)
23. AWDO (Magway Region)
24. A-Yar-Taw People Strike                 ​
25. Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)          ​                                ​
26. Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)                                       ​
27. Basic Education Worker`s Union (Bago)
28. Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
29. Board Of Education (Bago)
30. Boston Free Burma
31. Burma Campaign UK
32. Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
33. Burmese Canadian Network (BCN)
34. Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC)
35. Burmese Community Support Grop (BCSG)
36. Burmese Medical Association Australia (BMAA)
37. Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
38. Burmese Women’s Union -BWU
39. Campaign for a New Myanmar
40. CAN-Myanmar
41. CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)                                      ​        ​
42. Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike                           ​                    ​
43. Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee                 ​                                ​
44. Chin Community in Norway
45. Chin Social Association (Mae Sot)
46. Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike                            ​                    ​
47. Civil Information Network (CIN)                                         ​        ​
48. Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)                              ​        ​
49. Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei                                   ​        ​
50. Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike           ​                                ​
51. Coordination Team for Emergency Relief-Karenni (CTER)
52. CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
53. CRPH Funding Ireland
54. CRPH Support Group, Norway
55. Daung Sitthe Strike                                                 ​
56. Dawei (Ashaetaw) Women Strike                                       ​        ​
57. Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
58. Defend Myanmar Democracy                                             ​
59. Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
60. Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
61. Democratic Youth Council
62. Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee           ​                                ​
63. Depayin Women Strike                                                       ​
64. EarthRights International
65. Enemy Air Route (EAR)
66. Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
67. Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)          ​                                ​
68. ETOs Watch Coalition
69. Federal School
70. Former ABSDF
71. Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa                            ​        ​
72. Free Rohingya Coalition
73. Freedom and Labor Action Group (FLAG)
74. Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD)
75. Future Thanlwin (FT)
76. Gangaw Women Strike                                                       ​
77. General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)               ​        ​
78. General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)                            ​
79. General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB)                          ​                                ​
80. Generation Network Myanmar
81. Generation Wave
82. Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities (GSCN)
83. Global Action Against China’s Meddling in Myanmar (GAACMM)
84. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution (GMSR)
85. Global Shan Network (GSN)
86. GMSR Korea  글로벌 미얀마 봄혁명 연대 -တကမ္ဘာလုံးဆိုင်ရာ မြန်မာ့နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး
87. HTY Scout Channel
88. Human Rights Foundation of Monland
89. India for Myanmar
90. Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Family Sydney
91. Industries Strike
92. Info Birmanie                                                ​
93. Information & Scout News (Hlaing)
94. Inter – Religious Institute for Peace (IRIP)
95. Interim Myanma Railways Administration Council (IMRAC)
96. International Campaign for the Rohingya
97. Justice & Equality Focus (JEF)
98. Justice For Myanmar (JFM)
99. Justice Movement for Community-Innlay
100. Kachin Association Australia (KAA)
101. Kachin Association Norway
102. Kachin Peace Network
103. Kachin Student Union                                 ​
104. Kalay Township Strike Force                                               ​
105. Kalay Women Strike                                                ​
106. Kamayut Scout Channel
107. Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
108. Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
109. Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG)
110. Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO)
111. KayahLi Phu Youth-KLY
112. Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY)
113. Kayaw Women Association
114. K’cho Ethnic Association (Europe)
115. Keng Tung Youth
116. Kyae Lak Myay
117. Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee                                             ​
118. Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
119. Land In Our Hands – ဒို့မြေကွန်ရက်
120. Latpadaung Region Strike Committee                   ​                                ​
121. Legal Aid for Human Rights
122. Let’s Help Each Other (LHEO) – အလုပ်သမား အချင်းချင်းရိုင်းပင်း ကူညီရေးအဖွဲ့
123. LGBT Alliance                                              ​
124. LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)                  ​                                ​
125. LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)             ​                                ​
126. LGBT Community Yangon                                       ​        ​
127. LGBT Union – Mandalay                                          ​        ​
128. Madaya Federal School
129. Magway People’s Revolution Committee (မကွေးလူထု တိုက်ပွဲကော်မတီ)
130. Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike            ​                                ​
131. Mandalar University Students’ Strike                      ​                    ​
132. Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike                         ​                    ​
133. Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)                           ​                    ​
134. Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
135. Mandalay Women Strike                                        ​        ​
136. Mandalay Youth Strike                                            ​        ​
137. Mandalay-based People’s Strike                             ​                    ​
138. Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)                                                  ​
139. MATA စစ်ကိုင်းတိုင်း
140. Matu Chin Community – NSW/UPU Chin Association
141. Mayangone News
142. MayMyo Strike Force
143. Milk Team Alliance Thailand (MTAT)                                        ​
144. MilkTeaAlliance Calendar Team
145. Mindat Chin Community NSW
146. Minority Affairs Institute (MAI Myanmar)
147. Mon National Council (MNC)
148. Mon State Development Center (MSDC)
149. Monywa LGBT Strike                                               ​
150. Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee        ​                                ​
151. Monywa Women Strike                                          ​        ​
152. Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee ​                                            ​
153. Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike                    ​                                ​
154. Multi-Religions Strike                                             ​
155. Mya Taung Strike                                                    ​
156. Myanmar Campaign Network
157. Myanmar Catholic Community in Norway
158. Myanmar Community Coffs Harbour (MCC)
159. Myanmar Community in Norway
160. Myanmar Democratic Force (Denmark)
161. Myanmar Engineering Association of Australia (MEAA)
162. Myanmar Federal Democratic Mission Collection (MFDMC)
163. Myanmar Global Support Foundation – MGSF
164. Myanmar Hindu Union
165. Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike                                           ​
166. Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)                              ​                    ​
167. Myanmar Professionals Association Australia (MPAA)
168. Myanmar Student Union (ဗကသများအဖွဲ့ချုပ်)
169. Myanmar Students’ Association Australia (MSAA) NSW Chapter
170. Myanmar Tourism Committee (MTC)
171. Myaung Youth Network                                         ​        ​
172. MyaYar Knowledge Tree
173. Myingyan Civillian Movement Committee             ​                                ​
174. National League for Democracy (Monywa Township)                                                        ​
175. Nattalin Board of Education
176. Network for Human Rights Documentation ND-Burma
177. Network of University Student Unions – Monywa ​                                            ​
178. New Myanmar Foundation
179. New Power Generation
180. New Step
181. NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway
182. NLD Solidarity Association (NSW chapter)
183. No Business With Genocide
184. No.12 Basic Education Branch High School (Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
185. NOK Information & Scout Echo
186. North Dagon & East Dagon News
187. Norway Falam Community
188. Norway Matu Community
189. Norway Rvwang Community
190. NSW Karenni (Kayah) Communities
191. Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar (နွေဦးဂုရုလေးများ)
192. Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica
193. OCTOPUS (Youth Organization)
194. Oway Institute
195. Pakkoku Youth Development Council (PYDC)
196. Pakkoku Youth Network
197. Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee                       ​
198. People Defense and Supporting Force (PDSF)
199. People’s Embrace
200. Peoples of Longing
201. Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM)
202. Progressive Muslim Youth Association (PMYA)
203. Progressive Voice
204. Purple Window Counselling
205. Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force                                      ​        ​
206. Queers of Burma Alternative (QBA)
207. Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)               ​
208. Revolution Through Art (RTA)
209. Rise Again Myanmar (RAM)
210. Rohingya Community in Norway
211. Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
212. Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas (SCOEWBA)
213. Save Myanmar San Francisco
214. Save Myanmar USA
215. Sein Pann Strike Column
216. Seinpann Strike                                                       ​
217. Shan MATA
218. Shwe Pan Kone People`s Strike Steering Committee                                 ​
219. Sisters2Sisters
220. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
221. South Dagon Scouting Infos (SDG)
222. Southern Dragon Myanmar
223. Southern Youth Development Organization
224. Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Community
225. Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (NL)
226. Sydney Friends for Myanmar Unity
227. Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition
228. SYSO, Seoul
229. Tai Pin Phaw online counseling Service
230. Tamwe Nway Oo Channel
231. Taze Strike Commitee                                             ​
232. Taze Women Strike                                                 ​
233. Technological Teachers’ Federation (TTF)
234. Thaketa & Dawbon Scout Channel
235. Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)  ​                                            ​
236. Thayat Chaung Women Strike                                ​                    ​
237. The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)                                                        ​
238. The Mekong Butterfly
239. Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar Organization
240. TPN-SBO – သပြေညိုရွှေဘိုပန်း
241. Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)                        ​                    ​
242. University Students’ Unions Alumni Force             ​                                ​
243. Volunteers in Myanmar
244. We Pledge CDM (Australia)
245. Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee                  ​                                ​
246. Wetlet Twonship Women Strike                             ​                    ​
247. White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)                       ​                    ​
248. Women Activists Myanmar (WAM)
249. Women Alliance Burma (WAB)                               ​                    ​
250. Women’s Organization of Political Prisoners (WOPP)
251. Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)                                              ​
252. Yangon Deaf Group
253. Yangon Women Strike                                            ​        ​
254. Yasakyo Township People`s Strike Steering Committee
255. Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee        ​
256. Youth for Democratization of Myanmar (YDM)
257. Youth Heart Beams
258. Youth Scout For Democracy (YSD)
259. Zomi Association Australia Inc.
260. Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway
261. Zomi Community Norway
262. ကြာအင်းဆိပ်ကြီးသပိတ်အင်အားစု/ကရင်
263. ပြည်သူ့သပိတ်အင်အားစု
264. ပုလဲလူထုသပိတ် တိုက်ပွဲဦးဆောင်ကော်မတီ
265. မျိုးဆက်-Generations
266. မြန်မာမွတ်စလင်အစည်းအရုံး (BMA)
267. ယိမ်းနွဲ့ပါး
268. ဝေါမြို့နယ်ပညာရေးဘုတ်အဖွဲ့
269. သမိုင်းသယ်ဆောင်သူများ​
270. အညာလွင်ပြင်ရပ်ဝန်း

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